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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Bijan Robinson is preparing for another busy season as Falcons’ do-it-all running back
Bijan Robinson was a do-it-all back for Atlanta in 2024, his second pro season. He ranked third in the league with 1,456 yards rushing and third among all running backs with 61 catches. The challenge for coach Raheem Morris is to make the most of Robinson’s production while not overextending his workload. Allgeier rushed for 1,035 yards as a rookie in 2022 and averaged 4.7 yards per carry while rushing for 644 yards on a career-low 137 carries last season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see more two-running back sets, perhaps with defenses having to monitor Robinson put in motion as a receiver while All geier remains lined up behind Penix.. backup quarterback Easton Stick worked out with wide receiver D.J. Chark in the offseason after the two were Los Angeles Chargers teammates last year.
Robinson was a do-it-all back for Atlanta in 2024, his second pro season. He ranked third in the league with 1,456 yards rushing and third among all running backs with 61 catches. He tied for fifth with 14 rushing touchdowns and was fourth with 304 carries.
While Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley was voted the NFL’s top running back by The Associated Press entering the season, Robinson was included in the top five.
Now, after Penix made only three starts as a rookie to close last season, the Falcons can be expected to take advantage again of their strong running game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
“You have to get him the rock,” Penix said at the start of training camp. “It’s simple as that. It doesn’t matter how we do it. Somehow, some way he’s got to have the rock.”
Robinson said he learned more about preparing for another busy season by working out with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey in California this offseason.
“It was great,” Robinson said. “Me and him just giving each other so many tips and feeding off knowledge from each other on the field. … We worked together the whole month. I got to see how he worked. He got to see how I worked. It was really cool two guys coming together trying to make each other better. He taught me some nuance moves on the field and I did the same for him.”
The challenge for coach Raheem Morris is to make the most of Robinson’s production while not overextending his workload.
“You definitely want to protect that kind of unique athlete,” Morris said, adding that Robinson “doesn’t need a governor” as an artificial cap on his number of carries.
“He’s certainly one of those guys that can carry the load,” Morris said. “Certainly one of the guys that has carried the load for us. And you could definitely do that. But we just happen to have some really good backs, you know? … We have a luxury of having a guy like Tyler on our team.”
Allgeier rushed for 1,035 yards as a rookie in 2022 and averaged 4.7 yards per carry while rushing for 644 yards on a career-low 137 carries last season. There is an emphasis on creating opportunities to use Allgeier more this season.
“We’ve got to find ways to get Tyler on the field, to find ways to feature him on the field,” Morris said.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see more two-running back sets, perhaps with defenses having to monitor Robinson put in motion as a receiver while Allgeier remains lined up behind Penix.
Kudos for Cousins
General manager Terry Fontenot said Sunday that Kirk Cousins has been “the ultimate professional” after losing his starting job to Penix last season and returning as a backup, despite speculation the veteran could be traded.
“Outside, it’s a lot more of a big deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said of the questions about Cousins’ status. “He shows up. He does his job just like anybody. … He’s been a great professional. He’s handled himself well.”
Tip from Stick
Fontenot said backup quarterback Easton Stick, who worked out with wide receiver D.J. Chark in the offseason after the two were Los Angeles Chargers teammates last season, passed along a recommendation that the Falcons look at signing the veteran. Chark worked out at the Falcons’ facility on Friday and signed in time to have his first practice on Saturday.
The timing was convenient, as starter Darnell Mooney is expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury.
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Former POWs in Russia channel their pain into rebuilding lives in Ukraine
Stanislav Tarnavskyi is one of more than 5,000 former POWs back in Ukraine. The 25-year-old was captured during the battle for Mariupol in April of 2022. The U.N. says many endured beatings, starvation and humiliation at the hands of their captors. Psychologists say it is vital to monitor ex-POWs for years after their release.”They say time heals — five or ten years, maybe — but it doesn’t,” a psychologist says. “It just feels less intense,” she adds of post-traumatic stress disorder for ex-pOWs. “You will never forget. Even if you really want to, never forget,” a former POW says of his time in captivity. “I love you very much, I am very glad that you waited for me,” he says to his new girlfriend, Tetiana Baieva. “Will you marry me?” he asks her, holding a bouquet of pink roses.
The 25-year-old has proposed to his girlfriend, bought an apartment and adopted a golden retriever. And that was just what he accomplished one week in July.
