Italy and Croatia are tough options as lower-seeded teams in Euro 2024 tournament draw

Today in Sports, December 2 - Dan Marino throws his 37th TD pass to break NFL single-season TDs pass record

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to be out of action for about two months with an ankle injury. The Uruguay international was hurt after a challenge from Matty Cash in a game against Aston Villa last week. He appeared to be in pain clutching his right leg. Bentancur had only recently returned from a nine-month absence following an ACL injury. He had scans on his ankle and Tottenham says he is expected to miss the rest of 2023. Postecoglou thinks it will take even longer to fully recover.

Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia is expected to return from a knee injury early next year. The left back had surgery during the offseason and United said he required another operation following an unspecified setback. He has not played yet this term and United did not give a firm date on his expected return to action.  Malacia joined United from Feyenoord last season in deal worth around £13 million ($16 million). The Netherlands international’s last appearance was for his country in the Nations League semifinals against Croatia in June.

Rafael Nadal says he will return to playing at the Brisbane International in Australia in January. Nadal says in a video posted on social media “it is time to come back. It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January. See you there.” The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played on tour since last January when he hurt his hip flexor during a loss in the second round of the Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal says he will return to playing at Brisbane International in Australia in January.

English police have 46 supporters of Legia Warsaw in custody after “90 minutes of sustained violence” when 1,000 Polish fans arrived to Villa Park but weren’t given their tickets to the game against Aston Villa. West Midlands Police say their investigation will include determining why the tickets weren’t distributed but that they’ll pursue charges against those arrested after four officers were injured. Villa won the Europa Conference League game 2-1. The away fans section of the stadium was empty. Police described “enormous hostility” among the estimated 1,000 away fans some of whom started fires and threw flares. Police did not indicate that their officers’ injuries were serious.

Defending champion Italy and World Cup semifinalist Croatia are among the lower-seeded teams in the European Championship tournament draw that is made on Saturday in Germany. That is because UEFA decides seedings solely based on results in the 10 qualifying groups. Italy and Croatia finished second in their groups and dropped several points so fell down the rankings. Joining Germany in pot 1 are the five teams with the best records among group winners: Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England. Croatia is among third-seeded teams and Italy is in the lowest-ranked pot 4. The 24 teams are drawn into six groups.

Ottawa Senators player Shane Pinto's 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's gambling policy led to plenty of conversation within the hockey community. No details were released other than an investigation showed no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games. Players around the league had questions that led to further tips about what is and isn't allowed with sports betting. That education is continuing from the Players' Association to the NHL Alumni Association as leagues grapple with optics of ever-present gambling ads and how to navigate the reality of it being legal in the U.S. and Canada.

Aaron Rodgers defied conventional medicine by returning to practice just 77 days after surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. How he did it should be the No. 1 question instead of questioning his motivation. Even if Rodgers doesn’t play again for the New York Jets this season because it wouldn’t make sense if they’re eliminated from the playoff race, his remarkable recovery sets a new standard. Every player who tears an Achilles tendon should call Rodgers and ask him about his surgical procedure, how he rehabilitated, what he ate and drank. No question is a stupid one.

The Southeastern Conference is the only league to claim a spot — sometimes two spots — in every College Football Playoff. And the SEC hasn’t just participated. It has dominated. But some are wondering if the conference that has captured six of nine national titles under the current four-team format might get shut out of the postseason if No. 8 Alabama knocks off No. 1 Georgia in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champions, but things could get dicey if the Tide snaps Georgia’s 29-game winning streak.

