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Lionel Messi’s 8th Ballon D’Or trophy celebrated by Inter Miami in exhibition match

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi held the Ballon D’Or over his head as fireworks lit up the sky to bring a pregame ceremony to a close. And with that, Inter Miami got to celebrate the game’s greatest player one more time in 2023.Messi was on the field for his Major League Soccer club on Friday night for a friendly against New York City FC, a match put together to commemorate his eighth time winning the Ballon D’Or — presented annually to the game’s top player — at a black-tie ceremony in Paris last month. No other player has won that award more than five times.Messi — carrying the trophy in his left hand — walked to midfield on a gold carpet laid out across the pitch, where MLS Commissioner Don Garber was among those awaiting his arrival for a brief pregame ceremony. He embraced Garber, Inter Miami owners Jorge and Jose Mas, then hoisted the trophy as the crowd roared.“It’s beautiful to share it with you all,” Messi said. “I’ve been here ...

Green Jr. paces Florida State with 18 points as ‘Noles smack Kennesaw State 94-67

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Senior guard Darrin Green Jr. scored 18 points and Florida State beat Kennesaw State 94-67 on Friday night in the season opener for the Seminoles.Reserve Camron Fletcher scored 11 points and Cam Corhen scored 10 points for Florida State which never trailed.Simeon Cottle scored 18 points, Terrell Burden and reserve RJ Johnson each scored 13 and Demond Robinson scored 10 and collected 13 rebounds for the Owls.Johnson’s jump shot with 4:26 left before halftime brought the Owls within 34-25 and it marked the last time Kennesaw State would get within single digits. Florida State countered with Green making his second 3-pointer of the half and Tom House connecting on consecutive 3s and the ‘Noles pushed the lead to 43-25. Florida State went to halftime up 49-34. The Seminoles emerged from halftime and outscored Kennesaw State (1-1) 14-4 within the first six minutes for a 63-38 lead and cruised from there.The Seminoles enter the season seeking a drastic...

Ravens and Browns meet this weekend in a rivalry dominated by Baltimore through the years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

CLEVELAND (5-3) at BALTIMORE (7-2)Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.OPENING LINE: Ravens by 4 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Browns 5-3; Ravens 6-3.SERIES RECORD: Ravens lead 36-13.LAST MEETING: Ravens beat Browns 28-3 on Oct. 1, 2023, in Cleveland.LAST WEEK: Browns beat Cardinals 27-0; Ravens beat Seahawks 37-3.BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (3), PASS (29), SCORING (14).BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (6T), PASS (1), SCORING (3).RAVENS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (1), PASS (20), SCORING (6).RAVENS DEFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (8), PASS (2), SCORING (1).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Browns minus-4; Ravens plus-1.BROWNS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Deshaun Watson. He missed the first matchup against the Ravens with a strained right shoulder, an injury that sidelined him for two other starts and most of a fourth game. He returned last week, and while Watson still isn’t 100%, his presence gives the Browns a fighting chance.RAVENS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Keaton Mitchell. He’d...

Alker, Dawson tied for Schwab Cup lead on PGA Tour Champions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Steven Alker and Marco Dawson each made birdie on the par-5 18th hole Friday and each posted a 7-under 64 to share the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.The final PGA Tour Champions event of the year is missing Steve Stricker, who already has clinched the Schwab Cup and its $1 million bonus. Stricker stayed home in Wisconsin to be with his father, who was hospitalized earlier in the week.Still at stake is a trophy and a $528,000 payoff, one of the largest winner’s check on the year for the 50-and-older circuit.Runner-up in the Schwab Cup points list gets a $500,000 bonus, and Alker and Padraig Harrington are among those who have a chance to win that.Alker and Dawson were at 11-under 131.Harrington, the defending champion at Phoenix Country Club, had a 63 and was one shot behind along with Alex Cejka (64), Harrison Frazar (67) and Thongchai Jaidee (67).Dawson was only surprised to share the lead because he said he’s been dealing with muscular pain...

Browns rookie Dawand Jones out with injury; team will be without both starting tackles versus Ravens

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will have two backup tackles protecting him Sunday against one of the NFL’s nastiest defenses.That’s less than ideal.Cleveland ruled out starting rookie right tackle Dawand Jones for this week’s game at Baltimore because of shoulder and knee injuries, further depleting the Browns, who are already missing left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.Jones missed his third straight practice Friday and was ruled out by coach Kevin Stefanski. The loss of Jones comes after the Browns (5-3) placed Wills on injured reserve earlier this week with a knee sprain suffered in last Sunday’s 27-0 win over Arizona.Stefanski wouldn’t reveal the plans to replace Jones, but James Hudson III and Geron Christian are among his most viable options. Another would be sliding All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio to tackle, a move he made for two games in 2021.“We feel good about where we’re going,” Stefanski said when asked of the team’s plans. “Wo...