But as busy as he is rekindling old relationships and creating new ones, Tarnavskyi cannot shake the trauma he and thousands of other Ukrainian soldiers experienced as prisoners of war. The U.N. says many endured beatings, starvation and humiliation at the hands of their captors — experiences that will leave lifelong scars.
Tarnavskyi, who was captured during the battle for Mariupol in April of 2022, regularly has nightmares about the prisons where he was held.
“I see the officers who watched over us. I dream they want to harm me, catch me,” he said. When he wakes up, his heart pounds, anxiety surges — until he realizes he is in the outskirts of Kyiv, where he was forced to move because Russia occupied his hometown of Berdiansk.
As the three-year war drags on, Tarnavskyi is one of more than 5,000 former POWs back in Ukraine rehabilitating with the help of regular counseling. Regardless of any physical injuries that may require attention, psychologists say it is vital to monitor former POWs for years after their release; the cost of war, they say, echoes for generations.
A marriage proposal
In a photography studio high above Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, sunlight floods the white walls. After a shoot that lasted several hours Tarnavskyi said the brightness was hurting his eyes, which are still sensitive from years spent in a dark cell.
But his mood couldn’t be dimmed. The girlfriend who waited for his return had just consented to his surprise proposal.
“I love you very much, I am very glad that you waited for me,” Tarnavskyi said, holding a thick bouquet of pink roses and a ring. “You have always been my support, and I hope you will remain so for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
Tarnavskyi said it was the thought of Tetiana Baieva — whom he met in 2021 — that helped stop him from committing suicide three times during captivity.
Still, he finds it hard to talk with Baieva about his time in prison. He doesn’t want to be pitied.
Soon after he returned home, he was paranoid, feeling watched — a reaction to constant surveillance in prison. “If you stepped out of line, they’d (Russians) come and beat you. I still get flashbacks when I see (surveillance) cameras. If I see one, I get nervous,” he said.
But with each passing week, he is feeling better, progress Tarnavskyi credits to the work he is doing with a psychologist.
Lifelong care is vital
Any small stimulus — a smell, a breeze, a color — can trigger traumatic memories for POWs, says Kseniia Voznitsyna, the director of Ukraine’s Lisova Polyana mental health center for veterans on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Yet contrary to stereotypes, ex-POWs aren’t more aggressive. “They tend to isolate themselves, avoid large gatherings, and struggle with trust,” said Voznitsyna.
“They say time heals — five or ten years, maybe — but it doesn’t,” she added. “It just feels less intense.”
A 2014 study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that Israeli ex-POWs and combat veterans tracked over 35 years had higher mortality rates, chronic illnesses and worse self-rated health — conditions partly tied to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The authors of the study said that is why it is crucial to monitor ex-POWs and give them specialized medical and psychological care as they age.
That logic rings true to Denys Zalizko, a 21-year-old former POW who has been back in Ukraine for less than three months but is already sure his recovery will take a long time.
“You can’t fool yourself. Even if you really want to, you will never forget. It will always haunt you,” he said.
An artist to be
Zalizko survived torture, suicide attempts and relentless beatings during roughly 15 months in Russian captivity.
The first time his mother, Maria Zalizko, saw him after his release, she barely recognized him. He was thin and appeared “broken”, she said, with torment in his eyes.
Zalizko’s physical appearance is now almost completely different. His skin looks healthy, his muscles are taut and he has lots of energy. But still there is sadness in his eyes.
Two things keep him moving forward and help clear his mind: music and exercise.
“Pauses and stillness bring anxiety,” says Zalizko.
Like Tarnavskyi, he is receiving mandatory counseling at the Lisova Polyana mental health center. And like many former POWs, he still battles hypervigilance — listening for threats, scanning his surroundings. At night, sleep comes in fragments, and that was true even before a recent uptick in nightly drone attacks by the Russian army.
For the families of POWs, the reintegration process is also a struggle.
A psychologist advised Maria Zalizko to give her son space, to avoid calling him too often. But it is Denys who often calls her, sometimes singing over the phone — a skill she taught him as a child.
“I love music. Music unites,” he said, touching the tattoo of a treble clef behind his ear — inked after his return. Even in captivity, he sang quietly to himself, composing songs in his mind about love, home and war. Now he dreams of turning that passion into a career as an artist.
“I’ve become stronger now,” Zalizko said. “I’m not afraid of death, not afraid of losing an arm or a leg, not afraid of dying instantly. I fear nothing anymore.”