Dave Johnson is one of four former managers under consideration for Cooperstown enshrinement by a Contemporary Baseball Era committee. Hall of Fame slugger Mike Schmidt, a former teammate of Johnson's, writes for The Associated Press that this should be Davey's time. Johnson has twice been on the ballot as a manager, and both times drew fewer than five votes. He finished 301 games over .500 as a manager and is 10th all-time in winning percentage among those winning at least 1,000 games. The nine managers above him on that list are all in the Hall.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — To appreciate the newest Miami Dolphins’ final chapter, consider his first one. Two decades ago, he entered geometry class on the first day as a Deerfield Beach High School junior. The teacher was waiting for him.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — When No. 1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) squares off with No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0 SEC) at 4 p.m. in Saturday’s SEC football championship game, it will mark the end of an era.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Deion Sanders may coach Colorado to Bill McCartney-level heights but at least one piece to Prime’s grand plan has, thankfully, blown up in those gold-tinted shades.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As a senior at Brigham Young in 1980, Andy Reid was considering a career as a sportswriter. If he had gone on that way and, say, later covered the Chiefs, he told me in 2017, “They’d be fun articles to read. You’d look forward to reading them. They’d be colorful.”

PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley never stopped running as he rounded third base, but he also never stopped thinking. He played the game like a cyborg, from the way he studied the opposition in the hours before first pitch to the way he never shied away from an inside fastball to the way he moved o…

DALLAS — In a business where “weird” is just another day at the office, Tuesday broke a few barriers. No sooner had your intrepid reporter sat down in the Mavs media workroom than the boss called with the unthinkable news that Mark Cuban was selling the team. Before a night of chasing rumors…

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — When COVID cases first appeared in March 2020, St. Louis businessman Louis Cella knew his family’s casino and racetrack in Hot Springs, Ark., drew at least 10,000 people daily during its racing season.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Pac-12  Conference is having a heck of a final kick. No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon are two of the four conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25. They meet Friday for an almost certain spot in the College Football Playoff. The Pac-12 has not placed a team in the playo…

The Anaheim Ducks will try to break their eight-game slide when they take on the Colorado Avalanche.

The New York Islanders visit the Florida Panthers after the Islanders beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in overtime.

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres in Eastern Conference play.

The Pittsburgh Penguins play the Philadelphia Flyers in a matchup of Metropolitan Division squads.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins after the Maple Leafs took down the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in a shootout.

The New Jersey Devils host the San Jose Sharks after the Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime.

The Tampa Bay Lightning come into the matchup against the Dallas Stars after losing three in a row.

The Detroit Red Wings visit the Montreal Canadiens after J.T. Compher scored two goals in the Red Wings' 5-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Washington Capitals visit the Vegas Golden Knights after Tom Wilson recorded a hat trick in the Capitals' 5-4 win against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Arizona Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues after the Coyotes defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in overtime.

The Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks after the Flames knocked off the Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime.

The Winnipeg Jets aim to stop a three-game slide when they play the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Nashville Predators host the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers.

No. 5 Kansas hosts the No. 4 UConn Huskies after Hunter Dickinson scored 25 points in Kansas' 71-63 win against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. Friday's matchup is the first of the season for the squads. Kansas is 3-0 at home, and UConn is 0-0 on the road.

Western Michigan hosts the Saint Thomas Tommies after Owen Lobsinger scored 25 points in Western Michigan's 72-66 win over the Mercer Bears. The teams square off Friday for the first time this season. Western Michigan is 0-2 at home, and St. Thomas is 0-3 on the road.

Georgia Southern looks to break its seven-game slide when the Eagles take on Jacksonville. The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. Georgia Southern is 0-0 at home, and Jacksonville is 1-2 on the road.

George Washington visits the South Carolina Gamecocks after James Bishop scored 28 points in the Revolutionaries' 81-71 win against the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. Friday's meeting is the first of the season between the two squads. South Carolina is 3-0 at home, and George Washington is 0-0 on the road.

NJIT faces the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights after Elijah Buchanan scored 28 points in NJIT's 86-68 loss to the George Mason Patriots. Saturday's matchup is the first of the season between the two teams. NJIT is 1-1 at home, and Fairleigh Dickinson is 1-4 on the road.

Brown faces the Bryant Bulldogs after Kino Lilly Jr. scored 21 points in Brown's 82-77 loss to the Ohio Bobcats. The teams square off Friday for the first time this season. Brown is 1-1 at home, and Bryant is 1-3 on the road.

New Mexico State aims to end its three-game road slide with a win against New Mexico. Saturday's meeting is the first of the season for the two squads. New Mexico is 3-0 at home, and New Mexico State is 0-3 on the road.