England wins its first ever major women's championship in 2-1 Euro 2022 win over Germany - CNN

London, UK (CNN)England won its first ever major women's championship in dramatic fashion, beating Germany 2-1 after extra-time in the Euro 2022 Final at Wembley Stadium.

A record crowd of 87,192 for a European Championship final -- men's or women's -- watched as Chloe Kelly's first international goal fired the Lionesses to victory over the eight-time winner.

After three defeats at the final hurdle, goals from Kelly and Ella Toone canceled out Lina Magull's equalizer and sealed the dream ending to a stunning tournament run. A swashbuckling road to the final included a Euro-record 22 goals scored and just two conceded, an 8-0 demolition of world No. 11 Norway and a 4-0 dismantling of the world's second-highest ranked team Sweden.

With head coach Sarina Wiegman having never lost a European Championship game -- nor a game in charge of England -- and Germany having never lost a Euro final, one record had to tumble at Wembley, the site of an agonizing defeat for the men's team at the same stage just over a year ago.

And despite only beating Germany twice in their previous 27 meetings, Wiegman's players battled to a hard-fought victory to extend the Dutch coach's impressive streak and spark scenes of pure, unbridled joy at the home of English football.

That euphoria was encapsulated by the celebrations of the matchwinner, who offered up one of the great post-match interviews when she spoke to the BBC. Bouncing around, shouting and dancing, Kelly serenaded viewers with England's adopted anthem, Neil Diamond's classic "Sweet Caroline," before running off with the microphone.

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England celebrates their victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, July 31.

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England's Chloe Kelly fights for the ball with Germany's Felicitas Rauch on Saturday.

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A screen shows the attendance of the Women's Euro 2022 final match: a record crowd of 87,192 for a European Championship final -- men's or women's.

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UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, stand during the national anthems prior to kick off of the final match.

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England's Alessia Russo, right, vies for the ball with Germany's Kathrin-Julia Hendrich.

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Germany's players celebrate their equalizing goal, scored by Lina Magull.

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England fans react at Trafalgar Square in London after England scores a goal.

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England's Chloe Kelly scores England's Euro-winning goal in the final against Germany.

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Germany's Lina Magull celebrates scoring the team's first goal with teammates.

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Chloe Kelly of England celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal in extra time.

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Lena Oberdorf of Germany is challenged for the ball by Alessia Russo of England.

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England's Leah Williamson and Millie Bright lift the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Trophy after their team's victory.

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Upon her eventual return, the Manchester City forward -- having suffered an ACL injury in May last year -- reflected on the peak of the ultimate comeback story.

"Honestly, it's amazing," she said. "This is what dreams are made of. As a young girl watching women's football, this is amazing. Thank you to everyone who played a part in my rehab. I always believed I would be here."

Captain Leah Williamson added: "I just can't stop crying. We talk, we talk and we talk and we finally done it ... this is the proudest moment of my life.

"The legacy of this tournament is the change in society. The legacy of this team is winners and that is the journey. I love every single one of you, I'm so proud to be English."

Victory marked the culmination of a 13-year-long redemption arc for midfielder Jill Scott, the only member of the Lionesses squad to have featured in the 6-2 mauling suffered at the hands of Germany in the 2009 final.

Subbed on towards the end of regular time, the 35-year-old became the first England player to have played in two major international finals.

"I actually can't believe it," Scott said. "We have an incredible group of staff. What a day. The young players have been fantastic, so grateful for every moment of this team.

"I don't think I'm going to sleep this week!"

England fans watching the game and celebrating in Trafalgar Square in London.

As congratulations poured in across social media, men's captain Harry Kane tweeted his appreciation, with particular praise for Toone, whose deftly chipped finish had put England ahead in the second-half.

"Absolutely unreal scenes at Wembley!! Massive congrats to the amazing Lionesses," Kane said. "Ella Toone take a bow for that finish too."

There was also a message of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth II, who lauded the team for inspiring the next generation.

"The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise," she said. "However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.

"You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations. It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today."

Injury agony for Popp

Germany was struck a heartbreaking blow moments before kick-off when star striker Alexandra Popp, joint-top scorer at the tournament with six goals, suffered a muscle injury in the warm-up.

Replaced in the starting 11 by Lea Schüller, it marked a devastating end to what had been a heartwarming redemption story for the 31-year-old. After missing the previous two Euros through injury, Popp had made up for lost time emphatically, matching the record for best goal tally at the tournament -- set by compatriot Inka Grings in 2009 -- with a game to spare.