With Grant Holmes placed on 15-day IL, all 5 Braves opening day starters are out with injuries
Atlanta Braves place right-hander Grant Holmes on the 15-day injured list. Holmes has elbow inflammation and is replaced on the active roster by Daysbel Hernández. The Braves’ other Opening Day starters are all on the 60-day list. Atlanta lost 8-1 at Texas on Sunday for its fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.. The five have made 63 combined starts this season, with Holmes making four.
“We’re going to figure out a way to piece this thing together,” said manager Brian Snitker, whose team lost at Texas 8-1 on Sunday afternoon for its fifth consecutive defeat. “That’s all you can do ’cause the games aren’t going to stop because we lost our rotation.”
Holmes has elbow inflammation and was replaced on the active roster by Daysbel Hernández, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Holmes pitched four innings Saturday in the Braves’ 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers in 10 innings.
Hernández had been optioned to Gwinnett on July 13.
The Braves’ other Opening Day starters are all on the 60-day list. It began during the season’s first week with right-hander Reynaldo López (placed on the list on March 29 with shoulder inflammation following one start, resulting in surgery), right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (May 29, strained elbow, resulting in Tommy John surgery), left-hander Chris Sale (June 21, fractured rib cage diving to field a grounder in the ninth inning of a five-hit shutout of the New York Mets shortly after being selected to his ninth All-Star team) and right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (July 2, fractured elbow).
The five have made 63 combined starts this season.
“We’re professional,” Snitker said. “We’re getting paid to do this. We signed a contract. So every day, we’re going to go out and give it our best shot and win the game.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
MLS suspends Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for skipping All-Star Game
Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba will miss Saturday’s MLS All-Star Game. The Barcelona and Real Madrid players were not selected for the game. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the decision was “a very difficult one” The league will re-evaluate the rules. The game will be played in Miami, Florida.
Messi and Alba did not suit up for the match between the MLS and Liga MX of Mexico despite being voted to the game. Messi did not play to rest amid a packed schedule and Alba was dealing with a previous injury.
Per MLS rules, any player who doesn’t participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match.
The players will miss Miami’s home match Saturday against FC Cincinnati, which sits atop the Eastern Conference standings.
As Inter Miami awaited the league’s decision, both Messi and Alba practiced with the club on Friday in anticipation of playing in Saturday’s match.
“I know Lionel Messi loves this league,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “I don’t think there’s a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision.
“Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it. It was a very difficult decision.”
Garber added that the league will re-evaluate the policy and work with players to “determine how the rule should evolve.”
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hulk Hogan’s greatest moments in professional wrestling ‘run wild on you’
Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, left behind more than three decades of memorable matches. He stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. He fought side-by-side with Mr. T. He hosted “Saturday Night Live” and flexed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was the champion for 1,474 days before losing to Andre the Giant in 1988, then believed to be true to be a 15-year streak. He had more late comebacks than fellow 1980s sports stars John Elway or Michael Jordan combined. He always won, of course, and there was no reason for WWF owner and pro wrestler puppeteer Vince McMahon to ever deviate from the plan of Hulkamania running wild. The real power of Hoganamania was making money and moving merch, as he did in the 1990s as “Hollywood’s Hulk Hogan in the New World Order. He won again at WrestleMania. He beat the Sheik on Jan 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden.
Andre wrapped his tree-trunk arms around the champ and tried to wring the final breaths out of Hogan with a bear hug so tight that more than 90,000 fans in Detroit almost witnessed the final day of Hulkamania.
But, wait!
This was Hulk Hogan.
Wrestling’s biggest star had more late comebacks than fellow 1980s sports stars John Elway or Michael Jordan combined. Hogan had some gas left in the tank, some extra bite in those 24-inch pythons, and hammered away at Andre. One right hand, then another one, and another! Wrestling fans roared as they knew the bad news that was coming for Andre. Hogan fought back — much as he did against those 1980s baddies out of the Cold War or Iran — and finally body-slammed Andre the Giant. Hogan hit the hopes and delivered his famous leg drop on Andre’s chest to get the three count.
Hulk Hogan won again at WrestleMania.
He always won, of course. It’s what the story called for and there was no reason for WWF owner and pro wrestler puppeteer Vince McMahon to ever deviate from the plan of Hulkamania running wild.
Why would he?
Hogan had the hulking size, the charisma and catchphrases — “What’cha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?” — that led the industry out of gyms and regional arenas and into NFL stadiums, like that 1987 night when Hogan beat Andre at the Pontiac Silverdome in WrestleMania III.
