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“I’ve always been proud of what this team accomplished during my administration. But more than what we did, I’m proud of how they’re continuing to fight for an America that’s better,” Obama tweeted, alongside a link to the article titled “We are African Americans, we are patriots, and we refuse to sit idly by,” published on Friday. “We stand with congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, as well as all those currently under attack by President Trump, along with his supporters and his enablers, who feel deputized to decide who belongs here — and who does not,” the article, co-signed by 148 African Americans who served in the Obama administration, said....

In terms of sheer imagery, of course, Fallujah was a horrifying “Mogadishu moment,” says Malcolm Nance, a former U.S. special-operations intelligence officer currently working as a security consultant in Iraq. Actually the carnage in Fallujah had begun earlier in the day, when an improvised explosive device exploded under a U.S. Humvee, killing five soldiers. Not long afterward, in the middle of town, gunmen opened fire on several four-wheel-drive vehicles with Western passengers inside....

The good news is the NASCAR Cup Series has run at Bristol once this year, giving us a decent idea of who might have speed when the series returns Wednesday night for the All-Star Race. The problem is Brad Keselowski lucked into a win in that May race after Chase Elliott and Joey Logano wrecked while battling for the lead in the closing laps. Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney also had strong cars that day....

The betting market, according to the point spread in Las Vegas, sees Golden State’s dream ending here, as the Spurs are 5-point favorites on most oddsboards. MORE: Most hated players in NBA history | Warriors should shoot for immortality The Spurs, by the way, are aiming for a record of their own — becoming the first team in NBA history to go undefeated at home for an entire season. They’d also have to beat the Thunder — the third-best team in the Western Conference — on Tuesday to accomplish that feat....

Football may have emerged relatively unscathed from the initial wave of COVID-19 that ground baseball, hockey and basketball to a halt, but over the last few months the NFL has felt the full force of the pandemic and has had to plan accordingly. As such, the upcoming season will be different from any of its predecessors. Most stadiums will be almost completely empty as teams comply to social distancing measures, while those allowing fans in will nevertheless operate at reduced capacity....

Under the multi-year agreement, and in select markets, Perform will strategically market live game television rights, including Sunday Afternoon games played at 1pm and 4pm (US EST time), Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football and the Playoffs including Super Bowl. The immediate focus around the television rights will be in Brazil, Pan-Asia and the Middle East ahead of the 2017 season. Additionally, Perform will further accelerate Game Pass outside of the US and Europe....

The shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s is fire. There was a weather event of biblical proportion (this year’s was one night of torrential rain and wind). There was tampering on pending free agents that will go unpunished by the NFL. MORE: NFL offseason schedule The amount of liquor consumed by NFL folks rivaled the magnum-sized gossip that flows along with it. The Steak ’N Shake does brisk business post-2 a....

The on-field drills are, arguably, among the least important events at the NFL Scouting Combine. Teams are usually more focused on medical exams and interviews as they get to know the player off the field and not from the tape. That’s why a handful of potential top prospects — such as Evan Neal, Derek Stingley and Matt Corral — choose to wait until their pro days to conduct the on-field drills....

The NFL is adjusting as well, introducing an updated policy in 2022 for the pandemic that shut down the country in 2020. The biggest difference is the league will no longer require surveillance testing of unvaccinated players, which is a departure from the procedures in 2021. COVID-19 policies have also been changed. While some players have missed time in training camp after testing positive, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is the first high-profile player ruled out of a preseason game due to COVID, as the team said he will miss Minnesota’s opener against the Raiders on Sunday....

If you regularly play DFS or you just like to find an edge or angle with all your football-related bets, this column will be up your alley all season. Each week, we put together a list of sleepers and/or under-the-radar picks to help you win some cold, hard cash on the two most popular daily fantasy sites. The more value players you add, the more money you’ll have left for proven weekly studs at other roster spots....

MORE: Recap all picks with SN’s draft tracker The Texans waited longer than anticipated to take a young quarterback to groom, but the one they chose is something of a mystery. The 6-foot-4, 228-pound Savage injured his hand and lost his job at Rutgers as a sophomore in 2009, transferred to Arizona State, then transferred again when it changed head coaches. That cost him the 2012 season after he went to Pittsburgh, but last season he threw for 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions....

Peppers has to be good; Cleveland is full of Ohio State fans, and now they will have to root for the former Michigan standout and Heisman Trophy finalist. Peppers has to be better than good to meet their standard. That’s the least worrisome part about this risky pick for the Browns. Peppers tested positive for a dilute sample at the NFL Combine, and he’s one of the most polarizing player in this draft....

According to the league, a record-breaking 600,000 people showed up to Music City for the draft this past weekend. In comparison, 250,000 people attended the 2017 draft in Philadelphia. “The 2019 NFL Draft was a tremendous continuation of the celebration of the NFL’s 100th season and an opportunity to welcome the next generation of stars,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Dramatic and emotional storylines played out in cities across the country with the energetic host city of Nashville serving as a breathtaking backdrop to hundreds of thousands of passionate fans who lined the streets and enjoyed a unique NFL Draft Experience....

Only Round 1 was held Thursday night, with five quarterbacks, five wide receivers, five defensive backs and five edge rushers chosen. There were also five offensive linemen and two running backs selected. Former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was drafted No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, followed by BYU’s Zach Wilson with the New York Jets and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance with the San Francisco 49ers. It was the first time since the 1999 draft that quarterbacks were selected with each of the first three picks....

Yes, the NFL is turning the draft into its offseason Super Bowl more and more every day. MORE: 2017 NFL Mock Draft It’s enough to make you wonder not if the NFL can’t help itself in going too far, but if the NFL even understands what “too far” even means. Then you hear this: When the players at next year’s draft in Philadelphia are selected, they might run up the city museum steps from “Rocky” to get their jersey and their Roger Goodell hug....

Tight end is always a difficult position for the average fan to assess. Not only do you have to weigh blocking vs. pass-catching, but you also have to account for the fact many college teams don’t feature TEs in their offenses. That leaves us focusing solely on pro day measurements or even single highlights when trying to evaluate many of these players. We’ll do our best to cut through the noise and break down Sporting News’ top-10 TEs for the 2021 NFL Draft....

The Arizona Cardinals will host Agudosi for a private workout April 23, just a few days before the draft, a source tells Sporting News. MORE: NFL Mock Draft 2017 A multi-year starter at Rutgers, Agudosi’s production was hampered in part by a head coaching change and multiple coordinators. The 6-5, 217-pound receiver caught only 35 passes for 513 yards and two touchdowns in college. His physical tools and potential, though, were on display at his Pro Day and the local day....

But Anthony Fabiano has a knack for overcoming such obstacles. The Harvard product had his career threatened last year by a midseason injury, which should have kept him out well past the NFL Combine and his Pro Day. He has gone from nearly forgotten to the 2016 draft class’ most athletic and intriguing offensive lineman. DRAFT CENTRAL: News, rumors, team needs, more Fabiano wasn’t a prized recruit out of high school....

That kind of phenomenon transcends video game circles, particularly given the way in which “Fortnite” attracts a wide range of ages and demographics. It has spawned celebrities from those who live-stream the game and drawn in the likes of rapper Drake and Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to those events, which have consistently generated hundreds of thousands of viewers at any given time. MORE: Grading NFL trade deadline deals through ‘Madden NFL 19’...