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Today β€” 9 January 2025Sport News

Raiders fire general manager Tom Telesco after just 1 season, enter total rebuild of staff

9 January 2025 at 12:00

Just two days after the Las Vegas Raiders let Antonio Pierce go, a total overhaul is underway in Vegas.

The Raiders announced Thursday they had fired general manager Tom Tedesco after just one season.

"We appreciate his efforts in helping build a foundation for the future. We wish Tom and his family all the best," the team said in a statement.

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Pierce insinuated Monday, the day between Las Vegas' season finale and the team firing him, that a conversation was expected between owner Mark Davis and Telesco.

The news comes a day after reports circulated that Tom Brady, who purchased a 5% stake in the team last season, would have a big role in picking the team's next head coach. Apparently, he even reached out to Bill Belichick, who joined the University of North Carolina last month.

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Telesco joined the decimated Raiders prior to this season, stuck with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell as his quarterbacks after getting rid of Jimmy Garoppolo after a tumultuous campaign in 2023.

It was clear Telesco was hitting the reset button, and the team's 4-13 should not surprise anybody. But Telesco struck gold when he selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick. Bowers' 112 receptions this season are the most by a rookie in NFL history.

Prior to joining the Raiders, Telesco spent 11 seasons with the Chargers in San Diego and Los Angeles.

The Raiders are one of three teams looking for a new general manager, along with the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. The Raiders hold the sixth selection in the NFL Draft behind the Titans, Browns, Giants, Patriots and Jaguars.

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US swimmer Gary Hall Jr loses Olympic gold medals in California wildfires: β€˜Something I can live without’

9 January 2025 at 11:49

Olympic gold medalist Gary Hall Jr. was among the thousands of California residents displaced by the wildfires raging across the Los Angeles area this week, and like many, he lost all of his priceless possessions – including all 10 of his Olympic medals.Β 

However, for Hall, he is grateful to have walked away with his life.Β 

In an interview withΒ The Sydney Morning Herald, Hall recalled the moment he first saw a "plume of smoke" coming from his backyard. He was on the phone with his daughter when disaster struck.Β 

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"I saw the flames erupt and houses start popping. There were explosions. I didn’t have a lot of time," he recalled in the interview. "Sunset Boulevard was a complete logjam. People abandoned cars and were running for their lives. Police were telling them to do that. My girlfriend was trapped in her car around smoke."Β 

The wildfires spread quickly. Hall only had time to grab the essentials – his dog and a few personal items.

The home in Pacific Palisades that he was renting was burnt down, and with it all of his Olympic medals, including five gold, three silver and two bronze. He thought about them at the moment, but the seriousness of the situation did not allow him to grab them.Β 

CHARGERS DONATE $200K FOR WILDFIRE RELIEF EFFORTS, URGES FANS TO HELP OUT WITH SUPPLY DRIVE AHEAD OF PLAYOFFS

"I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them," Hall told the outlet. "Everyone wants to know did the medals burn? Yeah, everything burnt. It’s something I can live without. I guess everything is just stuff. It’ll take some hard work to start over. What can you do?"Β 

Hall described the scene as "worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1000 times worse." More than losing his medals, Hall’s home, where he ran a business teaching kids to swim, is now completely gone.Β Β 

"It’ll be a range of emotions, particularly when it’s time to go back to where the house stood. I’ll shift through the ash and see if the medals melted together. Will I be able to find anything worth saving? Probably not. I don’t know."Β 

Thousands of California residents were evacuated as fierce wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds tore through Southern California this week. At least five people are dead as the fires continued to burn more than 27,000 acres on Thursday.Β 

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Lakers-Hornets game postponed as Los Angeles wildfires rage on: 'We're with you, LA'

9 January 2025 at 11:42

The Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday was postponed as wildfires in the Los Angeles area continue to rage on.Β 

The team confirmed the multiple reports about the postponement, as the Lakers released a statement on X telling fans to "please hold onto your tickets. They will be honored for the rescheduled date."

The California wildfires have devastated Los Angeles County, with at least five dead and burning more than 27,000 acres, officials say. Thousands of homes have also been burned down.Β 

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An ESPN report added that Lakers head coach JJ Redick lost his home like so many others who live in the area.

"We’re heartbroken for Los Angeles," the Lakers said in a statement on Thursday night. "Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation. And our gratitude is with the first responders and all of you who come together when we need each other the most.Β 

"Tonight’s game will be rescheduled to focus on what matters most today. We’re with you, LA."

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES

The purple and gold are not the only Los Angeles professional sports teams that are being affected by the fires.Β 

The Los Angeles Rams could potentially play their wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, if the fires continue to affect the Inglewood area, where their home, SoFi Stadium, resides.Β 

The NFL released their contingency plan on Wednesday night shortly after saying it was monitoring the situation in Los Angeles.Β 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the air quality index read over 280, with 150 and above considered unhealthy.Β 

The Los Angeles Chargers, though not playing at SoFi Stadium for their own NFL playoff game, limited players’ time outside during Wednesday’s practice due to air quality. They play the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon to kick off Wild Card Weekend.Β 

The Chargers released a statement on Wednesday night, pledging $200,000 in targeted funding to wildfire relief efforts in the area.Β 

LA County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone announced Thursday that the Eaton Fire, which claimed at least five lives, has seen growth "significantly stopped."

LA City Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley also told reporters that the Palisades Fire, which remains 0% contained, is "one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles."

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Former NFL star Frank Wycheck suffered from CTE prior to death, researchers say

9 January 2025 at 11:02

The late Frank Wycheck, who is remembered for the pass that started the iconic "Music City Miracle" play, suffered from an advanced stage of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), researchers said.

Wycheck died in December 2023 after he sustained a fall at his Tennessee home. He had made clear that he wished to work with experts on CTE research and related brain injuries.Β 

A study of Wycheck's brain conducted by researchers at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center confirmed the former Tennessee Titans star tight end also suffered from the degenerative brain disease during the final years of his life.Β 

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Wycheck was diagnosed with CTE stage III. Stage IV is the most severe form of the disease and can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression. CTE can occur after repeated head injuries, such as concussions or blows to the head, according to the Mayo Clinic.Β 

A 2017 study conducted by the Boston University CTE Center concluded that the brains of 99% of former NFL players had at least trace amounts of the neurodegenerative disease. Researchers studied the brains of 202 former football players.

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Wycheck, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, played in the NFL from 1993 and 2003, starting with Washington and finishing his career with the Houston Oilers organization, which moved to Tennessee and became the Titans.

Wycheck’s family said in a statement they are grateful for this diagnosis, which they believe further highlights the concerns around CTE in contact sports like football. They want to honor his legacy with a stronger commitment to player safety and support for those affected by head injuries.

His daughters said their family had challenges understanding both the physical and mental changes Wycheck was experiencing, thinking he was just missing the spotlight of his career.

"We witnessed our father becoming increasingly isolated and experiencing drastic mood swings. He became more impulsive, and often inconsistent and undependable," Deanna Wycheck Szabo said in a statement. "Now in hindsight, I understand that he was suffering from the symptoms of CTE due to the repeated trauma his brain and body endured over 11 seasons in the NFL."

Szabo said Wycheck loved football and his teammates. She said he fought for years after retiring to bring attention to the symptoms and struggles he knew stemmed from CTE, feeling too often ignored and helpless. Szabo also said she wishes her family had been educated on CTE symptoms to know what to look for and now hope for increased intervention, education and support for NFL alumni and their families.

"Instead of believing that something was inherently wrong with him, we now know he was doing the best he could as a father and friend under circumstances beyond his control," Szabo said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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