Popp's visible anguish as she left the pitch served as a stark contrast to the euphoric atmosphere of a sold-out Wembley Stadium as kick-off edged closer, with singers Becky Hill, Steflon Don and Ultra Naté taking to the center circle to host the pre-match show.

With the surrounding area of the ground teeming with fans and flags several hours before kick-off, it was a fitting build-up to the close of a tournament that had smashed records well before the trophy had been lifted.

The total of 487,683 fans that had attended the games preceding the final more than doubled the previous tournament attendance record set at Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.

And that was before the historic numbers boost at Wembley, which smashed the existing high for a men's or women's Euro final set at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 1964.

It was a record-breaking attendance for a European Championship final -- men's or women's -- at Wembley on Sunday.

Buoyed by home support, England started on the front foot. Fran Kirby carved out an early chance with a teasing cross for Ellen White at the back post, but the Manchester City forward could only direct her header into the arms of Merle Frohms.

It would mark the first of a string of opportunities for White in a cagey first half of few gilt-edge chances, with both defenses continuing the iron-fisted form that had seen them arrive at Wembley having conceded just once all tournament.

Aggravated by a quick succession of yellow cards for Georgia Stanway and White, frustration quickly turned to fear for England as a flicked on corner caused carnage on the goal line. Pinballing around inches from the line, the ball looked destined to settle in the net before it was gratefully smothered by England keeper Mary Earps.

Dealing with players' complaints would set the tone for a busy day for referee Kateryna Monzul, who dished out six yellow cards and stopped play for 36 fouls throughout a combative, hard-fought contest.

England's best chance of the half came five minutes before the break as a cut back from Beth Mead found White surging into the box, but the off-balance 33-year-old couldn't keep her shot down.

Ecstasy

It was Germany's turn to fly out of the blocks following the restart, with Tabea Wassmuth almost punishing Millie Bright for a miscommunication just two minutes into the second half. But having raced away down the left, Wassmuth could only fire her shot straight at Earps.

Wiegman rang the changes as Germany continued its fast start, Kirby and White making way for Toone and Alessia Russo. With four goals -- all from the bench -- Russo had been the tournament's unofficial 'golden' sub before the final, but it was Toone who would steal the crown at Wembley.

After a perfectly weighted long ball from Keira Walsh split the German defense, the Manchester United attacker found herself in the clear, faced by the onrushing form of Frohms. Her response? The most exquisite of chips that lifted over the goalkeeper and in.

Kelly scoring England's Euro-winning goal in the final against Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31.

If the finish was deft, the response was anything but, as Wembley erupted in ecstatic scenes not witnessed under the arch since Luke Shaw's strike had fired the men's team into an early lead at the opposite end of the pitch just over a year ago.

Like so many England tournaments before, that story ended in tears, and another painful chapter looked on course to be penned when Magull fired home a deserved equalizer 10 minutes from time.

With Wiegman's side dropping ever deeper to protect their advantage, the pressure finally broke when a well-worked move saw Wassmuth slide a low cross into the Bayern Munich midfielder at the near post, who smartly poked into the roof of the net to level.

Magull went close again in a nail-biting finish to regular time, with the euphoric atmosphere mere minutes ago replaced by one of nervous tension, broken momentarily by a rousing reception for the introduction of Scott.

Germany players celebrate Magull's equalizer.

Homecoming

Tempers flared during a nervy extra-time of few chances and many crunching tackles, with Scott involved in an angry exchange with Sydney Lohmann after she had tripped the German.

As legs tired and penalties crept closer, England forced a corner with 10 minutes to play. Lucy Bronze knocked the ball down into the path of Kelly who, after one missed swipe, poked the ball over the line for her first international goal at the most timely of times.

Cue pure bedlam, momentarily frozen by Kelly pausing to check with referee Monzul that her goal had counted. Ripping off her shirt in celebration, the 24-year-old was issued with what will surely be the most warmly received yellow card of her career.

Dogged efforts to keep the ball in the corner ran down the clock as the Wembley crowd willed their players over the line, Monzul's final whistle sparking the biggest roar yet.

Right on time, "Three Lions" blasted through the stadium speakers. After 56 years of hurt, football had -- at last -- come home.

