KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kareem Hunt never expected to walk through the doors of the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility again.

So when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-kareem-hunt-22fb0b6fe17c5a4f98381cda40d04b5a">their erstwhile star running back did last week</a>, what struck Hunt first was even more unexpected.

“Honestly, my first thought was the building smelled the same,” he said Wednesday. “Brought back so many memories.”

Mostly good. Some bad, including the way things ended six years ago.

Hunt had become one of the NFL’s premier players by his second season in the league, and was helping a team led for the first time by Patrick Mahomes in pursuit of the playoffs. But in late November, video surfaced that showed Hunt kicking a woman in the hall of a Cleveland hotel, and while no charges were filed when she stopped cooperating with authorities, the Chiefs swiftly and decisively released him, putting Hunt’s future as a professional football player in peril.

“I was very young at the time — 23 — and had a lot of success going for me, and felt like I needed time to figure myself out,” said Hunt, who was signed by Kansas City last week when Isiah Pacheco was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

“I felt like it was good for me to do that,” he added. “I guess it worked out.”

Hunt ultimately signed with the Browns, served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, and became an important part of their backfield. He ran for 2,285 yards and five touchdowns over five years.

After he was hampered for much of last season by a sports hernia, Hunt opted for offseason surgery. He didn’t sign with a team during the summer or training camp, so when the Chiefs lost their second running back — Clyde Edwards-Helaire already was on the non-football illness list — they flew Hunt into town and gave him a chance to prove he still had it.

“You can see how hungry he is,” said Mahomes, who remained close to Hunt even after his release by Kansas City. “You come in and you haven’t had training camp and stuff like that, but he pushed through. He took last week like a mini training camp.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kareem-hunt-nfl-8529e5259a1918caae3ca49084b9d862">Hunt spent last week working with the scout team</a>&nbsp;ahead of their game Sunday night in Atlanta, when they held on in the final minute for a 22-17 victory. That left them 3-0 as they prepare to visit the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.

While the Chiefs have been happy with the production of Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, and journeyman Samaje Perine, they also wanted some experienced depth. Hunt checked that box. And the fact that he already was familiar with some of the playbook, and its complex terminology, allowed Hunt to get up to speed more quickly than most.

“Looks like he’s in pretty good shape, so now the next step is getting him into the game. He’ll rotate in and we’ll see how he does,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We have three good running backs and we’ll just get him back in the swing of things.”

The Chiefs are averaging just 4.1 yards per carry, putting them in the bottom half of the league this season.

It’s unclear exactly how much Hunt will be able to help the cause. While he is still just 29 years old, the former Toledo star dealt with a series of injuries while he was in Cleveland, and the reality is that he has not played much in the past year.

But he also has something to prove. He watched as the Chiefs morphed into a dynasty after he was let go, with Reid calling the plays and Mahomes under center. They have won three Super Bowls in the past five years, including the last two, and they have a chance to make NFL history by becoming the first team to win three straight Lombardi Trophies this year.

Hunt wants to be a part of that. And along the way, prove he has grown and matured since his last time with Kansas City.

“That’s been my goal,” he said. “Any player who steps on a football field wants to get a championship ring. It would be a dream come true for me, ever since I was a little kid. I couldn’t be more excited to help these guys defend their title, to come back here and see all these familiar faces again.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726605270510.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) scores a touchdown ahead of Los Angeles Rams free safety Lamarcus Joyner (20) as Chiefs offensive guard Cameron Erving (75) looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) scores a touchdown ahead of Los Angeles Rams free safety Lamarcus Joyner (20) as Chiefs offensive guard Cameron Erving (75) looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kareem Hunt never expected to walk through the doors of the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility again.So when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-kareem-hunt-22fb0b6fe17c5a4f98381cda40d04b5a">their erstwhile star running back did last week</a>, what struck Hunt first was even more unexpected.“Honestly, my first thought was the building smelled the same,” he said Wednesday. “Brought back so many memories.”Mostly good. Some bad, including the way things ended six years ago.Hunt had become one of the NFL’s premier players by his second season in the league, and was helping a team led for the first time by Patrick Mahomes in pursuit of the playoffs. But in late November, video surfaced that showed Hunt kicking a woman in the hall of a Cleveland hotel, and while no charges were filed when she stopped cooperating with authorities, the Chiefs swiftly and decisively released him, putting Hunt’s future as a professional football player in peril.“I was very young at the time — 23 — and had a lot of success going for me, and felt like I needed time to figure myself out,” said Hunt, who was signed by Kansas City last week when Isiah Pacheco was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.“I felt like it was good for me to do that,” he added. “I guess it worked out.”Hunt ultimately signed with the Browns, served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, and became an important part of their backfield. He ran for 2,285 yards and five touchdowns over five years.After he was hampered for much of last season by a sports hernia, Hunt opted for offseason surgery. He didn’t sign with a team during the summer or training camp, so when the Chiefs lost their second running back — Clyde Edwards-Helaire already was on the non-football illness list — they flew Hunt into town and gave him a chance to prove he still had it.“You can see how hungry he is,” said Mahomes, who remained close to Hunt even after his release by Kansas City. “You come in and you haven’t had training camp and stuff like that, but he pushed through. He took last week like a mini training camp.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kareem-hunt-nfl-8529e5259a1918caae3ca49084b9d862">Hunt spent last week working with the scout team</a>&nbsp;ahead of their game Sunday night in Atlanta, when they held on in the final minute for a 22-17 victory. That left them 3-0 as they prepare to visit the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.While the Chiefs have been happy with the production of Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, and journeyman Samaje Perine, they also wanted some experienced depth. Hunt checked that box. And the fact that he already was familiar with some of the playbook, and its complex terminology, allowed Hunt to get up to speed more quickly than most.“Looks like he’s in pretty good shape, so now the next step is getting him into the game. He’ll rotate in and we’ll see how he does,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We have three good running backs and we’ll just get him back in the swing of things.”The Chiefs are averaging just 4.1 yards per carry, putting them in the bottom half of the league this season.It’s unclear exactly how much Hunt will be able to help the cause. While he is still just 29 years old, the former Toledo star dealt with a series of injuries while he was in Cleveland, and the reality is that he has not played much in the past year.But he also has something to prove. He watched as the Chiefs morphed into a dynasty after he was let go, with Reid calling the plays and Mahomes under center. They have won three Super Bowls in the past five years, including the last two, and they have a chance to make NFL history by becoming the first team to win three straight Lombardi Trophies this year.Hunt wants to be a part of that. And along the way, prove he has grown and matured since his last time with Kansas City.“That’s been my goal,” he said. “Any player who steps on a football field wants to get a championship ring. It would be a dream come true for me, ever since I was a little kid. I couldn’t be more excited to help these guys defend their title, to come back here and see all these familiar faces again.”

🏈 Back with the Chiefs, RB Kareem Hunt wants to prove he’s matured, still has something left

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727284909380.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
 
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">MANHATTAN, Kan. &ndash; As a thank you to its dedicated and loyal fans in the western part of the state, the Kansas State men&rsquo;s basketball team will host a showcase on Saturday, October 5 beginning at 4 p.m., CT at the Dodge City Civic Center in Dodge City, Kan.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">The Wildcats will host an open practice followed by an autograph session at the arena with doors opening at 3 p.m., CT. Tickets start at $5 for kids under 17 and $10 for adults. For more information on the event, please visit the Dodge City Parks and Facilities website <a id="OWA04271778-9833-6ca4-26aa-944d7dfb1a95" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://dodgecityks.myrec.com/info/products/default.aspx" style="color: blue !important;border: 0px;">here</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">The third-year head coach Jerome Tang and his staff welcome 14 players for the 2024-25 season, including 3 returning lettermen (senior David N&rsquo;Guessan and sophomores Taj Manning and Macaleab Rich) and 11 newcomers. Among those newcomers are 8 Division I transfers, a junior college All-American (Mobi Ikegwuruka) and a top-50 high school prospect (David Castillo).</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">The transfer class is considered one of the best in the country and includes notable additions Achor Achor (Samford), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Dug McDaniel (Michigan) and Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky) as well as Baye Fall (Arkansas), Brendan Hausen (Villanova), C.J. Jones (UIC) and Max Jones (Cal State Fullerton).</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">The Wildcats finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats&rsquo; 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in Tang&rsquo;s first two seasons, including consecutive postseason appearances.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15px;font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;border: 0px;">The team had their first official workout for the upcoming season on Tuesday (Sept. 24). They will have 42 days until their first exhibition game against Fort Hays State on Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 49 days before hosting New Orleans in the opener on Tuesday, Nov. 5.</div></div>

🏀 MBB: K-State to host showcase in Dodge City

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics had long ago carved out a Jekyll-and-Hyde legacy as one of Major League Baseball's most successful — and sad-sack — franchises. Under their belts: nine World Series titles and 19 seasons of futility punctuated by 100 or more losses.

This, though, is different. Now, legions of A's fans view the team as the sport's most treacherous under the ownership of billionaire John Fisher, an heir of the family that founded The Gap in 1969 — one year after the A's moved to Oakland from Kansas City.

Just a few years after embracing “Rooted In Oakland” as their motto, the A’s this week are coming to the end of their 57 see-sawing seasons in a city regularly overshadowed by the mystique of its storied neighbor, San Francisco.

“I know these times coming to the games are always going to be among the best years of my life," longtime A's fan Will MacNeil, 40, rued as he contemplated an ending that is crushing a community's soul. “And for a billionaire owner to rip it away from me, it's frustrating.”

A baseball team that has moved twice moves again

The A's exodus from Oakland will give the team the dubious distinction of being the first Major League Baseball franchise to have moved on four different occasions. After starting in Philadelphia in 1901, the A’s moved to Kansas City in 1955, then to Oakland in 1968, with California's capital city of Sacramento and Las Vegas next in the peripatetic pipeline.

No place has been the A's home for as long as Oakland, where they're the last professional sports team in a two-county region known as the East Bay — home to 2.8 million people living across the water from San Francisco.