Lakewood man describes wrong-way driver encounter moments before head-on crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) -- A Lakewood man says he was almost hit by a wrong-way driver moments before the other driver crashed head-on into another vehicle.This happened near West 6th Avenue in Lakewood around 10 p.m. Thursday night. Montbello man in ICU after black widow spider bite Police have not released what led up to the crash, but said the accused wrong-way driver is 91 years old.Cody Fahrney tells FOX31 the wrong-way driver missed him by inches. He was one of the many drivers who called 9-1-1.“I was heading home, heading down west on 6th," said Fahrney. "Just cruising along minding my own business. People started flashing their lights at me in the opposite direction."I was thinking okay it may be a speed trap up ahead, so I kept on cruising along," Fahrney continued. "All of a sudden the person on side of me slams on their brakes."When he looked up, a car was heading towards him with no headlights on.“I whipped over, they flipped their headlights on right as I went by. Jus...

Commerce City Police seek driver, passenger of pickup that hit 2 women

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Commerce City Police Department is seeking a driver who hit a pair of women on Thursday night, injuring one seriously.According to the agency, overnight officers responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash in the 7000 block of Kearney Street. The incident was caught on security camera, which the agency shared to it's social media pages. 2 people wanted in triple shooting near 16th Street Mall Police found that two women were exiting an SUV in the residential area when a white F150 pickup truck backed up into the victims, hitting both of them at a "high rate of speed." Police report that both women were injured and one was seriously injured.There were at least two people in the pickup, one of whom fled on foot and the other who left in the truck. The Commerce City Police Department requests that anyone with information about the truck or either individual who had been in the truck call 303-289-3626.

North Andover HS senior killed, several teens injured in Lawrence crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

Authorities say an 18-year-old woman from North Andover was killed and several teenagers were injured Thursday night after a crash on I-495 North in Lawrence.According to Massachusetts State Police, the crash happened in the area north of Exit 100B, where a GMC Envoy driven by the 18-year-old was traveling.State police said it was around 9 p.m. when the Envoy appeared to veer into another lane at a high rate of speed and struck the side of a camper that was being pulled by a pickup truck.At that point, authorities said the Envoy’s driver then lost control and left the roadway, hitting a curb and guardrail before rolling over a steep slope.During the crash, police said the driver was ejected onto the road and struck by oncoming vehicles. A 17-year-old male passenger was also ejected and suffered minor head injuries.Meanwhile, two teenagers in the Envoy’s backseat, described as a 15-year-old female and 16-year-old female, suffered minor injuries. State police continued to ...

4 things we learned from Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus, including the Montez Sweat ‘Tez Factor’ and Cairo Santos’ milestone

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters Friday afternoon to recap his team’s 16-13 victory against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field.Here are four things we learned.1. Matt Eberflus said he gave the game ball from the win to the entire Bears defense.Eberflus had compliments to hand around for a defensive effort that held the Panthers and rookie quarterback Bryce Young without an offensive touchdown.He said linebacker T.J. Edwards, who had 12 tackles, “played really well” and noted a stat from Bears media relations said Edwards’ 112 tackles are the most of any player in team history through 10 weeks.Eberflus noted the three sacks of Young by defensive linemen Yannick Ngakoue, Rasheem Green and Justin Jones. He said new defensive end Montez Sweat, who had eight quarterback pressures according to NextGen Stats, has shown “The Tez Factor,” in which the entire defense is better when Sweat plays.“He’s helping our guys rush,...

Coach Jim Harbaugh banned from 3 games over sign-stealing allegations. Michigan asks judge for stay

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:11:07 GMT

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The Big Ten Conference banned Jim Harbaugh from coaching at Michigan’s three remaining regular-season games on Friday, escalating an extraordinary confrontation with college football’s winningest program over a sign-stealing scheme that has rocked the sport.The school delivered on its promise to fight back in court a few hours later, asking a Michigan judge for a temporary restraining order that would allow Harbaugh to coach the Wolverines in their biggest game of the season so far.The discipline was announced less than 24 hours before kickoff at No. 9 Penn State. The second-ranked Wolverines (9-0) have a shot to win a third straight Big Ten title and the school’s first national championship since 1997.Michigan’s team plane landed in Pennsylvania shortly before the announcement. It issued a statement ridiculing the decision.“Like all members of the Big Ten Conference, we are e...