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Say this for the NBA

The surging Denver Broncos will take a winning record into December for the first time since 2016 when they visit the Houston Texans next weekend in a matchup of 6-5 teams trying to edge their way into the AFC playoff picture

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has rounded out his staff, retaining Sandy Alomar Jr. and Carl Willis — two long-tenured coaches under former manager Terry Francona

Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns all still have a chance to play in next summer’s Paris Olympics

RB Leipzig are hoping to restore some pride as they return to the scene of last season’s thrashing by Manchester City, coach Marco Rose has said. The German side were crushed 7-0 by the eventual Champions League winners when they visited the Etihad Stadium in the last-16 stage of the competition in March. The two sides meet again at the same venue for a group match on Tuesday, with both having already secured their places in the knockout stages. Rose said at a press conference: “Last year with the 7-0 thrashing, it put us down, it knocked us down. We haven’t spoken about it but it was not a good feeling after the game. “But we became cup champions in Germany after the game and we qualified for the Champions League, so it didn’t destroy us as a team. “Tomorrow we want to do better for sure. We want to compete with one of the best teams in the world. We want to show that we can make it better, that we are better. “It’s difficult. We will have to suffer tomorrow. I didn’t see a team here that had much possession. Even Liverpool I think had just 40 per cent ball possession. “So we know what we’ll get but we are here to try again.” Erling Haaland scored five goals for City in that last meeting and Rose knows all about the threat the Norwegian poses having managed him at his former club Borussia Dortmund. He said: “I hope the relationship is as good as it always was but obviously he has to do his job tomorrow. We have to try and suppress him if we can. “We’ll enjoy watching him play but hopefully we’ll be able to stifle him.” Leipzig go into what is their penultimate game in Group G trailing City by three points. Top spot is still to be finalised but the Germans need to win to have any hope of overhauling the English outfit. Read More Forest investigating allegations of homophobic abuse from fans at Brighton game Former England rugby captain Sarah Hunter enjoying ‘not feeling beaten up’ Player behaviour towards referees tops agenda at meeting of game’s lawmakers

Nottingham Forest are working with the police to identify fans who are believed to have directed homophobic abuse at Brighton players and supporters on Saturday. The behaviour under investigation took place during a 3-2 victory for 10-man Brighton, who had Lewis Dunk sent off late in the second half at the City Ground. Forest condemned the alleged conduct and assured there would be consequences for those involved. A statement on the club’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, read: “Following Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, we have been made aware of some homophobic language aimed towards Brighton players and supporters from a minority of our fans. “Homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, has no place in football or society, and anyone engaging in discriminatory behaviour is committing a criminal offence. We are actively working with Nottinghamshire Police to identify the individuals involved, and they will be dealt with appropriately. “We would like to thank all our supporters who reported incidents. Nottingham Forest is committed to creating an inclusive environment which embraces and celebrates our differences. We want everyone who attends our stadium to have a positive experience.” Read More Former England rugby captain Sarah Hunter enjoying ‘not feeling beaten up’ Player behaviour towards referees tops agenda at meeting of game’s lawmakers Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton

Nick Pope has told Newcastle they have to believe they can win every game if they are to be thought of as a top team. The Magpies head into Tuesday night’s crunch Champions League clash with Paris St Germain knowing their first campaign in two decades could be over if they lose. Memories of October’s 4-1 demolition of the French champions at St James’ Park, which took Eddie Howe’s men to the top of Group F after two rounds of fixtures, have faded after back-to-back defeats by Borussia Dortmund left them at the foot of the table. However, asked what they need at the Parc des Princes, Pope said: “A win would be nice. That’s not going to do any harm in any group at any stage. “It obviously keeps it in our hands as well, which is something that would be nice going into the Milan at home game. But the full focus has got to be on tomorrow night and taking it one game at a time. “Every game we go into, we’ve got to look to win, whether that’s League Cup, Champions League, league. “I believe we’re a top team and top team behaviours and top team attitudes, that’s what it is. Whoever the opponent may be, however good they are, we have to have the belief and the attitude that we want to win the game.” Newcastle managed to keep PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe and his team-mates quiet on Tyneside, but the France international has been in lethal form since, scoring 14 goals in his last 11 games for club and country. Another clean sheet in Paris would do Pope’s chances of winning back a place in the England set-up no harm and, although he insists he has no problem with manager Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave him out of recent squads, he knows what he needs to do to stand a chance of returning. He said: “You can always do more. There’s more clean sheets to be had, more saves, better performances. I’ve got to look inwardly at that. Gareth’s decision to leave me out, I’ve got to make it that he can’t leave me out.” Pope may not be the only Magpie whose form Southgate is monitoring, with Anthony Gordon staking his claim for an elevation from the under-21 ranks with a series of high-octane performances amid a crippling injury crisis. Howe was without 13 senior players for Saturday’s 4-1 league win over Chelsea, in which the former Everton man scored the final goal, and will have to play a key role in the French capital if his side is to prosper. The Magpies head coach, who may have to include 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley in his starting line-up once again after a hugely impressive display against the Blues, knows just how high the stakes are, but is not cowed by the pressure. Howe, who put his players through their paces at the Parc des Princes on Monday evening having trained back in Newcastle for the previous two away games, said: “It’s difficult to predict football matches and what the results may be and the permutations of others’ games. We try not to lose energy doing that. “From our side, we prepare to try to win this game, that’s all we can do and then worry about Milan afterwards. “We’re certainly not in a strong position, we’re not in the position that we wanted to be, but we are where we are and we have to just focus on this game, and I think it’s imperative we don’t lose.” Howe confirmed midfielder Joe Willock is to see a specialist on Tuesday over his Achilles injury. Read More Rumours: Sancho and Antony head up Man Utd’s 15-player sale list Newcastle face ‘defining’ clash as Howe demands team ‘play on the edge’ Gvardiol’s reminder of how far he’s come - and what he needs to succeed at City Newcastle face ‘defining’ clash as Howe demands team ‘play on the edge’ Gvardiol’s reminder of how far he’s come - and what he needs to succeed at City Player behaviour towards referees tops agenda at meeting of game’s lawmakers