Through the years, the baseball team became an emblem of East Bay's grit and flair. The A's glory years included the colorfully attired, mustachioed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgk-DnMM8LA">“Swingin' A's”</a>&nbsp;during the first half of the 1970s, the muscular and swaggering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6GNcrVtvE">“Bash Brothers”</a>&nbsp;of the late 1980s, and the scrappy underdogs of the 2000s that yielded a real-life fairy tale&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4QPVo0UIzc">in the film, “Moneyball,”</a>&nbsp;based on the Michael Lewis book that ushered in the era of data-driven analysis.

Through those decades, the A's stadium — the now-crumbling Oakland Coliseum — became an East Bay hub where people of all races, ages, incomes and backgrounds rallied around a common cause.

“It was really like the public square," lifelong A's fan Jim Zelinski said earlier this year. His father brought him to the team's first game at the Oakland Coliseum on April 17, 1968 — a 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles before a crowd of 50,164.

"I remember my dad telling me how sports can bring everybody together, creating a sense of pride and identity,” he said.

Rooting for the A's connected everyone from longshore workers at Oakland's bustling port to the tech geeks of Silicon Valley to hippies from nearby Berkeley to technology to subversives forged in the cauldron of a city where Huey Newton started the Black Panthers and Sonny Barger led a notorious chapter of the Hells Angels.

“The A’s are such an indelible part of this community,” Zelinski said. “Everybody was so proud of not only the teams, but there was also this sense of, ‘Hey, this is us! This is the East Bay!’”

The Coliseum, lovingly known as baseball's “Last Dive Bar"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/sports/baseball/oakland-coliseum.html">after a 2019 story</a>&nbsp;in The New York Times drew that analogy, is a remnant of the 1960s when cities built stadiums designed to be used for both baseball and football. Its deteriorating condition is why Fisher began looking to build a new stadium for the A's soon after he bought the team for $180 million in 2006.

For all the derision aimed at the facility, the Coliseum has been the site for three of the 24 perfect games thrown in baseball history, and it's the place where Rickey Henderson set the record for career stolen bases. It also has been the been the backdrop for the four World Series championships the A's won in Oakland; only the Yankees, with seven championships, have won more since 1968. Seven winners of the American League's Most Valuable Player award have starred for the Oakland A's, as have five pitchers who won the league's Cy Young award.

Three of the A's World Series title were won in consecutive years under the ownership of Charles O. “Charlie” Finley, who brought the team to Oakland from Missouri.

Finley brought his mule “Charlie O” with him to serve as the team mascot and made an unsuccessful push to get the leagues to use orange baseballs and allow designated runners. But before selling the A's in 1980, Finley also pushed for night games during the World Series so more people could watch the games on TV and the designated hitter rule so fans wouldn't have to watch pitchers try to hit. The former is a staple today, as is the later — though purists still debate it.

Finley died in 1996, long before the 50-year reunion of the 1974 World Series champions held in June. But his niece, Nancy Finley, flew in from Texas to represent the family during the ceremony at the Coliseum, where she worked for much of the 1970s. It will likely be her last visit; she can't bear the thought of attending the A's final game in Oakland on Thursday.

“I wouldn't want to be there. It would be too hard,” Nancy Finley said. “I can't stop having flashbacks whenever I go back there. I have every section, row and seat memorized.”

The bond between fans and a community is strong

Other beloved sports teams have spurned their devoted fans by moving elsewhere through the decades, including the baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in 1958 and the National Football League's Colts, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N3oH7KHoKc">moving vans left Baltimore for Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;in 1984 during the middle of the night.

But none of them have been jilted in quite the same way as the East Bay.

“It’s taken so long for this move to evolve that it’s been like a slow death eating me up very single day,” said A’s fan Mike Silva, 72, wiping away tears as he showed some of his old ticket stubs.

“You can still cheer for them after the move, but you are just gong to be cheering for the uniform,” he said. “It’s not the same. ”

The NFL's Raiders already turned their back on Oakland twice. They did it first in 1982 when they moved to Los Angeles before coming back in 1995, only to leave for Las Vegas in 2020 — the year after the National Basketball Association's Warriors hopped over the bay to San Francisco.

After the A's decided to follow the Raiders to Las Vegas, Fisher poured more salt into Oakland fans' wounds. Rather than stay in the Coliseum, Fisher chose to move the A's 85 miles northeast to a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento for at least the next three years while waiting for the new stadium in Nevada to be built. Hundreds of A's employees and Coliseum concession workers, including some who had been there for more than 40 years, will be laid off when the A's leave Oakland behind.

On Monday, after staying fairly mum during the final season, Fisher wrote an open letter to fans and the community. His words echoed with regret.

“The A’s are part of the fabric of Oakland and the East Bay and the entire Bay Area,” Fisher wrote. “I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness. ... I can tell you this from my heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal. It was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry.”

Many devout A's fans have been boycotting games in disgust. Those who still come, like Will MacNeil, regularly lead chants of “Sell the team!'" before lobbing a profanity at Fisher.

MacNeil, known as “Right-Field Will” after being a fixture in the Coliseum's bleachers for nearly 20 years, has accumulated about 200 A's jerseys during his fandom. He estimates only 20 fit him now because of the weight he put on while drowning his sorrow about the team's move in beers.

"I know I shouldn’t have been because it’s only sports, but this move really destroyed me,” MacNeil said as he cheered the A's on to a victory in May.

Zelinski, the fan who attended the A's first game in 1968, spent nearly 30 years fighting to keep sports teams in Oakland. When the season started, he still didn't want to believe it would all be to no avail.

“I had some of the greatest memories of my life at the Oakland Coliseum,” Zelinski, 65, said in April. “The A's are such an irreplaceable part of the East Bay culture that I don't think people can quite grasp what incredible sadness there is going to be like at that final game in September."

He will never find out. After a long battle with bladder cancer, Jim Zelinski died June 7 — the same day that A's outfielder JJ Bleday slugged a homer in the bottom of the ninth to catapult the team to a 2-1 victory.

