Brady, Prescott Shine as Bucs Beat Cowboys in NFL Opener
In true GOAT fashion, Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to a comeback victory Thursday night with a 31-29 victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL season opener. Brady, who completed 32 of 50 passes for four touchdowns and 379 yards, helped set up a last-minute field goal from K Ryan Succop to seal the win.
Fernandez and Raducanu Make Their Mark in Queens, Set to Square Off in US Open Final
Britain’s Emma Raducanu defeated No. 17 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open semifinals Thursday night – setting her up for a finals showdown against Leylah Fernandez, 19, of Canada. The matchup marks the first major final between teenagers since the 1999 US Open when Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis. It’s also the first major final of the Open Era in both the men’s and women’s game to feature two unseeded players.
TJ Watt Becomes NFL’s Highest-Paid Defender with 4-year, $112M Deal with Steelers
The 26-year-old star defensive end agreed to a four-year, $112 million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, making him the highest-paid defender in the league. The mega-deal, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, includes $80 million in full guarantees. Watt reportedly overruled his agents in signing the deal.
PSG Taps Crpyto.com as Official Partner in Major Multi-year Deal
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is naming Crypto.com as the club’s official cryptocurrency platform. The partnership, which has Crypto.com paying a significant portion of the sponsorship fee using the cryptocurrency token CRO, is the second major soccer NFT partnership announced this week — Spain’s La Liga also announced it is partnering up with blockchain digital collectibles and fantasy platform Sorare to offer NFTs to fans.
Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Stevenson Strikes NIL Deal with WWE
Following his gold medal performance in Tokyo, American wrestler Gable Stevenson signed a multi-year deal with the WWE. Although details were not released, it is structured as a NIL deal, allowing Stevenson to maintain NCAA eligibility at the University of Minnesota and defend his D1 heavyweight title.
Ravens Lose CB Peters and RB Edwards to ACL Injuries
In a devastating set of back-to-back plays, the Baltimore Ravens confirmed that both All-Pro CB Marcus Peters and RB Gus Edwards suffered season-ending ACL injuries in Thursday’s practice. The team is expected to promote former All-Star Le’Veon Bell from the practice squad and Adam Schefter reports that they will sign veteran free agent Devonta Freeman to help fill the hole left at running back.
Christen Press Announces Break from Soccer to Tend to Mental Health
USWNT forward Christen Press announced on Thursday via Instagram that she will take a break from soccer for a few months in order to focus on her “mental health, spiritual growth, and processing grief.” The news comes after Press became the first player to sign with Angel City FC and her continued efforts as a key member of the USWNT.
BMX Star Nigel Sylvester Joins Jordan Brand Family
The Jordan Brand tapped the newest member of its family on Thursday, announcing they signed BMX star Nigel Sylvester. With the deal, Sylvester becomes the first BMX athlete to sign with the brand.
Sofi Stadium Links with Square, Becoming 29th NFL Stadium to Go Cashless
Sofi Stadium and Square announced a 10-year partnership, making them the exclusive point-of-service provider for the state-of-the-art $5 billion stadium, which serves as the home to the Chargers and the Rams. With the deal, Sofi becomes the 29th of 30 NFL stadiums to commit to going cashless.
Whoop Unveils Clothing Line with Biometric Tracking Technology
The wearable technology company will expand its product offerings to include an apparel line that will track biometric data, requiring a subscription to their health tracking services. To support the launch of its next chapter following the conclusion of a wildly successful fundraising round, Whoop gathered a number of its brand ambassadors, including Patrick Mahomes, Emma Radacanu, and Rory McIlroy.