Ricciardo back on track and grinning again at Formula One's U.S. Grand Prix

The Derrick

19 October 2023

Ricciardo back on track and grinning again at Formula One's U.S. Grand Prix

For Games of Friday, October 20

As news of the NCAA investigation into the allegations of No. 2 Michigan’s partaking in illegal sign-stealing efforts continues to grow, Pat Narduzzi prepares Pitt football for its 3:30 p.m. Saturday ACC contest with Wake Forest at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The New Orleans Pelicans have exercised a fourth year option on wing player Trey Murphy and a third-year option on guard Dyson Daniels. The moves secure both former first-round draft choices through the 2024-25 season. Murphy was selected 17th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and has appeared in 141 games with 66 starts during his first two NBA seasons. He is a 40% shooter from 3-point range and is expected to be one of New Orleans’ premier scorers off the bench after he returns from minor meniscus surgery on his left knee. Daniels was selected eighth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 59 games with 11 starts for New Orleans last season.

Twenty-six seconds into the second half of last week’s preseason game against the 76ers, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made a surprisingly quick substitution. After the first play, he sent Lamar Stevens to the scorer’s table to take out Dalano Banton.

Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni informed his Finnish Elite League team that he is under investigation for a rape allegation that occurred two years ago in his native Finland. Tappara Tampere announced on its website that Ronni is stepping away from team activities after receiving a court summons. The 19-year-old Ronni was a minor at the time of the alleged rape. Details of the alleged rape are unknown because the case documents are sealed, and a court hearing date has not been scheduled. Ronni was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft by Calgary. The Flames said they became aware of a potential legal issue involving Ronni after the draft.

The New York Giants' offense has not scored a touchdown in more than three games. The drought stands at 205 minutes heading into Sunday's game against the visiting Washington Commanders. It's a big reason the Giants have a 1-5 record. They have scored 71 points, the fewest in the NFL. There was reason for optimism last week in a 14-9 loss to the Bills. The offense reached the red zone five times with Saquon Barkley returning to the lineup. But starting quarterback Daniel Jones probably won't play this weekend because of a neck injury. Tyrod Taylor would start for him.

Matt Ryan paid a visit to his old workplace Sunday. He and his family were received warmly. It’s not every former employee whose return is trumpeted on a 62,000-square-foot halo video board. Some things have been lost in the work-from-home era.

Ali Krieger will have to wait a bit longer to retire, and that’s a good thing. The two-time Women’s World Cup winner for the United States has made the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs with her club team, Gotham. They’ll play the North Carolina Courage on Sunday in the opening round. The 39-year-old Krieger announced before the season that this would be her last. Gotham feted her with a farewell ceremony following the team’s 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Current that helped clinch a playoff spot.

The Green Bay Packers visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday in a matchup of teams with quarterbacks who have cooled off considerably after hot starts. Jordan Love threw six touchdown passes in his first two starts but has thrown six interceptions in his last three. Wilson's numbers rivaled those of Patrick Mahomes through the first month of the season, but he's coming off his worst game as a Bronco. He was held under 100 yards passing by the Kansas City Chiefs last week and he's been sacked eight times and has three turnovers in his last two games.

The Tar Heels gave the Hurricanes fits during Miami’s 41-31 loss last weekend as UM struggled to adjust to UNC’s up-tempo offense.

Tulane coach Willie Fritz is about to make Green Wave history regardless of whether his team wins or loses this weekend. Fritz is set to coach his 95th game for Tulane when the 23rd-ranked Green Wave host North Texas on Saturday. That will eclipse the old record of 94 shared by Chris Scelfo and Clark Shaughnessy. Winning has a lot to do with why Fritz is now in his eighth season coaching at Tulane. The Green Wave have won 17 of 20 games and are trying to repeat as American Athletic Conference champions. North Texas coach Eric Morris says Fritz is now “setting a standard that everybody’s kind of working towards in this conference."

The Tar Heels gave the Hurricanes fits during Miami’s 41-31 loss last weekend as UM struggled to adjust to UNC’s up-tempo offense.

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has skipped practice for the second straight day. The Sixers say the disgruntled player is away because of a personal matter. Coach Nick Nurse says it is unlikely Harden will play in Friday's preseason finale. Harden has yet to play in the preseason. He did attend training camp and continued to practice with the 76ers in the wake of his offseason trade demand. Harden said last week his fractured relationship with team president Daryl Morey could not be repaired and said over the summer that he could not play for the 76ers.

The New York Jets’ 20-14 win over Philadelphia last Sunday was perhaps the biggest win in Robert Saleh’s three seasons as coach. It lifted the Jets to 3-3 going into their bye this week. It’s an unlikely mark after Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon four plays into his debut on Sept. 11. Saleh’s consistent approach has been a major reason. Perhaps the biggest. Rodgers says Saleh holds all the players accountable and tight end Tyler Conklin says the coach lives by his words.

Tennessee coach Kellie Harper was among the millions watching Angel Reese and LSU claim the national title. It was a high note both for the Southeastern Conference, which also had South Carolina in the Final Four, and women’s college basketball. A record 9.9 million viewers watched LSU beat Iowa in the national championship game. Harper couldn’t help yelling at the TV, “Yes, SEC!” All that would be hard to top, though Kim Mulkey’s Tigers enter the season at No. 1 with Reese back, along with two of the nation’s top transfers.

Backup quarterbacks figure to be in the spotlight when Chicago hosts Las Vegas. The Bears were planning to give undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent his first start with Justin Fields nursing a dislocated right thumb. Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo is out after injuring his back in a win over New England. That means Las Vegas will turn to 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill should be the NFL’s MVP.