Here in Oakland, as a quiet end approaches, that sets us up to leave you with&nbsp;<a href="https://mason.gmu.edu/~rmatz/giamatti.html">an observation</a>&nbsp;that the former baseball commissioner, A. Bartlett Giamatti, once made about the sport. It hangs over the community this week like a misplaced curveball: “It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727280503417.jpeg" alt="FILE - Fans pour onto the field at the Oakland Coliseum after the Oakland A's beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 and won their third straight World Series, Oct. 17, 1974, in Oakland. (AP Photo, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Fans pour onto the field at the Oakland Coliseum after the Oakland A's beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 and won their third straight World Series, Oct. 17, 1974, in Oakland. (AP Photo, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics had long ago carved out a Jekyll-and-Hyde legacy as one of Major League Baseball's most successful — and sad-sack — franchises. Under their belts: nine World Series titles and 19 seasons of futility punctuated by 100 or more losses.This, though, is different. Now, legions of A's fans view the team as the sport's most treacherous under the ownership of billionaire John Fisher, an heir of the family that founded The Gap in 1969 — one year after the A's moved to Oakland from Kansas City.Just a few years after embracing “Rooted In Oakland” as their motto, the A’s this week are coming to the end of their 57 see-sawing seasons in a city regularly overshadowed by the mystique of its storied neighbor, San Francisco.“I know these times coming to the games are always going to be among the best years of my life," longtime A's fan Will MacNeil, 40, rued as he contemplated an ending that is crushing a community's soul. “And for a billionaire owner to rip it away from me, it's frustrating.”<h2>A baseball team that has moved twice moves again</h2>The A's exodus from Oakland will give the team the dubious distinction of being the first Major League Baseball franchise to have moved on four different occasions. After starting in Philadelphia in 1901, the A’s moved to Kansas City in 1955, then to Oakland in 1968, with California's capital city of Sacramento and Las Vegas next in the peripatetic pipeline.No place has been the A's home for as long as Oakland, where they're the last professional sports team in a two-county region known as the East Bay — home to 2.8 million people living across the water from San Francisco.Through the years, the baseball team became an emblem of East Bay's grit and flair. The A's glory years included the colorfully attired, mustachioed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgk-DnMM8LA">“Swingin' A's”</a>&nbsp;during the first half of the 1970s, the muscular and swaggering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6GNcrVtvE">“Bash Brothers”</a>&nbsp;of the late 1980s, and the scrappy underdogs of the 2000s that yielded a real-life fairy tale&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4QPVo0UIzc">in the film, “Moneyball,”</a>&nbsp;based on the Michael Lewis book that ushered in the era of data-driven analysis.Through those decades, the A's stadium — the now-crumbling Oakland Coliseum — became an East Bay hub where people of all races, ages, incomes and backgrounds rallied around a common cause.“It was really like the public square," lifelong A's fan Jim Zelinski said earlier this year. His father brought him to the team's first game at the Oakland Coliseum on April 17, 1968 — a 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles before a crowd of 50,164."I remember my dad telling me how sports can bring everybody together, creating a sense of pride and identity,” he said.Rooting for the A's connected everyone from longshore workers at Oakland's bustling port to the tech geeks of Silicon Valley to hippies from nearby Berkeley to technology to subversives forged in the cauldron of a city where Huey Newton started the Black Panthers and Sonny Barger led a notorious chapter of the Hells Angels.“The A’s are such an indelible part of this community,” Zelinski said. “Everybody was so proud of not only the teams, but there was also this sense of, ‘Hey, this is us! This is the East Bay!’”<h2>A storied ballpark is left behind</h2>The Coliseum, lovingly known as baseball's “Last Dive Bar"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/sports/baseball/oakland-coliseum.html">after a 2019 story</a>&nbsp;in The New York Times drew that analogy, is a remnant of the 1960s when cities built stadiums designed to be used for both baseball and football. Its deteriorating condition is why Fisher began looking to build a new stadium for the A's soon after he bought the team for $180 million in 2006.For all the derision aimed at the facility, the Coliseum has been the site for three of the 24 perfect games thrown in baseball history, and it's the place where Rickey Henderson set the record for career stolen bases. It also has been the been the backdrop for the four World Series championships the A's won in Oakland; only the Yankees, with seven championships, have won more since 1968. Seven winners of the American League's Most Valuable Player award have starred for the Oakland A's, as have five pitchers who won the league's Cy Young award.Three of the A's World Series title were won in consecutive years under the ownership of Charles O. “Charlie” Finley, who brought the team to Oakland from Missouri.Finley brought his mule “Charlie O” with him to serve as the team mascot and made an unsuccessful push to get the leagues to use orange baseballs and allow designated runners. But before selling the A's in 1980, Finley also pushed for night games during the World Series so more people could watch the games on TV and the designated hitter rule so fans wouldn't have to watch pitchers try to hit. The former is a staple today, as is the later — though purists still debate it.Finley died in 1996, long before the 50-year reunion of the 1974 World Series champions held in June. But his niece, Nancy Finley, flew in from Texas to represent the family during the ceremony at the Coliseum, where she worked for much of the 1970s. It will likely be her last visit; she can't bear the thought of attending the A's final game in Oakland on Thursday.“I wouldn't want to be there. It would be too hard,” Nancy Finley said. “I can't stop having flashbacks whenever I go back there. I have every section, row and seat memorized.”<h2>The bond between fans and a community is strong</h2>Other beloved sports teams have spurned their devoted fans by moving elsewhere through the decades, including the baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in 1958 and the National Football League's Colts, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N3oH7KHoKc">moving vans left Baltimore for Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;in 1984 during the middle of the night.But none of them have been jilted in quite the same way as the East Bay.“It’s taken so long for this move to evolve that it’s been like a slow death eating me up very single day,” said A’s fan Mike Silva, 72, wiping away tears as he showed some of his old ticket stubs.“You can still cheer for them after the move, but you are just gong to be cheering for the uniform,” he said. “It’s not the same. ”The NFL's Raiders already turned their back on Oakland twice. They did it first in 1982 when they moved to Los Angeles before coming back in 1995, only to leave for Las Vegas in 2020 — the year after the National Basketball Association's Warriors hopped over the bay to San Francisco.After the A's decided to follow the Raiders to Las Vegas, Fisher poured more salt into Oakland fans' wounds. Rather than stay in the Coliseum, Fisher chose to move the A's 85 miles northeast to a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento for at least the next three years while waiting for the new stadium in Nevada to be built. Hundreds of A's employees and Coliseum concession workers, including some who had been there for more than 40 years, will be laid off when the A's leave Oakland behind.On Monday, after staying fairly mum during the final season, Fisher wrote an open letter to fans and the community. His words echoed with regret.“The A’s are part of the fabric of Oakland and the East Bay and the entire Bay Area,” Fisher wrote. “I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness. ... I can tell you this from my heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal. It was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry.”<h2>Some are coming out to the bitter end</h2>Many devout A's fans have been boycotting games in disgust. Those who still come, like Will MacNeil, regularly lead chants of “Sell the team!'" before lobbing a profanity at Fisher.MacNeil, known as “Right-Field Will” after being a fixture in the Coliseum's bleachers for nearly 20 years, has accumulated about 200 A's jerseys during his fandom. He estimates only 20 fit him now because of the weight he put on while drowning his sorrow about the team's move in beers."I know I shouldn’t have been because it’s only sports, but this move really destroyed me,” MacNeil said as he cheered the A's on to a victory in May.Zelinski, the fan who attended the A's first game in 1968, spent nearly 30 years fighting to keep sports teams in Oakland. When the season started, he still didn't want to believe it would all be to no avail.“I had some of the greatest memories of my life at the Oakland Coliseum,” Zelinski, 65, said in April. “The A's are such an irreplaceable part of the East Bay culture that I don't think people can quite grasp what incredible sadness there is going to be like at that final game in September."He will never find out. After a long battle with bladder cancer, Jim Zelinski died June 7 — the same day that A's outfielder JJ Bleday slugged a homer in the bottom of the ninth to catapult the team to a 2-1 victory.Here in Oakland, as a quiet end approaches, that sets us up to leave you with&nbsp;<a href="https://mason.gmu.edu/~rmatz/giamatti.html">an observation</a>&nbsp;that the former baseball commissioner, A. Bartlett Giamatti, once made about the sport. It hangs over the community this week like a misplaced curveball: “It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart.”

City of Oakland coming to grips with departure of its baseball team

Week 5 of the college football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving state teams.

KJCCC 11 a.m. - Dodge City vs. Iowa Central 11 a.m. - Community Christian (Mich.) vs. Garden City Noon - Hutchinson vs. Ellsworth 1 p.m. - Highland vs. Independence 1 p.m. - Iowa Western vs. Coffeyville 1:30 p.m. - Butler vs. Snow College

KCAC 1 p.m. - Saint Mary vs. Bethany 1 p.m. - Avila vs. McPherson 1:30 p.m. - Sterling vs. Southwestern 3 p.m. - Ottawa vs. Evangel 6 p.m. - Tabor vs. Friends 6 p.m. - Kansas Wesleyan vs. Bethel

MIAA 1 p.m. - Central Missouri vs. Nebraska Kearney 1:30 p.m. - NW Missouri vs. Emporia St.&nbsp; 2 p.m. - Missouri Western vs. Washburn 3 p.m. - Northeastern St. vs. Missouri Southern 7 p.m. - Central Oklahoma vs. Fort Hays St.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719520416153.png" alt="EAGLE Media College Football Scoreboard" />
 <figcaption>EAGLE Media College Football Scoreboard</figcaption>
 </figure>Week 5 of the college football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving state teams.KJCCC 11 a.m. - Dodge City vs. Iowa Central 11 a.m. - Community Christian (Mich.) vs. Garden City Noon - Hutchinson vs. Ellsworth 1 p.m. - Highland vs. Independence 1 p.m. - Iowa Western vs. Coffeyville 1:30 p.m. - Butler vs. Snow CollegeKCAC 1 p.m. - Saint Mary vs. Bethany 1 p.m. - Avila vs. McPherson 1:30 p.m. - Sterling vs. Southwestern 3 p.m. - Ottawa vs. Evangel 6 p.m. - Tabor vs. Friends 6 p.m. - Kansas Wesleyan vs. BethelMIAA 1 p.m. - Central Missouri vs. Nebraska Kearney 1:30 p.m. - NW Missouri vs. Emporia St.&nbsp; 2 p.m. - Missouri Western vs. Washburn 3 p.m. - Northeastern St. vs. Missouri Southern 7 p.m. - Central Oklahoma vs. Fort Hays St.

🏈 Week 5 KJCCC, KCAC, MIAA schedule 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for September 25th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for September 25th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for September 25th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=z27m5-16e481e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals win in extra innings, 🏈 Chiefs activate RB Hunt, 🏈 Brett Favre reveals Parkinson disease diagnosis

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Isbel, the Royals' automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez's low throw to first to end Kansas City's seven-game slide.

“It’s a little bit of a sigh of relief," Ragans said. “We knew it’s going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track.”

Kansas City and Detroit are both 83-74 but the Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are two games up on Minnesota.

After three games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals were 2 for 11 in that situation Tuesday, though neither plated a run.

“There’s definitely frustration, but I think tonight it was more like, disbelief,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we’re too good a team to have that continue for a long period of time.”

Kyle Finnegan (3-7) escaped the 10th without further damage, but the Nationals lost for the seventh time in eight games.

“Our defense was good until that one play,” said Nats manager Dave Martinez. “It really came down to one play, and execution, and not being able to hit the ball.”

Lucas Erceg worked a clean 10th for his 12th save and ninth with the Royals, striking out Joey Gallo for the final out after the Nationals slugger hooked a 3-2 offering just to the foul side of the right-field foul pole.

"You can never count your chickens there that you’re going to strand the runner," Quatraro said of Erceg, whom Kansas City acquired in a trade from Oakland at this year's deadline. “But you certainly like your chances.”

Ragans struck out six in his fourth consecutive outing of six innings or more to lower his September ERA to 1.08.

Kris Bubic stranded a runner on third in the seventh, Sam Long pitched a scoreless eighth and Angel Zerpa (2-0) threw a perfect ninth to get the game to extra innings.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back) will be shut down for the season. The reliever hasn't appeared since Aug. 4, and will get another medical opinion. “He's going to go see someone in Dallas to see if they can find something different, but by all accounts, we think it's just going to be rest” that he needs, said Quatraro. ... RHP James McArthur (right elbow), who last pitched on Sept. 16, also won't return this season. ... RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring) remains on track to return from the injured list to make Wednesday’s start, Quatraro said.

Nationals: Recalled OF Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed INF Andrés Chaparro on the paternity list.

Lorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) will try to continue his excellent form since joining the Royals from Texas at the deadline. He has a 1.85 ERA and 2-0 record in five starts with Kansas City. He'll face rookie lefty DJ Herz (4-8, 4.30).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717239521858.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.Isbel, the Royals' automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez's low throw to first to end Kansas City's seven-game slide.“It’s a little bit of a sigh of relief," Ragans said. “We knew it’s going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track.”Kansas City and Detroit are both 83-74 but the Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are two games up on Minnesota.After three games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals were 2 for 11 in that situation Tuesday, though neither plated a run.“There’s definitely frustration, but I think tonight it was more like, disbelief,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we’re too good a team to have that continue for a long period of time.”Kyle Finnegan (3-7) escaped the 10th without further damage, but the Nationals lost for the seventh time in eight games.“Our defense was good until that one play,” said Nats manager Dave Martinez. “It really came down to one play, and execution, and not being able to hit the ball.”Lucas Erceg worked a clean 10th for his 12th save and ninth with the Royals, striking out Joey Gallo for the final out after the Nationals slugger hooked a 3-2 offering just to the foul side of the right-field foul pole."You can never count your chickens there that you’re going to strand the runner," Quatraro said of Erceg, whom Kansas City acquired in a trade from Oakland at this year's deadline. “But you certainly like your chances.”Ragans struck out six in his fourth consecutive outing of six innings or more to lower his September ERA to 1.08.Kris Bubic stranded a runner on third in the seventh, Sam Long pitched a scoreless eighth and Angel Zerpa (2-0) threw a perfect ninth to get the game to extra innings.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back) will be shut down for the season. The reliever hasn't appeared since Aug. 4, and will get another medical opinion. “He's going to go see someone in Dallas to see if they can find something different, but by all accounts, we think it's just going to be rest” that he needs, said Quatraro. ... RHP James McArthur (right elbow), who last pitched on Sept. 16, also won't return this season. ... RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring) remains on track to return from the injured list to make Wednesday’s start, Quatraro said.Nationals: Recalled OF Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed INF Andrés Chaparro on the paternity list.UP NEXTLorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) will try to continue his excellent form since joining the Royals from Texas at the deadline. He has a 1.85 ERA and 2-0 record in five starts with Kansas City. He'll face rookie lefty DJ Herz (4-8, 4.30).

