MADRID (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have begun preparing for their NFL game in Madrid at the training center of Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid. The Cincinnati Bengals start practicing Thursday at the facilities of World Cup champion Spain. Both teams traveled to Madrid on Tuesday for Sunday’s game at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of the record 15-time European champion. It will be the second NFL regular-season game in the Spanish capital after the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime in last year’s inaugural game in the country.
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The main sponsor of the men’s ice hockey world championship says it will “reassess” its backing for the tournament if Russia takes part. Skoda has been the main sponsor for more than 30 years and its stance puts more pressure on the International Ice Hockey Federation after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last week obliged the IIHF to lift its exclusion of Russian national teams. Almost half of the 16 nations in the men’s championship are refusing to play Russia. The Canadian government says it will not allow Russia to compete at the world junior championship there starting next month.
When the Carolina Panthers scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to cut Green Bay’s lead to eight points, coach Dave Canales opted to go for 2 instead of kicking an extra point in what has become a far more common move even if it still bewilders some broadcasters and fans. The Panthers missed and lost by eight so the decision proved moot in the end but it's sure to come up again soon. Since the extra point was moved back in 2015, teams have made 94.4% of extra points and 48% of 2-point tries
The undefeated Miami Hurricanes received top billing in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings, with Georgia, undefeated Utah and defending national champion Indiana filling out the top four spots in the initial projected playoff bracket. The biggest surprise from the selection committee was its choice to rank Notre Dame 11th — seven spots lower than its spot in the AP Top 25 and the last team in the bracket if the playoffs started today. The rest of the rankings: No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 Texas and undefeated UCLA at No. 8. BYU was slotted in the ninth spot, followed by Ole Miss, the Irish and Ohio State.
The College Football Playoff rankings have raised questions about the committee's decision-making. The rankings have sent mixed messages about strength of schedule, injuries, and head-to-head victories. Miami's top spot was expected, but Georgia's second-place ranking raised eyebrows due to a recent loss. Notre Dame and UCLA were surprisingly low, possibly due to weak schedules. Head-to-head results seemed inconsistent, with Tennessee ranked lower than Alabama despite a recent win. Injuries also played a confusing role, particularly for Ohio State. With four weekends left, there's still time for significant changes in the rankings.
College football fans with an appetite for large portions of high-stakes games should be pleased with the Week 10 menu. The main dish is No. 1 Miami’s visit to No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday night. Appetizers are No. 7 BYU at No. 3 Utah, No. 10 Texas at No. 19 Missouri, No. 9 Alabama at No. 15 LSU, No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Tennessee and No. 2 Georgia at No. 12 Mississippi. Now that the initial College Football Playoff rankings are out, all these games and others will have tangible playoff implications.
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has proposed delaying the start of a salary cap until 2028. The league says teams have too many commitments for the 2027 season to reduce spending quickly. On Tuesday, owners proposed a hard cap of $258.2 million for 2028 and a mandatory floor of $180.2 million. The proposal uses luxury tax payrolls with average annual values. MLB spokesman Glen Caplin says the delay allows a smoother transition without affecting key player benefits. These benefits include earlier free agency, a $1 million minimum salary and a 30% increase to the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has staged a dramatic comeback to recover from its worst start to a European home game by beating Roma 3-2 in the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain has set a record as the quickest team to score four goals in European soccer’s top competition by powering into a 4-0 lead after 17 minutes against Villarreal on its way to a 6-0 win. Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 and Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Atletico Madrid.
NEW YORK (AP) — A young Pennsylvania woman running the New York City Marathon for the first time to raise money for Parkinson’s disease research collapsed just over two miles from the finish line and later died. Authorities say 24-year-old Rachel Apa of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed on Sunday as she approached the 24-mile marker in the 26.2-mile race. Her father told The New York Times she’d been stricken with rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle condition in which muscles break down during exertion, poisoning the body. It was Apa's first marathon.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Spire Motorsports has suspended NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar for Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, saying “racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism.” Hocevar was accused of intentionally brake-checking Austin Cindric following a restart at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. He denied doing it on purpose. Cindric declined interviews after leaving the care center, but he radioed his team that Hocevar “had a mental breakdown” in the incidents. Earlier in the race, Hocevar was accused of intentionally spinning his No. 77 Chevrolet to bring out a caution flag and potentially catch Christopher Bell and others on pit road, disrupting their race strategies.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 4 Philadelphia 2
Final Columbus 7 Colorado 2
Final Tampa Bay 4 Detroit 2
Final Dallas 6 Washington 5
Final Vegas 3 Pittsburgh 2
Final Utah 3 Toronto 2
Final N-Y Rangers 3 St. Louis 1
Final OT Winnipeg 5 Montreal 4
Final SO New Jersey 4 Edmonton 3
Final Nashville 4 Carolina 1
Final Anaheim 5 Vancouver 4
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (8)Tennessee 90 Wofford 59
Final (9)Virginia 89 Drexel 60
Final (12)Arkansas 106 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61
Final (20)Alabama 96 Sam Houston 74
Final (23)Kentucky 85 Manhattan 57