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New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau announced on Monday via Twitter that he is in full remission from Hodgkin lymphoma.
Moreau was diagnosed with a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, in March after a physical with the Saints. He then took a break from football to focus on treating himself before signing on with the team two months later for a three-year, million deal.
The good news flowed in when Moreau was fit enough to participate in the Saints’ organized team activities at the end of May, with the best news coming at the outset of July.
Foster is entering his fifth NFL season with 91 career receptions, 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set personal records in both catches (33) and yards (420) playing alongside Derek Carr last year, who he was reunited with in the Big Easy.
Due to Moreau’s familiarity with Carr, he may play a prominent role in the offense, particularly in the early going while the quarterback gets his feet under him playing for a new franchise.
New Orleans will benefit immensely from having Moreau to round out a cast of pass catches that include tight end Juwan Johnson and wide receivers Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed.
The most important thing, however, is that Foster Moreau now has a clean bill of health from cancer.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin kicked off the Yankees’ 14th annual HOPE week by throwing out the first pitch at New York’s Monday night game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Hope Week Initiative will run from July 3-7 and was founded to spread encouragement through acts of goodwill and to generate awareness for special causes and organizations.
Hamlin went to Yankee Stadium before the first pitch with certified CPR instructors to educate Yankees players and New York City Public School Athletics League personnel. Damar with the teachers and coaches, also toured the stadium and attended batting practice.
Speaking to the press, he gave a “big thank you’’ to the Yankees for taking time from their season to focus on this type of cause.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Hamlin said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing my part and making an impact in changing the world. That’s been my goal for my entire life. Before any of you probably even knew me, I had my eye set on making an impact on the world someway, somehow. I didn’t know how it would be, but I’m fine with this platform, and I’m fine with this story, as well. I’m going to continue to keep doing my part and making an impact on the world and changing things.”
Today, Yankees players and coaches participated in CPR training with @HamlinIsland, @American_Heart, @sarahtaffet, and NYC Public School Athletic Leagues personnel.
In order to save more lives, those outside of medicine need to be prepared to perform CPR 🫶 pic.twitter.com/lBfxao7iRQ
Damar getting selected as a HOPE Week participant comes six months after he suffered a cardiac arrest following a collision with Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins during a January 2nd game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. He needed to be resuscitated on the field through CPR and the use of a defibrillator.
He was then transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was said to be in critical condition and spent almost a week there before getting well enough to fly to Buffalo for further treatment.
Since Hamlin was discharged from the Buffalo General Medical Center on January 11, he has received full clearance from doctors for an NFL return, and he took part in team drills for the first time during organized team activities on June 6.
However, beyond his quest to return to the gridiron, Damar has also undergone huge efforts to spread CPR awareness across the country.
He launched a multi-city CPR tour in June through his foundation, Chasing M’s which got over $9 million in donations as a result of his on-field collapse. The tour was created for distributing medical equipment, like automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and to educate youth sports players and coaches on resuscitation techniques. The Bills also offered hands-only CPR training events locally through a partnership with the American Heart Association.
Back on the road to the football field and committed to making a difference along the way, mounting the mound at Yankee Stadium on Monday was Hamlin’s latest inspirational stop.
To recognize the work that he has done to inspire others, AmeriCorps honored Damar Hamlin with the President’s Volunteer Service Award prior to tonight's game 🫶
It is the beginning of a new year with a new team for quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton, who bagged a two-year, $11 million contract ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, will stay in Carolina in the meantime. Despite, all indications that the Panthers would make rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young their starter, Dalton feels like he still has a lot to offer to enter his 13th season.
“I view myself as a starter in this league; I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me,” Dalton told Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a recent phone interview. “But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.”
It can be safely assumed that Dalton will be a substitute for Young, but rather than allow it to diminish his thinking, the veteran QB is focused on enhancing his skillset, particularly with a familiar face on the Panthers coaching staff.
“I am in a really, really good situation here; (head coach) Frank Reich played til he was 38. He was a career backup,” Dalton said. “He understands the continuity you want in a (quarterback) room. (Panthers quarterbacks coach) Josh McCown played until he was 40. Josh was my friend for the last 10 years, and now he’s my coach.”
Last year, Dalton appeared and started in 14 games for the New Orleans Saints, throwing for 2,871 yards with a 66.7 completion percentage while scoring 18 touchdowns. He also threw nine interceptions, which was lower than Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow.
He had proved that he can make plays when needed, but with the Saints concluding the season with a disappointing 7-10 losing record and promptly approaching Derek Carr in free agency, the message was clear for Dalton’s time in the Big Easy.
“I look back at the last couple of years and some of the situations didn’t turn out the way I would have liked,” Dalton said.