⚾ Royals win in extra innings Tuesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — ESPN's Field Yates reported on Twitter/X Tuesday that Kareem Hunt has been signed to the Kansas City Chiefs 53-man roster and they have let Keontay Ingraham go.

Hunt was drafted by the Chiefs back in 2017&nbsp;and led the NFL in rushing yards (1,327) as a rookie and qualified for the Pro Bowl.&nbsp;

In five years with Cleveland, Hunt played in 91 games, gained 4,436 yards rushing and scored 40 touchdowns. Hunt also caught 226 receptions for 1,890 yards.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726603212832.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) carries the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) carries the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — ESPN's Field Yates reported on Twitter/X Tuesday that Kareem Hunt has been signed to the Kansas City Chiefs 53-man roster and they have let Keontay Ingraham go.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Chiefs have signed RB Kareem Hunt to their 53-man roster and waived RB Keontay Ingraham. So, Hunt now figures into the RB rotation alongside Carson Steele and Samaje Perine.&mdash; Field Yates (@FieldYates) <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1838682230333309369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hunt was drafted by the Chiefs back in 2017&nbsp;and led the NFL in rushing yards (1,327) as a rookie and qualified for the Pro Bowl.&nbsp;In five years with Cleveland, Hunt played in 91 games, gained 4,436 yards rushing and scored 40 touchdowns. Hunt also caught 226 receptions for 1,890 yards.

🏈 Hunt now on 53-man roster

AP Sports Summary for September 25th, 2024

Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he has Parkinson's disease

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre told a congressional committee Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Favre made the announcement as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre does not face criminal charges, but he has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state. He was also an investor a biotech company with ties to the case that said it was developing concussion drugs. It is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries.

Pac-12 files a federal lawsuit against Mountain West over $43 million in 'poaching' penalties

The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls unlawful and unenforceable fees that could cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State. The antitrust lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in California and is seeking a declaratory judgment by a judge. The Mountain West has exit fees of upward of $17 million for departing schools. There are also poaching fees that were put in place in the Mountain West's scheduling agreement with Oregon State and Washington State, the only current Pac-12 members this season.

Padres turn triple play to clinch playoff spot with 4-2 win over Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The San Diego Padres clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night when they stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a game-ending triple play to preserve a 4-2 victory over the NL West leaders. After missing the postseason last year, Manny Machado and the Padres earned the eighth playoff berth in franchise history. They are guaranteed at least a National League wild card with five games remaining in the regular season. San Diego is two games behind Los Angeles with two games left in their series at Dodger Stadium. The party was on in the Padres' clubhouse, with music pumping and lights flashing as players drenched each other in alcohol.

Astros overcome terrible start to clinch 4th straight AL West title

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros have clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners, overcoming a terrible start to reach the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. The Astros are the first team to win four straight AL West crowns since Oakland won five in a row from 1971-75. It's the first time they've won four consecutive division titles, after winning three in a row twice before. Houston limped out to a 7-19 record and trailed Seattle by a season-high 10 games on June 18. But the Astros won their next seven to start a 13-2 stretch as they improved to 46-42 by July 5. They moved past the Mariners into first place in mid-August and cruised home to the division crown.

Man City confirms Rodri injury as Guardiola bemoans loss of 'irreplaceable' star

Manchester City says midfielder Rodri has ligament damage in his right knee but hasn't given a time frame for his potential absence. The Spain international is among the favorites to win this year's Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world. He limped off after 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. City confirmed in a statement that the 28-year-old Rodri "suffered a ligament injury," having traveled to Spain to seek specialist consultation on the problem.

Italy's Luna Rossa showed two skippers are better than one on the America's Cup yachts

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli surprised its rivals at the last America's Cup by showing up with two helmsmen to steer its foiling yachts. The unorthodox setup proved to be genius. The team reached the finals where it gave defender New Zealand a battle. Now all the teams at the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona have copied the two-helmsmen scheme. Luna Rossa is back in the challengers' final against INEOS Britannia. The winner will face New Zealand for sailing's biggest prize. Luna Rossa believes they have an edge given the experience that Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni have sharing the helm.

Baltimore Orioles clinch playoff berth for 2nd straight season

NEW YORK (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles are headed to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1990s, clinching no worse than a wild-card berth thanks to a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees paired with Minnesota's loss to Miami. Baltimore has only a remote chance of overtaking the Yankees for the AL East title. The Orioles trail by five games with five games left but hold the tiebreaker after clinching the season series. Coming off their first AL East title since 2014, the Orioles started 23-11 and were 55-31 before play on July 3 but have gone 32-39 since.

As an era ends, the city that was home to the Oakland A's comes to grips with their departure

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics already have carved out Jekyll-and-Hyde legacy as one of Major League Baseball's most successful and sad-sack franchises with nine World Series titles and 19 seasons of futility punctuated by 100 or more losses. Now, legions of A's fans view the team as the sport's most treacherous under the ownership of billionaire John Fisher, an heir of the family that founded The Gap in 1969 — one year after the A's moved to Oakland, California, from Kansas City, Missouri. As the A's close out 57 seasons in Oakland before moving to Sacramento and then Las Vegas, it's heralding the end of an era that's crushing a community's soul.

Ionescu scores 36 points and Liberty advance to WNBA semifinals with 91-82 win over Dream

NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu tied a franchise playoff record with 36 points and the New York Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs. Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Liberty, who will face Las Vegas in the next round that begins Sunday in New York. New York, which entered the playoffs as the top seed, swept the best-of-three series. Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard did all they could to try and stave off elimination. Gray finished with 26 points and Howard added 19.

Former France and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane announces his retirement

