FOOTBALL
Health firm drops Rodgers
A Wisconsin healthcare organization on Saturday ended a nine-year partnership with Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers after the quarterback detailed his reasoning for avoiding the three COVID-19 vaccinations endorsed by the NFL. A statement posted on Twitter by Prevea Health said the company and Rodgers mutually agreed to end their partnership. The move came a day after Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show he had sought alternative treatments to COVID-19 vaccination because he is allergic to an ingredient in two of the FDA-approved shots. Rodgers did not say what ingredient he was allergic to, or how he knows he is allergic. Rodgers found out he contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday, and cannot rejoin the Packers for 10 days. The reigning NFL MVP, whose endorsement deals include starring in commercials for insurance company State Farm, hinted that his stance on vaccination could have consequences when he on Friday described himself as a victim of “cancel culture.”
TENNIS
Djokovic breaks record
Novak Djokovic on Saturday gained some consolation for missing out on a Grand Slam sweep this year when he was crowned season-ending world No. 1 for a record seventh time. The 34-year-old Serbian had jointly held the record of six with Pete Sampras, but took sole possession when he beat Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the Paris Masters final. Djokovic had taken a seven-week break after his dreams of a Grand Slam were dashed by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final in September. The 20-time Grand Slam champion on Friday said the main reason for his return this week was to seal the No. 1 spot and break the record. “It is a dream for me, as Pete was my idol when I was a young boy,” he said.
RUGBY UNION
Haylett-Petty retires
Wallabies fullback Dane Haylett-Petty yesterday announced his retirement after failing to fully recover from the effects of a concussion he suffered last year in a match against the All Blacks. The concussion, in a collision during a Bledisloe Cup match in October last year, left Haylett-Petty with lingering headaches. It ruled him out of the Super Rugby season with the Melbourne Rebels, where he was the team’s skipper. The 32-year-old, who has not played for the Wallabies since the injury, finishes his career with 38 test caps. “After 14 years, it’s time to hang up the boots,” Haylett-Petty wrote on Instagram. “It’s not the way I wanted to finish. I would have loved to run out just one more time, but it wasn’t to be. Rugby has given me so much and for that I am forever grateful.”
CYCLING
Lavreysen lights up opener
Flying Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen on Saturday maintained his stranglehold on men’s sprinting, as he lit up the opening round of the inaugural UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain. The reigning Olympic and world champion claimed victory and maximum points in the sprint event, although he was unable to follow that with victory in the keirin final, as Germany’s Stefan Botticher triumphed. It was an encouraging opening night for the new series that the UCI, in conjunction with broadcast partner Discovery Sports Events, believe would boost the appeal of velodrome racing.
TOOTHLESS: Bologna never looked like finding a way back, and Antonio Conte and his substitutes were waiting to celebrate long before the final whistle SSC Napoli on Monday lifted the Italian Supercoppa with a 2-0 win over Bologna in Riyadh, David Neres netting both goals to earn the league champions a deserved victory over the toothless Coppa Italia winners. Neres opened the scoring with a stunning strike from distance six minutes before halftime and found the net again in the 57th minute when Bologna were caught trying to play out of defense. “We came here as champions of Italy, we wanted this trophy and we showed it with a great performance,” Napoli forward Matteo Politano told Mediaset. “We could have scored a few more goals, but
Fulham on Monday climbed away from the English Premier League relegation zone and left Nottingham Forest mired in the fight for survival after Raul Jimenez’s penalty sealed a 1-0 win. Marco Silva’s side started the day just two points above fourth-bottom Forest, but Jimenez’s first-half goal at Craven Cottage moved them 10 points clear of the bottom three. While Fulham’s relegation fears were eased heading into the Christmas schedule, Forest are just five points ahead of third-bottom West Ham United in the scrap to avoid crashing into the Championship. Forest had won six of their previous eight games in all competitions, with a
LACKLUSTER FIGHT: At one stage, the referee lost patience with the two fighters, warning them in the fourth round that ‘the fans did not pay to see this crap’ Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their controversial Netflix-backed bout in Miami. The fight at the Kaseya Center, which saw both men reportedly splitting a mammoth purse of US$184 million, had triggered alarm across boxing due to the gulf in physical size and class between Britain’s two-time former world champion Joshua and Paul, an Internet personality who has forged a lucrative career through a handful of novelty boxing contests. However, in the event, Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less accomplished opponent, before his superior size and power eventually told
English Premier League pair Mohamed Salah and Lyle Foster were match-winners on Monday as Egypt and South Africa began their Africa Cup of Nations Group B campaigns with victories in Morocco. Liverpool star Salah struck in the first minute of stoppage-time to snatch a 2-1 win for record seven-time champions Egypt over gallant Zimbabwe in Agadir. Earlier, second-half dominance by one-time title-holders South Africa paid off when Burnley striker Foster netted on 79 minutes to deliver a 2-1 victory over Angola in Marrakesh. The stage is now set for a top-of-the-table showdown between the Pharaohs and Bafana Bafana in Agadir on Friday. They
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