Month: November 2024

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the NY Giants with a score of 27-20 on Thanksgiving Day, beating the Giants for an eighth time in a row (as well as the 15th time in 16 games).

The Thanksgiving Day victory also marked the Cowboys first win at home in 334 days — their first since a Week 17 last season against the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys’ Rico Dowdle rushed for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown, while three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons finished with one-and-a-half sacks, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown scored a 23-yard interception return touchdown, the first of his career.

With the loss, the Giants (2-10) became the first NFL team officially eliminated from playoff contention and tied their seventh-longest losing streak (seven games) in franchise history. The Giants also set an all-time NFL record with 11 straight games without an interception.

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The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Thursday that five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ (per AP News.) Swiatek, a 23-year-old from Poland, formally admitted the anti-doping rule violation on Wednesday and accepted her penalty.

Swiatek failed an out-of-competition drug test in August. The ITIA accepted her explanation that the result was unintentional and caused by the contamination of a nonprescription medication — melatonin — that Swiatek was taking for issues with jet lag and sleeping. The ITIA said that it was determined her level of fault was “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence.”

Swiatek said in a video posted on social media: “This experience, the most difficult in my life so far, taught me a lot. The whole thing will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life. It took a lot to return to training after the situation nearly broke my heart, so there were many tears and lots of sleepless nights. The worst part of it was the uncertainty. I didn’t know what was going to happen with my career, how things would end or if I would be allowed to play tennis at all.”

Swiatek reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in April 2022. She won the French Open in June for her fourth title there and fifth major championship overall, then took home a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in early August.

The women’s tennis tour said in a statement: “The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements. The WTA remains steadfast in our support for a clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition. We also emphasize that athletes must take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”

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Inter Miami announced on Tuesday that Javier Mascherano is their new head coach, succeeding Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who stepped down last week due to personal reasons.. Miami stated Mascherano’s full coaching staff will be announced at a later date. The club posted on social media: “Bienvenido, Jefe Argentina and FC Barcelona legend Javier @Mascherano has been named as our new head coach! Welcome to the Miami dream ”

Jorge Mas, managing owner of Inter Miami, said in the announcement: “This job requires somebody with the experience to be able to maximize our unique collection of talent – from our global superstars, to our burgeoning homegrown players, to our young international prospects, and everything in between. Javier has amassed unmatched experience in his career, from playing on the world’s biggest stages, to coaching at the youth international level; he has the blend of skills and experience we were looking for, and even has had direct coaching experience with Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías, Federico Redondo, and Benjamin Cremaschi. We believe Javier is an important addition to our Club as we continue on our quest to be among the world’s elite, setting a new standard for fútbol in North America.” 

Mascherano had a long playing career for such clubs as River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham United, Liverpool and Barcelona, where he won five La Liga titles, as well as the Champions League, UEFA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup championship twice. During eight seasons with Barcelona, Mascherano was part of a Barça side that also featured current Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. He also represented Argentina 147 times at the international level, playing in four World Cups and five Copa América tournaments alongside Messi.

Mascherano signed with Miami through the 2027 MLS season. The 40-year-old Mascherano comes to MLS after coaching Argentina’s U-20 and U-23 men’s teams since 2021. Most recently, he guided Argentina to the knockout stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics this past summer.

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North Carolina announced Tuesday that head coach Mack Brown will not return next season. Brown, 73, had just one day earlier declared his intention to return to the Tar Heels. UNC said that Brown will still coach in the team’s season finale against NC State on Saturday; however, a decision has yet to be made on whether or not Brown will coach the program in the bowl game.

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement: “Mack Brown has won more games than any football coach in UNC history, and we deeply appreciate all that he has done for Carolina football and our University. Over the last six seasons — his second campaign in Chapel Hill — he has coached our team to six bowl berths, including an Orange Bowl, while mentoring 18 NFL Draft picks. He and his wife Sally have done an outstanding job supporting the Carolina community, including raising funds for UNC Children’s Hospital while hosting other popular events such as the Ladies Day Clinic. Both also have been terrific in leading our program during some incredibly tough stretches, including the tragic passing of wide receiver Tylee Craft this season. Coach Brown has led the Carolina football program back into the national conversation as we improved the program’s facilities, significantly increased the size of the staff, invested in salaries and bolstered our nutrition and strength and conditioning programs. He also has been a dedicated fundraiser, strengthening the football endowment while also supporting our other sports programs. We thank Coach Brown for his dedication to Carolina, and wish him, Sally and their family all the best.”

Brown said in a statement: “While this was not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time. I’ve spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships Sally and I have built while serving as head coach.We’ve had the chance to coach and mentor some great young men, and we’ll miss having the opportunity to do that in the future. Moving forward, my total focus is on helping these players and coaches prepare for Saturday’s game against N.C. State and give them the best chance to win. We want to send these seniors out right and I hope our fans will show up Saturday to do the same.”

Brown went 6-5 this year in the sixth season of his second stint as the head coach in Chapel Hill. In two stints at North Carolina, Brown has gone a combined 113-78-1. The College Football Hall of Fame member has three years remaining on his contract; he also coached at Texas, winning the 2005 national championship there.

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