“Last year, I felt personally I felt I played good football, but we didn’t win as many games and that is the most important thing. I have confidence in who I am as a player. Not a lot of people can say, ‘This is Year 13 in the NFL.’ I feel good about where I am.
It’s fun to be in this position, to help the next generation of quarterbacks.
“
While Andy Dalton has not led an NFL team to a winning record since 2015, he still has the zeal to play and win. If Young struggles, he will be waiting in the wings, ready to grab the opportunity to prove that he still has what it takes to be a starting-calibre signal caller in the NFL.
Hassan Haskins the Tennessee Titans running back was arrested Thursday for aggravated assault by strangulation, according to a Davidson County (Tennessee) Criminal Court report.
The felon arrest was from an incident that happened on June 22, per the court report. Haskins has been released after he posted a ,000 bond.
“We are aware of the situation and gathering additional information,” the Titans said in a statement to NFL Media.
Hassan Haskins will appear before Judge Ana Escobar on July 10 in Davidson County Court.
He was chosen from Michigan in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Titans.
In his rookie season, Haskins played on special teams for most of his snaps, he participated in 15 games with one start, scoring 93 rushing yards on 25 carries.
The New York Mets had a rough June, and after they went 7-19, they are hoping that the new month has better things in store for them. New York managed to get off to a good start on the first day of the month by snapping their three-game losing streak in a 4-1 victory over the Giants on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. It also helped that Justin Verlander gave them length.
“We got July off to a good start. We’re hoping to build on it,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.
Verlander was the difference, pitching seven innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out six batters to pick up his third victory of the season. He looked like the Verlander of old in the first six innings, allowing just three baserunners through his first 18 batters faced.
“Verlander pitched a phenomenal game, and we weren’t able to score runs early on,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Historically, we do a really nice job in the first couple of innings of games. Right now, we’re just a little short in that regard.”
Verlander mentioned that he was developing new mechanics before the game, and throughout his start, he appeared locked in. His throw was free and easy, he felt it was his best match of the year.
“It was much better,” he said. “The slider was the best thing I can take from today. I was a bit more around the zone. It wasn’t perfect, but I was able to make pitches when I needed to. I felt better than last time. … It’s a huge step in the right direction and trying to build off that momentum.”
Justin’s toughest inning was in the seventh when he allowed his lone run. With a runner on first, Patrick Bailey struck a ground ball to first baseman Pete Alonso, who threw the ball away hoping to induce a second. With runners on first and third, J.D. Davis came home to deliver the Giants’ only run when Thairo Estrada hit into a double play.
However, the inning did not end easily. After the double play, Blake Sabol doubled, and Austin Slater walked to put runners on first and second. But Brandon Crawford struck out to end the attack.
The Mets gave Verlander all the run support he required in the third inning by playing a home run derby off Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani. With one out, Francisco Alvarez hit a solo shot over the right-field wall to give New York a 1-0 lead. When Luis Guillorme made the second out of the inning, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor hit homers successively. It highlighted the first time the Mets hit three home runs in an inning since last year October 4th.
For Nimmo, the home run happened on the seventh anniversary of his first career homer against the Chicago Cubs Jason Hammel.
“Put a punctuation mark on hitting the hardest homer of my career so far,” said Nimmo, whose knock had an exit velocity of 111.8 mph.
An inning later, he scored the fourth run of the game on a double by Tommy Pham.
“It was huge,” Verlander said. “As a starter, to have those guys put some runs on the board, you can really attack the zone, not really worried about giving up a solo home run and putting your team behind. It felt great.”
New York is off to a great start in July, winning the type of match they prayed 2023 would bring.
“[Saturday’s game] is how you draw it up,” Nimmo said. “It was a well-played game overall. It’s definitely what this team is designed to do, just more of it in the future is what we need.”
When Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Heim was announced as American League starter in this year’s All-Star Game, he had just one thing to say about the potential starting pitcher “Hopefully I’m catching [Nathan Eovaldi].” Referring to Nathan Eovaldi.
The All-Star pitchers will be named tonight and on Saturday, Eovaldi made one last start to beef up his résumé which was ironically against the Houston Astros.
Eovaldi delivered a masterclass before a sellout crowd of 40,380 at Globe Life Field. The Rangers ace pitched seven scoreless innings on only two hits and five strikeouts, leading Texas to a 5-2 win in a big AL West matchup against the Astros that evened the four-game series at one match apiece.
On the other end of the pitch, the offense knocked Astros starter Hunter Brown around, tagging him for three runs on 10 hits. Texas totalled 15 hits and would have blown the match open if they had not gone 4-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
But Nathan was undoubtedly the star of that show.
And if he is named to the All-Star squad, he will be joining Heim and three other Rangers – Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Josh Jung in Seattle to participate in the Midsummer Classic.