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Mariners Place Julio Rodriguez, Dylan Moore On 10-Day IL; Ty France To Undergo MRI - MLB Trade Rumors

The Mariners placed outfielder Julio Rodriguez (right wrist contusion) and utilityman Dylan Moore (back spasms) on the 10-day injured list.  Jarred Kelenic has been called up from Triple-A, and first baseman/outfielder Jack Larsen’s contract has been selected from Double-A.  To make room for Larsen on the 40-man roster, left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been designated for assignment.

Last night’s 5-4 win over the Astros was a costly victory for the Mariners, as Rodriguez, Moore, and Sam Haggerty (due to a cut on his forehead) all had to leave the game, making Seattle’s late-inning triumph all the more improbable.  If that wasn’t enough, Ty France is also set to undergo an MRI, as his bothersome left wrist injury again flared up late in the game.

Rodriguez’s injury drew the most immediate concern after the star rookie was hit on the right hand while swinging, though x-rays were negative.  Rodriguez is still sore enough that he won’t be able to swing for the next 4-5 days, manager Scott Servais told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, and thus the IL stint was necessary to both keep the Mariners from being undermanned and to give Rodriguez time to get healthy.

There’s no easy way to replace Rodriguez, who has quickly cemented himself as both the present and future of Seattle baseball.  The outfielder is the heavy favorite to capture AL Rookie Of The Year honors, unless this IL stint lingers or impacts Rodriguez’s production once he does return.  Likewise, France also made the AL All-Star team this year and has basically done nothing but hit since the M’s acquired him from the Padres at the 2020 trade deadline.

Rodriguez and France are the Mariners’ two team leaders in fWAR, so losing at least one and potentially both to injury just prior to the trade deadline leaves Seattle’s front office in a tight spot.  President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto implied that after the Luis Castillo trade, the M’s could be done with any huge moves, and were relying on Mitch Haniger’s return to boost the offense rather than rely on any outside pieces.  The Mariners still have over 52 hours to monitor and evaluate Rodriguez and France before the 5pm CT deadline on August 2, but if there’s any uncertainty, the aggressive Dipoto might opt to swing at least a depth trade for the lineup just in case.

Moore has been a valuable player in his own right, posting a 116 wRC+ (from five homers and a .197/.350/.367 slash line in 185 PA) and playing at least one game at seven different positions around the diamond this season.  Abraham Toro will have to pick up some of the utility slack in the interim, though Toro has mostly played only second and third base during his two seasons with the Mariners.  Back spasms might not sideline Moore for much beyond the 10-day minimum, yet Dipoto could also explore adding a multi-position player to help fill Moore’s shoes in the short term.

Kelenic will get another opportunity to establish himself in the majors after struggling badly in first 473 plate appearances in the Show.  Kelenic has hit .173/.256/.338 as a big leaguer, with an ungainly 30% strikeout rate.  That swing-and-miss has crept into Kelenic’s work in the minors, as though he is hitting well at Triple-A, his strikeout rate over 252 PA for Tacoma this season is 23.8%, considerably up from 15.4% in 143 Triple-A PA in 2021.

Larsen went undrafted in 2017, but after inking a deal with the Mariners shortly after the amateur draft, the UC San Diego product is now on the verge of his Major League debut without so much as a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level.  The 27-year-old has played all three outfield positions and a handful of games as a first baseman, though Larsen hasn’t played any center field this year.  At the plate, Larsen has hit .266/.371/.444 in 564 career PA in Double-A ball.  Neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rate Larsen as one of the 30 best prospects in Seattle’s farm system.

Misiewicz has been a regular in the Mariners’ bullpen for the last three seasons, but he was optioned to Triple-A in June after posting a 4.61 ERA and only a 14% strikeout rate in 13 2/3 innings this season.  The M’s are known to be looking for bullpen help before the deadline, and left-handed relief could be a particular need, as Misiewicz’s struggles further lessened a pen already thin on southpaws.  It isn’t out of the question that Misiewicz could be claimed on DFA waivers, given how other clubs are constantly on the hunt for left-handed relief.

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Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, 11-time NBA champion, dies at 88 - ESPN

1:19 PM ET

Bill Russell, the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty that won eight straight titles and 11 overall during his career, died Sunday. The Hall of Famer was 88.

Russell died "peacefully" with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, a statement posted on social media read. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon, according to the statement.

