Jalen Carter’s penalty for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sends a message to the rest of the league. Carter is losing $57,222 for the infraction, the equivalent of his game check for Week 1 because the NFL considers the punishment a one-game suspension with time served. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle didn’t play a snap after he was ejected from Philadelphia’s 24-20 victory over Dallas on Thursday. Carter is expected to be on the field when the Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch on Sunday. The team could impose its own discipline such as benching Carter for the first play, the first series or longer.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been detained by police and admitted to a mental health clinic in the Dominican Republic. Authorities said on Tuesday his family requested the move, and it is not linked to any legal issues. Earlier this year, Franco was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor and received a two-year suspended sentence. Last weekend, he reported $16,000 stolen from a resort, but his attorney later claimed the money was found. Franco disagreed, insisting it had been stolen. His future in Major League Baseball remains uncertain, although he says he is still training.
The NFL season kicked off with thrilling comebacks. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Baltimore, marking one of the most improbable comebacks in recent history. J.J. McCarthy made his NFL debut memorable by leading the Minnesota Vikings to erase a 10-point hole in the fourth quarter. McCarthy became the first QB in four decades to achieve this feat in his debut. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, and Justin Fields also impressed in their first starts with new teams. The season promises more excitement with a Super Bowl rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City.
The college football schedule looks better in Week 3. Last week was marked by three upsets and a lot of blowouts. Six Top 25 teams combined to beat FCS opponents by an average of 58 points and six others beat FBS opponents by at least 31. Only two ranked teams will play FCS opponents this week but there are 12 other games where the ranked team is at least a three-touchdown favorite. Big games are No. 15 Tennessee at No. 6 Georgia, No. 18 South Florida at No. 5 Miami and No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame.
Kylian Mbappé got France out of trouble, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal do the same, and England finally got its Thomas Tuchel era into gear. Three of Europe’s soccer powerhouses took big steps closer to the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, all while Erling Haaland scored five goals in an 11-1 win with fresh stitches in his face. Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi all scored their first goals for England, which beat Serbia 5-0 for a win which could be a turning point in Tuchel’s tenure.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber has hit 50 home runs in a season for the first time in his career. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger reached the milestone with a three-run shot against the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Schwarber has become one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his four years with the Phillies. He is within reach of the team's season record of 58 homers set by Ryan Howard in 2006. Schwarber's homer gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead, and he became the first National League player to reach 50 this season. Phillies fans celebrated by chanting “MVP! MVP!”
LONDON (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has been suspended for two weeks for pushing an anti-doping official. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Wednesday that the suspension will run from September 25 to October 7. This timing is intended to avoid impacting his Davis Cup schedule. The incident occurred last November after Hewitt, Australia’s captain, pushed a 60-year-old volunteer anti-doping chaperone after his team’s semifinal loss to Italy. Hewitt denied the charge, claiming self-defense. An independent tribunal upheld the charge and said his actions were not reasonable. Hewitt, a former No. 1-ranked player, has also been fined around $20,000.
LONDON (AP) — Rugby icon Ilona Maher has begun her offseason. Her Eagles — the United States team — were eliminated from the Women’s Rugby World Cup last weekend. Maher is remaining in England though to see how it unfolds. She’s yet to reveal her future plans but all roads seem to point to La-La Land. The WWE came calling before the tournament. She's not enthusiastic about professional wrestling but likes the money and the pathways it opens to Hollywood. She's also hinted about leaving 15s rugby and returning to sevens. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles would be the draw. The U.S. is automatically qualified as the host team. Maher would be nearly 32 then, still prime for a player.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge hit his 359th career home run in the first inning Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for fifth place on the franchise list. Judge drove a full-count splitter from Casey Mize to right-center field, giving New York a 1-0 lead. The slugger’s 44th homer of the season had an exit velocity of 110.6 mph and traveled 412 feet. Judge matched Berra on Aug. 31 in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox when he hit a solo homer against Martín Pérez. Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio are ahead of Judge on the Yankees’ career homers list.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sidney Crosby says he understands why trade rumors swirl around him, with the Pittsburgh Penguins having missed the playoffs each of the past three seasons. Going into another with little hope of contending, the now 38-year-old Stanley Cup champion has heard all the buzz about going to Colorado or Montreal and realizes it comes with losing hockey. Speaking to reporters at the NHL player media tour in Las Vegas, Crosby struck a balanced tone about the buzz, his current circumstances as part of a rebuilding organization and the desire of other teams and fan bases wanting him.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Baltimore 3 Pittsburgh 2
Final Texas 5 Milwaukee 4
Final Seattle 5 St. Louis 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Cleveland 2 Kansas City 0
Final Detroit 12 N.Y. Yankees 2
Final Tampa Bay 5 Chicago White Sox 4
Final Toronto 4 Houston 3
Final L.A. Angels 12 Minnesota 2
Final Boston 6 Athletics 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 9 N.Y. Mets 3
Final Chicago Cubs 6 Atlanta 1
Final Washington 7 Miami 5
Final Cincinnati 4 San Diego 2
Final San Francisco 5 Arizona 3
Final L.A. Dodgers 7 Colorado 2