(NEW YORK) — Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has died following a heart attack on Sunday. Leach was 61 years old.
The school announced Leach’s death Tuesday morning.
“Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather,” the Leach family said in a statement. “He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”
Leach was beloved by fans and the media for his folksy attitude and blunt interviews. Social media was filled with video clips of Leach on Sunday and Monday after it was announced he’d suffered a heart attack over the weekend.
Leach took over as coach at Mississippi State in 2020 and led the team to a 19-17 record over three seasons. The team, currently ranked No. 22 in the country, finished 8-4 this season and is slated to face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Brooklyn 112, Washington 100
Miami 87, Indiana 82
Memphis 128, Atlanta 103
San Antonio 112, Cleveland 111
Dallas 121, Oklahoma City 114
Portland 133, Minnesota 112
LA Clippers 113, Boston 93
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 2, Dallas 1
NY Rangers 4, New Jersey 3 (OT)
Montreal 2, Calgary 1 (SO)
Ottawa 3, Anaheim 0
St. Louis 1, Nashville 0 (OT)
Minnesota 2, Edmonton 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
New England 27, Arizona 13
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Texas 87, Rice 81
Gonzaga 88, N. Illinois 67
(NEW YORK) — U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl’s body has been returned to the U.S., following his unexpected death last week while covering the World Cup in Qatar, according to his brother.
His brother, Eric Wahl, tweeted Monday that he was in New York with his brother’s body and was headed to the medical examiner for an autopsy.
“Please keep Celine in your thoughts. She & her mother & sisters have gone to make the I.D. I couldn’t do it, for my own sanity,” Eric Wahl tweeted.
Grant Wahl, 49, was covering his eighth World Cip when he “fell ill” while in the Lusail Stadium media section during the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, according to a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the Qatar World Cup organizing committee.
The spokesperson said Grant Wahl received medical treatment on-site before being transferred to an area hospital by ambulance.
Two days before his death, the journalist said on his podcast, “Fútbol with Grant Wahl,” that he had bronchitis and went to the medical clinic twice on Thursday, saying he felt better but wasn’t 100% back to normal.
“I’m feeling better today. I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had, and napped and I’m doing slightly better but you can probably tell in my voice that I’m not at it at 100% here. Hopefully I will not cough during this podcast. I’m coughing a lot,” he said.
Last week, U.S. Soccer remembered Grant Wahl, saying, “fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists: Teams, players, coaches, and the many personalities that make soccer unlike any sport.”
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso and Stephanie Guerilus contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New Orleans 129, Phoenix 124 (OT)
LA Lakers 124, Detroit 117
New York 112, Sacramento 99
Philadelphia 131, Charlotte 113
Orlando 111, Toronto 99
Houston 97, Milwaukee 92
Atlanta 123, Chicago 122 (OT)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Colorado 3, St. Louis 2 (OT)
Seattle 5, Florida 2
Columbus 6, Los Angeles 5 (OT)
Washington 5, Winnipeg 2
Arizona 5, Philadelphia 4 (OT)
Boston 3, Vegas 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Baltimore 16, Pittsburgh 14
Buffalo 20, NY Jets 12
Cincinnati 23, Cleveland 10
Dallas 27, Houston 23
Detroit 34, Minnesota 23
Jacksonville 36, Tennessee 22
Philadelphia 48, NY Giants 22
Kansas City 34, Denver 28
Carolina 30, Seattle 24
San Francisco 35, Tampa Bay 7
LA Chargers 23, Miami 17
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Tennessee 56, Maryland 53
Iowa St. 77, McNeese St. 40
Mississippi St. 69, Minnesota 51
(NEW YORK) — U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl died at 49 in Qatar early Saturday while covering the World Cup, U.S. Soccer said in a statement.
“The entire U.S. soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement Friday. “Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists: Teams, players, coaches, and the many personalities that make soccer unlike any sport. Here in the United States, Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game.”
Wahl, who was covering his eighth World Cup, “fell ill” while in the Lusail Stadium media section during the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, according to a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the Qatar World Cup organizing committee. He received medical treatment on-site before being transferred to an area hospital by ambulance, the spokesperson said.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of the U.S. journalist Grant Wahl,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the committee is in touch with the U.S. Embassy and local authorities “to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes.”
At the beginning of his “Fútbol with Grant Wahl” podcast Thursday, Wahl said he had bronchitis and had been to the medical clinic twice that day and canceled everything to nap. He said he felt better but not 100%.
“I’m feeling better today. I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had, and napped and I’m doing slightly better that you can probably tell in my voice that I’m not at it at 100% here. Hopefully I will not cough during this podcast. I’m coughing a lot,” he said.
“Everyone’s coughing here in like this is by no means limited to me like so many journalists have got a crazy cough. It sounds like a death rattle sometimes. The only thing that’s surprising to me actually is there isn’t that much COVID Here I thought there might be a real issue with that. We’re not really seeing COVID cases. We’re just seeing a lot of general sickness, coughing, colds, and I can’t wait to be on the other side of what I have. But I am going to be ready to go I’m attending on Friday. The Argentina Netherlands quarterfinal, very excited for that. And then I’m going to go to France, England on Saturday,” he added.