"But for all the winning, Bill's understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi's first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar [Evers'] assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom ... Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness and thoughtful change," the statement read.

"Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you'll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded. And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill's uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6."

An announcement... pic.twitter.com/KMJ7pG4R5Z

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) July 31, 2022

Over a 15-year period, beginning with his junior year at the University of San Francisco, Russell had the most remarkable career of any player in the history of team sports. At USF, he was a two-time All-American, won two straight NCAA championships and led the team to 55 consecutive wins. And he won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.

During his 13 years in Boston, he carried the Celtics to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning the championship 11 times.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver called Russell "the greatest champion in all of team sports" in a statement Sunday.

"I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I often called him basketball's Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever," Silver said.

A five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star, Russell was an uncanny shot blocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. He finished with 21,620 career rebounds -- an average of 22.5 per game -- and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 rebounds in one game and 49 in two others and posted 12 straight seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds. Russell also averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game over his career.

Until Michael Jordan's exploits in the 1990s, Russell was considered by many as the greatest player in NBA history.

Russell was awarded the Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2011, the nation's highest civilian honor. And in 2017, the NBA awarded him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. His family moved to the Bay Area, where he attended McClymonds High School in Oakland. He was an awkward, unremarkable center on McClymonds' basketball team, but his size earned him a scholarship at San Francisco, where he blossomed.

"I was an innovator," Russell told The New York Times in 2011. "I started blocking shots although I had never seen shots blocked before that. The first time I did that in a game, my coach called timeout and said, 'No good defensive player ever leaves his feet.'"

Russell did it anyway, and he teamed with guard K.C. Jones to lead the Dons to 55 straight wins and national titles in 1955 and 1956. (Jones missed four games of the 1956 tournament because his eligibility had expired.) Russell was named the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955. He then led the U.S. basketball team to victory in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne, Australia.

With the 1956 NBA draft approaching, Celtics coach and general manager Red Auerbach was eager to add Russell to his lineup. Auerbach had built a high-scoring offensive machine around guards Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman and undersized center Ed Macauley but thought the Celtics lacked the defense and rebounding needed to transform them into a championship-caliber club. Russell, Auerbach felt, was the missing piece to the puzzle.

After the St. Louis Hawks selected Russell in the draft, Auerbach engineered a trade to land Russell for Ed Macauley.

Boston's starting five of Russell, Tommy Heinsohn, Cousy, Sharman and Jim Loscutoff was a high-octane unit. The Celtics posted the best regular-season record in the NBA in 1956-57 and waltzed through the playoffs for their first NBA title, beating the Hawks.

In a rematch in the 1958 Finals, the Celtics and Hawks split the first two games at Boston Garden. But Russell suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 and was ineffective the remainder of the series. The Hawks eventually won the series in six games.

Russell and the Celtics had a stranglehold on the NBA Finals after that, going on to win 10 titles in 11 years and giving professional basketball a level of prestige it had not enjoyed before.

In the process, Russell revolutionized the game. He was a 6-foot-9 center whose lightning reflexes brought shot-blocking and other defensive maneuvers that trigger a fast-break offense into full development.

In 1966, after eight straight titles, Auerbach retired as coach and named Russell as his successor. It was hailed as a sociological advance, since Russell was the first Black coach of a major league team in any sport, let alone so distinguished a team. But neither Russell nor Auerbach saw the move that way. They felt it was simply the best way to keep winning, and as a player-coach, Russell won two more titles over the next three years.

Their biggest opponent was age. After he won his 11th championship in 1969 at age 35, Russell retired, triggering a mini-rebuild. During his 13 seasons, the NBA had expanded from eight teams to 14. Russell's Celtics teams never had to survive more than three playoff rounds to win a title.

"If Bill Russell came back today with the same equipment and the same brainpower, the same person exactly as he was when he landed in the NBA in 1956, he'd be the best rebounder in the league," Bob Ryan, a former Celtics beat writer for The Boston Globe, told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. "As an athlete, he was so far ahead of his time. He'd win three, four or five championships, but not 11 in 13 years, obviously."

Along with multiple titles, Russell's career also was partly defined with his rivalry against Wilt Chamberlain.

In the 1959-60 season, the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain, who averaged a record 37.6 points per game in his rookie year, made his debut with the Philadelphia Warriors. On Nov. 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors, and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans." While Chamberlain outscored Russell 30-22, the Celtics won 115-106, and the game was called a "new beginning of basketball."

