Skip to main content

Jets recalibrate after Aaron Rodgers is lost for season 

The unthinkable became the Jets’ devastating actuality.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was acquired by the franchise last April with enormous expectations that he was the missing piece to a potential Super Bowl team, tore his left Achilles tendon on Monday. 

In the season-opening game for the Jets and Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Rodgers was sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd on just the offense’s fourth snap, causing what was confirmed on Tuesday as a season-ending injury.

To frame the occurrence in a more exasperating and emotionally piercing context for Jets fans who have craved another Super Bowl title since the team’s first and only in 1969, 54 years ago, Rodgers, who many believed could help deliver the coveted prize, played less than 5 minutes of the 2023 season. 

The Jets defeating the Bills 22-16 in overtime on a dramatic 65-yard game-ending punt return by rookie Xavier  Gipson with 9:02 remaining had the relevance of a footnote contrasted with Rodgers’ injury. The Jets’ swarming, relentless defense and quarterback Zach Wilson, who replaced Rodgers, limiting his consequential mistakes to one interception, helped the team fight back from a 13-3 halftime deficit was commendable. 

Second-year running back Breece Hall, playing his first regular season game since tearing the ACL in his right knee last October 23 in Week 7 and cutting short a sensational rookie season, was inspiring. Hall looked explosive and fully recovered on Monday night, rushing for a dazzling 127 yards. However, it was an afterthought in light of the Jets’ championship aspirations and the 39-year-old Rodgers’ career in doubt.   

“I’m going to enjoy this win,” said Jets head coach Robert Saleh in his postgame press conference. “Winning in the NFL is hard regardless of who the quarterback is. But personally, I don’t hurt for me, I don’t hurt for the locker room. I hurt for Aaron. I’m still going to say a prayer, hold out hope. My heart’s with Aaron now, no one else.”

On Tuesday, Saleh expanded on his sentiments. 

“I feel more for Aaron than anyone,” he said of the four-time NFL MVP. “He’s invested so much into this organization, so much into this journey he’s embarked on and wanting to be a part of what we have going here, and…into not only this organization, but his teammates, himself, this fanbase, this city. I have a lot of emotions for him.” 

The Jets will face the 1-0 Dallas Cowboys on the road this Sunday (4:25 p.m.). The Cowboys crushed the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night 40-0.

The post Jets recalibrate after Aaron Rodgers is lost for season  appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Djokovic closes the U.S. Open with record 24th Grand Slam title

After two weeks of compelling and history-making tennis, the 2023 U.S. Open ended this past Sunday with the men’s singles final between No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic and No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic earned his 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win to tie Margaret Court for the most ever.

After the match, which included an epic second set that lasted 1 hour, 44 minutes, Djokovic reflected on the significance of the moment.

“It obviously means the world to me, I’m really living my childhood dream to compete at the higher level in sport, which has given me and my family so much from difficult circumstances,” he said. “I never thought I would be here but I thought I had a shot at history. Why not grab it when it is presented?”

While still on the court, Djokovic displayed a shirt featuring a picture of himself and Kobe Bryant with the caption “Mama Forever.”

A touching tribute to the late basketball legend.

“I thought of doing this t-shirt eventually, if I get the chance to win the tournament, about seven days ago,” he explained. “I didn’t share it with anyone until a few days ago when I asked my people to help me out to make this shirt.

“Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about winners mentality,” the 36-year-old star from Serbia explained. “When I was struggling and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game, he was one of the people I relied on the most. He was always there for any kind of support in the most friendly way.

“Of course what happened a few years ago with him and his daughter passing, hurt me deeply. I thought ‘24’ is the jersey that he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and of the world of basketball. I thought it could be a nice symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all of the things he’s done.”

Djokovic defeated 20-year-old Ben Shelton in the semifinals, while Medvedev upset No. 1 seed and last year’s U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Shelton bested Tommy Paul in the fourth round and then Francis Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. After being ousted, the former Florida Gator shared his thoughts on his experience playing at the Open.

“I think I learned a lot about myself these two weeks, knowing how deep I can dig and what I can do competitively out on the tennis court, because I think it’s such a mental sport,” said Shelton. “I think that’s such a big side of it.
“Every loss hurts. It cuts you a little bit. If anything, this week has just motivated me more.”

The post Djokovic closes the U.S. Open with record 24th Grand Slam title appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Emmanuel Savary starts his skating comeback with a victory

For several years, Emmanuel Savary and Starr Andrews were the lone African American skaters competing in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. After several injuries, Savary stepped away from the sport, leaving Andrews as the lone Black skater at the 2021 U.S. Championships. That picture changed in 2023, when Alexa Gasparotto joined Andrews in the senior women’s event.

Feeling disappointed by how his skating career halted, Savary has decided to return to competitive skating, and last weekend made a statement by winning the senior men’s event at the Middle Atlantic Figure Skating Championship, held at SkyRink at Chelsea Piers.

“It’s nice to be back; it’s been awhile,” said Savary, 25, who first competed in NYC when he was 11. “Happy to skate and looking forward to the future. I’m coming back for one more year. My swan song season, I guess you could say. The goal is to go to Nationals and skate the best that I can, and I can move on with my other goals in life. I’m finishing up college (studying physics and astronomy at the University of Delaware) and coaching a little bit as well.”

A student of Savary’s, Gabriella Alexander, made the trip to New York with her family to see him compete. “I hope to see more people who look like me skating in the near future,” she said. “Being on the ice is so magical.”

Nathan Chapple won the silver medal in the senior men’s event. “It felt great; it felt easy,” he said. “I like to perform, so it felt good. One of the major things I like to do is perform. I’d like to take that to a higher level.”

Gasparotto finished eighth overall in the senior women’s competition. She has been beset by several injuries over the past few months but is persevering in her training by prioritizing quality over quantity and adding physical therapy. Expectations are high because she is the recipient of this year’s Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours Fund Elite Award, which provided her with $20,000 toward her training.

“I feel very supported,” she said. “I feel I’m turning into the role model that I always wanted to be.”

Rohene Ward and Amber Gil coach both Chapple and Gasparotto. “It’s important for them to put their programs out there and be seen,” said Ward. “I thought it was a great event. Very musical skaters.”

The post Emmanuel Savary starts his skating comeback with a victory appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Nailah Jenkins finds fresh inspiration at Fordham

Middle blocker Nailah Jenkins assumed her competitive volleyball days would end after she earned her bachelor’s degree at Northeastern, but the additional year of eligibility granted to all student-athletes who were in school during the 2020-21 academic year has given her one more year to compete in the sport she loves. She is finding her groove with the volleyball team at Fordham University, which has a record of 7–1.

“It’s definitely a little weird going from living somewhere for four years and being on the same team for four years, to adjusting to a completely new place, new people, new style of volleyball, [and a] new conference and everything, but the girls on the team honestly made the adjustment so seamless and easy,” said Jenkins.

Over the summer, Jenkins joined the Fordham volleyball team for an international trip to Japan. That provided a lot of shared experiences that helped her mesh with the team. She’s enjoying the new team culture and coaching. While she is one of the most experienced players, she is willing to listen and learn from the Fordham veterans on the team.

“The girls have also been really great about asking volleyball advice and letting me share my experiences and knowledge about volleyball,” said Jenkins, who is pursuing a master’s degree in health administration. “They’ve been so receptive to having a grad transfer on the team.”

Jenkins chose Fordham because she had heard many positive things about head volleyball coach Ian Choi and the program. She knew the team needed a middle blocker, so it was a good fit. Also, after four years in Boston, she was eager to play in another big city, and New York City fits that bill nicely. Jenkins said seeing the many different cultures of the city is inspiring, noting there is somewhere for everything.

“I did my undergrad in health sciences and Fordham had the perfect one-year master’s program for me,” Jenkins said. “I think I want to go into healthcare and business. I’m interested in healthcare consulting or medical device sales or marketing. I’m not quite sure yet, but I’m hoping that my master’s will really open my eyes to something I’ll be passionate about in the long run. So I’m excited to take these new classes and gain new skills through my master’s program.”

Fordham hosts the Rose Hill Classic this weekend, facing off against Dartmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.

The post Nailah Jenkins finds fresh inspiration at Fordham appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Despite loss to end regular season play, the Liberty head into playoffs determined

The last couple of weeks of WNBA regular season play have been jam-packed for the New York Liberty. The team headed into Sunday afternoon’s Fan Appreciation Day game against the Washington Mystics on an eight-game winning streak. Having just secured a playoff spot after an up-and-down 19–21 season, the Mystics were determined to reassert the presence that brought them the 2019 WNBA title.

The game was incredibly tight, with the Mystics prevailing 90–88. The Liberty will get another chance to assert their dominance because the Mystics are the Liberty’s first-round opponent in the playoffs. Game one is at Barclays Center on Friday night and game two is at Barclays on Tuesday. New York and Washington are 2–2 this season.

“Our fans have been great the entire season, so being able to play here in front of them and have them support us and push us through is going to be amazing,” said Jonquel Jones, who had 19 points and nine rebounds in Sunday’s game. “Any time we get them involved and engaged in a game and we play the right style of basketball, it definitely shows and you can feel it out there.”

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said every bench is important, and this team’s bench has continued to show its skills this season. Marine Johannès has been outstanding all season, and put up 11 points off the bench against the Mystics.

“We want them to come out and continue to bring the energy. We don’t know how the game is going, so they’re vital for our success,” said Brondello. “It’s going to be important for us. We want them to be confident when they’re out there and bring what they do best.”

Jones noted that the Liberty’s toughness and togetherness are hallmarks of this team. “We have a very special group and I’m very excited about what we’re going to do in the playoffs,” she said. 

The Liberty are the only remaining original franchise in the WNBA not to have won a championship. The team hasn’t been to the Finals since 2002.

Round one of the WNBA playoffs begins on Wednesday as the four-time WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx take on the Connecticut Sun and the defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces play the 2021 Champion Chicago Sky. On Friday, after the New York versus Washington game, the Atlanta Dream will take on the Dallas Wings.

The post Despite loss to end regular season play, the Liberty head into playoffs determined appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here