Wahl’s wife Celine Gounder tweeted Friday said that she was in shock.
“I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl ‘s soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” Gounder tweeted after resharing the statement from U.S. Soccer. “I’m in complete shock.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Saturday that State Department officials are in touch with Grant’s family and senior officials in Qatar “to ensure his family gets the support they need.”
“Grant Wahl was an inspiration to many,” Jean-Pierre tweeted. “Our thoughts are with his wife Dr. Céline Gounder and all those who loved him.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price similarly tweeted Friday that the department is “engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl and send our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close communication,” Price tweeted.
Wahl was temporarily detained by security in Qatar at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium for wearing a shirt with the gay pride flag for the USA-Wales World Cup match last month.
“Security guard refusing to let me into the stadium for USA-Wales. “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed,” he tweeted.
Wahl was a renowned writer in soccer and covered the sport for many years at Sports Illustrated. He spoke with “Start Here” in November about his expectations on covering the World Cup. He had spent time in Qatar earlier before arriving for the games.
“I wanted to do a story and do some actual reporting on the topic of migrant workers in Qatar. Nearly 90% of the workforce in Qatar is not Qatari. They’re coming from East Africa, West Africa, the Indian subcontinent [and] the Far East. And they’re taking on jobs of construction, working in domestic situations and houses, hotel workers [and] all sorts of things that migrant workers are doing in Qatar. But the history is that they’re not paid well. They’re not treated well. A lot of people have died,” Wahl said.
ABC News’ Davone Morales contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver celebrated the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody on Thursday and thanked the athletes who used their platforms to raise awareness about her case since her detention nearly ten months ago.
“Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends,” Silver said in a statement on Thursday. “We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Griner was released this week in a prisoner exchange with Russia, where she has been detained since Feb. 17 and was sentenced to nine years in Russia prison after she was found guilty of drug charges.
The U.S. classified Griner’s case as “wrongfully detained” in May and has been working for months to secure her freedom. After months of negotiations, Russia agreed to swap Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Throughout her detention, top stars in the WNBA and NBA rallied for Griner on and off the court, raising awareness about her case through public statements, putting pressure on the White House to secure her release.
Current and former WNBA stars led the way in the sports world and provided direct support to Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, who publicly called for a meeting with President Joe Biden and asked him to make Griner’s freedom a priority.
WNBA Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who coached Griner and her teammates to a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics last year, has consistently voiced her support for Griner and celebrated her release in tweet on Thursday.
“God’s grace is SUFFICIENT!,” she wrote. “[Brittney Griner] is home! I love you BG!”
“Seen you soon [Brittney Griner,]” tweeted Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, along with a photo of herself standing next to a picture of Griner.
Ogwumike, who is also the president of the WNBA Players Association, previously expressed concerns over Griner’s wellbeing in Russian detention and voiced her support for her fellow WNBA player in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
“It’s tough — that could have been us,” Ogwumike said in April, who has also played overseas during the off-season. “We’re really most concerned about her health and safety. Especially her mental health.”
WNBA player Breanna Stewart, who has been tweeting about Griner’s case every day since May and urging action from the White House, celebrated Griner’s release in a tweet on Thursday.
“BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!” she tweeted, along with thankful hands emoji.
Griner, a Phoenix Mercury player who was visiting Russia in the offseason to play basketball, was arrested in February at the Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow for allegedly having vape cartridges in her luggage that contained hashish oil — an illegal substance in Russia. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August to nine years in prison.
Griner’s detention took an emotional and physical toll on her, her attorney previously told ABC News, and there were times when she lost hope that she could be released and felt isolated and she faced difficulties that prevented her from staying in touch over the phone with her family.
But her wife Cherelle Griner previously told “Good Morning America” that the support that Griner got from her fellow athletes and the WNBA has brought her “comfort” during difficult times.
The WNBA kept the campaign to “free BG” front and center during the 2022 season on and off the court.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced in May that the WNBA, which kicked off its 2022 season on May 6, would be honoring Griner with a floor decal bearing her initials and jersey number (42) on the sideline of all 12 WNBA teams.
“Things like that matter, like, it has her hopeful,” Cherelle Griner told “GMA” in May. “It lets her know she’s not forgotten.”
Engelbert hailed Griner’s “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity” in a statement on Thursday and thanked the Biden administration for securing her freedom.
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert said.
NBA stars — from Steph Curry to LeBron James — also raised awareness by speaking out on Griner’s case, notably bringing attention to it as the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors faced off in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics also raised awareness about Griner’s case on the court in June by wearing “We Are BG” T-shirts — a slogan that has become a rallying cry in the WNBA and beyond to show support for the Phoenix Mercury star.
The Phoenix Mercury and the Phoenix Suns released a joint statement on Thursday, thanking the Biden administration, the athletes, the fans and everyone who kept Griner’s “story top-of-mind.”
