(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington 100, Chicago 97
Detroit 135, Minnesota 118
Boston 125, New Orleans 114
Milwaukee 114, Atlanta 105
New York 119, Indiana 113
Memphis 135, San Antonio 129
Sacramento 135, Houston 115
Denver 126, Phoenix 97
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Philadelphia 5, Washington 3
Toronto 2, Nashville 1
Edmonton 6, Anaheim
Los Angeles 4, San Jose 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston 83, South Florida 77
Alabama 84, Arkansas 69
Marquette 82, UConn 76
Texas 79, TCU 75
Xavier 90, Creighton 87
Miami 88, Boston College 72
Texas A&M 82, Missouri 64
Coll. of Charleston 71, UNC-Wilmington 69
Duke 77, Pittsburgh 69
(NEW YORK) — Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is pregnant.
Osaka, 25, confirmed the news Wednesday on Twitter, sharing a photo of an ultrasound.
“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future,” she wrote. “One thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom.'”
Osaka continued, “2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024.”
Osaka was referring to the Australian Open, where the main draw gets underway soon, in Melbourne.
The tournament announced on Sunday that Osaka, a two-time champion, would not compete this year.
“Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023,” the Australian Open tweeted, without sharing a reason for her withdrawal.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, released a children’s book, The Way Champs Play, in December.
She said on GMA while promoting the book that she she hoped to return to tennis in 2023 after taking a break in the past year.
“For me, I feel like I’m a very curious person, so I’ve really been grateful to be given all these avenues to explore, and I am definitely looking forward to doing a lot of stuff, ” she said, referring to her ventures as an author and producer. “But I am a tennis player, so if I don’t play tennis for too long, I get an itch.”
(CINCINNATI) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been discharged from the hospital nine days after he collapsed during a game from cardiac arrest, the team said.
He had been transferred from UC Health in Cincinnati to Buffalo General earlier in the week.
“Hamlin was admitted on Monday and went through a comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday,” the Bills said in a statement.
Hamlin collapsed after tackling Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter of a Monday Night Football game Jan. 2. Medical professionals rushed on the field seconds after he collapsed and eventually restarted his heart and provided CPR. He was loaded into an ambulance on the field and taken to nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
While he remained on a ventilator initially, he had the breathing tube removed days after being admitted to the hospital and doctors said his neurological function remained intact.
“We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” Dr. Jamie Nadler, chief quality officer at Buffalo General, said in a statement.
Hamlin spent Sunday tweeting about his team’s performance in a game against the New England Patriots. The Bills’ Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and eventually locked up the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with a 35-23 win.
He also shared a photo of himself in his hospital bed in Cincinnati with his parents.
The NFL and public have rallied support for Hamlin in the week since he was injured. Players and coaches around the league wore “Love for Damar” T-shirts and the No. 3 was highlighted in the 30-yard line at every field in the league. A GoFundMe that Hamlin started in 2020 to raise $2,500 for a charity toy drive was shared on social media in the wake of the game and has now raised over $8.75 million.
“Obviously grateful first and foremost that he’s home and with his parents, his brother, which is great,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said at a press conference Wednesday. “I’m sure it’s felt like a long time since he’s been able to be home.”
McDermott said he would “leave it up to him” to decide when Hamlin wanted to visit the team.
The Bills are set to host the Miami Dolphins in the wild card round of the playoffs on Jan. 15.
(NEW YORK) — Fisk University has made history by becoming the first historically Black university gymnastics team to compete at the NCAA level.
The Bulldogs debuted at the Super 16 event in Las Vegas on Jan. 6 against North Carolina, Southern Utah and Washington, ultimately placing fourth, according to ESPN reporting. Next, the team will face Michigan, the 2021 NCAA champion, on Jan. 13.
The university announced the formation of a women’s gymnastics program only a little over a year ago. What got the ball rolling was a conversation last year between Fisk University gymnast Jordynn Cromartie and her uncle.
