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The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL with nine players named to the 2024 Pro Bowl rosters announced Wednesday. Quarterback Brock Purdy and cornerback Charvarius Ward are first-time Pro Bowlers, while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was named an alternate. Including Aiyuk, twelve deputies are from San Francisco.

The NFC Pro Bowl quarterbacks also include Dallas Cowboys starter Dak Prescott and Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford, while the AFC features Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and QB Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs can boast. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff and Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts were notable Pro Bowl snubs.

Aaron Donald, the Rams' star defensive tackle, made history with his selection, becoming the only defensive lineman since 1970 to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons. For the Ravens, this period marks the second straight year that Baltimore has had seven Pro Bowl players.

Players were selected through consensus votes from fans, players and coaches. The 49ers also dominated fan voting: Purdy – the first 49ers Pro Bowl QB since Jeff Garcia in 2002 – received 451,864 votes, McCaffrey 429,993 and George Kittle 373,750. Tagovailoa received 414,502 fan votes and Chiefs TE Travis Kelce received 327,263, rounding out the top five fan votes.

The NFL moved to a new format for its Pro Bowl for the 2023 season, switching from a tackle football game to skills competitions and other events, culminating in a flag football game between the AFC and the NFC. This format will continue for a second year in 2024, with the Pro Bowl Games taking place on February 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

The Manning brothers Peyton and Eli will return as coaches of the AFC and NFC teams for the 2024 event.

Other Pro Bowl selections:

Running backs and fullbacks

NFC

AFC

Wide receiver

NFC

AFC

Tight ends

NFC

• San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle
• Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta

AFC

• Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce
• Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku

Offensive linemen

NFC

AFC

Defensive linemen and ends

NFC

AFC

Inside and outside linebackers

NFC

AFC

Cornerbacks and safeties

NFC

AFC

Special teams

NFC

AFC

Have QBs been snubbed?

Purdy and Prescott make sense for the NFC. But Stafford over Goff? The Lions starter – who transferred to Stafford two years ago – has slightly better numbers AND a better record this season. The AFC's picks — Tagovailoa, Mahomes and Jackson — are a given. Could Josh Allen have beaten Mahomes if the Bills hadn't struggled all year? OR…Given the Chiefs' struggles, could CJ Stroud have prevailed over Mahomes if the rookie hadn't gotten injured? – Mike Jones, senior NFL writer

With so much WR talent, players were bound to be left out

Wide receiver is a crowded spot in the NFC. Lamb and Brown make sense as starters, and few could argue against including Evans and Nacua as reserves. But it could certainly be argued that highly productive wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Moore and Aiyuk deserved to make the team. But who do you exchange both for? Evans is the only one with fewer than 1,300 starts entering Week 18, but he also has more touchdown catches (13) than anyone else. In the AFC, you could make a case for Courtland Sutton (10 touchdown catches) to make the team. But Hill, Chase, Allen and Cooper are a tough quartet. –Jones

No complaints in the RB category

At least none here. All six selections have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season and feature versatility and the ability to contribute in the passing game. –Jones

In the AFC, Quincy Williams of the Jets should have made the cut after recording 131 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and one interception. But New York's lack of success likely cost him.

The NFC leaving out Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield Jr. is strange. He certainly had a more productive campaign than Baker in Arizona. –Jones

From humble beginnings to the 49ers' linchpin

The 49ers had nine Pro Bowlers, the most in the league, the most since their 2013 squad lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. This year's selection includes Purdy and Ward, two first-teamers who stand out for their humble beginnings in the NFL.

Purdy, of course, was the final pick in 2022, leading all starting quarterbacks in passer rating in his second season and setting the 49ers franchise record for passing yards in a season with 4,280 on Sunday.

Ward, on the other hand, went undrafted by Middle Tennessee State in 2018. He had a sensational second half of the season in 2023, including shutting out Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf in Week 12 and returning an interception 66 yards for a touchdown against the Cardinals three weeks later. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Ward has only given up two touchdowns in 16 games. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 56.8 when targeting him.

One player who has been overlooked: Aiyuk, who has already set a career high with 1,317 receiving yards and leads the league with an 18.3 yards per catch average. – Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer

Required reading

(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Jonathan Drouin no longer hears laughter.

The forward has settled in with the Colorado Avalanche. Against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, Drouin, who plays on the front line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, let a real lead slip that gave goaltender Ilya Sorokin no chance. Watch the video above.

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It was a second point of the game for Drouin, who was involved in a goal by Valeri Nichushkin.

The Quebecer has now scored 10 points in his last 10 games.

His team came from behind to win in overtime with a score of 5 to 4. On the power play, MacKinnon scored the winning goal on assists from Rantanen and Cale Makar. Nichushkin also shone in his team's victory and flashed the red light twice.

Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom, Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall responded for the Islanders.

Kylian Mbappé won the French Super Cup and remembered his former teammate Lionel Messi, who is today enjoying his vacation before the start of a new MLS season with Inter Miami. After the celebrations, the 25-year-old striker was very emotional and dedicated a few nostalgic words to the Argentine.

The 'Bondie' started Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) 2-0 win over Toulouse at the Parc des Princes, where he got on the scoreboard with a magnificent goal. With this result, the Parisians won their 12th French Super Cup and became the winning club of this competition in the French country.

