AP Sports Summary for September 21st, 2023.
Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns, says he has to take care of his health and family
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has resigned, saying he needs to tend to his health and his family. Williams' resignation comes just two games into his second season. In a statement, Williams thanked the Bears and their front office and ownership, and vowed to coach again. He missed last week's loss at Tampa Bay for what the team said were personal reasons after working the opener against Green Bay. Coach Matt Eberflus called the defense in Williams' absence and figures to do so again when the Bears visit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Vikings get RB Cam Akers in trade with Rams, after run-deficient start
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The run-deficient Minnesota Vikings have acquired running back Cam Akers in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. The fourth-year player had fallen out of favor with the Rams' coaching staff. The deal was pending Akers passing a physical exam. The Vikings will send a 2026 conditional sixth-round draft pick to the Rams for Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round draft pick. Akers was the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Florida State. He fell behind Kyren Williams on the depth chart this year. The Vikings are last in the NFL in rushing.
Lionel Messi will miss another game for Inter Miami after leaving Toronto match early
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami's lineup on Wednesday night. It was a short-lived comeback and he will now miss at least one more match. Messi was subbed off in the 37th minute of Inter Miami's match against Toronto, after spending a few minutes laboring with what appeared to be a leg issue. He was stretching during play, then eventually took off his captain's armband and simply waited for play to stop so he could depart. Inter Miami went on to win 4-0 and got all four of those goals after Messi departed. Inter Miami Gerardo "Tata" Martino says Messi will miss Sunday's game at Orlando.
$100M men Kane and Bellingham give good value to Bayern and Madrid in Champions League debut wins
GENEVA (AP) — Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham made $100 million moves in the offseason and the England stars proved their worth on Champions League debuts for their new clubs. Kane's precisely taken penalty quickly restored Bayern Munich's two-goal lead against Manchester United early in the second half of a 4-3 win. Bellingham's 94th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over newcomer Union Berlin made it six for him in six straight wins for Madrid this season. Back home in England Arsenal thrashed PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in its first Champions League appearance after a six-year absence.
Did missing ex-NFL player Sergio Brown post videos about mother's death? Police are investigating
MAYWOOD, Ill. (AP) — Police in suburban Chicago are checking on the authenticity of Instagram videos that appear to show missing former NFL player Sergio Brown discussing the recent death of his mother. Maywood police said Tuesday they are investigating and did not provide an update Wednesday. Brown is still considered a missing person. Authorities began searching for Brown after 73-year-old Myrtle Brown's body was found Saturday behind her home in Maywood. A medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide and says she was injured during an assault. Police have asked anyone with information about Sergio Brown's whereabouts to contact them.
Body camera footage shows Cavs exec Altman being told he nearly caused accident before OVI arrest
CLEVELAND (AP) — Body camera footage of Cavaliers executive Koby Altman undergoing field sobriety tests shows him being told he nearly caused an accident before being arrested and charged with driving while impaired. Altman was arrested Friday near downtown Cleveland. He was first stopped by Ohio State Highway Patrol officers for a traffic violation before refusing a breath test and being taken into custody. The Cavaliers released an brief initial statement a day after Altman's arrest. They followed up with more comment Wednesday, a day after the bodycam video emerged and Altman pleaded not guilty through his attorney in court. The 41-year-old Altman has been with the team since 2012.
The Rays are finalizing plans for a new stadium, which means MLB expansion could be on deck
The Tampa Bay Rays are finalizing plans for a new ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg, which is a positive development for baseball fans in Florida. Indirectly, it could also mean great things for baseball fans in a couple of other cities. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has made it clear several times over the past few years that he's interested in expanding to 32 teams. But he's said that wouldn't happen until all current 30 big league teams had stable stadium situations. Now that the Rays are settled, expansion could be on the horizon for the first time since 1998.
Pro Picks: Big week ahead for 49ers, other favorites
Fourteen NFL teams are 1-1 and Pro Picks also has an even record through two weeks. It takes a couple of games for most teams to find their way and to figure it out. The San Francisco 49ers didn't need much time picking up where they left off. The Niners opened with a pair of road wins and now have won 12 straight regular-season games. Their only loss in the past 15 games was in the NFC championship when they lost both quarterbacks to injuries. Brock Purdy has looked sharp in his return from elbow surgery, Christian McCaffrey has been dynamic and San Francisco is clicking heading into Thursday night's home opener against the New York Giants.
College Football Picks: 6 games matching ranked teams in rare Statement Saturday in September
Week 4 of the college football season will be the most consequential yet. Six games matching team ranked in the AP Top 25 will be played Saturday. That's one short of a record for one weekend and an opportunity to identify serious playoff contenders, maybe expose pretenders, and set the tone for conference races. The headliners include: No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame; No. 19 Colorado and Deion Sanders visiting No. 10 Oregon and No. 13 Alabama looking to right itself against No. 15 Mississippi.
LSU safety Brooks recovering from emergency surgery to have brain tumor removed, family says
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The family of LSU safety Greg Brooks says the Tigers defensive back has undergone surgery to remove "a large brain tumor." The family says in a social media post that "doctors successfully performed the procedure" and that biopsy results are pending. Brooks left the team last week just days before the 12th-ranked Tigers' 41-14 victory at Mississippi State. Coach Brian Kelly said Monday that he could not estimate when Brooks might return to football. Kelly declined to go into specifics about his condition earlier this week because the family was not yet ready to have that information made public. Brooks transferred to LSU from Arkansas before last season. LSU hosts the Razorbacks this Saturday.
AP-Scorecard
TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Final Minnesota 5 Cincinnati 3
Final Washington 13 Chicago White Sox 3
Final Detroit 4 L.A. Dodgers 2
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Texas 15 Boston 5
Final Kansas City 6 Cleveland 2
Final Houston 2 Baltimore 1
Final Seattle 6 Oakland 3
Final L.A. Angels 8 Tampa Bay 3
Final Toronto 6 N.Y. Yankees 1
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 6 Atlanta 5
Final Arizona 7 San Francisco 1
Final San Diego 3 Colorado 2
Final N.Y. Mets 8 Miami 3
Final Milwaukee 8 St. Louis 2
Final Pittsburgh 13 Chicago Cubs 7
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Connecticut 90 Minnesota 75
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final tie Philadelphia 2 Charlotte FC 2
Final Columbus 3 Chicago 0
Final tie Atlanta 1 D.C. United 1
Final Miami 4 Toronto FC 0
Final tie Cincinnati 1 CF Montréal 1
Final tie Austin FC 1 New York 1
Final New York City FC 2 Orlando City 0
Final Houston 4 Vancouver 1
Final Nashville 3 Sporting Kansas City 0
Final tie Los Angeles FC 0 Saint Louis City SC 0
Final Seattle 2 Colorado 1
Final FC Dallas 3 Real Salt Lake 1
Final LA Galaxy 4 Minnesota 3
Final Portland 2 San Jose 1