The Portland Trail Blazers are trading All-NBA guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal, league sources tell The Athletic.

According to the report by Shams Charania, these are all the transfer movements:

Portland Trail Blazers receive: Deandre Ayton (Phoenix), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Toumani Camera (Phoenix), 2029 1st round draft pick (Milwaukee), possibility of exchanging 2028 and 2030 1st round picks with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Damian Lillard (Portland),
Phoenix Suns receive: Jusuf Nurkic (Portland), Grayson Allen (Milwaukee), Nassir Little (Portland), Keon Johnson (Portland).

The Athletic Reports that the blockbuster deal has ripple effects that will be felt around the entire league, including other teams who had been seen as possible destinations for Lillard. The Miami Heat had long been believed to be the most likely destination for Lillard, with the NBA superstar letting it be known that it was his preferred destination. In recent days, reports had emerged that the Toronto Raptors could wind up with Lillard.

In Milwaukee, Lillard will join forces with one of the top players in the league  Giannis Antetokounmpo, making the Bucks an instant title favorite. For Portland, it is the end of an era that began in 2012 when Lillard was selected with the sixth overall pick in that summer’s draft.

Winners

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks lose two good defensive pieces like Holiday and Allen but now they bring together two of the best scorers in the NBA and position themselves as great favorites in the Eastern Conference for the coming seasons. Lillard has a contract until the 2026-2027 season and Antetokounmpo is assured in Milwaukee for at least two more seasons.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are entering into this transfer to finally find a new destination for Deandre Ayton, the 25 year old center was not comfortable with the Suns recently. They acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Portland Trail Blazers, who averaged, according to Basketball References, 12.4 points and 9.8 rebounds in the 16 Playoff games he played in his career. They also added depth to their bench with a great shooter in Grayson Allen.

Loser

Miami Heat

Miami Heat had been chasing Lillard all summer, and in the end, they got nothing. The Heat operated this offseason as if they already had Lillard on the roster. They let two starters from their Finals team Gave Vincent and Max Strus walk in free agency. They left two open roster spots, hoping to fill them with Lillard.

Unknown

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland receives Deandre Ayton (25), a young all-star who will be surrounded by other youngsters such as Anfernee Simons (24) and Scott Henderson (19). The unknown is what they are going to do with Jrue Holiday, the former point guard of the Milwaukee Bucks can be a piece with which Portland can get rounds of the draft or get several players to surround the current squad.

We will see what happens next season with these four teams, time will speak for itself, if the managers of these teams made a mistake or were right in a great way, the fans are definitely the winners, they will enjoy these stars in new teams.

Sources:

https://theathletic.com/4906002/2023/09/27/damian-lillard-trade-three-team-bucks-blazers-suns/

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nurkiju01.html

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1707099044915425442?s=20

Elias Andrade, who was the first person I talked about in my first blog, has now come to tell us about his experience volunteering.

In Ecuador, Elias’ country of origin, he and his family volunteered for church. His mother told him “beautiful son, you already have clothes that you don’t wear, let’s take them to church.”

They proceeded to take the clothes to the church, when they arrived, the church had a bazaar, where they sold the clothes, at low prices, all donated clothes, the objective was to raise money for the church and allow people to buy clothes at low prices.

Elias said, “I felt good helping my community, my clothes were in good condition, and also helping the church I belong to.”

“A sincere act of kindness always leads to another” was what Elias told me, and yes, I agree with him, if you do good, good will come to you.

Yesterday, two men wearing ski masks entered the store of Barney Joseph Jr, a 43-year-old man who would have lost his father in the same way he was robbed. The robbers entered the store at approximately 8:30 PM, one of them pointing a gun at Joseph while the other withdrew $382.65 from the cash register. The men left in a car parked at the curb in front of the store with its motor running.

Joseph Jr. kept a gun under the counter of his store, when the police made the relevant investigation, Joseph Jr. asked him, why didn’t he decide to use the gun. 25 years ago, his father was murdered by thieves in the same way they robbed Joseph Jr.

Joseph Jr was asked by one of the officers if he remembered the tragic event, to which he responded: “Yes, Dad resisted, I guess. Anyway, they found him shot to death, his own gun in his
hand of him, and a bullet in the store’s ceiling. “I’d rather part with my money than my life,”

The NBA Board of Governors approved a new “Player Participation Policy” (PPP) on Wednesday in order to combat the rise of ‘load management’ and ensure that basketball’s biggest names are on the court throughout the season.

What is load management in NBA terms?

Load management is when a healthy player is held out of playing in a game for rest or precautionary reasons. This is done for the purpose of avoiding long-term fatigue and injuries.

The new rules, which have replaced the Player Resting Policy (PRP) introduced in 2017, are “intended to promote player participation in the NBA’s full 82-game regular season” and prevent teams from resting more than one “star” player on any given night, often referred to as load management.