Duke has started the process of replacing Mike Elko as football coach

The Houston Texans missed an opportunity to move into first place in the AFC South with Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders missed the season finale at Utah over the weekend due to a fracture in his back, according to a YouTube video posted by “Well Off Media.”

Two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou concedes in court documents that he breached his contract with McLaren Racing when the Spaniard did an about-face and stayed at Chip Ganassi Racing, having been the reserve driver for McLaren at F1’s Miami Grand Prix. The admission came in Palou's response to a lawsuit filed against him by McLaren in September seeking to recoup at least $23 million (£18.2m) in losses the team calculated Palou's reversal cost the organisation. Palou's 20-page response was filed in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales Commercial Court. The Associated Press reviewed the filing Monday. In the response, Palou says he changed his mind about joining McLaren ahead of the 2024 season when he "lost trust and confidence that (McLaren) genuinely intended to support his ambition to race in the Formula One Series and decided to continue racing with CGR in the Indy Car Series instead." Palou "therefore admits that he renounced his contractual obligations" with McLaren and "the real issue between the parties is as to the quantum of any damages which the Defendants are liable to pay," the documents say. The spat over the 26-year-old between two IndyCar teams began when Palou initially disputed a Ganassi claim that the team had picked up the 2023 option year on his contract. McLaren in July 2022 said it had signed Palou and had him earmarked for an IndyCar seat and a reserve driver role with its Formula One team. Chip Ganassi Racing said it had the contractual rights for Palou for the 2023 season. Palou and Ganassi entered mediation and a resolution was reached a year ago in which Palou would drive for Ganassi in 2023 but was also McLaren's reserve F1 driver when it did not interfere with IndyCar. He was able to participate in a practice session, tested for the F1 team both on track and in a simulator, and was the reserve driver for McLaren at F1's Miami Grand Prix in May. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown was contacted Aug. 8 and told by attorneys for Palou that Palou would not be joining McLaren and had instead signed a three-year extension with Ganassi. Palou won the 2021 and 2023 championships with Ganassi and is now signed there through 2026. IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward last week was named Palou's replacement as McLaren's F1 reserve driver and participated in a practice session during the season-ending race weekend in Abu Dhabi. O'Ward is a full-time IndyCar driver for Arrow McLaren Racing. The bulk of Palou's response focuses on McLaren's loss of revenue claims and attempts to mitigate what Palou will owe in damages. The nearly $23 million in damages McLaren is seeking is broken down in future sponsorship tied to Palou joining McLaren, the costs of using him as a reserve F1 driver, how much McLaren spent developing Palou for F1 and a $400,000 advance on his 2024 salary. McLaren is not seeking repayment of legal fees it says it covered for Palou in last year's fight with Ganassi. McLaren has contended Palou signed two contracts: the first with McLaren Racing as the F1 reserve driver and a separate deal with Arrow McLaren to compete in IndyCar for the team while also serving as the F1 backup. Among the damages McLaren is seeking is nearly $15.5 million in lost revenue under official partner agreements with sponsors NTT Data and General Motors that anticipated Palou would be the driver, including $7 million in revenue and prize money from IndyCar itself. "This claim is embarrassing for want of particularity and speculative in the extreme," the response said. "The performance of any team in a future Indy Car Series cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. Driver performance is variable." The response also disputes McLaren's claim to lost revenues that Palou "would otherwise have earned in relation to the Formula One Series." It notes that claim would only be valid if Palou was actually McLaren's F1 driver, and that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are under contract through 2025 and 2026. The response also claims that if Palou was an F1 driver, all the claims to IndyCar financial losses would be moot. McLaren also wants to recoup all money spent on Palou when he was the test driver, both on track and in the simulator, and money it spent seeking a replacement for Palou. O'Ward became Palou's replacement in the F1 role, while David Malukas was hired to fill the open seat in the IndyCar Series. AP Read More MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi returns to competitive motorsport ‘It did not fail’: W Series enters administration Raul Torras Martinez: Spanish rider dies at Isle of Man TT MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi returns to competitive motorsport ‘It did not fail’: W Series enters administration Raul Torras Martinez: Spanish rider dies at Isle of Man TT