Cromartie, a freshman, told ABC News that her uncle, who is a Fisk alum, was trying to convince her to go to his alma mater, but she said she couldn’t because she was looking at schools with a gymnastics program.
“[I told my uncle] I’ve spent my own life trying to make it on a collegiate gymnastics team so I wouldn’t come to Fisk unless they had a program or something for me to do,” said Cromartie. “During that conversation he was like, ‘Watch me make it happen.'”
Only a few months later, it happened. Head coach Corrinne Tarver, known as the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title in 1989, spoke to ABC News about building the team from the ground up.
“It’s pretty exciting, but also a longtime coming… It’s one of those things that people already thought was already there,” said Tarver. “However, it’s here now and that’s what’s important.”
Cromartie, whose main focus this year is floor and beam since she’s still recovering from a surgery in April, said it feels “surreal” to be part of the team.
“I feel like I still don’t know how much of an impact we’re making on the world,” said Cromartie. “It’s going to be really fun in the future to see what happens.”
Tarver said the team’s goal this season is to leave “everything on the mat.” Larger, she said she hopes the team will inspire more diversity within NCAA gymnastics.
“Well honestly I want the team to go out there every single competition, do the best that they are capable of doing,” said Tarver. “Overall I am hoping that we are a blueprint for other HBCUs to add a gymnastics program.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Philadelphia 147, Detroit 116
Toronto 132, Charlotte 120
Miami 112. Oklahoma City 111
Utah 116, Cleveland 114
Orlando 109, Portland 106
Phoenix 125, Golden State 113
LA Clippers 113, Dallas 101
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 6, Columbus 3
Pittsburgh 5, Vancouver 4
Seattle 4, Buffalo 3
New Jersey 5, Carolina 3
Detroit 7, Winnipeg 5
NY Rangers 4, Minnesota 3 (SO)
Dallas 2, NY Islanders 1 (SO)
St. Louis 4 Calgary 3 (OT)
San Jose 4, Arizona 2
Florida 5, Colorado 4
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas 79, Oklahoma 75
Tennessee 77, Vanderbilt 68
Kansas St. 65, Oklahoma St. 57
Virginia 65, North Carolina 58
Iowa St. 84, Texas Tech 50
Michigan St. 69, Wisconsin 65
Auburn 82, Mississippi 73
San Diego St. 74, Nevada 65
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New Orleans 132, Washington 112
Boston 107, Chicago 99
Milwaukee 111, New York 107
Memphis 121, San Antonio 113
Denver 122, LA Lakers 109
Sacramento 136, Orlando 111
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 0
Seattle 4, Montreal 0
Nashville 3, Ottawa 0
Los Angeles 6, Edmonton 3
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Philadelphia 123, Detroit 111
Toronto 117, Portland 105
Indiana 116, Charlotte 111
Brooklyn 102, Miami 101
Memphis 123, Utah 118
Minnesota 104, Houston 96
Oklahoma City 120, Dallas 109
Cleveland 112, Phoenix 98
Atlanta 112, LA Clippers 108
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Winnipeg 7, Vancouver 4
Dallas 5, Florida 1
Washington 1, Columbus 0
Pittsburgh 4, Arizona 1
St. Louis 3, Minnesota 0
Toronto 6, Philadelphia 2
Chicago 4, Calgary 3 (OT)
Boston 7, Anaheim 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Atlanta 30, Tampa Bay 17
Buffalo 35, New England 23
Carolina 10, New Orleans 7
Cincinnati 27, Baltimore 16
Houston 32, Indianapolis 31
Miami 11, NY Jets 6
Minnesota 29, Chicago 13
Pittsburgh 28, Cleveland 14
Denver 31 LA Chargers 28
Philadelphia 22, NY Giants 16
San Francisco 38, Arizona 13
Seattle 19 L.A. Rams 16 (OT)
Washington 26, Dallas 6
Detroit 20, Green Bay 16
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Purdue 76, Penn St. 63
Houston 72, Cincinnati 59
Northwestern 84, Indiana 83
Maryland 80, Ohio St. 73
(CINCINNATI, Ohio) — As the Buffalo Bills took to the gridiron Sunday wearing T-shirts bearing his number, Damar Hamlin, the 24-year-old player who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after just seven days ago, posted a new photo online of himself from a hospital bed forming a heart with his hands.
Hamlin’s teammates and the New England Patriots players honored Hamlin at the Bills’ home game at Highmark Stadium in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park by wearing shirts with Hamlin’s No. 3 on them along with the words “Love for Damar” during their pregame warmups.
Fans packing the stadium also showed their support for Hamlin by holding signs wishing him a speedy recovery and red hearts encompassing the player’s number. During pregame ceremonies, the Bills also acknowledged the team’s medical staff members who saved Hamlin’s life after he collapsed on Jan. 2 on the turf at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium.
In addition to posting an photo of himself from his hospital bed, Hamlin took to Twitter Sunday, writing, “GameDay.. Nothing I Want More Than To Be Running Out That Tunnel With My Brothers. God Using Me In A Different Way Today. Tell Someone You Love Them Today!” The tweet was accompanied by a video of Hamlin taking the field with his teammates at a previous game.
When Hamlin’s face was projected on Highmark Stadium’s jumbotron, fans and players on both sidelines cheered loudly and gave the injured player a standing ovation. Buffalo players charged onto the field waving flags reading “Pray for Damar” and gathered at midfield collectively flashing No. 3 with their fingers.
Hamlin was also honored in pregame ceremonies at NFL stadiums across the country, with announcers calling for support and prayers for the injured defensive safety, who remains in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Bills players also wore patches with Hamlin’s number on their jerseys during the game, which began with an electrifying 96-yard kickoff return by Nyheim Hines.
Hamlin made his first public comments since his life-threatening injury on Saturday in an Instagram post.
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much,” Hamlin wrote. “The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out.”
“We brung the world back together behind this,” the post continued. “If you know me you know this (is) only (going to) make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Hamlin shared another message on Twitter Saturday and expressed how much he felt the overwhelming support of the past week.
“The love is felt, & extremely real. No matter race or religion everybody coming together in prayer!” he tweeted.
Hamlin was hospitalized in critical condition after collapsing on the field during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After several days on a ventilator, the Buffalo Bills updated on Friday that Hamlin was now breathing on his own and talking to family and doctors.
The team said in an update on Twitter on Saturday that Hamlin is “making continued progress” but “remains in critical condition” at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The team said Hamlin “continues to breathe on his own” and that “his neurological function is excellent.”
Hamlin was able to FaceTime with the Buffalo Bills’ players and team on Friday, saying, “Love you boys.”
“The thing that makes me laugh is — he did this to the guys right away — he flexed,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Friday about the call. “He flexed on them, I guess. He’s just got some staple things that they know him for and that he does.”
McDermott told reporters Thursday that the Bills going forward with Sunday’s game is what “Damar would’ve wanted.”
After Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night, scores of concerned fans showed their support via an online fundraiser created by the young NFL star previously. The fundraiser, which is aimed at helping buy toys for kids in need, has now received more than $8 million in donations.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Matt Foster contributed to this report.
(CINCINNATI, Ohio) — Damar Hamlin made his first public comments after suffering from cardiac arrest during an NFL game earlier this week.
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much,” the Buffalo Bills safety said in an Instagram post on Saturday. “The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out.”
“We brung the world back together behind this,” the post continued. “If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Hamlin, 24, was hospitalized in critical condition after collapsing on the field during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After several days on a ventilator, the Buffalo Bills updated on Friday that Hamlin was now breathing on his own and talking to family and doctors.
The team said in an update on Twitter on Saturday that Hamlin is “making continued progress” but “remains in critical condition” at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The team said Hamlin “continues to breathe on his own” and that “his neurological function is excellent.”
Hamlin was able to FaceTime with the Buffalo Bills’ players and team on Friday, saying, “Love you boys.”
“The thing that makes me laugh is — he did this to the guys right away — he flexed,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Friday about the call. “He flexed on them, I guess. He’s just got some staple things that they know him for and that he does.”
The Bills are set to play their first game since Hamlin’s injury Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in Buffalo. McDermott told reporters Thursday that the Bills playing their next scheduled game this weekend is what “Damar would’ve wanted.”
All Bills players will wear “3” jersey patches — Hamlin’s number — in the game, the NFL said.
After Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night, scores of concerned fans showed their support via an online fundraiser created by the young NFL star previously. The fundraiser, which is aimed at helping buy toys for kids in need, has now received more than $8 million in donations.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Matt Foster contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The car world is beginning 2023 in mourning. Ken Block – renowned rally car driver, entrepreneur, and car enthusiast – died suddenly after a snowmobiling accident in Northern Utah Monday.
Block co-founded D/C Shoes in 1994, a company which makes footwear for professional skateboarders. Block sold the company years later to become a professional race car driver.
“He didn’t really have a love for American style racing – ovals, IndyCar, whatever. He was really into rally racing,” says Mike Guy, Editor-in-Chief of Road and Track.
Rallying is a type of off-road racing, with a focus on car control over loose surfaces.
“It’s timed segments through trees at ridiculous speeds, and coming with inches of crowds of people,” says Guy.
Block’s passing drew memorials from all corners of the racing world – with drivers from Formula 1, to LeMans, to the Indy 500 paying respects.
In shock at the passing of Ken Block.
Such a talent that did so much for our sport. He was a true visionary with his own unique style & infectious smile.
Our sport lost one of the best today but more importantly a great man.
But it also saw tributes from business leaders, like Ford CEO Jim Farley, and celebrities like rapper T-Pain. And that’s because Ken Block was more than an accomplished competitor – he was also an entertainer.
“Ken brought cars to video in the same way that MTV brought music to video,” says Guy.
Not long after his first professional race, Block co-founded an automotive clothing brand called Hoonigan.”
“Hooning a car is just got kind of going nuts,” says Guy. “You’re doing donuts. You’re misbehaving in a parking lot. You’re jumping over your great aunt’s house while she’s asleep. It’s basically sort of finding the adventurous limits of whatever you happen to be driving.”
That “hooning” ethos trickled down to the company’s YouTube channel, with Hoonigan videos becoming the online space for Block to explore those limits. This was most notable in his elaborate, tire-shredding “Gymkhana” series – a name which comes from 19th century Indian equestrian competitions.
“Ken brought it back… adapting [Gymkhana] to a tricked out Subaru WRX,” says Guy.
In that first Gymkhana video, Block hucks a black-and-green Subaru into long drifts around an empty airfield, kicking up walls of white tire smoke. But the signature move comes towards the end, when he pulls off a series of tight donuts around a man on a moving Segway.
Each subsequent Gymkhana video upped the ante. Gymkhana 2 sees Block drifting a newer Subaru under a tractor trailer, which explodes seconds later. Gymkhana 4 takes the series to the backlot of Universal Studios, with Block spinning donuts in the parking lot of Psycho’s Bates Motel. In Gymkhana 7, Block was behind the wheel of a 1965 Ford Mustang, modified beyond recognition, and dubbed “The Hoonicorn.” In one climactic moment, he drifts the car under a lowrider, bouncing on hydraulics.
“There are moments of beauty where he plays with speed, and slow motion, and the impossibility of angles,” says Guy. “It’s probably the best expression of driving a car and doing stunts as art as anything that’s been done before or since.”
All the while, the Hoonigan YouTube channel was raking in millions of subscribers – netting a billion total views across the first ten Gymkhana videos…
“You look at the numbers that he’s pulled, and it’s shocking,” says Guy. “He made business off of YouTube in ways that very few people did.”
More recently, the channel has added another face: Ken’s 16-year-old daughter, Lia Block. Recent videos show them restoring a 1985 Audi Ur-Quattro: Lia’s first car. In one Hoonigan clip, Ken Block notes that his daughter has “good taste,” laughing.