“I mean it’d be a huge honor to be able to go out there,” Eovaldi said. “We’ve got four of our guys starting in the game. They’ve done an outstanding job this season, and all four of them had a great game today as well. To be able to go out there, and not only to be able to represent the Rangers but to be able to play alongside those guys would be a huge honor.”
Eovaldi did everything possible to prove he belongs there on Saturday.
He commandeered the Astros’ lineup facing only two over the minimum and not allowing a hit over his final five innings of work. He forced more double plays (3) than he permitted hits (2).
“He was good,” Baker said. “The thing about him is he throws ground balls. I think he threw up double plays every time we got something going. I noticed he’s leading the league in double plays. We just had the shortstop-itis.
“Between the third baseman and the shortstop, I don’t know how many outs [we hit into] … they probably had 10 combined. They had us played right, and we couldn’t keep the ball off the ground. He was tough. He kept the ball down, in, out, mixed in his fastball with his slider and his split-finger. He threw a real good game against us.”
Fresh off a June 25 start in New York where he felt he did not give his best, Eovaldi made certain mechanical adjustments to his arm path over the last week which helped him utilize his pitch mix to its fullest potential.
Against Houston, he used the four-seamer 29 per cent of the time, which matches his season averages, but he threw the curveball 21 per cent of the time, way above his usual 12.8 per cent. He added the cutter (19%), splitter (18%) and slider (14%) for a full five-pitch mix that kept the Astros hitters on edge for seven innings.
“Looking back at it, I feel like a lot of times I get too predictable out there,” he said. “Being able to rely on my splitter, my cutter, the curveball when I’m behind in counts to help me get back ahead in the count or just in the bat, I think that’s helped me out a lot.
Eovaldi will probably get one more start before the All-Star break, but this was by far the first half he has had in his career. Saturday’s meeting lowered his ERA to 2.64 on the season. Before his first All-Star appearance in 2021, Eovaldi had a 3.66 ERA entering the break.
“I think you start with the stuff,” Bochy said of Eovaldi’s success. “He’s got a good fastball, big fastball, and then the cutter and curveball and splitter. He’s got the four-pitch mix. He’ll go to both sides of the plate. He’s got a game plan when he goes out there.
“But I think you have to look at the man himself. He’s just a tough competitor. He’s been through a lot of battles, not just during the season but postseason. It’s all the little things you like from a pitcher.”
Minnesota United FC has dipped into the MLS NEXT Pro-to-first team waters for the first time announcing Friday the signing of MNUFC2 midfielder Emmanuel Iwe.
His historic contract runs through the 2023 MLS season, with club options for 2024-26.
Iwe who is a Nigerian, enjoyed a fast rise through Minnesota’s ranks after he impresses scouts during open tryouts in January 2022.
“The first time that we saw [Emmanuel] Iwe, the first thing that stood out was his pace – he’s incredibly athletic, he’s really quick,” Loons head coach Adrian Heath said in an announcement.
“… I think we always recognized that there was a lot of potential there and I think he started to realize some of that potential. We feel as though now he’s put himself in a spot where he’s deserved this opportunity to have an MLS contract, come onto the roster, and now let’s go from here. This is just the beginning.”
Iwe has four goals in 11 starts for MNUFC2 this year, while he made his MLS debut as a substitute against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Matchday 4 after signing a short-term agreement with the first team. Two extra short-term agreements ensued, allowing him to appear again off the bench against CF Montréal earlier this month while also starting the Loons’ 3-1 win over USL Championship side Detroit City FC in the US Open Cup Round of 32 in April.
“It’s a credit to [Emmanuel] for putting himself out there in the first place. Coming to an open tryout is never easy and then taking the opportunities that have come his way,” MNUFC2 manager Cameron Knowles said.
“… It’s great for him that he’s been able to take this next step, and it’s the beginning of the next phase of his career, which is really exciting.”
Blake Wheeler signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the New York Rangers on Saturday. The deal came with a possible $300,000 in bonuses.
Wheeler was an unrestricted free agent after he had a final season of his five-year, $$1.25 million contract displayed by the Winnipeg Jets.
The Forward captained the Jets from 2016-22 before he was relieved of his duties this season. He had 55 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 72 regular-season games last season and six points (two goals, four assists) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“I want to thank everyone in Winnipeg for all the love and support over these past 12 years,” Wheeler said. “It has been my absolute honour and privilege to be a Winnipeg Jet and to represent this city and organization. My family and I can’t thank everyone in the city and province enough for everything you’ve done for us. Winnipeg is always going to be a home to myself, my wife Sam, and our children: Louie, Leni, and Mase. Thank you so much for the support, love and friendship that you’ve shown us these past 12 years and we look forward to rooting on the Jets in the future.”
Chosen by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round (No.5) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Wheeler has 922 points (312 goals, 610 assists) in 1,118 regular-season games for the Jets, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins and 45 points (10 goals, 35 assists) in 65 playoff games. He is first in games (897), assists (550) and points (812) in Jets/Thrashers history and third in goals (262).
Blake was not the only player signed to the Rangers on Saturday, Jonathan Quick penned down a one-year $825,000 contract with the team. It includes a possible $100,000 in bonuses.
Quick was 16-15-6 with a 3.41 goals-against average, .882 save percentage and two shutouts in 41 regular-season fanes (36 starts) for the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings last season, plus 5-2-2 with a 3.13 GAA, .901 save percentage and one shutout in 10 games (nine starts) after he was bought in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 2.
Jonathan did not play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights, who won the Cup. He also won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2012 with the Kings.
Atlanta United VS Philadelphia Union brings MLS fans a fresh fixture to end the matchday after its earlier hours were packed with numerous exciting matches.
Philadelphia will be visiting Atlanta off of 6 successive matches without a loss against the Five Stripes and will want to advance to 2nd position in the Eastern Conference table as both teams clash in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium tonight.
Atlant United continues to battle for results away from home after a 4-0 lashing from New York Red Bulls at the Red Bull Arena last Monday.
Despite being behind for most of the matches and seeing only 34% of the ball possession, goals from Daniel Edelman, Cristian Casseres Jr. and second-half support from Frankie Amaya helped United win an easy victory.
Atlanta has played 9 successive matches without a victory on the road, losing 4 and getting 5 draws since a 3-0 win over Charlotte FC on March 11.
But, Atlanta United is now home, where they have recorded just one loss since the season began and are undefeated in their last fixture, securing 2 wins and 2 draws since they lost 3-1 to Charlotte in May.
With 29 points gathered from 20 games, the Five Stripes are presently 6th in the Eastern Conference standings, two points behind Columbus Crew which is in fifth place, and have one pending match.
At the other end of the field, Philadelphia Union went back to winning in style when they destroyed Inter Miami 4-1 when they met at Subaru Park last Sunday.
Jakob Glesnes, Julian Carranza and Leon Flach scored goals to put the Union in a dominating first-half lead, Robert Taylor for Miami in the 50th minute, but a 68th-minute own goal from David Ruiz restored the three-goal deficit.
Before that, Philadelphia witnessed their six-game undefeated run end on June 11 no thanks to a 2-1 defeat by the San Jose Earthquakes, 11 days before a 2-2 draw at Orlando City.
After last weekend’s win, the Union now has 4 home wins on the trot and is undefeated in 9 straight games, obtaining 6 wins and 3 draws since a 2-1 loss at Orlando in March.
Coming up for Philadelphia is a rival that is winless in all of their last 6 meetings across all competitions, losing 3 and claiming 3 draws since a 4-0 victory in January 2020.
The Union have won 10 of their 19 matches thus far, with 4 draws and losing 5 to score 34 points and sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference table, 9 points behind first-placed Cincinnati.
Atlanta United will want to save face tonight after their belittling defeat against New York. But, they are playing Philadelphia Union who has been on the better end of this fixture over the past two years.
Although home advantage makes Atlanta slight favourites, experts predict that the guests will do enough damage to enjoy the good of this game.
The Seattle Sounders started the season with 6 victories from 9 MLS fixtures, which led to some expectations that they would last at the top of the Western Conference.
Although they have done that to some extent, there is no denying that they are lucky to still be in 3rd position after a five-game defeat galore.
Additionally, the Sounders won only two of their last 11 games, with the goalless draw with Orlando City keeping them in the right direction.
But, their last three victories since the middle of April have been 1-0 scorelines, and Seattle failed to score four in their most recent five matches.
While they still have the best defensive record in the West, there is no confusion that they should find better balance if they must keep playing to enter playoffs.
Possible Lineups: Frei, Baker, Andrade, Ragen, Tolo, Paulo, Vargas, Lodeiro, Rusnak, Chu, Heber.
Betting On Houston Dynamo
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.98
If Houston Dynamo wrote the reports, they’ll say they are a rising team even after losing 3-0 at mid-table Austin FC last time out.
Before that loss, they have gotten three consecutive victories with four goals against Los Angeles FC and San Jose Earthquakes.
With only 4 points separating 3rd and 9th, those points have made Houston contenders finish with playoff spots.
Regardless, they already lost to Sounders this year by a 1-0 scoreline in a match where players were sent off in the 21st and 78th minutes.
Despite having luxurious positions in MLS, none of these teams has proven that they deserve this spot, particularly with the Sounders losing their way.
Regardless, experts believe that Seattle will play well enough to get enough points and maintain their third position.