The PPP defines a star player as any individual who has been named to the All-NBA or All-Star teams in any of the previous three seasons. This means that the Boston Celtics, for example, are required to make at least one of their elite duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown available for every game across the regular season, providing neither are injured.

Forty-nine players are defined as stars by these new provisions across 26 different teams. However, only the 15 teams with multiple star players will be affected by this rule in particular.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the new regulations at a press conference on Wednesday.

“This is ultimately about the fans, and that we’ve taken this too far,” Silver said. “This is an acknowledgment that it has gotten away from us a bit.

“That doesn’t mean we’re turning the clock back, that players are expected to play through injuries or that players never need rest. But there’s a statement of a principle in this league that, if you’re a healthy player, you’re going to play.”

The NBA also put into its new collective bargaining agreement a clause that requires players to play at least 65 games to qualify for MVP and All-NBA honors. This is to incentivize players who can trigger escalators in contracts by winning those awards to appear in as many games as possible.

This might sound good for the fans who pays a ticket, or for humongous TV Corporation like ESPN, a company that currently has a $24 billion deal with the NBA to broadcast the games.

But, what about the players? They are the main actors, 82 games, just in the regular season is exhausting for the players. The teams pay the salaries of these starts, they are doing everything they can to protect their players from injuries so they can be healthy toward playoffs.

Load Management is implemented to give the players the rest they need, and save the players so that they are physically better for the important moments.

Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/14/sport/nba-basketball-load-management-star-players-spt-intl/index.html#:~:text=The%20new%20rules%2C%20which%20have,referred%20to%20as%20load%20management.

https://theathletic.com/4863737/2023/09/19/nba-load-management-new-rules/

Every day is definitely different, before starting the Fundamentals of Journalism class, I didn’t know I was going to do a scavenger hunt.

The Scavenger started with Elias and Diego Balaō going to Roadman. My first mission was to get an autograph. The tech services office that is in the middle of Roadman North and South immediately came to mind, surely there would be someone willing to help me in my hunt. I went to the tech services office, I had the opportunity to meet Landry, a computer science student at Morningside who also works in tech services, I started with hello, I am a polite person, he kindly returned my hello, immediately I started telling him my class situation, he gladly decided to help me, when I give him the pen to write his signature Landrey said “omg I am famous” and everyone in the office started laughing, we continue talking for a bit more, I say thank you and I left , first mission completed.

Then walking around campus, I see the bussines bulding, I say to myself, there have to be people there, busy but sure with a few minutes to help me. I go to the main counter and I see a young man, I had seen him on campus, but I didn’t know him, I say hello and he responds with a howdy, very midwest. I talk to him and he tells me that he is a student, but that he is doing an intership at the business office. I explained the situation to him, in this second mission I had to get a conversation about a recent event, without thinking he told me about Aaron Rodgers’ injury, “I am a Packers fans,” Fred said. He begins to tell me how Green Bay was going to lose the first round draft pick since Rodgers was not going to be able to play more than 75% of the games, a bad situation for both teams.

I say goodbye to Fred and before going to class I decided to buy an Ice Matcha, and here I am, writing my experience on the scavenger hunt.

It seemed far away when in April of this same year the Green Bay packers agreed with the New York Jets to trade Aaron Rodgers. After 18 years, four NFL MVP awards and one Super Bowl victory, Rodgers joins a different team.

In the deal, the Jets received Rodgers, pick No. 15, and a fifth-round pick. The Packers got pick No. 13, second- and sixth-round picks this year, and a conditional second-round pick in 2024 that could become a first-rounder.

Rodgers announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March that he intended to play for the Jets, which triggered final negotiations between New York and Green Bay. 

“I made it clear my intention was to play and to play for the New York Jets, and I haven’t been holding anything up,” he said. “It’s the compensation that the Packers are trying to get. … The Packers want to move on and have let me know that in so many words. I f—ing love that city. I love that organization and am always going to have love for that organization. The facts are right now they want to move on, and now so do I.”

Fox News reported that Rodgers’ relationship with the Packers began to deteriorate as far back as 2018, when Mike McCarthy was the coach. But the relationship seemed to get exponentially worse when Green Bay drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round in 2020 to eventually replace Rodgers.

The Jets finished the 2022 season with a 7-10 record. Their defense was among the best in the league, but New York couldn’t get enough production from the quarterback position.

New York City was looking forward to what was going to be the 39-year-old QB’s first game until the nightmare came: Rodgers suffered a complete tear in his Achilles left leg during the first offensive series of his debut with the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, he left the field in a cart amid the stunned disbelief of a previously raucous home crowd at MetLife Stadium.

With hip-hop artist and actor Method Man announcing Rodgers’ name — accompanied by a laser light show — the quarterback got huge applause.