COMO, Italy (AP) — Former France and Real Madrid center back Raphael Varane has announced his retirement to end a career that included a World Cup title and a big haul of club trophies. The 31-year-old Varane signed with promoted Serie A club Como in July but injured his knee during his only appearance with the Italian club. He writes on Instagram that "it is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfillment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love." Varane was arguably the tournament's standout defender when France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He also helped Madrid to four Champions League titles and three Spanish league trophies.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, September 25th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, September 25th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for September 25th, 2024<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8576779/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he has Parkinson's diseaseWASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre told a congressional committee Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Favre made the announcement as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre does not face criminal charges, but he has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state. He was also an investor a biotech company with ties to the case that said it was developing concussion drugs. It is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries.Pac-12 files a federal lawsuit against Mountain West over $43 million in 'poaching' penaltiesThe Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls unlawful and unenforceable fees that could cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State. The antitrust lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in California and is seeking a declaratory judgment by a judge. The Mountain West has exit fees of upward of $17 million for departing schools. There are also poaching fees that were put in place in the Mountain West's scheduling agreement with Oregon State and Washington State, the only current Pac-12 members this season.Padres turn triple play to clinch playoff spot with 4-2 win over DodgersLOS ANGELES (AP) — The San Diego Padres clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night when they stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a game-ending triple play to preserve a 4-2 victory over the NL West leaders. After missing the postseason last year, Manny Machado and the Padres earned the eighth playoff berth in franchise history. They are guaranteed at least a National League wild card with five games remaining in the regular season. San Diego is two games behind Los Angeles with two games left in their series at Dodger Stadium. The party was on in the Padres' clubhouse, with music pumping and lights flashing as players drenched each other in alcohol.Astros overcome terrible start to clinch 4th straight AL West titleHOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros have clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners, overcoming a terrible start to reach the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. The Astros are the first team to win four straight AL West crowns since Oakland won five in a row from 1971-75. It's the first time they've won four consecutive division titles, after winning three in a row twice before. Houston limped out to a 7-19 record and trailed Seattle by a season-high 10 games on June 18. But the Astros won their next seven to start a 13-2 stretch as they improved to 46-42 by July 5. They moved past the Mariners into first place in mid-August and cruised home to the division crown.Man City confirms Rodri injury as Guardiola bemoans loss of 'irreplaceable' starManchester City says midfielder Rodri has ligament damage in his right knee but hasn't given a time frame for his potential absence. The Spain international is among the favorites to win this year's Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world. He limped off after 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. City confirmed in a statement that the 28-year-old Rodri "suffered a ligament injury," having traveled to Spain to seek specialist consultation on the problem.Italy's Luna Rossa showed two skippers are better than one on the America's Cup yachtsBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli surprised its rivals at the last America's Cup by showing up with two helmsmen to steer its foiling yachts. The unorthodox setup proved to be genius. The team reached the finals where it gave defender New Zealand a battle. Now all the teams at the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona have copied the two-helmsmen scheme. Luna Rossa is back in the challengers' final against INEOS Britannia. The winner will face New Zealand for sailing's biggest prize. Luna Rossa believes they have an edge given the experience that Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni have sharing the helm.Baltimore Orioles clinch playoff berth for 2nd straight seasonNEW YORK (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles are headed to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1990s, clinching no worse than a wild-card berth thanks to a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees paired with Minnesota's loss to Miami. Baltimore has only a remote chance of overtaking the Yankees for the AL East title. The Orioles trail by five games with five games left but hold the tiebreaker after clinching the season series. Coming off their first AL East title since 2014, the Orioles started 23-11 and were 55-31 before play on July 3 but have gone 32-39 since.As an era ends, the city that was home to the Oakland A's comes to grips with their departureOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics already have carved out Jekyll-and-Hyde legacy as one of Major League Baseball's most successful and sad-sack franchises with nine World Series titles and 19 seasons of futility punctuated by 100 or more losses. Now, legions of A's fans view the team as the sport's most treacherous under the ownership of billionaire John Fisher, an heir of the family that founded The Gap in 1969 — one year after the A's moved to Oakland, California, from Kansas City, Missouri. As the A's close out 57 seasons in Oakland before moving to Sacramento and then Las Vegas, it's heralding the end of an era that's crushing a community's soul.Ionescu scores 36 points and Liberty advance to WNBA semifinals with 91-82 win over DreamNEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu tied a franchise playoff record with 36 points and the New York Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs. Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Liberty, who will face Las Vegas in the next round that begins Sunday in New York. New York, which entered the playoffs as the top seed, swept the best-of-three series. Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard did all they could to try and stave off elimination. Gray finished with 26 points and Howard added 19.Former France and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane announces his retirementCOMO, Italy (AP) — Former France and Real Madrid center back Raphael Varane has announced his retirement to end a career that included a World Cup title and a big haul of club trophies. The 31-year-old Varane signed with promoted Serie A club Como in July but injured his knee during his only appearance with the Italian club. He writes on Instagram that "it is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfillment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love." Varane was arguably the tournament's standout defender when France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He also helped Madrid to four Champions League titles and three Spanish league trophies.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	6	Cincinnati	1	Final	Kansas City	1	Washington	0	Final	Miami	4	Minnesota	1	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	2	Tampa Bay	1	Final	Chicago White Sox	3	L.A. Angels	2	Final	Baltimore	5	N.Y. Yankees	3	Final	Boston	6	Toronto	5	Final	Houston	4	Seattle	3	Final	Oakland	5	Texas	4	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	7	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Chicago Cubs	10	Philadelphia	4	Final	Atlanta	5	N.Y. Mets	1	Final	St. Louis	7	Colorado	3	Final	San Francisco	11	Arizona	0	Final	San Diego	4	L.A. Dodgers	2	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASONFinal	Boston	4	Washington	2	Final	Montreal	3	New Jersey	0	Final	Carolina	2	Tampa Bay	1	Final	Buffalo	3	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Ottawa	2	Toronto	1	Final	N-Y Rangers	6	N-Y Islanders	4	Final	Anaheim	4	San Jose	3	Final	Vancouver	3	Seattle	1	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	New York	91	Atlanta	82	Final	Las Vegas	83	Seattle	76	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Cincinnati	at	Cleveland	6:40 p.m.			Kansas City	at	Washington	6:45 p.m.			Miami	at	Minnesota	7:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Seattle	at	Houston	2:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Detroit	6:40 p.m.			Baltimore	at	N-Y Yankees	7:05 p.m.			Boston	at	Toronto	7:07 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Chi White Sox	7:40 p.m.			Texas	at	Oakland	9:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Chi Cubs	at	Philadelphia	6:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Pittsburgh	6:40 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Atlanta	7:20 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Colorado	8:40 p.m.			San Francisco	at	Arizona	9:40 p.m.			San Diego	at	L-A Dodgers	10:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON		Florida	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Washington	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			Calgary	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			Los Angeles	at	Vegas	10 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Indiana	at	Connecticut	7:30 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Minnesota	9:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – With three golfers placing in the top three individual slots, the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's golf team completed a dominant run to the Bent Tree Intercollegiate team championship.

Entering the day with a 17-stroke lead, the Blue Dragons extended that cushion even further on Tuesday to win their first team title of the season.

Hutchinson posted a 54-hole team score of 12-under 852, defeating NCAA Division III opponent Nebraska Wesleyan by 21 strokes. Wesleyan had an 873 team score. Tournament host Iowa Western was third at 885.

The Dragons shot over par as a team for the first round this season, posting a 1-over 289 on Tuesday. That was still the low team score of the final round.

For the second-straight tournament, a Blue Dragons won an individual championship.

Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/northgraves_jack_mp7b">Jack Northgraves</a>&nbsp;joined sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/box_charlie_0808">Charlie Box</a>&nbsp;as individual winners this season, firing an 8-under 208. Northgraves led start to finish with a tournament-low 66 in the opening round on Monday. Northgraves closed the tournament with an even-par 72 on Tuesday at Bent Tree Golf Club.

Blue Dragon golfers finished in the top three individual slots on Tuesday.

Box and fellow sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/razinskas_david_xbtl">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;tied for second individually at 3-under 213.

Box had the Blue Dragons' low round of the final round with a 2-under 70. Razinskas shot a second-straight 72 on Tuesday after opening with a 69 in the first round.

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/ross_louis_6g3i">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;finished in 11th place at 221 after a final-round 75.

Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/caruthers_jaydon_5jz1">Jaydon Carruthers</a>&nbsp;placed 18th at 226. Carruthers had a 76 on Tuesday.

Blue Dragon individual player, freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/schultz_cal_h6x5">Cal Schultz</a>, had a strong recovery after opening with an 80 on Monday. He came back with a 75 in Monday's afternoon round and posted a season-low 73 on Tuesday to finish 22nd at 228. Schultz jumped 10 spots in the standings.

Freshman individual Tyler Schultz placed 33rd at 234 after a final-round 81.

The Blue Dragons' third fall tournament will be next Monday and Tuesday at the Grier Jones Shocker Classic at Sand Creek Station in Newton.

TEAM SCORES 1. Hutchinson – 852 (280/283/289) 2. Nebraska Wesleyan – 873 (292/288/293) 3. Iowa Western "A" – 885 (293/204/298) 4. Northeast Nebraska – 898 (296/299/303) 5. Iowa Central – 911 (302/305/304) 6. Iowa Western "B" – 913 (208/295/310) 7. Briar Cliff "A" – 937 (311/307/319) 8. Barton – 940 (319/306/315) 9. Concordia – 946 (323/312/311) 10. Briar Cliff "B" – 1,000 (343/330/327)

BLUE DRAGON INDIVIDUALS 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/northgraves_jack_mp7b">Jack Northgraves</a>&nbsp;– 208 (66/70/72) T2.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/razinskas_david_xbtl">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;– 213 (69/72/72) T2.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/box_charlie_0808">Charlie Box</a>&nbsp;– 213 (70/73/70) 11.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/ross_louis_6g3i">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;– 221 (78/68/76) 18.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/caruthers_jaydon_5jz1">Jaydon Carruthers</a>&nbsp;– 226 (75/75/76) 22.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/schultz_cal_h6x5">Cal Schultz</a>&nbsp;– 228 (80/75/73) 33.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/walker_tyler_ijcw">Tyler Walker</a>&nbsp;– 234 (77/76/81)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727215050746.jpeg" alt="Jack Northgraves poses with the Bent Tree Intercollegiate individual championship plaque after leading the No. 3 Blue Dragon men to the team title on Tuesday in Council Bluffs, IA." />
 <figcaption>Jack Northgraves poses with the Bent Tree Intercollegiate individual championship plaque after leading the No. 3 Blue Dragon men to the team title on Tuesday in Council Bluffs, IA.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationCOUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – With three golfers placing in the top three individual slots, the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's golf team completed a dominant run to the Bent Tree Intercollegiate team championship.Entering the day with a 17-stroke lead, the Blue Dragons extended that cushion even further on Tuesday to win their first team title of the season.Hutchinson posted a 54-hole team score of 12-under 852, defeating NCAA Division III opponent Nebraska Wesleyan by 21 strokes. Wesleyan had an 873 team score. Tournament host Iowa Western was third at 885.The Dragons shot over par as a team for the first round this season, posting a 1-over 289 on Tuesday. That was still the low team score of the final round.For the second-straight tournament, a Blue Dragons won an individual championship.Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/northgraves_jack_mp7b">Jack Northgraves</a>&nbsp;joined sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/box_charlie_0808">Charlie Box</a>&nbsp;as individual winners this season, firing an 8-under 208. Northgraves led start to finish with a tournament-low 66 in the opening round on Monday. Northgraves closed the tournament with an even-par 72 on Tuesday at Bent Tree Golf Club.Blue Dragon golfers finished in the top three individual slots on Tuesday.Box and fellow sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/razinskas_david_xbtl">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;tied for second individually at 3-under 213.Box had the Blue Dragons' low round of the final round with a 2-under 70. Razinskas shot a second-straight 72 on Tuesday after opening with a 69 in the first round.Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/ross_louis_6g3i">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;finished in 11th place at 221 after a final-round 75.Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/caruthers_jaydon_5jz1">Jaydon Carruthers</a>&nbsp;placed 18th at 226. Carruthers had a 76 on Tuesday.Blue Dragon individual player, freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/schultz_cal_h6x5">Cal Schultz</a>, had a strong recovery after opening with an 80 on Monday. He came back with a 75 in Monday's afternoon round and posted a season-low 73 on Tuesday to finish 22nd at 228. Schultz jumped 10 spots in the standings.Freshman individual Tyler Schultz placed 33rd at 234 after a final-round 81.The Blue Dragons' third fall tournament will be next Monday and Tuesday at the Grier Jones Shocker Classic at Sand Creek Station in Newton.TEAM SCORES 1. Hutchinson – 852 (280/283/289) 2. Nebraska Wesleyan – 873 (292/288/293) 3. Iowa Western "A" – 885 (293/204/298) 4. Northeast Nebraska – 898 (296/299/303) 5. Iowa Central – 911 (302/305/304) 6. Iowa Western "B" – 913 (208/295/310) 7. Briar Cliff "A" – 937 (311/307/319) 8. Barton – 940 (319/306/315) 9. Concordia – 946 (323/312/311) 10. Briar Cliff "B" – 1,000 (343/330/327)BLUE DRAGON INDIVIDUALS 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/northgraves_jack_mp7b">Jack Northgraves</a>&nbsp;– 208 (66/70/72) T2.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/razinskas_david_xbtl">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;– 213 (69/72/72) T2.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/box_charlie_0808">Charlie Box</a>&nbsp;– 213 (70/73/70) 11.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/ross_louis_6g3i">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;– 221 (78/68/76) 18.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/caruthers_jaydon_5jz1">Jaydon Carruthers</a>&nbsp;– 226 (75/75/76) 22.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/schultz_cal_h6x5">Cal Schultz</a>&nbsp;– 228 (80/75/73) 33.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2024-25/bios/walker_tyler_ijcw">Tyler Walker</a>&nbsp;– 234 (77/76/81)

⛳ Northgraves leads Blue Dragons to Bent Tree Intercollegiate title

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>, he told a congressional committee Tuesday.