The matchup between Russell and Chamberlain became one of basketball's greatest rivalries. One of the Celtics' titles came against Chamberlain's San Francisco's Warriors teams in 1964.

Although Chamberlain outrebounded and outscored Russell over the course of their 142 career head-to-head games (28.7 rebounds per game to 23.7, 28.7 points per game to 14.5) and their entire careers (22.9 RPG to 22.5, 30.1 PPG to 15.1), Russell usually got the nod as the better overall player, mainly because his teams won 87 (61%) of those games.

In the eight playoff series between the two, Russell and the Celtics won seven. Russell has 11 championship rings; Chamberlain has just two.

"I was the villain because I was so much bigger and stronger than anyone else out there," Chamberlain told the Boston Herald in 1995. "People tend not to root for Goliath, and Bill back then was a jovial guy and he really had a great laugh. Plus, he played on the greatest team ever.

"My team was losing and his was winning, so it would be natural that I would be jealous. Not true. I'm more than happy with the way things turned out. He was overall by far the best, and that only helped bring out the best in me."

After Russell retired from basketball, his place in its history secure, he moved into broader spheres, hosting radio and television talk shows and writing newspaper columns on general topics.

In 1973, Russell took over the Seattle SuperSonics, then a 6-year-old expansion franchise that had never made the playoffs, as coach and general manager. The year before, the Sonics had won 26 games and sold 350 season tickets. Under Russell, they won 36, 43, 43 and 40 games, making the playoffs twice. When he resigned, they had a solid base of 5,000 season tickets and a team that reached the NBA Finals the next two years.

Russell reportedly became frustrated over the players' reluctance to embrace his team concept. Some suggested that the problem was Russell himself; he was said to be aloof, moody and unable to accept anything but the Celtics' tradition. Ironically, Lenny Wilkens guided Seattle to a championship two years later, preaching the same team concept that Russell had tried to instill unsuccessfully.

A decade after he left Seattle, Russell gave coaching another try, replacing Jerry Reynolds as coach of the Sacramento Kings early in the 1987-88 season. The team staggered to a 17-41 record, and Russell departed midseason.

Between coaching stints, Russell was most visible as a color commentator on televised basketball games. For a time he was paired with the equally blunt Rick Barry, and the duo provided brutally frank commentary on the game. Russell was never comfortable in that setting, though, explaining to the Sacramento Bee, "The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation and people go deeper than that."

He also dabbled with acting, performing in a Seattle Children's Theatre show and an episode of "Miami Vice," and he wrote a provocative autobiography, "Second Wind."

Russell became the first Black player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 1980 he was voted Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America. He was part of the 75th Anniversary Team announced by the NBA in October 2021.

In 2013, Boston honored Russell with a statue at City Hall Plaza.

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Brandon Moreno Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 277 - UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship

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Jake Paul fight canceled due to flap over Hasim Rahman Jr.'s weight - ESPN

8:42 PM ET

The scheduled Aug. 6 boxing pay-per-view card headlined by Jake Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr. has been canceled due to a weight issue with Rahman, Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) wrote in a statement Saturday night.

The event was to take place at New York's Madison Square Garden.

According to MVP's statement, Rahman's camp told Paul's team Saturday morning that Rahman planned on weighing in this coming Friday at 215 pounds. Rahman had originally signed a contract for a bout at 200 pounds, and the statement said Paul was willing to compromise to do the fight at 205 pounds. The MVP statement read that Rahman's camp said its fighter would withdraw from the fight if the bout was not at 215 pounds.

"MVP and Jake Paul will not reward someone that has conducted themselves in such a deceiving and calculated manner," the statement read. "Therefore, MVP is left with no choice but to cancel the August 6th event. This forced outcome impacts Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and every other fighter on this card who have trained tirelessly over the past few months for this event. The boxing community must hold Hasim Rahman Jr. liable for his lack of professionalism."

A Rahman representative declined to comment when reached by ESPN on Saturday night.

Serrano, one of the top women's fighters in the world, was scheduled to fight Brenda Carabajal in the co-main event of the card.

The Paul-Rahman bout was put together in early July when Tommy Fury withdrew from his fight with Paul due to travel issues.

According to the MVP statement, Rahman signed an agreement July 6 to fight at 200 pounds. At that time, Rahman provided evidence of his weight to MVP and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) that he wouldn't be losing more than 10% of his weight between then and the bout. Rahman, a heavyweight, last fought at 224 pounds in April and had weighed as much as 269 pounds as a pro.