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will headline the new-look United Cup mixed team event in Perth and Sydney from Dec. 29 to Jan. 7 as one of the key warm-up tournaments for the Australian Open. Team Poland will be led by world No. 2 and four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz. They are the top seed for the 2024 edition after the entries from the top 16 countries were released by Tennis Australia. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari will lead No.2-seeded Greece. The defending champion United States featuring Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz are seeded third. No. 4 seed France will be led by Caroline Garcia and Adrian Mannarino.

The University of Michigan is applying for liquor licenses to potentially sell alcohol at Michigan Stadium, Crisler Center and Yost Ice Arena. The school’s board approved the action Thursday. Michigan plans to sell alcohol at basketball and hockey games this season and to decide at a later date whether to have booze for sale at football games. Michigan State University began selling alcohol this season and will have it for sale Saturday night when it hosts the second-ranked Wolverines. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation last summer that would allow liquor licenses to be issued to sporting venues at public universities.

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is closing in on NFL history as a 28-year-old rookie. The former Major League Soccer prospect has made 16 consecutive field goals to start his career. He's two shy of the NFL record for makes at the beginning of a career. It was set by Travis Coons with Cleveland eight years ago. Aubrey's pro soccer career fizzled quickly. He had never kicked in high school or college but started working on it soon after deciding to move on from soccer. Aubrey's chance with his hometown team comes after a two-year stint in the USFL.

Baseball’s League Championship Series are producing solid ratings after seeing declines during the first two rounds. According to Nielsen, the LCS English and Spanish broadcasts for the first two games are averaging 5.2 million, which is even with last year. The LCS ratings are holding steady despite not having a team from New York, Chicago or Los Angeles — the country’s three largest TV markets — in the round for the first time since 2014. The teams with the five best regular-season records are also watching from home.

The biggest grin in Formula One is back on the racing grid. Daniel Ricciardo now wants to deliver results worthy of his return for AlphaTauri this season and that coveted seat in 2024. Ricciardo missed the last five races with a broken left hand but returns this week to the U.S. Grand Prix, where the 34-year-old Australian has a history of having some cheeky fun. Ricciardo said he wants to use the last part of the season to show again he is a race car driver more than an entertainer.

The New England Patriots have enlisted the former director of Germany’s national soccer teams to help them expand their fan base and business connections in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Oliver Bierhoff will serve as a business adviser for the NFL team which has commercial rights in the region as part of the NFL’s “global markets” program. The Patriots will play the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt on Nov. 12. The team says Bierhoff will advise on marketing, branding and business development. Last December, Bierhoff resigned as managing director of the country’s national soccer teams and academy after Germany’s early exit from the men’s World Cup. He had a management role with the German federation for 18 years.

TAMPA, Fla. — Say this for the Bucs offensive line: It knows how to protect quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Washington Commanders and New York Giants came into the season with the goal of closing the gap on the perennial frontrunners in the NFL East, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Inching toward the halfway point and a game with New York at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the Commanders are 3-3 and a lot closer to success than the offensively inept Giants. New York has lost four straight. It has a 1-5 record and is last in the league in scoring with 71 points. The Giants got the better of Washington last season by winning a game and tying another.

LOS ANGELES — Baseball players are often averse to voicing political stances or taking sides in conflicts that don't take place on a diamond. Fans, after all, come in all stripes.

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will not play Sunday because of a back injury when Las Vegas visits the Chicago Bears, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Raiders have not announced Garoppolo’ playing status. Either 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell will start for Las Vegas. Hoyer played the second half of Sunday’s 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots when Garoppolo was injured. O’Connell started and played the entire game when the Raiders lost at the Los Angeles Chargers 24-17 on Oct. 1.

The Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos square off Sunday in a matchup where both teams are looking to end slumps. Packers quarterback Jordan Love started out the season hot but has cooled off and so has Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The game might serve as a crossroads for both teams. The Broncos are off to a 1-5 start and have lost all three of their home games to underdogs. The Packers were installed as a slight favorite in this game despite having lost three of their past four games following a wipeout of the Bears on opening weekend.

DETROIT — The new goal horn at Little Caesars Arena sounds pretty good.

Awful. No sugar-coating our Week 6 results. I would blame the picks coming out in print on Friday the 13th, but there is no excuse available to us. There were a bunch of outright upsets and I didn’t foresee any of them. I had the Jets-with-points over Philadelphia, but that was about it for …

The roof will be open for Game 4 of the AL Championship Series. The Thursday night game will be the first Texas Rangers home game in nearly five months without it closed. The last open-air game played at Globe Life Field was May 21. The Rangers were 7-4 in the 11 regular-season games they played with the roof open. Temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 70s with clear skies expected at first pitch. Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS were played with the roof closed at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.

There was a time when the Buffalo Bills traveled to New England looking to prove they could give the Patriots a fight at the top of the division. This season, New England is enduring its worst start in more than two decades and is just hoping to put up any kind of fight against the Bills. Buffalo hasn't performed up to its offensive standards over its past two games. But the Bills have won their last four meetings with the Patriots. New England broke a 12-quarter touchdown drought in last week's loss at Las Vegas, but faces a Buffalo defense that is giving up just 14.8 points per game.

At least the Indianapolis Colts know who will start at quarterback Sunday against Cleveland. It'll be veteran Gardner Minshew. The Browns are still trying to figure who'll be under center for them. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson hasn't practiced since suffering a bruised rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder Sept. 24. Last week, coach Kevin Stefanski activated PJ Walker off the practice squad and Walker led Cleveland past previously unbeaten San Francisco. Stefanski has said Walker would start again this week if Watson can't.