On the Jets’ third official offensive play of the game, left tackle Duane Brown missed a block against Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd. Rodgers tried to escape, but Floyd sacked Rodgers, rolling the quarterback’s legs as they both went to the ground. Rodgers stood up, then sat back down before walking to the sideline with help from Jets medical staff, reported The Chicago Tribune.

” The crowd, which had been “raucous before the game and during its earliest moments,” was “notably muted afterward.” The Rodgers injury “threatens to derail one of the most hyped teams in the NFL this season” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/11/23).

The Jets, even without Rodgers, won in overtime, 22-16, on a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown by Xavier Gipson.

“Before even an MRI, I knew what happened,” Rodgers said last week on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I knew I tore my Achilles. I had popped my calf a few times… and it was not that sensation, so I knew that this was not a good situation.”

What’s not so certain is how long it will take for Rodgers to recover from a complete Achilles tendon tear or rupture, reports USA TODAY.

“I definitely have some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it,” Rodgers said. “Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens.”

Aaron Rodgers suffered a complete Achilles tendon tear or rupture, here’s what that means

The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone. The tendon directs movement from the leg to the foot, including pointing and rising onto your tiptoes as well as flexing the toes up.

The connective tissue can be torn partially or completely with a misstep or with a sudden movement like running or jumping. If your Achilles tendon ruptures, you might hear a pop, followed by an immediate sharp pain in the back of your ankle and lower leg. Surgery is often performed to repair the injury.

According to Dr. Robert Glatter, a former sideline physician for the Jets and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health in New York, The sudden movement of his heel and foot upward, with the weight of Leonard Floyd on his back, along with his prior calf strain were important factors leading to his complete Achilles tendon rupture,” “His age was also a factor, and perhaps the type of turf,” Glatter said. 

“Surgery went great yesterday,” the Jets quarterback said in his Instagram post. “Thank you for all the love and prayers and support. And thanks to the goat. Dr. ElAttrache and his staff for starting me on the road to recovery.”

All fans That Road could be nine to 12 months long – the average amount of time it takes athletes to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Rodgers will likely have a yearlong “functional” type of rehabilitation about three months after surgery involving strengthening and stretching his calf, leg and thigh, Glatter said. “It will progress from simple strengthening exercises in the gym to actual work on the football field in the latter part of his rehabilitation that will simulate the actions and moves required of a quarterback.”

Rodgers will likely return to about 90% of his strength, endurance and agility one year after his surgery, but that might not be as limiting as it sounds, Glatter said:

“Quarterbacks, in general, don’t depend on the sudden and explosive power (pushing off from their heels and foot) that running backs, defensive backs, and cornerbacks typically require in their positions.” Glatter.

ESPN compared Rodgers’ case with the running back Cam Akers case when he tore his Achilles in 2021 and came back faster than virtually any professional athlete: just under five months.

“No one that I know of has come back at this kind of performance in just over five months. It’s amazing,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Akers’ surgery, told USA TODAY Sports+. “I can tell you I haven’t seen anybody injured right before the regular season, right before that preseason camp, and come back the same year.”

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who operated on Rodgers this past week in Los Angeles, repaired Kobe Bryant’s torn Achilles in 2013, and it took Bryant eight months to return to action.

Whether he’s back in five months, 12 months, or longer, Rodgers was upbeat about his physical therapy plans to McAfee.

“There’s a lot of ideas on the overall length of the rehab,” Rodgers said. “Just because someone hasn’t done it a certain way doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I definitely have some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it. Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens.”

I have decided to give my opinion about the injury of a high-performance athlete, with impressive talent and undeniable ambition, but who has suffered a serious injury at 39 years of age.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Aaron Rodgers will endure a long recovery from his torn Achilles he suffered Monday night and whether he returns to the football field again is to be determined.

Rodgers Posted on Instagram

Thank you to every person that has reached out, called, texted, DM’d, connected through a friend, etc. It has meant a ton to me, and I’ll try and get back to all of you soon 🥹❤️
I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love. 💔 Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today. 🙏 ♾️ ❤️

The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again.

Proud of my guys, 1-0 🛩️ #

Aaron Rodgers commented that he would like to play football until he was 45, he even gave the example of other QBs like Tom Brady or Payton Manning.

But this injury is serious, since Rodgers is 39 years old, an injury of this type could ruin his goal of playing until he is 45 years old.

Recovery after injury is the most important thing, the athlete’s head plays a vital role, they are lonely days, in which your passion for the game, and even more so at an advanced age, can disappear.

But if his Instagram post from Wednesday is any indicator, the QB is still seeing some light despite the current gloom.

