“I do not think about a matchup going into a football game,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’ve just got to go out there and play my style of football. Whether you know it or not, he doesn’t say much, you know? He might say stuff to other guys, but he really doesn’t say anything to me when I’m out there.” MORE: Fantasy WR rankings for Week 16 | Picking Sunday’s games...
Despite failing to reach a new deal with the Falcons, the wide receiver is expected to report to training camp with the rest of the veterans Sunday after it was opened to rookies on Thursday, ESPN reported. Sports Illustrated added that Jones has remained in contact with Falcons coach Dan Quinn this offseason and is likely to report between 1 and 3 p.m. ET. After skipping training camp over contract negotiations last year, Jones said earlier this month he wouldn’t hold out for new deal this time and that team owner Arthur Blank promised to work out a new one soon....
A week after a season-worst performance in a loss at North Carolina, the 6-foot-9 freshman forward was 8 of 10 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds. More importantly, he asserted himself late in the first half and throughout the second for the Wildcats (9-3), who found themselves in a battle against the team that upset the Tar Heels earlier this season. MORE: Scores | Coaches: Then and now | Hairston done at UNC...
Criticisms have included the fact that making Juneteenth a national holiday does not solve material problems like police brutality. Zellie Imani, a teacher, blogger, and activist, said: “We didn’t ask for Juneteenth to be observed as a national holiday, we wanted an end to police violence.” Twitter user @MajorPhilebrity said: “The humor of America making Juneteenth a national holiday when they’re banning people from teaching about it in schools is not lost on me”...
One moon, Europa, looks potentially more hospitable to life than desolate Mars. Dark bands on its surface are cracks in the icy crust much like those seen in ice floes on Earth’s polar seas. The new pictures show that in places, fragments have rotated away from each other, which could mean that there’s something slippery underneath – either warm ice or water. Scientists already know that Europa has the other factors necessary for life: organic molecules and heat below the surface....
The trial against Smollett began this week in Chicago after the 39-year-old former Empire actor was accused of staging the fake attack and filing false police reports. Smollett, who is Black and gay, made national headlines in 2019 when he said he was the victim of a violent hate crime by two Nigerian brothers who supported then-President Donald Trump. But the two brothers told police the incident was staged, and investigators arrested Smollett shortly after....
A recent nationwide survey of Hispanic voters found that 68 percent of those polled call themselves “Hispanic,” while 21 percent favor “Latino” or “Latina” to describe their ethnicity. When it comes to the term “Latinx,” 40 percent said they find it bothersome or offensive to some degree, while 30 percent said they would be less likely to support a politician that used the word. The survey was conducted using a sample of 800 Hispanic voters in late November from Bendixen & Amandi International, a Democratic firm that specializes in Latino outreach....
The press conference was rather tame given the immense amount of hype surrounding the fight. There were no fireworks, no theatrics, no nothing. Well, not until the end of the press conference, when Justin Bieber — everyone’s least favorite Floyd Mayweather supporter — emerged from the shadow during a photo opportunity. MORE: The story behind Mayweather-Pacquiao announcement | Classic Mayweather photos | Fight odds And to think, we were just moments away from a Bieber-free Mayweather event....
Religion News Service (RNS) broke the story today after it received the email, which reportedly explained that the reason for the Lentz’s dismissal was “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.” “I know this will come as a shock to you, but please know that this action was not taken lightly and was done in the best interests of everyone, including Pastor Carl,” Houston wrote in the email, according to RNS....
The 25-year-old singer trended early Tuesday morning with the hashtags #BieberIsBackTODAY and #BIEBER2020 after a series of cryptic posts on his social media accounts, which many interpreted as hints that new releases in the new year with the words “December 24, December 31, January 3… #2020.” Later in the morning, the rumors were confirmed as Bieber dropped a “super-trailer” for the upcoming single “YUMMY,” which will be released on January 3....
Gatlin’s time set a meet record at the outdoor nationals, breaking Tyson Gay’s time of 19.62 seconds in 2007. Overall, only four men have run the 200 quicker — Americans Michael Johnson and Walter Dix, Jamaican Yohan Blake and world record holder Usain Bolt. MORE: David Wilson aims Olympic-high | High schooler becomes seventh to break four-minute mile | Serena Williams’ defining moments Gatlin has served two bans for doping during a career in which he has won Olympic and World Championships gold....
Pro Football Talk reports the sack artist is “very upset” with the Chiefs after the team put a non-exclusive franchise tag on him. Houston’s frustration is understandable, but his options are limited. Any team that presents an offer sheet would have to surrender two first-round picks to sign him, and that’s assuming the Chiefs don’t exercise their right to match whatever offer the 26-year-old linebacker gets. MORE: Salary cap casualties you’ll never forget | Latest NFL Mock Draft...
The singer and actor issued an apology on Friday for the role that he played in the demonization of Spears, whom he dated from 1999 to 2002, and he also offered an apology to Janet Jackson, who faced backlash after her nipple was exposed during her 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance alongside Timberlake. “I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right....
The game-winning kick gave the Ravens just their second victory of the season. It was well worthy of a celebration, and Tucker was ready to dance. MORE: Best photos from Week 8 | Week 8 NFL scoreboard | 10 awful NFL decisions | Smith’s awful injury A trusty SN intern informs us Tucker was attempting to mimic Drake’s “Hotline Bling” dance. Or it could just be a really bad attempt to dance....
With the Dodgers leading 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, Turner went deep, hitting to left-center field off Jon Gray to extend his team’s lead. As the ball traveled towards the stands, a fan sitting in the front row in the outfield, steadied himself to catch the ball. Turner’s homer barely cleared the fence and the umpires had to review the play to ensure the fan didn’t interfere with the play....
Rincon is set to become the first Venezuelan to play for Juve, after agreeing a deal until June 2020. The fee could rise by a further €1m based on conditions agreed within his contract. The 28-year-old joined Genoa from Hamburg in 2014 and has made 78 appearances in Serie A, scoring three goals. He could be in line to make his debut when Juve return from their mid-season break at home to Bologna on Sunday....
The Juventus midfielder missed the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic due to injury but is expected to be involved in Monday’s fixture in his home town of Stuttgart, where he won the Bundesliga title in 2007. Khedira, who held a charity match in the area two years ago, has purchased the tickets and distributed them through 15 charitable foundations to children who are socially vulnerable or battling cancer....
