MORE: College football Week 6 photos | USC’s Steve Sarkisian relinquishes play-calling duties Sarkisian was reportedly not in the best shape to work today, per Bruce Feldman. Sarkisian was seen slurring his words at a USC booster event near the start of the season. According to two USC players who spoke to The L.A. Times on the condition of anonymity, Haden confirmed to the team during a meeting Sarkisian would be taking a leave of absence....

Marie says she is “saddened” by the executive order that prevents citizens of Muslim-majority countries Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia from entering the United States for 90 days. She added this is “not what (Pat) served for and not what he died for.” MORE: USMNT captain “sad and embarrassed” with President Trump Pat walked away from his NFL career at age 25 and decided to join the Army eight months after the events of Sept....

Hornqvist scored three straight goals in the final frame to power the Penguins to a 6-3 victory, capping off a crazy game in which the teams traded three-goal periods. The Penguins got things started when they jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin and Derick Brassard all found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes. Then it was Colorado’s turn, with Tyson Barrie, Carl Soderberg and Matt Nieto each filling the net in the second period to even the score....

Reason: Stockcar racing is sending a bad message about domestic violence. Busch was reinstated on Wednesday and eligible to drive his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Chevrolet in this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Phoenix. MORE: No criminal charges vs. Busch | Haas wanted him back | Stewart in trouble He remains on probation, meaning another gaffe could send him back on suspension. NASCAR decided to let Busch race again after he met the sport’s terms as determined by an outside behavioral health expert....

The Royals announced Tuesday the superstar Chiefs quarterback has acquired a stake in the MLB franchise. Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, signed a record 10-year contract extension this offseason worth a reported $503 million, the richest in sports history. MORE: How much money will Mahomes actually make in ‘half-billion’ dollar deal? “We are very proud and excited to have Patrick as our partner in the ownership group of this franchise,” Royals chairman John Sherman said in a statement....

A national moment of silence is observed every year to correspond with the terrorist attacks at 8:46 a.m. EST, which is the time American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. The south tower, along with the Pentagon were also attacked that day. The U.S. Capitol was targeted, but the hijacked flight crashed in Pennsylvania before it reached that destination. There were a total of 2,977 victims plus 19 Al-Qaeda members who perished as a result of the attacks....

As well the Patriots and Packers are playing, they are still a few notches ahead of the team still in the pole position: the reigning Super Bowl champions. 1. Seattle Seahawks (3-1) Last week: 1 Why they’re here: With the triplets of Russell Wilson, Percy Harvin and Marshawn Lynch, they have become difficult to defend and a lot more than a complement to the defense. If they could just shake off some offensive line woes and penalties, they’d hit their explosive potential soon....

The 42-year-old star has been dominant so far this season, throwing for 911 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions as the Patriots have opened 3-0. Brady was listed as a limited participant in practice Wednesday because of a calf injury, but he said there was nothing to worry about. “You know, football is a contact sport,” Brady said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a spring chicken anymore. So, I’m trying to just feel as great as I can and see how it goes (Thursday)....

The No. 2 team, however, is for whom everyone is still gunning: Seattle. There are a lot more changes across the board this week as teams jockey for their final positions. 1. Patriots (11-3) Last week: 2 Why they’re here: Tom Brady is the one making defenses curse again, now that he’s supported by a power running game and a healthy, beastly Rob Gronkowski. They won’t be denied from home-field advantage this season....

Of course, they still weren’t able to win a playoff game. The Bills schooled them in the wild-card round of the postseason, winning 47-17 in a contest that was never particularly close. Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn’t happy that the team hasn’t won a playoff game over the last three years, so the 2022 NFL season will be a big one for the Patriots. New England wasn’t very active in free agency during the 2022 offseason....

