CP NewsAlert: Mboko reaches National Bank Open final with epic win over Rybakina
Moe coming.
The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Patrick Mahomes made one pass in Chiefs' preseason opener. Why it was a big deal
The cornerback shaded to take away the middle part of the end zone, almost daring someone to test him on the boundary, and that's about when Chiefs receiver Jason Brownlee knew. 'This pass,' he said, 'is coming my way.' Brownlee made a heck of a touchdown catch, the highlight of the Chiefs' 20-17 loss to the Cardinals in the preseason opener here in Arizona — and, ahem, most certainly the highlight of the 48 seconds Patrick Mahomes spent on the field. But there's something far more telling about that play. The throw. Or, rather, the decision to throw it at all. For two years running, the Chiefs haven't made passes like that one, because for two years running, the Chiefs haven't tried passes like that one. Their offseason adjustment to the passing game is publicly-stated as a desire to revive the deep shot. It's more than that. It's the contested shot, too. The Chiefs, and more specifically Patrick Mahomes, have thrown fewer tight-window passes than any team in football. Mahomes has thrown either the lowest, second lowest or third lowest percentage of tight-window passes of any quarterback in every year of his NFL career, per Next Gen Stats data. Really. The gunslinger mantra has never been a tidy fit. Yet as he lined up a play Saturday, ready to unleash his first and only throw in a game in which they actually keep score since a devastating Super Bowl loss six months ago, Mahomes looked to the outside, saw the same coverage that struck Brownlee and knew where he was going with the football. He wanted the one-on-one matchup. Never even looked elsewhere. 'The corner gave him some room,' Mahomes said. 'He's a guy that goes and catches it, so I just threw the ball up and let him go get it, and he made a play on it.' A back-shoulder throw. In this offense? It's not as though the Chiefs have never employed contested-catch targets. They traded a draft-pick for DeAndre Hopkins last year; they gave receiver Justyn Ross a two-year trial that never amounted to much on-field production; and receiver-turned-tight end Jody Fortson wasn't on the roster because of his ability to separate. But it's just not the way Mahomes prefers to throw footballs, and it's not the way Andy Reid prefers to design plays. Yet they intentionally made this choice Saturday, for the only throw Mahomes would make the entire night, which leaves a couple of pretty obvious questions: Why now? And is there a world in which they actually stick with it in the regular season? That's where this column has to return to its original subject. Brownlee has been terrific in training camp, especially over the last week, and the reason for that subjective description is the same evidence you saw on TV on Saturday. He can high-point the football, coverage be damned. He makes the kinds of plays that prompt you to Google his history, left surprised that his two seasons in New York amounted to just five catches. The Chiefs liked him in the summer programming, and while he hasn't obtained a ton of snaps with Mahomes in St. Joseph this month, those are starting to increase. 'I gave him a chance to make plays on the field, and he made them,' Mahomes said. 'It's good to see that translate into the game.' The why-now question, in other words, is player specific. There's a connection building there, even if Brownlee and Mahomes have literally never played an NFL snap together. Brownlee will force a tough cut-day decision onto the Chiefs, who aren't lacking for depth at wide receiver. But they might need to evaluate which question they're asking before they make it. It's not strictly about whether Brownlee is good enough to make an NFL roster. Is he unique to their wide receiver room? Would they take advantage of unique? I don't know if the roster math will work in Brownlee's favor, but I know the skill-set can. There's not another player who the Chiefs would have sought and thrown a single-coverage fade for that first quarter touchdown pass. 'He's played well, so (we) give him an opportunity to get in there and play,' Reid said. 'He knows how to use his size, for sure, and he had some nice plays the rest of the way, too, as far as routes. He didn't have the catches, but he had good routes there. I thought he was in a position where he deserved to get in there and get some playing time.' He's earned some more.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kobe Bryant once gave this rookie ref a harsh reality check: "He looked at me stone cold and said get your sh-t together"
