chronicleonline
In a Thursday night matchup, the Jacksonville Jaguars cruised to a 33-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, who were without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley. Rookie Joe Fagnano made his first career start for Baltimore and managed only 60 passing yards. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 242 yards and a touchdown as Jacksonville secured its fifth win in six games and took a commanding 3½-game lead in the AFC South. The Ravens have now lost four consecutive games.
Key Analysis
The Jaguars' win highlights their dominance in the AFC South, while the Ravens' struggles continue amid quarterback injuries. The victory was straightforward for Jacksonville, which did not need any extraordinary efforts to defeat a severely weakened Baltimore team.
Voters in Washington and Colorado approved measures that bar transgender athletes from participating in school sports. Washington's Measure 638 prohibits students assigned male at birth from playing in female sports and requires a healthcare provider's statement to verify gender. Colorado's Proposition 134 mandates that sports be designated male, female, or coed, limiting participation to the sex assigned at birth. These measures were passed in states where Democratic-led governments had not enacted such bans, prompting activists to put the issue on the ballot. The votes underscore bipartisan support for these issues, which were once considered conservative wedge topics.
Five retired Major League Baseball umpires, including Joe West, have filed a lawsuit against their retirement plan and its committee, alleging they are owed additional money. Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover, and Jerry Layne joined West in the suit, filed in federal court in New York. They claim their benefits were not correctly calculated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Their lawyer, Paul B. Holmes, said the amount owed exceeds $2 million. West said he was offered a small sum when he raised the issue. MLB declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international soccer, ending a career that spanned six World Cups, a European title, and the men's all-time international scoring record. Ronaldo shared the news in a video message on Thursday, saying it is time to pass on the No. 7 shirt. He expressed gratitude for his 23 years with the national team. His final appearance for Portugal was in a 1-0 win over Wales in September. Ronaldo plans to continue playing at the club level with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, aiming for his 1,000th career goal.
LIV Golf is winding down its operations instead of launching a new version due to a lack of financial support. A lawyer representing the organization announced the decision in a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday in New Jersey. LIV Golf lost Saudi Arabia funding in April after having spent more than $5 billion since 2022. LIV filed for bankruptcy in September. Since announcing plans for a new version, top players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have bailed. Instead of planning for a new version for 2027, LIV enters a liquidation phase.
Bill Belichick is again among five coaching candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves, and Mike Shanahan join Belichick in the Coach category for possible election into the Hall's Class of 2027. The list was announced Thursday by the Canton, Ohio-based Pro Football Hall of Fame. Members of the Hall's coaching subcommittee made their selections from an original field of 14 nominees. The subcommittee will select one candidate to be considered when the Hall's selection committee determines a new class of enshrinees in early 2027. All five reached this stage last year when Belichick advanced in the process.
Next week, Congress could begin debating a bill to overhaul college sports, amid uncertainty from recent Democratic election victories. The House, still Republican-led, will decide what to do with the Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate last month. The bill regulates athlete pay and protects Olympic sports but faces opposition. Supporters argue it prevents smaller sports from disappearing, while critics say it lacks sufficient protections. Major sports conferences like the SEC and Big Ten are considering their own governance if Congress doesn't act. They hope for federal guidance to manage spending wars for athletes.
Cristiano Ronaldo's glorious Portugal career ultimately ended in acrimony, contrasting sharply with his great rival Lionel Messi, who also retired from international soccer this year but only after leading Argentina to back-to-back World Cup finals. As has been the case throughout their record-breaking careers, it is impossible not to compare the two greatest players of their generation and, for many, the greatest of all time. While Ronaldo's video message to announce his retirement on Thursday was undoubtedly emotional, it came after a bitter fallout with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus that led to the Manchester United and Real Madrid great walking out on what turned out to be his last international call-up.
Saint Louis forward Robbie Avila has been granted a preliminary injunction to play a fifth season of college basketball for the Billikens. St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser made the ruling Thursday. He also announced that Saint Louis can have a 16th roster spot for Avila until a trial is held, which could be several months from now, effectively clearing the 23-year-old to play for the entire season. The Billikens have a high-profile game against Missouri on Friday night. Avila, the reigning Atlantic 10 player of the year, led the Billikens to a 29-6 record and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Bronny James has been assigned to the Los Angeles Lakers G League affiliate again. James has moved up and down between the NBA and the G League throughout his three-year career. The oldest son of LeBron James has only played mop-up minutes during the Lakers' 7-2 start to the current season, making five appearances and scoring 0.8 points per game in 2.4 minutes per contest despite the home fans regularly chanting for him late in those victories. The Lakers kept Bronny James even after his famous father's departure for the Philadelphia 76ers last summer, but the guard has appeared in only 74 games in his three NBA seasons.
Originally reported by chronicleonline.