(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
LA Dodgers at Cleveland (Suspended)
Chi Cubs 6, Detroit 4
Milwaukee 8, Minnesota 7
Cincinnati 9, LA Angels 4
Cincinnati 7, LA Angels 3
Tampa Bay 6, Colorado 5
NY Yankees 9, Washington 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox 5, Seattle 4
Kansas City 4, Oakland 0
Baltimore 7, Toronto 0
Boston 7, Houston 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 4
San Diego 4, Miami 0
San Francisco 8, Philadelphia 6
Atlanta 7, NY Mets 0
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Los Angeles 91, Phoenix 62
(NEW YORK) — Pickleball has become one of the biggest sport trends in the last few years, but for some people, it has not been fun and games.
Some have gone to court in an attempt to end the racket that they say has been keeping them up at night, and causing other inconveniences.
“It’s like a machine gun with a never-ending barrel of ammunition tied to its gun,” Ernie Barrows, a mechanic from Mashpee, Massachusetts, who has complained about pickleball courts to his town council, told “Nightline.”
The sport, which can be played indoors or outdoors, is similar to tennis. However, it has a smaller court size, and uses ping-pong paddles instead of rackets and a plastic ball.
Pickleball has been around for decades, but it has gotten more popular in recent years with almost 10 million players, a 6 million jump from a year ago, according to USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body.
It has spawned professional leagues, with teams owned by big celebrities, tournaments that award millions in prizes, and more.
Thomas Wilson, a major league pickleball player, told “Nightline” the pick up and play aspects are a major draw for people.
“Anyone can play together. I mean, I’m a top pickleball player in the world and I train with my parents, they are in their sixties,” he said.
But with that fun has come some complaints, particularly from the sound made by the ball vibrating against the hard paddle in a small space, making constant “pops.”
Barrows said he moved to Mashpee for its quiet environment but after eight paddleball courts went up near his home in 2018, he claims he’s been bombarded with noise all of the time.
He took his complaints to a recent town hall select board meeting and got into a back-and-forth with the pickleball players over his request to shut down the courts.
“I have Parkinson’s disease. It’s hard for me to express how important Mashpee pickleball has been to my physical and mental health,” a resident said at the meeting.
“I’m not fighting you. I’m not denying the fact that pickleball is a great sport and has affected you…but there are other avenues to play pickleball around here this is not it,” Barrows responded.
The Mashpee pickleball courts were briefly closed on Sundays in July while the town assessed the situation, but pickleballers argued the game was following local rules.
On Aug. 7, the town’s select board then voted to reopen the courts on Sundays.
In the nearby town of Falmouth, residents who said they were inconvenienced by pickleball went even further.
Rob Mastroianni, his wife Stephanie and four of their neighbors ultimately decided to file a lawsuit against the town’s zoning board of appeals in January of 2022. They allege the “injurious and obnoxious noise levels” violated local rules… forced them “to wear noise canceling headphones”…. and caused anxiety that contributed to “sleepless nights.”
“We decided we had enough,” Mastroianni told “Nightline.” “And we were all very reluctant participants in this.”
The town manager declined to comment about the pending litigation.
Mastroianni told “Nightline” he bought his own equipment to test the “pop” noises after the courts were erected in 2020, while other plaintiffs have recorded the noise from their bedroom windows.
He has started a Facebook group and been in conversation with others who have been inconvenienced by pickleball to raise their voices.
The Falmouth courts were closed after a judge granted Mastroianni and the plaintiffs a preliminary , but he said he and his family had enough and moved out of their home of 20 years.
“I would like to see pickleball thrive and grow responsibly [but] I can’t drive down my street without my blood pressure going up with my heart rate racing,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Pickleball has become one of the biggest sport trends in the last few years, but for some people, it has not been fun and games.
Some have gone to court in an attempt to end the racket that they say has been keeping them up at night, and causing other inconveniences.
“It’s like a machine gun with a never-ending barrel of ammunition tied to its gun,” Ernie Barrows, a mechanic from Mashpee, Massachusetts, who has complained about pickleball courts to his town council, told “Nightline.”
The sport, which can be played indoors or outdoors, is similar to tennis. However, it has a smaller court size, and uses ping-pong paddles instead of rackets and a plastic ball.
Pickleball has been around for decades, but it has gotten more popular in recent years with almost 10 million players, a 6 million jump from a year ago, according to USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body.
It has spawned professional leagues, with teams owned by big celebrities, tournaments that award millions in prizes, and more.
Thomas Wilson, a major league pickleball player, told “Nightline” the pick up and play aspects are a major draw for people.
“Anyone can play together. I mean, I’m a top pickleball player in the world and I train with my parents, they are in their sixties,” he said.
But with that fun has come some complaints, particularly from the sound made by the ball vibrating against the hard paddle in a small space, making constant “pops.”
Barrows said he moved to Mashpee for its quiet environment but after eight paddleball courts went up near his home in 2018, he claims he’s been bombarded with noise all of the time.
He took his complaints to a recent town hall select board meeting and got into a back-and-forth with the pickleball players over his request to shut down the courts.
“I have Parkinson’s disease. It’s hard for me to express how important Mashpee pickleball has been to my physical and mental health,” a resident said at the meeting.
“I’m not fighting you. I’m not denying the fact that pickleball is a great sport and has affected you…but there are other avenues to play pickleball around here this is not it,” Barrows responded.
The Mashpee pickleball courts were briefly closed on Sundays in July while the town assessed the situation, but pickleballers argued the game was following local rules.
On Aug. 7, the town’s select board then voted to reopen the courts on Sundays.
In the nearby town of Falmouth, residents who said they were inconvenienced by pickleball went even further.
Rob Mastroianni, his wife Stephanie and four of their neighbors ultimately decided to file a lawsuit against the town’s zoning board of appeals in January of 2022. They allege the “injurious and obnoxious noise levels” violated local rules… forced them “to wear noise canceling headphones”…. and caused anxiety that contributed to “sleepless nights.”
“We decided we had enough,” Mastroianni told “Nightline.” “And we were all very reluctant participants in this.”
The town manager declined to comment about the pending litigation.
Mastroianni told “Nightline” he bought his own equipment to test the “pop” noises after the courts were erected in 2020, while other plaintiffs have recorded the noise from their bedroom windows.
He has started a Facebook group and been in conversation with others who have been inconvenienced by pickleball to raise their voices.
The Falmouth courts were closed after a judge granted Mastroianni and the plaintiffs a preliminary , but he said he and his family had enough and moved out of their home of 20 years.
“I would like to see pickleball thrive and grow responsibly [but] I can’t drive down my street without my blood pressure going up with my heart rate racing,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Chris Eubanks has had a remarkable season on the world tennis stage, rising to popularity for his impressive Wimbledon debut, where he entered as the 77th-ranked player in the world and reached the quarterfinals.
“Honestly, I just want to roll the balls out and play — at the end of the day, I’m here because of what I can do on the court, so I’m ready to get back out there on the court,” Eubanks told Good Morning America ahead of the U.S. Open, which is being held this year from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10, with qualifying rounds running Aug. 22-25.
Currently ranked 30th in the world, Eubanks has worked hard to break into the top 100 and said “it’s safe to say this has probably been the best year of my career.”
“I’m able to take a step back now and just process everything and use that as motivation to kind of have a strong push for the end of year,” he continued.
Eubanks is predicted to be seeded 29th for the U.S. Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where practice and qualifiers are currently being played.
The 27-year-old started from a young age and recalled having to swing his racket with two hands on both sides when he was 3 years old, because he “couldn’t lift the racket” at the time.
“Those are memories of my dad and I, we spent hours on the court,” he said. “To look back at how things have progressed starting from there to where I am now is remarkable.”
The next generation of American tennis stars, including 19-year-old Coco Gauff, have shown immense support for one another coming up in the professional circuit. Gauff was even seen in Eubanks’ player box as he had a breakthrough performance at Wimbledon.
“Her in particular, it’s meant the world,” Eubanks said of Gauff’s support. “She’s like a little sister to me, I’ve known Coco since she was about 6 or 7.”
“She’s always told me for years, ‘You’re good enough as those guys, you’ve just gotta believe it,'” he said. “For her to sit there and to watch the biggest win of my career in the fourth round of Wimbledon, watch my quarter-final beginning to end… it’s tough on tour to really be able to go out and support your friends. For her to come to multiple matches and support me means the world.”
The two practiced together at the U.S. Open grounds in Flushing, Queens, on Wednesday. As Eubanks said, “We always try to get one hit in at a tournament if we can.”
As he prepares for the palpable energy that the U.S. Open is known for and the support American players get so excited about, Eubanks said the “combination between the crowd and the play” is what he’s looking forward to most.
“I have always gotten great support at the Open. It’s always been my favorite tournament to come to as a spectator, to play in. It’s the first Grand Slam I ever played in. But something’s telling me this is gonna be a little bit different than any other U.S. Open I’ve been a part of,” he said. “The support that I’ve received just in practices at Arthur Ashe [Stadium] yesterday — the amount of fans and kids asking for autographs was pretty cool.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Arizona 6 Texas 3
Tampa Bay 12, Colorado 4
Detroit 8, Chi Cubs 6
Washington 2, NY Yankees 1
Cleveland 8, LA Dodgers 3
Milwaukee 7, Minnesota 3
Cincinnati 4, LA Angels 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 6, Baltimore 3
Houston 7, Boston 3
Seattle 6, Chi White Sox 3
Oakland 5, Kansas City 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 4, San Francisco 3
Pittsburgh 6, St. Louis 3
Atlanta 3, NY Mets 2
Miami 3, San Diego 0
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Las Vegas 112, Atlanta 100
Connecticut 68, Washington 64
Chicago 102, Seattle 79
Minnesota 91, Dallas 86
(MOORESVILLE, N.C.) — A massive explosion leveled a multimillion-dollar home owned by Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley in Mooresville, North Carolina, early Tuesday.
One person was killed and another person suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the blast, according to Iredell County Emergency Management Director Kent Greene.
Farley, 24, was seen speaking to authorities at the scene after the explosion. He was not home at the time of the explosion, according to Greene.
The victim was identified as 61-year-old Robert Farley.
The home, valued at just over $2 million, according to property records, was completely leveled in the explosion. An investigation into what caused the explosion is still ongoing, authorities said.
Farley was a first-round pick by the Titans out of Virginia Tech in 2021, though he’s played sparingly due to injuries. He played in just three games as a rookie and then nine games last season.
He grew up in Maiden, North Carolina, about 25 miles east of Mooresville, and was a star quarterback at Maiden High School.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Toronto 10, Cincinnati 3
Chi Cubs 4, Kansas City 3
Minnesota 2, Pittsburgh 0
Milwaukee 6, Texas 2
Chi White Sox 10, Colorado 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 4, Cleveland 1
Seattle 7, Houston 6
Boston 6, NY Yankees 5
Baltimore 12, Oakland 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco 4, Atlanta 3
St. Louis 7, NY Mets 3
Washington 4 Philadelphia 3
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
New Orleans 22, LA Chargers 17
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Dallas 97, Washington 84
Connecticut 79, Chicago 73
Indiana 83, Phoenix 73
Seattle 88, Minnesota 74
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Columbus 3, Cincinnati 0
Charlotte FC 0, Miami 0
New York 1, D.C. United 0
Minnesota 2, New York City FC 0
FC Dallas 0, Philadelphia 0
CF Montreal 3, Toronto FC 2
Orlando City 3, Chicago 1
Houston 5, Portland 0
New England 0, Nashville 0
Saint Louis City SC 6, Austin FC 3
Real Salt Lake 0, LA Galaxy 0 (Tie)
Colorado 0, Los Angeles FC 0 (Tie)
Atlanta 2, Seattle 0
San Jose 1, Vancouver 0
(NEW YORK) — “The Blind Side,” the critically acclaimed movie released in 2009, chronicled the inspirational story of now-retired NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher, who overcame homelessness as a child and went on to become a top draft pick after a supportive white couple took him under their care.
Now, the film is back in the headlines after Oher filed a court petition against that couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, alleging they made millions off a dishonest portrayal of Oher’s story while cutting him out of earnings from the Oscar-nominated film. Oher claims the Tuohys never adopted him but instead tricked him into signing a document agreeing to a conservatorship that gave them the authority to make business deals in his name.
In a lengthy rebuttal made public Tuesday, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy’s attorney Martin Singer called Oher’s allegations against his clients “outlandish” and “hurtful and absurd” and likened the filing to a “shakedown.”
“In reality, the Tuohys opened their home to Mr. Oher, offered him structure, support and, most of all, unconditional love. They have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children. His response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million,” Singer’s statement continued.
Singer also claims the Tuohys have given Oher an “equal cut of every penny received” from the film.
In response to Singer’s claims, an attorney for Oher said in a statement, “We try cases in the courtroom based on the facts. We have confidence in our judicial system and in our client Michael Oher. We believe that justice will be served in the courtroom, and we hope to get there quickly.”
Senior ESPN writer Michael Fletcher spoke to ABC News’ podcast START HERE about the details of the court petition and its potential impact on the film’s legacy.
BRAD MIELKE: Michael, this is like a foundational story for anyone who knows football. What’s happened here?
MICHAEL FLETCHER: Michael Oher has come forward to say that the supposed adoption never occurred, that the family, the Tuohys, who took him in as a homeless high school student, told him that they were adopting him, but did not, instead had him sign over kind of his rights to sort of make business deals and use that leverage, that power, that authority to cut a deal with the movie studio that cut Michael Oher out of any profits.