Kobe Bryant once gave this rookie ref a harsh reality check: "He looked at me stone cold and said get your sh-t together" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Being an NBA official is undoubtedly a glamorous gig. Although the spotlight is on the players, it's the referees who keep the game in check and make sure everything runs smoothly. However, with this great responsibility comes immense pressure and scrutiny. Veteran official Zach Zarba knows this all too well. Now set to officiate in his 22nd season, the native of New York has worked in 1,246 games, including 146 playoff matches and 12 games in the NBA Finals. Although the seasons past have become a blur, Zach revealed he will never forget his first NBA game — one where he incurred the wrath of the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. Kobe was relentless The dynamic between an NBA official and players is give-and-take. Although the refs are the best at what they do, having gone through many years of officiating in the G League and other tournaments before getting called up to the big league, they still make mistakes. In the same way that even the greatest players of all time have missed shots, they too can miss calls. While it's one thing to miss a call on an average NBA guy, it's another when you miss a call when Kobe was involved. He did just this during his first season as an NBA ref in 2003 and immediately learned a harsh lesson. "He's complaining about, he got fouled or something like that. And so I'm listening, and it's customary, you know, guys know this in any professional league where they have video and everything like that," Zach explained. "If something happens in the first half, they'll say, 'Hey, Zach, go back and look at it. Tell me at halftime if it was a foul. I got hit.' He's saying he got hit on the elbow." As soon as halftime arrives, Zach immediately reviews the play that Kobe had complained about. True to form, the Los Angeles Lakers wingman did get hit; Zach missed it. "So the most important part now, as an official, is to be honest and authentic, because I think that's what the guys want. The guys want to feel that they're talking to someone who's honest," he stated. "You have to tell the truth. You have to be authentic." Zach expected one thing, Kobe gave him another With the information he had, Zarba returned to the floor to talk to Bryant and admit he missed calling a foul on that play. He also expected the notorious competitor would appreciate his candor. "So I went up and I said, 'Hey, Kob, you know what?' Looked him dead in the eyes. 'You were right. You got hit on the elbow,' or something like that," he narrated. "And I'm waiting for it now. I'm like, 'He's about to go, 'Hey, we're all good. Don't worry about it.'" While Zach expected that Kobe would admire his honesty, the latter had other things in mind, like giving the ref some helpful advice in a forceful manner. "He looked at me stone cold, like — looked at me and just said," Zach continued. "'Get your s—t together.'" While some refs would be offended by Kobe's words, Zach let the statement marinate first. He later realized where the Lakers' legend was coming from. Having worked all his life to be the best at what he did, he expected game officials to elevate their performance as well. "It dawned on me later. You know, like, he's spent how many hours perfecting his craft or whatever. You've got to come to work, and everybody has a job to do. It's fair. And I did have to get my s—t together," Zarba surmised. Officiating in the NBA is a job many referees would die for. But the reality is that it is a thankless job. Yet, Zach has embraced the challenges and despite being occasionally chewed out by players, he continues to show up and gets his s—t together night in and night out. This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Yankees place Amed Rosario on 10-day injured list with shoulder sprain
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees put Amed Rosario on the 10-day injured list with a left SC joint sprain in his shoulder Sunday, two days after he crashed into a right field fence and the veteran is optimistic it will not be a lengthy absence. 'Right now, I think we should be able to come back exactly when the time is due,' Rosario said through a translator before the Yankees concluded a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Sunday. 'I feel day to day physically but at the same time, we can't be sure, so that's why the 10 days, but the idea is to come back when the 10 days is due.' The Yankees recalled catcher J.C. Escarra from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to replace Rosario. Rosario sustained the injury in the 10th inning of Friday's 5-3 loss to the Astros. He was attempting to make a leaping catch in front of the chain link portion of the fence on a ball hit by Yainer Diaz. Rosario raced back for the ball, collided with the fence and fell backward as center fielder Trent Grisham backed up the play and threw the ball to shortstop Anthony Volpe for the force out at second base. Rosario was checked out by manager Aaron Boone and a trainer but stayed in the game. Acquired from Washington on July 26, Rosario is 3-for-7 in four games for the Yankees. He started in right field and played six innings in Monday's loss at Texas and entered as a defensive replacement in right field in three other games, including Friday. Rosario was the second recent Yankee trade acquisition to land on the injured list. Last week Austin Slater was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain after he played three games following a trade from the Chicago White Sox on July 30. A former top shortstop prospect with the New York Mets, Rosario has played 30 career games in right field and 55 games in the outfield. He played once in right field with Washington before the Yankees acquired him. Escarra made the opening day roster and batted .205 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 39 games. He was optioned to the minors on July 30 after Slater was acquired. ___ AP MLB:
