Cowboys have Marshawn Kneeland on their minds as they get back to the business of football
FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys have Marshawn Kneeland on their minds as they get back to the business of football. Star quarterback Dak Prescott and his teammates practiced Thursday, exactly a week after Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide after leading officers on a chase when he didn't pull over for a traffic stop. Prescott thought of Kneeland several times during the workout and said he tried to run a little harder each time it happened. The players know there will be emotions when they play their first game without Kneeland at Las Vegas on Monday night.
Baylor AD Rhoades takes leave, steps down as CFP chairman and is replaced by Arkansas AD Yurachek
CFP selection committee chairman Mack Rhoades has been replaced by Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek following an announcement that Rhoades had stepped down from the role and taken a leave of absence as the athletic director at Baylor while the school investigates unspecified allegations against him. While not going into additional details, Baylor vice president Jason Cook said Thursday the allegations against Rhoades do not involve Title IX, student-athlete welfare or NCAA rules violations, and do not involve the football program. Cook said the university takes the allegations seriously and is in the process of conducting a thorough investigation. Rhoades didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press.
Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Clase pleads not guilty to federal charges alleging he rigged pitches
NEW YORK (AP) -- Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has pleaded not guilty to charges that he took bribes to help gamblers win bets on the pitches he threw. The 27-year-old three-time All-Star appeared in Brooklyn federal court Thursday. He was arrested earlier at JFK airport after returning to the country from his native Dominican Republic. Teammate and countryman Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty Wednesday to similar charges. The two have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Prosecutors say the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help unnamed gamblers in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on their pitches.
Braden Smith scores 29 and No. 2 Purdue tops No. 8 Alabama in season's first top-10 matchup
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Braden Smith scored 29 points, including 21 in the second half, and No. 2 Purdue beat eighth-ranked Alabama 87-80 on Thursday night in the first matchup of top-10 teams this season. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Boilermakers (3-0), who notched the program's first road win against a top-10, non-conference opponent since winning at Louisville in 1982. Purdue dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Crimson Tide 52-28. Alabama (2-1) kept it close by hitting 16 of 44 from 3-point range. Aden Holloway led the Tide with 21 points. Taylor Bol Bowen added 13.
Brock Purdy returns to 49ers' starting lineup after 6-game absence
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Quarterback Brock Purdy returns to the starting lineup for the San Francisco 49ers this week after missing six games with a toe injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan announced Thursday that Purdy will start against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Purdy expressed excitement about his return, saying he feels healthy and ready to lead. He initially injured his toe in a game against Jacksonville, which led to a setback. Shanahan admits the team may have rushed him back too soon but believes Purdy is now ready after six weeks off. Despite backup Mac Jones' strong performance, the 49ers trust Purdy's abilities.
Surveillance video shows Titans cornerback driving car minutes before alleged shooting
Surveillance video shows Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed driving a Lamborghini Urus at a suburban Dallas dealership and nearby gas station minutes before two men allege that shots were fired at them from that vehicle last December. The video was shared Thursday with The Associated Press by an attorney who filed a civil lawsuit against Sneed over the shooting. Sneed was indicted Tuesday on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report felony aggravated assault to law enforcement. In the video, Sneed can be be seen getting out of the Lamborghini, then using crutches to walk past the men and up stairs into the dealership.
NHRA great John Force formally retires 17 months after traumatic brain injury
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) -- John Force, a 16-time Funny Car champion and the face of NHRA drag racing for nearly four decades, has formally retired. Force's announcement came 17 months after he sustained a traumatic brain injury in a fiery wreck at Virginia Motorsports Park. A catastrophic engine failure sent him crashing into a concrete wall at roughly 300 mph. The rebound sent him careening across the center line and into another wall. He suffered a fractured sternum among other injuries, but it was the TBI that forced him out of the car for good after an NHRA-record 157 wins. Force spent months working with specialized therapists on an outpatient basis in California.
France qualifies for 2026 World Cup; Ronaldo sent off as Portugal loses to Ireland
Two goals from star striker Kylian Mbappé helped send two-time champion France to the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for the first time in his international career for elbowing an Ireland defender in the second half of a shock 2-0 defeat. Ronaldo now risks a two-game ban which would see him missing the first match of the World Cup tournament if Portugal qualifies. Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Estonia 4-1 to virtually secure a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. England beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium 2-0 to maintain a perfect record.