On July 7, according to MVP, Rahman weighed 216 pounds, and he and his team had provided assurances that he was on track to make the weight. In interviews with ESPN over the past two weeks, Rahman and his father, Hasim, both expressed confidence that making the weight would not be a problem.

MVP's statement said Rahman provided a signed statement from a nutritionist that his weight was progressing, per the NYSAC rules, which included weekly weight checks.

"In the last 48 hours, it has become clear that these assurances were not made in good faith," MVP's statement read.

MVP's statement said that in an NYSAC weight check Friday, Rahman had lost less than one pound since signing for the bout in early July. The commission, MVP said, declared it wouldn't sanction the fight at less than 205 pounds, which Paul was willing to agree to. A new contract was then sent to Rahman's team, according to MVP, with the weight alteration and imposing strict penalties if Rahman missed the weight.

"Upon receiving this new contract Saturday morning, Rahman's camp indicated for the very first time that he planned to weigh 215 lbs. at the official weigh-in and would not agree to weigh-in at 205 pounds and informing Most Valuable Promotions that they are pulling out of the fight unless the fight was agreed to at 215 pounds," the statement read. A request for comment to the NYSAC on Saturday night was not immediately returned.

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MLB trade grades - Seattle Mariners land trade deadline's top available pitcher in deal for Luis Castillo - ESPN

Seahawks’ Jamal Adams has broken finger, expected back for start of regular season - The Seattle Times

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1. Seahawks’ Jamal Adams has broken finger, expected back for start of regular season  The Seattle Times
2. Seahawks' Jamal Adams 'really concerned' with hand injury that could leave him out indefinitely  Fox News
3. Injury Update: Seattle Seahawks SS Jamal Adams has a broken finger  Field Gulls
4. Jamal Adams out indefinitely while getting second opinions on surgically repaired fingers  NBC Sports
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Commissioner George Kliavkoff -- Pac-12 steady despite USC, UCLA departures - ESPN

12:35 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- After weeks of speculation about the future of the Pac-12 in the wake of decisions from USC and UCLA to leave for the Big Ten, conference commissioner George Kliavkoff hit back at the assertion the league is on unstable ground.

"We are bullish about the Pac-12's future and our opportunities for long-term growth, stability and success," Kliavkoff said at Pac-12 media day Friday. "Our conference boasts 10 of the most iconic and innovative brands in all of sports, all-around excellence in academics and athletics and a half-dozen of the most valuable markets in this country."

Several of the remaining Pac-12 schools have been mentioned as possible expansion targets for the Big Ten and Big 12, and comments from both conference commissioners have only fueled the idea. Asked about potentially adding Pac-12 schools earlier this month, the Big 12's Brett Yormark said the conference is "open for business."

That didn't sit well with Kliavkoff, who pointed to the unspecified projected value of the Pac-12 media rights compared to the Big 12 and dismissed the idea that the Big 12 is a more desirable location.

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"With respect to the Big 12 being 'open for business,'" Kliavkoff said, "I appreciate that. We haven't decided if we're going shopping there yet or not."

Kliavkoff's jab came during a question-and-answer session in which he spoke of his desire for more collegiality among his peers. But he also wasn't about to let what was being said elsewhere go unanswered.

"I've been spending four weeks trying to defend against grenades that have been lobbed in from every corner of the Big 12, trying to destabilize our remaining conference," Kliavkoff said. "And I understand why they're doing it. When you look at the relative media value between the two conferences, I get it. I get why they're scared. I get why they're trying to destabilize us, but I was just tired of that."

Kliavkoff said the Pac-12 is actively exploring expansion opportunities and has prioritized "media value, athletic strength, academic and cultural fit and geography" for possible additions.

He didn't identify any specific schools, but given the criteria laid out, San Diego State appears to be the most likely school the conference would target.

"Southern California is really important to us, and I think there are different ways of approaching staying part of Southern California," Kliavkoff said. "We may end up playing a lot of football games in L.A."

The Pac-12 is in an exclusive 30-day negotiating window with existing media partners ESPN and Fox about its next media rights deal, but Kliavkoff doesn't anticipate anything to be finalized for at least a couple months. The most likely scenario is the conference's Tier 1 football rights will remain on linear television, while another piece will be sold to a digital partner such as Amazon or Apple. The future of the Pac-12 Network after the next two seasons is unclear.