“The fight to bring her home has illustrated the power of the WNBA, its players, platform and mission,” the statement said. “We no longer have to bring BG home — she’s on her way.”
(NEW YORK) — Steve, 18, first felt the thrill of gambling at the age of 15.
His “first high” came when he won a couple hundred dollars while playing dice, he told ABC News. To speak candidly, he’s asked to be in shadow, to use a different name and alter his voice.
Between 60% to 80% of high schoolers say they’ve gambled for money in the past year, and up to 6% are addicted to gambling, according to the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors.
“Young people are significantly at higher risk of developing gambling disorder than adults, in part because their brains are not fully developed. Their ability to evaluate risk, their ability to handle loss, isn’t as secure as an adult,” Dr. Timothy Fong, co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, told ABC News.
Steve says that his love of playing basketball and baseball morphed from a sports obsession into a gambling obsession, which soon grew into a full-blown addiction.
“I kind of used gambling as an escape from simple things like boredom, sadness, anger, even joy. Just like, you know, drugs and alcohol for some people,” Steve said.
In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting, paving the way for at least 30 states and Washington, D.C. to legalize the practice.
The legal age to gamble in the U.S. is either 18 or 21, depending on the state and type of gambling, but experts warn that young people are still finding ways to place bets.
“The casino is available in many people’s homes, in their pocket on their smartphone,” Fong said.
Steve said he was able to illegally gamble by accessing legal sports betting sites using other people’s accounts who were of age. He also used unregulated offshore, illegal websites.
Steve racked up thousands of dollars in debt. Bookies started to call him in the middle of school, he said. It became a fulltime job, isolating him from his friends and family and keeping him up all night. He even began stealing money to pay back his debts.
At first, Steve’s parents failed to fully grasp how destructive his son’s gambling addiction had become, Steve’s dad told ABC News.
“I had to confront him about what was going on, how bad was it. It was very difficult to get truthful responses from him, because he was very protective of that behavior,” Steve’s dad said.
With his family’s support, Steve joined a 12-step program. He briefly relapsed, went to rehab and is now in recovery. Watching sports is still a trigger for him, he said.
Steve’s sponsor, Gary Schneider, said he, too, was once addicted to gambling.
“I believe they’re targeting the young,” said Schneider, who is also a national board member of Stop Predatory Gambling. “They want the next generation. They label it gaming, because now it’s a game that they go on and do that. It’s really gambling.”
Legal gaming companies refute that claim.
“The U.S. gaming industry invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually in consumer education, employee training, research and support. Our collective responsible gaming commitment includes comprehensive protocols in place to verify the identity and age of customers. It’s our priority that gaming remains entertainment strictly for adults,” Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, told ABC News in September.
FanDuel, a betting platform that often advertises during major sporting events, owns nearly half the online legal sports betting market in the U.S.
In a statement from September, they told ABC News that “FanDuel strictly prohibits wagering by minors…[and] employs a strict identity authentication process at sign-up with information that’s validated by independent verification services before an account is permitted to place a wager.”
But Steve’s dad said it’s not enough.
“It’s in every sporting event. There’s advertisements constantly. We don’t sit and watch a game together like we might have done when he was younger. It has been hard to have removed that from our relationship. There’s just not that level of education and there’s just not that level of awareness of it as a problem,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 116, LA Clippers 111 (OT)
Brooklyn 122, Charlotte 116
Toronto 126, LA Lakers 113
New York 113, Atlanta 89
Memphis 123, Oklahoma City 102
Milwaukee 126, Sacramento 113
New Orleans 104, Detroit 98
Chicago 115, Washington 111
Minnesota 121, Indiana 115
Utah 124, Golden State 123
Boston 125, Phoenix 98
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Washington 4, Philadelphia 1
Buffalo 9, Columbus 4
Calgary 5, Minnesota 3
Boston 4, Colorado 0
Edmonton 8, Arizona 2
NY Rangers 5 Vegas 1
Vancouver 6, San Jose 5 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Purdue 85, Hofstra 66
UConn 75, Florida 54
Tennessee 84, E. Kentucky 49
Indiana 81, Nebraska 65
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Detroit 116, Miami 96
Cleveland 116, LA Lakers 102
Dallas 116, Denver 115
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
New Jersey 3, Chicago 0
Detroit 4, Tampa Bay 2
Los Angeles 5, Ottawa 2
Pittsburgh 4, Columbus 1
St. Louis 7, NY Islanders 4
Winnipeg 5, Florida 2
Toronto 4, Dallas 0
Montreal 4, Seattle 2
Anaheim 4, Carolina 3 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston 76, North Florida 42
Illinois 85, Texas 78
Virginia 55, James Madison 50
Arkansas 65, UNC-Greensboro 58
Baylor 80, Tarleton St. 57
Wisconsin 64, Maryland 59
Duke 74, Iowa 62
TCU 78, Jackson St. 51