“There he is,” announcer Gorilla Monsoon said, as Hogan played to the crowd, “the greatest professional athlete in the world today.”
Whether you break out an eye roll or crank up Hogan’s “ Real American ” anthem to that statement depends, of course, on one’s ability to suspend disbelief. There is no denying, though, just how real Hogan’s impact was on professional wrestling and pop culture in the 1980s. He stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. He fought side-by-side with Mr. T. He hosted “Saturday Night Live” and flexed on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
“He did what he set out to do,” WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday by phone. “He became the most recognized, not only professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the world, he’s probably top-five of anybody you’d recognize when you saw him.”
WWE has long claimed the paid attendance of WrestleMania III was 93,173, a number some historians claim is as artificially inflated as the chemically-enhanced biceps of that era. What can’t be disputed, when the two had their match in 1988, live on national television, more than 33 million fans tuned in to NBC, still far and away the record for largest viewing audience in American televised wrestling.
Making money and moving merch. That was the real power of Hulkamania.
Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, left behind more than three decades of memorable matches that captured the spirit of those little Hulkamaniacs to the ones that loved to hate him in the 1990s as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan in the New World Order.
Here are some of his best moments.
He beat the Sheik
Hogan wasn’t some upstart when he returned to the WWF (now WWE) in late 1983. He tested the waters of Hulkamania in the old American Wrestling Association and made his famous appearance as Thunderlips in “Rocky III,” when was beckoned back to WWE and became an instant contender to face the champion, the hated Iron Sheik. Hogan broke out of the dreaded camel clutch and pinned the Sheik to become the new champion on Jan. 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden — the building paid tribute to Hogan on Thursday night — and set the course for Hulkamania.
He was champion for 1,474 days before losing to Andre in 1988.
Slamming Andre
Back before the internet spilled behind-the-scenes secrets, and there was easy access to watch wrestling around the globe, WWE created its own version of wrestling history. If the company said Andre the Giant had never been slammed, and had never been pinned over a 15-year undefeated streak, then it was believed to be true (neither were, of course).
Yet, the faux hype set the stage for the match that changed wrestling forever.
“Andre the Giant was a momentum-shifting moment where he passed his torch,” Hogan said in a 2009 interview with the AP. “He was like the icing on the cake. Once he blessed me, it was up to me to mold that business and carry it through.”
You can call this the New World Order of wrestling, brother
By 1996, Hogan’s good-guy, beats-the-odds character had grown stale as he made the shift from WWE to Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling. Hogan even started to get booed as wrestling fans clamored for a new direction, a new star on top.
They got one. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan.
For weeks, two former WWE stars had “invaded” WCW and claimed they were taking over the company. That led to a six-man tag-team match where the two outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, promised a third man to help with their cause. No one showed to help the two until the end, when Hogan walked out in his red-and-yellow attire, and stunned the crowd when he put the leg drop on Randy Savage. Hogan was third man. He ditched his traditional colors for black-and-white, sunglasses, dark facial hair and embraced the “Hollywood” heel persona.
Much as he did a decade earlier, Hogan led WCW to new heights and the company would defeat WWE in the TV ratings for 83 straight weeks in what would be known as the “Monday Night Wars.” Hogan lost as much as he won without his Hulkamania powers. He still moved the needle where it mattered most and made WCW must-see TV every Monday night.
It’s icon vs. icon against The Rock
With WCW out of business and bought by McMahon, Hogan kept a low profile until he made a comeback with WWE in 2002. He returned with Hall and Nash as the NWO but at this point, WWE fans wanted their old Hulkster back.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was WWE’s baby-faced crowd favorite when he met the villainous Hogan at WrestleMania in an “Icon vs. Icon” match in WrestleMania in 2002. One problem, the Toronto crowd decided to back Hogan.
“When we hit the ring, 70,000 loyal people didn’t want to hate Hulk Hogan,” Hogan said in 2009. “Everybody kind of started to panic and I just said, ’Brother, stick with me and I’ll get you through this.”’
After the match, the cheers for Hogan called for a last-second change of plans, with his former NWO allies running down to attack him. The Rock helped Hogan fight off the NWO and the two men posed together to riotous cheers.
“As I raised his hand and said he’s the greatest wrestler in the world, they had to turn me back red and yellow immediately,” Hogan said. “It’s kind of interesting, that was going to be the nail in my coffin. It turned out to be the fountain of youth for me.”
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The story story has been corrected to show it’s American Wrestling Association, not Alliance.
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