Kliavkoff told ESPN he is "very confident" the Pac-12 would be solidly in the middle of the Power 5 conferences on a per-school distribution basis but was unwilling to share what range he expects that to be worth.

UCLA and USC announced June 30 that they would leave for the Big Ten in 2024 after roughly a century as integral members of what eventually became known as the Pac-12.

Kliavkoff said the conference was "very disappointed" by USC and UCLA's impending departures.

"That said, USC and UCLA have been proud members of the Pac-12 for almost a century, despite their decision," he said. "We cherish our relationship with their student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty, alumni and fans. For that reason, I personally instructed everyone at our conference to make sure that USC and UCLA student-athletes are given every opportunity to compete and succeed for as long as they remain in the Pac-12."

Asked about the possibility the schools could reverse course and remain in the Pac-12, Kliavkoff did not rule that out for UCLA, which has faced public criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom for its handling of the defection.

"I'd say UCLA is in really difficult position," Kliavkoff said. "There are a lot of constituents related to UCLA who are very, very, very unhappy with the decision. Student-athletes, the families of student-athletes, the faculty, the staff, politicians, the fans, the alumni, there's a lot of really, really upset people with that decision and there's a hearing coming up [with the UC board of regents] about that decision.

"I can't give you a percentage chance. I think it's unlikely, but if they came back, we would welcome them back."

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Commissioner George Kliavkoff -- Pac-12 steady despite USC, UCLA departures - ESPN
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Kevin Stefanski: Jacoby Brissett will start if Deshaun Watson is suspended - NBC Sports

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As we continue to wait for Judge Sue Robinson’s gavel to fall, the Browns are ready for Plan B.

Via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday that Jacoby Brissett will serve as the starting quarterback if Deshaun Watson is suspended to start the season.

Stefanski also said that both Watson and Brissett will get “a ton of reps” during training camp.

It’s a tough balancing act for the Browns. Brissett needs to be ready for Week One. Watson needs to be ready, eventually.

That’s why the Browns need to know how much time Watson will miss. Presumably, an answer is coming soon.

PFT reported last week that the Browns are privately bracing for an eight-game suspension.

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Mike Trout’s timeline for return unknown as he battles ‘rare condition’ in back - The Athletic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Trout could need at least one more week for his cortisone shot to take effect before he ramps up and begins baseball activity.

But uncertainty remains long-term about when he can return and the severity of a back injury that could be a factor for the rest of his baseball career.

While the Angels outfielder is feeling better, the timeline for his return is unclear as he deals with rib cage inflammation that’s creating back pain.

“I think we have to have some concern on that,” head athletic trainer Mike Frostad said when asked about Trout being out long-term. “… He’s a little more upbeat today. And I think he’s starting to feel like he’s getting the benefits.

“But long-term we do have to look at this as something that — he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably.”

Trout exited the Angels’ game on July 12 with back spasms. He spent the next four days optimistic that his return would be imminent. He was even in the lineup on July 16 before a last-minute scratch.

He was placed on the injured list on July 18 and received a cortisone shot that could take two weeks to work. Trout has not begun baseball activities, but has begun a core stability program and done cardio work.

Frostad was asked why the significant optimism earlier this month of a quick return has now led to a condition – costovertebral dysfunction at T5 – where there’s more concern.

“This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back,” Frostad said. “The doctor (Robert Watkins), who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these.

“And for it to happen in a baseball player, we just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis, just getting prepared. And then also playing in the outfield. … There’s so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn’t seen a lot of it.”

Trout will have a follow-up with Watkins when the team returns to Anaheim. Frostad said the best way to measure if his rib cage inflammation is subsiding is based on how Trout feels and what he communicates to doctors and trainers.

Asked if there’s a chance he wouldn’t play again this season, Frostad said, “We hope not. I don’t think we’re at that point where we’re going to make that decision.”

Trout has been with the team in Atlanta and Kansas City. After missing the final three and a half months last season with a lingering injury, the hope is that history won’t repeat itself in 2022.

“He’s moving around better from what I’ve seen,” said Angels manager Phil Nevin. “But yeah, it may be a slow process. We’re not sure once he’s able to start ramping up. It’s just going to be on how he feels.”

(Top photo: Brett Davis / USA Today)

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