Favre made the disclosure as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre, who does not face criminal charges, has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state and was also an investor in a biotech company with ties to the case. The biotech firm has said it was developing concussion treatments.

The former football star told the committee that he lost his investment in the company “that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others.”

“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.

What causes Parkinson's disease is unknown, and it is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries. He said in 2022 that he estimates he experienced “thousands” of concussions in his two decades in the NFL.

Favre appeared at the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee hearing to advocate reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud.

“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years—because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse, and are unjustifiably trying to blame me, those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” Favre said.

<a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2022/11/16/in-light-of-favre-welfare-scandal-gop-members-renew-calls-for-accountability/">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;have said a Mississippi welfare misspending scandal involving Favre and others points to the need for an overhaul in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-sports-general-football-brett-favre-us-news-ff86e556f25aee92aef15da86c2cc915">Favre has said he didn’t know</a>&nbsp;the payments he received came from welfare funds and has noted his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor kids in his home state of Mississippi and in Wisconsin, where he played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>, he told a congressional committee Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">During his opening statement before Congress, <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettFavre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrettFavre</a> says he&#39;s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6">https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6</a> <a href="https://t.co/IFQzqC847M">pic.twitter.com/IFQzqC847M</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838592945483612597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Favre made the disclosure as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre, who does not face criminal charges, has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state and was also an investor in a biotech company with ties to the case. The biotech firm has said it was developing concussion treatments.The former football star told the committee that he lost his investment in the company “that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others.”“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.What causes Parkinson's disease is unknown, and it is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries. He said in 2022 that he estimates he experienced “thousands” of concussions in his two decades in the NFL.Favre appeared at the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee hearing to advocate reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud.“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years—because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse, and are unjustifiably trying to blame me, those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” Favre said.<a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2022/11/16/in-light-of-favre-welfare-scandal-gop-members-renew-calls-for-accountability/">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;have said a Mississippi welfare misspending scandal involving Favre and others points to the need for an overhaul in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-sports-general-football-brett-favre-us-news-ff86e556f25aee92aef15da86c2cc915">Favre has said he didn’t know</a>&nbsp;the payments he received came from welfare funds and has noted his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor kids in his home state of Mississippi and in Wisconsin, where he played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

🎥Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he has Parkinson’s disease

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, September 24th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, September 24th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for September 24th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7syrb-16e2bcc-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals needing a W, 🏈 HutchCC remains No. 1, 🏈 K-State prepares for Oklahoma State

CLASS 6A 1. Derby (3-0) 2. Gardner-Edgerton (3-0) 3. Blue Valley NW (3-0) 4. Manhattan (3-0) 5. Wichita NW (3-0)

CLASS 5A 1. Mill Valley (2-1) 2. St. Thomas Aquinas (3-0) 3. Blue Valley (2-1) 4. Eisenhower (3-0) 5. Great Bend (3-0)

CLASS 4A 1. Andover Central (3-0) 2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (3-0) 3. Louisburg (3-0) 4. Chanute (3-0) 5. Winfield (3-0)

CLASS 3A 1. Andale (3-0) 2. Cheney (3-0) 3. Topeka Hayden (3-0) 4. Wichita Collegiate (3-0) 5. Marysville (3-0)

CLASS 2A 1. Norton (3-0) 2. SE of Saline (3-0) 3. St. Marys (3-0) 4. Nemaha Central (2-1) 5. Silver Lake (2-1)

CLASS 1A 1. Conway Springs (3-0) 2. Medicine Lodge (2-0) 3. Sedgwick (3-0) 4. Jackson Heights (3-0) 5. Moundridge (2-0)

8-PLAYER DIVISION I 1. Hoxie (3-0) 2. Little River (3-0) 3. Leoti-Wichita Co. (1-1) 4. West Elk (3-0) 5. South Central (3-0)

8-PLAYER DIVISION II 1. Axtell (3-0) 2. Frankfort (3-0) 3. Victoria (3-0) 4. Dighton (3-0) 5. Burlingame (3-0)

6-PLAYER 1. Cunningham (3-0) 2. Ingalls (3-0) 3. Weskan (3-0) 4. South Barber (2-1) Marais Des Cygnes Valley (3-0)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697026404630.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kpreps.com" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kpreps.com</figcaption>
 </figure>Kpreps.comCLASS 6A 1. Derby (3-0) 2. Gardner-Edgerton (3-0) 3. Blue Valley NW (3-0) 4. Manhattan (3-0) 5. Wichita NW (3-0)CLASS 5A 1. Mill Valley (2-1) 2. St. Thomas Aquinas (3-0) 3. Blue Valley (2-1) 4. Eisenhower (3-0) 5. Great Bend (3-0)CLASS 4A 1. Andover Central (3-0) 2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (3-0) 3. Louisburg (3-0) 4. Chanute (3-0) 5. Winfield (3-0)CLASS 3A 1. Andale (3-0) 2. Cheney (3-0) 3. Topeka Hayden (3-0) 4. Wichita Collegiate (3-0) 5. Marysville (3-0)CLASS 2A 1. Norton (3-0) 2. SE of Saline (3-0) 3. St. Marys (3-0) 4. Nemaha Central (2-1) 5. Silver Lake (2-1)CLASS 1A 1. Conway Springs (3-0) 2. Medicine Lodge (2-0) 3. Sedgwick (3-0) 4. Jackson Heights (3-0) 5. Moundridge (2-0)8-PLAYER DIVISION I 1. Hoxie (3-0) 2. Little River (3-0) 3. Leoti-Wichita Co. (1-1) 4. West Elk (3-0) 5. South Central (3-0)8-PLAYER DIVISION II 1. Axtell (3-0) 2. Frankfort (3-0) 3. Victoria (3-0) 4. Dighton (3-0) 5. Burlingame (3-0)6-PLAYER 1. Cunningham (3-0) 2. Ingalls (3-0) 3. Weskan (3-0) 4. South Barber (2-1) Marais Des Cygnes Valley (3-0)

🏈 Kpreps Week 4 high school rankings

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Freshman Jack Northgraves set a blistering pace on Monday morning to help the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team jump out to a 17-stroke lead after two round of the Bent Tree Intercollegiate hosted by Iowa Western Community College.

The Blue Dragons shot rounds of 280 and 283 to lead the Bent Tree with a 13-under score of 563 after 36 holes played on Monday. The Dragons lead Nebraska Wesleyan, which shot 4-over 580 (292-288). Iowa Western’s A Team is third at 587. Barton is the only other KJCCC team in the field. The Cougars are eighth at 625.

The final round tees off a 8 a.m. on Tuesday at Bent Tree Golf Club.

Three Blue Dragon golfers shot under par in the opening round on Monday, led by Northgraves, who opened with a tournament-low 6-under 66. Sophomore David Razinskas carded a 69 and sophomore Charlie Box had a 2-under 70 in the opening round. Freshman Jaydon Carruthers had a 75 for the fourth score of the round.

Sophomore Louis Ross led the Dragons in the second round with a 4-under 68. The Dragons also used Northgraves’ 70, Razinskas’ 72 and Box’s 73 to count in the second round.

Northgraves has a five-stroke lead in the individual standings at 8-under 136. Northgraves had six birdies and no bogeys in his opening round on Monday, which included a span of play at 5-under par from holes 10 through 18.

Razinskas is tied for second with Northeast Community College’s Luke Bonser at 3-under 141. Razinskas had four birdies and a bogey in the first round.

Overall, four Blue Dragons reside in the Top 10 after 36 holes. Box is fourth at 1-under 143. Ross recovered from an opening-round 78 and improved 10 strokes in the afternoon round. He is tied for ninth at 2-over 156. Carruthers had back-to-back 75s on Monday and is tied for 19th at 150.

Blue Dragon individual player Tyler Walker is tied for 27th at 153 after rounds of 77 and 76 on Monday. Cal Schultz is 32nd at 155 after rounds of 80 and 75 on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727178144324.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure>COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Freshman Jack Northgraves set a blistering pace on Monday morning to help the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team jump out to a 17-stroke lead after two round of the Bent Tree Intercollegiate hosted by Iowa Western Community College.The Blue Dragons shot rounds of 280 and 283 to lead the Bent Tree with a 13-under score of 563 after 36 holes played on Monday. The Dragons lead Nebraska Wesleyan, which shot 4-over 580 (292-288). Iowa Western’s A Team is third at 587. Barton is the only other KJCCC team in the field. The Cougars are eighth at 625.The final round tees off a 8 a.m. on Tuesday at Bent Tree Golf Club.Three Blue Dragon golfers shot under par in the opening round on Monday, led by Northgraves, who opened with a tournament-low 6-under 66. Sophomore David Razinskas carded a 69 and sophomore Charlie Box had a 2-under 70 in the opening round. Freshman Jaydon Carruthers had a 75 for the fourth score of the round.Sophomore Louis Ross led the Dragons in the second round with a 4-under 68. The Dragons also used Northgraves’ 70, Razinskas’ 72 and Box’s 73 to count in the second round.Northgraves has a five-stroke lead in the individual standings at 8-under 136. Northgraves had six birdies and no bogeys in his opening round on Monday, which included a span of play at 5-under par from holes 10 through 18.Razinskas is tied for second with Northeast Community College’s Luke Bonser at 3-under 141. Razinskas had four birdies and a bogey in the first round.Overall, four Blue Dragons reside in the Top 10 after 36 holes. Box is fourth at 1-under 143. Ross recovered from an opening-round 78 and improved 10 strokes in the afternoon round. He is tied for ninth at 2-over 156. Carruthers had back-to-back 75s on Monday and is tied for 19th at 150.Blue Dragon individual player Tyler Walker is tied for 27th at 153 after rounds of 77 and 76 on Monday. Cal Schultz is 32nd at 155 after rounds of 80 and 75 on Monday.