The [court petition] that he filed alleges that the Tuohys made millions while he got absolutely nothing. And it’s just absolutely mind blowing, because it totally wipes away the narrative we all thought we understood.
MIELKE: And just so I’m clear, what is the difference between being adopted? Like, everyone who’s using the word adopted. He was adopted by this family. And now he’s saying, “No, I was actually, I was under a conservatorship.” I mean, what is the difference there?
FLETCHER: There’s a huge difference. If you’re adopted, you become a family member. And at the time, Michael was a few months over 18 years old when these papers were signed, but he would have been a sibling to his brother and sister, the Touhys’, you know, natural born children. And more crucially, in this case, he would have retained his rights to negotiate contracts for himself. His parents would not have had that power.
Conservatorships, typically, in adults are put in place for people who don’t have the ability to take care of themselves, to make decisions for themselves. They handle their own affairs. And no one alleges that Michael Oher, as steeped in poverty as he was, lacked that ability.
MIELKE: Did he explain why this is happening now? Because, like, excuse me. You don’t know if your family actually adopted you? You’re unclear how much money you made from this huge blockbuster film. I mean, what has changed that sort of made him go, ‘Oh, wait, this is not the story that you guys have all heard?’
FLETCHER: Well, it’s so interesting. You know, I asked his lawyer that question, because that’s the question that everybody kind of wants to know the answer to. And the answer I’m given is that, all along, when the movie became kind of this maybe surprise blockbuster, Michael Oher was curious. He was like, “Well, you know, is anybody getting money for this?” And he was always deflected within the family, basically told, “No, we’re not getting much money.”
As it turns out, the Tuohys wrote in their book back in 2010 that there was some money paid, but they also said that they had cut Michael Oher in on that money, and they minimized the amounts, that it was a flat fee, they had no share of the profits and that sort of thing.
So Michael had this in back of his mind, but at the same time, he’s launching his NFL career, so he didn’t pursue it fully. Well at some point he hired a lawyer, and they were able to dig out the details – so his lawyer says – the details of the contract that the family had with the movie company. And that was the aha moment – like hold on, they’ve been telling me that they haven’t gotten any money, but it says here in black and white that they did. They get 2.5% of the profits, and this was a huge movie. You know, it grossed over $300 million at the box office.
So Michael’s career ends in 2016, and he still has this question that he’s pursuing. As his lawyer tells the story, it wasn’t until February of this year that they unearthed the conservatorship document that said, ‘Hey, you’re not an adopted child after all, Michael Oher, you are under a conservatorship.’ And that’s a whole different deal. And that’s when he was most upset and decided to file suit.
MIELKE: And for awhile people were wondering what the response from the Tuohys would be. It now appears to be outright skepticism. We’re hearing from SJ, the [Tuohys’] son, that’s on a Barstool Sports podcast.
SJ Tuohy on podcast: “If he says he learned in February, I find that hard to believe…I was curious today, randomly, to go back to look at our family group text and see what things have been said, and there were things [Oher said] back in 2020, 2021 that were like “You know, if you guys give me this much, then I won’t go public with things.”
MIELKE: So that’s the son. The parents have retained the well-known lawyer Marty Singer. He was was once called Hollywood’s bulldog.” He put out a statement yesterday, saying his family was always very clear about the conservatorship arrangement, so that they could assist Oher with college admissions, with health insurance and stuff. For the movie profits, he says, the family always insisted that Oher get an equal share, and that he’s tried this “shakedown” other times with other lawyers before. Oher says he’ll let the [court petition] speak for itself.
And this brings me to my last question, Michael: If these allegations are true, does this reframe how we think of this whole story and what his story meant to the public over these last 10 to 15 years?
FLETCHER: No absolutely, and this is another element here. Michael Oher all along disliked the movie. You know, he felt like he was portrayed as unintelligent, as slow, as someone who didn’t have agency, didn’t have pluck, didn’t have internal drive.
And all these things, of course, played a part in his success – you know, not only being an NFL player, but being a college graduate, a guy who came from the circumstances he came from to, sort of, make it that far. So that’s been one thing.
And he was willing to kind of live that myth, if you will, thinking, “OK, you know, the movie’s an inspirational thing. It’s a movie, after all. And, you know, I can live with that.” But he always believed that the Tuohys loved him and that their help for him was genuine. And now that’s gone away. So that totally changes, kind of, how I think we all should see the story, if this is indeed true.
MIELKE: You think about when this movie was released. In 2009, people were talking about a post-racial America. You had this movie that was criticized for being kind of this white savior movie. And now you wonder if we look at that differently now with or without Michael Oher’s accusations out there.