CM Punk made his dramatic return to WWE on Saturday night at the Survivor Series show in his hometown of Chicago in what will be considered one of the most shocking moments in recent wrestling history. The outspoken Punk, real name Phil Brooks, was fired from All Elite Wrestling in September following a backstage altercation with Jack Perry at the All In show at Wembley Stadium. It marked an explosive end to a tumultuous tenure for Punk in AEW, one that had started with such euphoria and promise in 2021 only for things to turn sour very, very quickly as personal grievances became public fights, tarnishing more than one person's reputation. Punk hasn't worked for WWE since 2014 when he also fell out with the company over booking decisions and concerns for his health. His return on Saturday should mark a seismic shift in the wrestling landscape, as the sport's biggest company now has one of its biggest stars back under its umbrella. However, the unrest that Punk created in AEW, where he was very vocal in his criticism of WWE, has some fans worried he might cause further issues in his new home. Several of WWE's top talents, like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre had voiced their dislike of Punk, with the latter two now appearing to use that animosity for storyline purposes. Why does everyone hate CM Punk? Let's cut right to the heart of the matter - everyone doesn't hate CM Punk. The genuine reaction his return got at the Allstate Arena and from fans at home speaks volumes as to how adored he is. Punk's debut in AEW in the summer of 2021, regardless of what happened afterwards, is one of the most genuinely uplifting and cathartic moments in wrestling history. A cult hero returning to the industry that made him a star, after 8 years in the wilderness. Only AEW's hardcore fans would have wanted to see the back of him following his comments and backstage brawl at All Out 2022 but it was obvious there was a desire to keep him in the company. Owner, Tony Khan, even added an extra show to the promotion with the sole purpose of giving Punk a platform away from those that he disagreed with. That didn't work out for the Straight Edge Superstar whose, dare we say, flawed commitment to speaking his mind and attempting to spread unsolicited wisdom ultimately cost him his job in AEW. Part of those flaws is what makes Punk so appealing to many fans. He is ultimately human and like all of us makes mistakes but his passion and commitment to wrestling is what should shine through. Punk has and likely always will be one of the most fascinating individuals in all of professional wrestling. Hardly the most skilled talent inside of the ring but a student nonetheless. Meanwhile, he is in a class of a select few wrestlers who as a creative force have the ability to stir real emotion into storylines and matches and evoke real emotions among fans, which is a skill seldom few wrestlers possess. Whether he has completely burnt his bridges in AEW remains to be seen but he is a man famous for holding grudges. With all that in mind though he now finds himself as a top name in the biggest company in wrestling that is currently undergoing a lucrative boom period, unlike anything he would have experienced in his previous tenure with the federation. Will CM Punk be a problem for WWE? Punk's return to WWE immediately has some fans concerned that he will create similar issues and tensions to what he did when he was in AEW. Those concerns are perfectly legitimate given that the 45-year-old is unlikely to stop wearing his heart on his sleeve anytime soon. However, WWE in its current state is a lot different from what he experienced before and a lot different to AEW. For starters, WWE creative is now run by Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, a man Punk previously had issues with, but now appears to have buried the hatchet with his new boss. Punk's previous gripes with WWE lay with Vince McMahon, who is no longer in a position of significant power following the merger with UFC under the TKO banner. Punk will be kept on a short leash in WWE, something which Tony Khan couldn't do in AEW. Any sign of trouble from Punk in WWE will likely be dealt with quickly and if that isn't resolved, then firing shouldn't come as an expense to a company worth $7 billion. Those aforementioned superstars who might be upset about Punk's arrival may have legitimate concerns about him either due to previous history or stories they have heard from elsewhere. This is professional wrestling though and one of the most unique aspects of this strange industry can be that real-life issues can often create the most compelling television. Hating CM Punk for whatever reason, whether you are a fan or on the off chance a wrestler, is fine. He's a divisive individual who has people that either want to put him on a pedestal or cut him down to size but who is history doesn't have those? Even The Beatles and Lionel Messi have their detractors. CM Punk in WWE in 2023 would hardly seem like an ideal fit, especially given the more mature type of wrestling and stories he was producing in AEW. The fruit will be in his labour and whether we get another Summer of Punk or another All Out press conference rant will be the most fascinating aspect of this run. So love him or hate we can all agree that CM Punk being in wrestling is far more interesting than having him out of wrestling. 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