⛳ Dragons build 17-stroke lead after 36 holes at Bent Tree Intercollegiate

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team couldn’t sustain early momentum after a first-set victory over Dodge City on Monday at the Sports Arena.

Dodge City upped its service pressure with an opponent season-high 13 aces and rallied to defeat the Blue Dragons 17-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 in a Jayhawk Conference matchup.

The Blue Dragons fell to 11-10 overall and 2-3 in the KJCCC. The Dragons travel to Pratt on Wednesday and play host to No. 5 Barton on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Dodge City improved to 13-9 overall and 4-1 in the KJCCC.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Dodge City .323 to a minus .032 in the opening set. Over the final three sets, though, the Dragons hit .097, while Dodge City hit .190 and had nine aces over that span.

Hutchinson was led by freshman outside hitter Atlyn Proctor, who had a team-high 12 kills on 43 attacks with an .043 hitting percentage. Proctor had three block assists.

Sophomore middle Precious Johnson had 11 kills on .375 hitting to two with four total blocks, including two solo blocks. Freshman Brooke Galey finished with eight kills on .138 hitting with seven digs. 

Sophomore middle McKenzie Murphy hit .312 with seven kills on 16 attacks. Murphy also had six blocks, including a season-high three solo blocks.

The Blue Dragons had eight ace serves with freshman Beatriz Carvalho leading with a season-high four aces.

Freshman libero Addy Foster had a match-high tying 18 digs. Sophomore Shelbi Wilson had 10 digs.

Freshman setter Ellie Suber tallied 35 assists.

Hutchinson hit .149 for the match and out-blocked Dodge City 10-7.

Azra Arsalanoglu finished with 16 kills and Tess De Zanet had 14 kills for Dodge City.

SET 1: The Blue Dragons hit .323 in the opening set on 31 attacks and sided out at a .667 clip to dominate the first set. Trailing 3-2, a Galey kill and Carvalho ace sparked a 7-1 Hutchinson run. Wilson’s ace serve capped the run and gave the Dragons a 9-4 lead. Back-to-back Dodge City attack errors boosted the Hutchinson lead to 15-7 and a Kierny Follmer kill boosted the lead to 18-10. Another Carvalho ace gave the Dragons a 22-12 lead. Proctor finished off the set with a kill and a 25-17 victory.

SET 2: The second set was back-and-forth with five lead chances and 12 ties. The Dragons saw their hitting percentage dip to .214 for the set, while Dodge City hit .244. Murphy’s solo block gave the Dragons a slim 8-7 lead. A Murphy-Follmer double bock gave the Dragons a 16-15 lead. Murphy’s kill gave the Dragons a 17-16 lead and a Galey kill made it 18-17 Hutchinson. Dodge City reeled off four consecutive points to take command of the set at 21-18. The Dragons pulled within one points twice, but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 25-22.

SET 3: The third set played out much the save way as the second with seven lead changes and 15 times. The Dragons hit a match-low .048 in the third set to Dodge City’s .139 hitting percentage. A Murphy kill, Foster ace and Galey back-row kill gave the Dragons a 12-9 lead. Dodge City answered immediately with three in a row to tie the set at 12-all. With Hutchinson leading 18-17, Dodge City closed the set on an 8-2 run, scoring the final four points of the set to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-20 win.

SET 4: Johnson dropped in a service ace for a 5-2 Dragon lead, but Dodge City went on a 6-2 run to grab the lead at 8-7. Proctor landed a kill for an 11-10 lead, but Dodge City started to take command of the set with a 6-0 run the Dragons couldn’t recover from. The Conquistadors sided out 11 of 19 times in the set, including five times in a row after building that five-point lead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727177520259.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure>HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team couldn’t sustain early momentum after a first-set victory over Dodge City on Monday at the Sports Arena.Dodge City upped its service pressure with an opponent season-high 13 aces and rallied to defeat the Blue Dragons 17-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 in a Jayhawk Conference matchup.The Blue Dragons fell to 11-10 overall and 2-3 in the KJCCC. The Dragons travel to Pratt on Wednesday and play host to No. 5 Barton on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Dodge City improved to 13-9 overall and 4-1 in the KJCCC.The Blue Dragons out-hit Dodge City .323 to a minus .032 in the opening set. Over the final three sets, though, the Dragons hit .097, while Dodge City hit .190 and had nine aces over that span.Hutchinson was led by freshman outside hitter Atlyn Proctor, who had a team-high 12 kills on 43 attacks with an .043 hitting percentage. Proctor had three block assists.Sophomore middle Precious Johnson had 11 kills on .375 hitting to two with four total blocks, including two solo blocks. Freshman Brooke Galey finished with eight kills on .138 hitting with seven digs. Sophomore middle McKenzie Murphy hit .312 with seven kills on 16 attacks. Murphy also had six blocks, including a season-high three solo blocks.The Blue Dragons had eight ace serves with freshman Beatriz Carvalho leading with a season-high four aces.Freshman libero Addy Foster had a match-high tying 18 digs. Sophomore Shelbi Wilson had 10 digs.Freshman setter Ellie Suber tallied 35 assists.Hutchinson hit .149 for the match and out-blocked Dodge City 10-7.Azra Arsalanoglu finished with 16 kills and Tess De Zanet had 14 kills for Dodge City.SET 1: The Blue Dragons hit .323 in the opening set on 31 attacks and sided out at a .667 clip to dominate the first set. Trailing 3-2, a Galey kill and Carvalho ace sparked a 7-1 Hutchinson run. Wilson’s ace serve capped the run and gave the Dragons a 9-4 lead. Back-to-back Dodge City attack errors boosted the Hutchinson lead to 15-7 and a Kierny Follmer kill boosted the lead to 18-10. Another Carvalho ace gave the Dragons a 22-12 lead. Proctor finished off the set with a kill and a 25-17 victory.SET 2: The second set was back-and-forth with five lead chances and 12 ties. The Dragons saw their hitting percentage dip to .214 for the set, while Dodge City hit .244. Murphy’s solo block gave the Dragons a slim 8-7 lead. A Murphy-Follmer double bock gave the Dragons a 16-15 lead. Murphy’s kill gave the Dragons a 17-16 lead and a Galey kill made it 18-17 Hutchinson. Dodge City reeled off four consecutive points to take command of the set at 21-18. The Dragons pulled within one points twice, but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 25-22.SET 3: The third set played out much the save way as the second with seven lead changes and 15 times. The Dragons hit a match-low .048 in the third set to Dodge City’s .139 hitting percentage. A Murphy kill, Foster ace and Galey back-row kill gave the Dragons a 12-9 lead. Dodge City answered immediately with three in a row to tie the set at 12-all. With Hutchinson leading 18-17, Dodge City closed the set on an 8-2 run, scoring the final four points of the set to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-20 win.SET 4: Johnson dropped in a service ace for a 5-2 Dragon lead, but Dodge City went on a 6-2 run to grab the lead at 8-7. Proctor landed a kill for an 11-10 lead, but Dodge City started to take command of the set with a 6-0 run the Dragons couldn’t recover from. The Conquistadors sided out 11 of 19 times in the set, including five times in a row after building that five-point lead.

🏐 Dragons drop four-setter to Dodge City

AP Sports Summary for September 24th, 2024:

Rookie Jayden Daniels nearly flawless for Commanders in 38-33 win over Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in a remarkably efficient performance, and the Washington Commanders stunned Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33. Daniels finished 21 of 23 for 254 yards, with the No. 2 overall draft pick setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%. The Commanders scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half and have not punted or turned the ball over in their last two games. Neither Washington nor Cincinnati punted or turned it over, the first time that's happened in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals fell to 0-3.

Josh Allen throws 4 TD passes and the Bills roll to a 47-10 win over the unraveling Jaguars

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in the first half and the Buffalo Bills scored on each of their first five drives in a 47-10 win over a misfiring Trevor Lawrence and the unraveling Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen went 22 of 28 for 247 yards in the first 30 minutes alone, with completions to nine receivers. He only attempted two passes after halftime. And he spread the wealth, completing touchdown passes to Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Ty Johnson. James Cook opened the scoring with a 6-yard run. Buffalo's defense limited the Jaguars to 70 yards, five first downs and a field goal in five first-half possessions.

Philadelphia Phillies clinch 1st NL East title since 2011

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have won the NL East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto went deep. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola provided a taste of just how great it would feel for the franchise if Philly went all the way this time. The Phillies won their 12th division crown and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs. Seeking their third World Series championship following titles in 1980 and 2008, the Phillies overtook Atlanta for the division lead on May 3 and haven't trailed since.

Coliseum employees who became familiar faces brace for what's next as A's move to Sacramento

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many longtime Oakland Athletics employees are still working in their 70s, 80s and even 90s because they love being part of the games and cherish the community aspect of coming to work at a place with such history. But some are planning to retire, having given their hearts and souls to this place and uncertain of what's next as the A's relocate to Sacramento for the next three years ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.

Mets and Braves set for showdown in Atlanta with playoff dreams at stake in rivalry's next chapter

NEW YORK (AP) — All summer long, one massive series kept looming on the schedule. Three games between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta during the final week of the season. With the NL East rivals locked in a heated wild-card race, surely it would come down to their head-to-head matchup. And here we are. If the banged-up Braves are going to earn a seventh straight playoff berth, they'll need a big performance at home. If the surprising Mets are going to finish this postseason push, they can do it by toppling a familiar nemesis. On the line at Truist Park beginning Tuesday night — nothing less than a chance to play in October.

