The Toronto Maple Leafs were facing an 0-3 series deficit and on the verge of getting swept by the Florida Panthers.But, they won Game 4 in Florida and have lived to fight another day.Game 5 will be back in Toronto tonight, and the Maple Leafs are still facing elimination and will have to pl...

Ronald Acuña Jr. not only achieved MLB history during Thursday night's road victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he triumphed in his personal life. What did Ronnie Beisbol do?

The possible link between repetitive heading and cognitive impairment in later life has again been highlighted in new data published on Monday. The University of Nottingham’s FOCUS study, co-funded by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association, gathered information on heading frequency from 459 retired players aged 45 and over. Players who recalled heading a ball 15 times or more per match or training session were found to be 3.53 times more likely to score below the test threshold in the cognitive status assessment than players who said they headed the ball up to five times, the FOCUS study found. Players who recalled heading a ball six to 15 times were also 2.71 times more likely to score below the test threshold than the lowest-frequency heading group. The study said its findings suggested “repetitive heading during a professional soccer career is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment in later life”. It concluded further study was required to establish the upper threshold for heading frequency to mitigate this risk. The FA has already taken steps to reduce the possible risk posed by repetitive exposure to heading by issuing guidance for players in children’s and adults’ game. Adults at grassroots and professional level are now advised to perform a maximum of 10 ‘higher force’ headers per week in training. As well as restrictions on heading in training for under-18s football, the FA is entering the second season of trialling the complete removal of heading in under-12s football. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said on the FOCUS Study: “This study is another step in understanding any potential link between neurogenerative disorders and former professional footballers. “Since funding the FIELD study, we have continued to invest in research to gain a greater understanding of the area and potential risk factors. “More research is required to fully understand the issues and we welcome a global approach to do that. “Whilst there is no doubt of the overall benefit to health of playing football, by addressing potential risk factors whilst we continue to invest in medical research, we will ensure that millions can continue to enjoy our national sport.” The FIELD study found in 2019 that footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease compared to age-matched members of the general population. The first part of the FOCUS study, published in June, found 2.8 per cent of retired professional footballers in its study reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9 per cent of controls. This meant former professionals were found to be 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases compared to the control group. The study also showed retired footballers in the study were twice as likely to fall below established thresholds in some dementia testing than the general population. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leon Taylor hails ‘coming of age’ moment for Team GB’s female divers Cameron Smith has no point to prove defending Open title he won before LIV move An in-depth look at the rapid rise of Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz

Paris Saint-Germain captain and Brazil defender Marquinhos has extended his contract until 2028, the club...

Scottie Barnes ranked No. 15 on our list of the best young players in the NBA. Can he address his weaknesses and recapture the magic of his rookie season?

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. Get all the latest Luton vs West Ham odds here This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Holger Rune followed up his latest victory over Novak Djokovic with another impressive performance

What the papers say Manchester United are experiencing mixed fortunes as Erik ten Hag looks to build his squad for next season. On the plus side, the Daily Mail says they are close to agreeing a new, long-term deal with forward Marcus Rashford. But the Mail also reports that United’s pursuit of Jordan Pickford is not going as smoothly. The paper says the England goalkeeper is happy at Everton, with no approach yet from Old Trafford. West Ham look to have missed out in their pursuit of Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax, according to The Guardian. They continue to press ahead with a move for Joao Palhinha from Fulham. Several leading clubs will be on alert after news from Napoli about striker Victor Osimhen. The Italian champions hope to extend the 24-year-old Nigerian’s contract, but according to the Metro, they would consider an offer “they cannot refuse”. Social media round-up Players to watch : Ryan Gravenberch: Liverpool are looking to sign the 21-year-old Dutch midfielder from Bayern Munich during the summer. Matt Doherty: The 31-year-old former Tottenham defender is being linked with a free-agent move to the Saudi Pro League. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Graham Rahal will replace the injured Stefan Wilson in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday

Josh Allen thinks the media is to blame for how blown up the Stefon Diggs/Buffalo Bills controversy became.It's not even August, and the Buffalo Bills season has already been defined by controversy. Mandatory minicamp brought with it plenty of attention and drama because star receiver Stefo...

Justin Fields wants to do something no Chicago Bears quarterback has ever done before, setting his sights on a lofty record.This summer, the sun's out, and NFL quarterbacks' guns are out. For Chicago Bears' Justin Fields, he showed off his macho ego in a recent interview with CBS ...

Sophie Turner is suing Joe Jonas, the 49ers dominated the Giants, NBA makes rule changes and more in the Roundup.