Source: https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2023/09/13/aaron-rodgers-jets-quarterback-breaks-silence-instagram-message-achilles-injury/70847760007/

Aaron Rodgers’ debut with the New York Jets lasted just four snaps. The Chicago Tribune report The Quarterback suffered a left leg injury during the first offensive series of his regular-season debut with the New York Jets on Monday night, leaving the field on a cart amid stunned disbelief from a previously raucous home crowd at MetLife Stadium. (Washington Post)

Rodgers jogged onto the field during player introductions with an American flag in hand on the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and received his first official welcome from Jets fans.

With hip-hop artist and actor Method Man announcing Rodgers’ name — accompanied by a laser light show — the quarterback got huge applause.

On the Jets’ third official offensive play of the game, left tackle Duane Brown missed a block against Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd. Rodgers tried to escape, but Floyd sacked Rodgers, rolling the quarterback’s legs as they both went to the ground. Rodgers stood up, then sat back down before walking to the sideline with help from Jets medical staff.

According to the New York Times, Rodgers was transported to the locker room on a cart and did not return after officially being ruled out with an ankle injury.

The Jets, even without Rodgers, won in overtime, 22-16, on a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown by Xavier Gipson.

The Washington Post analyzed the game;  Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw three interceptions, all to Jets safety Jordan Whitehead, and lost a fumble. Zach Wilson threw a tying three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. The Jets recovered Allen’s fumble and converted it into a 30-yard field goal by kicker Greg Zuerlein with less than two minutes left.

The Bills’ Tyler Bass connected on a 50-yard kick that crashed into the left upright but bounced through to force overtime.

The Bills won possession in the coin toss, leaving the Jets’ defense, the strength of the team in the 2022 season and on Monday night, to come up with yet another crucial stand. A false start penalty on Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown backed Buffalo up to its own 20-yard line and a pass rush led by Williams held the Bills to just 3 yards from there.

Allen had to take his final snap from the shotgun before the Bills were forced to punt to Gipson, an undrafted rookie out of Stephen F. Austin. He got stellar blocking from teammates as he strode 65 yards to the end zone, where he was surrounded by Jets coaches and players who rushed in from the sidelines as time expired. Rodgers was nowhere in sight.

Rodgers, who spent his first 18 seasons with Green Bay, raised expectations for the Jets and their fan base when he said he expects to win in New York and pointed out during his introductory news conference that the team’s only Super Bowl trophy looks “lonely.”

If healthy, he gives the Jets their most accomplished quarterback since Brett Favre, who was acquired from Green Bay in 2008 — clearing the way for Rodgers to become the Packers’ signal caller.

Rodgers, who has repeatedly said he won’t be one-and-done with the Jets, agreed in July to a restructured contract that gives him $75 million in fully guaranteed money over this season and next. It amounts to a nearly $35 million pay cut from the deal he had with Green Bay in which he was set to make $110 million guaranteed.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/09/11/aaron-rodgers-injury-jets-bills/

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-aaron-rodgers-injury-new-york-jets-debut-20230912-gnvpt365zzet5fsyrzefhz33pu-story.html

Yesterday, Wednesday, September 5, the use of radar guns was canceled. East High Dakota High Patrol can no longer use radar guns while they investigate how they affect the health of those who use them. While research is being done on potential connections between the use of these kinds of guns and cancer, the ban has been imposed as a preventive measure.

Fusion 93 KMSC had the opportunity to speak with Adam Smith, an East Dakota Highway Patrol officer who used to cover the Morningside Avenue area, the officer claims that the use of these pistols caused him to get cancer.

These guns changed my life,” said the 55-year-old officer. I was trying to protect the roads, and I ended up ruining my life. I invite all across the country and doctors to continue investigating how the use of these guns can increase the risk of cancer, said Adam Smith, who has worked in the area of speed stopping for more than 25 years.

According to a state police organization, the action is the first of its sort. Three municipal officials claimed compensation after discovering the danger of these pistols, claiming that these same, unfortunately, caused the 3 officers to suffer from cancer.

In 2019, the minimum salary for La Liga F (Spain Women’s League) players was established at 16,000 euros gross per year.

The last offer proposed by Liga F was a minimum salary of 25,000 euros gross, which the players rejected and asked for 30,000 euros per year. Therefore, the players refuse to play until their requirements are met.

But why can’t women justify their salaries? The reality is that they do not generate that money. Football leagues and their clubs generate income mainly thanks to three economic pillars: broadcasting rights, ticket sales, and other commercial agreements such as sponsorships.

Women’s Super League it’s the biggest women’s League in the world, generating eight million a year thanks to a television agreement with the United Kingdom. The Premier League (men’s league), on the other hand, has broadcast agreements all over the world and this year It is expected to generate more than 7 billion euros in 2023.

Women’s soccer changes depending on the country where it is played, but it still does not generate enough for the players to justify high salaries.

AS article: https://en.as.com/soccer/spanish-womens-football-on-strike-how-much-do-female-players-earn-n/