49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey heads to Germany to see a specialist for his Achilles injury

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has traveled to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season. McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets. He was unable to play in the opener and was placed on injured reserve the following week.

Michigan State football's Armorion Smith is raising 5 siblings since his mother's death

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Armorion Smith pressed his palms together over the bridge of his nose and leaned against the kitchen sink in a home he shares with five younger siblings. The Michigan State defensive back has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes. His mother died in August and without a father in the family's life, he became head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing college football. The 21-year-old Smith became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11. The Spartans plays on Saturday at home against Ohio State.

Pac-12 adding Utah State, in talks with Gonzaga, as Mountain West tries to hold UNLV, AP sources say

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, September 24th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, September 24th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for September 24th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8575548/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Rookie Jayden Daniels nearly flawless for Commanders in 38-33 win over BengalsCINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in a remarkably efficient performance, and the Washington Commanders stunned Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33. Daniels finished 21 of 23 for 254 yards, with the No. 2 overall draft pick setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%. The Commanders scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half and have not punted or turned the ball over in their last two games. Neither Washington nor Cincinnati punted or turned it over, the first time that's happened in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals fell to 0-3.Josh Allen throws 4 TD passes and the Bills roll to a 47-10 win over the unraveling JaguarsORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in the first half and the Buffalo Bills scored on each of their first five drives in a 47-10 win over a misfiring Trevor Lawrence and the unraveling Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen went 22 of 28 for 247 yards in the first 30 minutes alone, with completions to nine receivers. He only attempted two passes after halftime. And he spread the wealth, completing touchdown passes to Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Ty Johnson. James Cook opened the scoring with a 6-yard run. Buffalo's defense limited the Jaguars to 70 yards, five first downs and a field goal in five first-half possessions.Philadelphia Phillies clinch 1st NL East title since 2011PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have won the NL East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto went deep. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola provided a taste of just how great it would feel for the franchise if Philly went all the way this time. The Phillies won their 12th division crown and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs. Seeking their third World Series championship following titles in 1980 and 2008, the Phillies overtook Atlanta for the division lead on May 3 and haven't trailed since.Coliseum employees who became familiar faces brace for what's next as A's move to SacramentoOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many longtime Oakland Athletics employees are still working in their 70s, 80s and even 90s because they love being part of the games and cherish the community aspect of coming to work at a place with such history. But some are planning to retire, having given their hearts and souls to this place and uncertain of what's next as the A's relocate to Sacramento for the next three years ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.Mets and Braves set for showdown in Atlanta with playoff dreams at stake in rivalry's next chapterNEW YORK (AP) — All summer long, one massive series kept looming on the schedule. Three games between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta during the final week of the season. With the NL East rivals locked in a heated wild-card race, surely it would come down to their head-to-head matchup. And here we are. If the banged-up Braves are going to earn a seventh straight playoff berth, they'll need a big performance at home. If the surprising Mets are going to finish this postseason push, they can do it by toppling a familiar nemesis. On the line at Truist Park beginning Tuesday night — nothing less than a chance to play in October.49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey heads to Germany to see a specialist for his Achilles injurySANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has traveled to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season. McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets. He was unable to play in the opener and was placed on injured reserve the following week.Michigan State football's Armorion Smith is raising 5 siblings since his mother's deathLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Armorion Smith pressed his palms together over the bridge of his nose and leaned against the kitchen sink in a home he shares with five younger siblings. The Michigan State defensive back has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes. His mother died in August and without a father in the family's life, he became head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing college football. The 21-year-old Smith became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11. The Spartans plays on Saturday at home against Ohio State.Pac-12 adding Utah State, in talks with Gonzaga, as Mountain West tries to hold UNLV, AP sources sayThe Pac-12 is adding Utah State as its seventh member and is in discussions with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to also join the rebuilding conference in 2026, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. Utah State and UNLV were the main targets for the Pac-12 after a group of American Athletic Conference schools decided to stay put. But the Mountain West was working to keep its remaining schools together and UNLV's decision remained uncertain. The Mountain West did receive a commitment from Air Force to remain in the league after it drew interest from the AAC.Reggie Bush sues USC, Pac-12 and NCAA to seek NIL compensation from football career 2 decades agoLOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Southern California football star Reggie Bush says he is suing the NCAA, the Pac-12 and his school in a bid to recoup money made on his name, image and likeness during his career with the Trojans two decades ago. Bush was one of the most exciting players in recent college football history during his three years at USC from 2003-05 while winning two national titles and the Heisman. He went on to an 11-year NFL career. Bush is still pursuing the separate defamation lawsuit he filed against the NCAA last year over the governing body's 2021 characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush's troubles.Father of Gaudreau brothers helps out on the ice at Philadelphia Flyers practiceThe Philadelphia Flyers and coach John Tortorella welcomed the father of the late John and Matthew Gaudreau as an invited guest to training camp. The Flyers tapped their sticks in appreciation of Guy Gaudreau when he hit the ice to help with drills during practice. The Flyers shook Gaudreau's hand in appreciation and thanked him for helping out. Tortorella said he had never met Gaudreau, a former hockey player and coach who raised his family nearby, until Monday's practice in New Jersey. Tortorella said Gaudreau had an open invitation to return and help the Flyers at any point.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:37 a.m. EDTRookie Jayden Daniels nearly flawless for Commanders in 38-33 win over BengalsCINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in a remarkably efficient performance, and the Washington Commanders stunned Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33. Daniels finished 21 of 23 for 254 yards, with the No. 2 overall draft pick setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%. The Commanders scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half and have not punted or turned the ball over in their last two games. Neither Washington nor Cincinnati punted or turned it over, the first time that's happened in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals fell to 0-3.Josh Allen throws 4 TD passes and the Bills roll to a 47-10 win over the unraveling JaguarsORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in the first half and the Buffalo Bills scored on each of their first five drives in a 47-10 win over a misfiring Trevor Lawrence and the unraveling Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen went 22 of 28 for 247 yards in the first 30 minutes alone, with completions to nine receivers. He only attempted two passes after halftime. And he spread the wealth, completing touchdown passes to Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Ty Johnson. James Cook opened the scoring with a 6-yard run. Buffalo's defense limited the Jaguars to 70 yards, five first downs and a field goal in five first-half possessions.Philadelphia Phillies clinch 1st NL East title since 2011PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have won the NL East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto went deep. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola provided a taste of just how great it would feel for the franchise if Philly went all the way this time. The Phillies won their 12th division crown and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs. Seeking their third World Series championship following titles in 1980 and 2008, the Phillies overtook Atlanta for the division lead on May 3 and haven't trailed since.Coliseum employees who became familiar faces brace for what's next as A's move to SacramentoOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many longtime Oakland Athletics employees are still working in their 70s, 80s and even 90s because they love being part of the games and cherish the community aspect of coming to work at a place with such history. But some are planning to retire, having given their hearts and souls to this place and uncertain of what's next as the A's relocate to Sacramento for the next three years ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.Mets and Braves set for showdown in Atlanta with playoff dreams at stake in rivalry's next chapterNEW YORK (AP) — All summer long, one massive series kept looming on the schedule. Three games between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta during the final week of the season. With the NL East rivals locked in a heated wild-card race, surely it would come down to their head-to-head matchup. And here we are. If the banged-up Braves are going to earn a seventh straight playoff berth, they'll need a big performance at home. If the surprising Mets are going to finish this postseason push, they can do it by toppling a familiar nemesis. On the line at Truist Park beginning Tuesday night — nothing less than a chance to play in October.49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey heads to Germany to see a specialist for his Achilles injurySANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has traveled to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season. McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets. He was unable to play in the opener and was placed on injured reserve the following week.Michigan State football's Armorion Smith is raising 5 siblings since his mother's deathLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Armorion Smith pressed his palms together over the bridge of his nose and leaned against the kitchen sink in a home he shares with five younger siblings. The Michigan State defensive back has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes. His mother died in August and without a father in the family's life, he became head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing college football. The 21-year-old Smith became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11. The Spartans plays on Saturday at home against Ohio State.Pac-12 adding Utah State, in talks with Gonzaga, as Mountain West tries to hold UNLV, AP sources sayThe Pac-12 is adding Utah State as its seventh member and is in discussions with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to also join the rebuilding conference in 2026, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. Utah State and UNLV were the main targets for the Pac-12 after a group of American Athletic Conference schools decided to stay put. But the Mountain West was working to keep its remaining schools together and UNLV's decision remained uncertain. The Mountain West did receive a commitment from Air Force to remain in the league after it drew interest from the AAC.Reggie Bush sues USC, Pac-12 and NCAA to seek NIL compensation from football career 2 decades agoLOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Southern California football star Reggie Bush says he is suing the NCAA, the Pac-12 and his school in a bid to recoup money made on his name, image and likeness during his career with the Trojans two decades ago. Bush was one of the most exciting players in recent college football history during his three years at USC from 2003-05 while winning two national titles and the Heisman. He went on to an 11-year NFL career. Bush is still pursuing the separate defamation lawsuit he filed against the NCAA last year over the governing body's 2021 characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush's troubles.Father of Gaudreau brothers helps out on the ice at Philadelphia Flyers practiceThe Philadelphia Flyers and coach John Tortorella welcomed the father of the late John and Matthew Gaudreau as an invited guest to training camp. The Flyers tapped their sticks in appreciation of Guy Gaudreau when he hit the ice to help with drills during practice. The Flyers shook Gaudreau's hand in appreciation and thanked him for helping out. Tortorella said he had never met Gaudreau, a former hockey player and coach who raised his family nearby, until Monday's practice in New Jersey. Tortorella said Gaudreau had an open invitation to return and help the Flyers at any point.