But for this Super Bowl, one more locale and fan base has emerged as pro-Patriots: the state of Minnesota and Vikings fans. SUPER BOWL 52SN’s picks, predictions for Eagles vs. Patriots An anti-Eagles fervor has gripped Minnesotans since Nick Foles, Fletcher Cox and the Eagles whipped the Vikings 38-7 in the NFC championship game amid the abhorrent behavior of too many Philadelphia fans. We’ve all heard the horror stories, from dumping beer on Vikings fans to picking fights with them and throwing bottles at the team buses, along with a Philly fan arrested for punching a horse....

According to NFL Network, the person behind the mask is still dealing with injuries suffered from Jets safety Jamal Adams. Although it doesn’t seem he was hospitalized as Adams said, the team confirmed he visited with the medical staff at the Pro Bowl. And as of Monday he’s still dealing with complications from the hit. ORIGINAL STORY: Jets safety Jamal Adams was having fun with the Pro Bowl crowd Wednesday when he went over to tackle Pat Patriot, the official mascot of the Patriots team....

Meyers, an undrafted free agent signed by the Patriots out of N.C. State in 2019, had logged 131 career receptions for 1,522 yards. He had never scored. INJURY UPDATES: Baker Mayfield | T.J. Watt | Chase Young Finally, in his 39th career game, Meyers was able to find the end zone. His teammates were elated once he hit paydirt against the Browns; Patriots players on the field and the sideline swarmed him in celebration....

With only two weeks left in the 2022 regular season, the best the Patriots can finish is 9-8, or one game behind where they finished as an AFC wild card No. 6 seed last season. Here’s breaking down where the Patriots currently stand in the NFL playoff picture and their updated wild-card chances: MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff picture for Week 16 of 2022 season Patriots playoff picture The Patriots remain No....

The Patriots’ offense is buzzing after ripping the Browns in New England, while the Falcons are trying to recover against a tough defense at home after their absolute clunker against the Cowboys. MORE TNF: FD lineup | DK lineup | Patterson update Injury-wise, running back Damien Harris will return to join red-hot rookie Rhamondre Stevenson in the Patriots’ rushing attack. The Falcons will again be without top wide receiver Calvin Ridley (personal)....

According to a statement released by the Patriots, the workers will be guests of team owner Robert Kraft and “will be granted an all-expenses paid trip to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., including roundtrip travel on the Patriots team plane.” “The mission of this trip is two-fold: to recognize and thank a representative group of the countless healthcare superheroes in New England, and to celebrate and spread the important message of getting vaccinated,” the team said in a statement....

In other words, she’s not much of a fan. Still, that didn’t stop me from trying to explain the venom being directed at the Patriots for running up the score in a succession of lopsided victories (Patriots 49, Dolphins 28; Patriots 52, Redskins 7; Patriots 56, Bills 10). My wife, who by osmosis knows far more about sports than she wants to, looked completely puzzled. I tried once again to explain the ethical issues, and, while her expression didn’t change, she started shaking her head....

CBSSports.com’s Dennis Dodd reported that conference championship restrictions could be relaxed by 2016, which would open that door. MORE: Strong, Sumlin talk Texas-Texas A&M rivalry | ‘Roll Tide’ wedding Should the Big 12 open it? TCU coach Gary Patterson said yes on the Big 12 teleconference Tuesday, but only if it makes a difference with the College Football Playoff committee’s selection process. “I still don’t understand why it’s needed if you have a committee picking the four best teams,” Patterson said....

The recent news that Sandra Day O’Connor’s husband has found a new love interest in the home for Alzheimer’s patients that is now his home, and the corresponding news that the former Supreme Court justice is happy for him is a profound look into the world of this sad and often mysterious disease. The reactions among people hearing about this are pretty much divided along the lines of experience and familiarity....

Despite it being just three days since the incident, many have begun to speculate the motivation and the purported relationship between the victim and the suspect. Some of these have been sufficiently widespread to have even seemingly fooled the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who shared a baseless story about the perpetrator’s relationship with Mr. Pelosi (later deleting the tweet). This has, of course, happened amid a police investigation, with little further information made public so far....