YOU CAN SEE: Why should Alianza Lima sign Paolo Guerrero? The 4 reasons for this step

What did Kylian Mbappé say about Lionel Messi?

After the celebrations, the French striker was asked about the Argentine, with whom he spent two years during which he won two Ligue 1 and a French Super Cup, and assured that he missed him very much.

“I always miss playing with Messi. For a striker like me who loves to exploit space, you can go with him with full confidence that you will get the ball. It's a luxury that almost only he can give you. Playing with Messi was a special offer,” explained Mbappé for Prime Video Sports.

Mbappé and Messi celebrate a goal with PSG. Photo: EFE

The “Bondie” then referred to his future, because although he still has a contract with PSG until June 2024, he can now negotiate with any other club about the following season.

“I haven't made a decision yet. But we have an agreement with the president that means all parties are protected. My future is not an internal matter. We have to think about the team,” added Kylian Mbappé.

Dallas shows up for a home game but is still waiting for Portland.

• By Dave Deckard

• on January 3, 2024 8:20 p.m

The Portland Trail Blazers lacked their defensive game plan and much of their self-respect in a stunning loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic scored 41 and Kyrie Irving 29 as the Mavericks dismantled and demolished the visitors from Portland. Dallas had 78 points at halftime and cruised to a 126-97 win.

If you missed the action and have a high pain tolerance, you can read our quarterly summary here. Afterwards, other factors that influenced the result are listed here.

Pace and physicality

From the start of the competition. The Mavericks seemed intent on bullying the visiting Blazers. They played with a physicality that the Blazers simply couldn't match. It initially showed up in tough battles for rebounds, but eventually turned into a Mavericks parade in the paint. All night long, Dallas absorbed contact, rebounded off the Blazers and continued to score at the rim. Portland had no such luck, collapsing every time their bodies hit an opponent and throwing up on looping attempts.

This adds insult to injury. The larger, more muscular Mavericks also outplayed Portland. Their older guards and forwards beat the Blazers on the court multiple times, leaving you scratching your head and wondering what youth and athleticism are for.

Dallas ended up with a 52-36 lead in points in the paint and a 28-14 lead at the break. No matter how well the Blazers shot (and they didn't shoot well), they weren't going to overcome this. If head coach Chauncey Billups isn't rapping classic DMX in the locker room during this effort, nothing will happen.

Solve the Lukic cube

In Portland's first two games against the Mavericks, they seemed determined to double-team the ball out of Luka Doncic's hands. It didn't really work, as Lukas proves with his 40-point triple-double in the last meeting.

Tonight they relaxed the tactics, preferring to let Toumani Camara try to beat Doncic one-on-one, shadow a nearby defender to help in case Doncic drove, and turn on the screens for hands to leave in your pockets.

This approach was no more effective than the other. Doncic scored 30 of his 41 goals in the first half alone. But the other cost was Kyrie Irving's production. Dallas’ “other” guard was able to feast on Portland’s outside defenders. He started with simple threes and then turned them into a series of shots. Irving shot 10-19, 4-8 from distance.

Simon's crime or bust

All night, Anfernee Simons was the only Portland scorer the Mavericks respected. And for some reason…he started well, snapping the Blazers out of a losing streak early in the game with dead-eye shots. But the Mavericks treated Simons the same way the Blazers once treated Luka, consistently doubling him. Not only did his score fail, but so did Portland's. Once Simons was out of action, the Blazers were stuck with extremely tough attempts from him and Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe shooting over the top. It did not work.

Kudos to Simons for attracting attention. Woe betide Portland that he couldn't break through the defense himself and that no one else came close to being able to move up.

In the end, Simons led Portland's starters with 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting. He shot 1-7 from beyond the arc. Sharpe scored 16 with a far more efficient 6-12, but he himself only hit 1-5 from distance. Henderson shot 2-11 and scored 7 points.

Center problems

The Blazers tried to make do with a center tandem of Ibou Badji and Duop Reath tonight. Each had isolated moments where everything was fine, but overall it was a disaster. They had trouble keeping the paint in check, let alone helping on the perimeter. The Dallas bigs blew them away. Every time Portland's centers came within three feet of a driver, he was fouled. It wasn't a pretty sight.

And that was before Reath was sent off with 1:30 left in the second period for a Flagrant 2 after a seemingly not-so-intentional elbow swing on a turn that made contact with the nose of Josh Green.

The centers totaled 2 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes of play tonight.

Jabari Walker started the second half in a desperate attempt to get something going. He finished the game with 4 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes before leaving the game with a knee injury.

Fouls

The first half of the game was overshadowed by a never-ending buffet of whistles. Some of them came from Portland because they weren't in the right position, but honestly I just didn't understand some of them. Any hint of a whisper from the eyelashes of a doe moving near a Mavericks player drew a foul. It ended up sustaining Dallas' attack and destroying what was left of Portland's defense.

Dallas shot 41 free throws at the end of the game. 25 of these occurred in the first two quarters.

Next

Box score

For better or worse, the Blazers face the Mavericks again on Friday night, again at 5:30 p.m., Pacific.

Read more

Despite a late comeback from the stars, the Canadian from Montreal won 4-3 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday.

The men of Martin St. Louis are off to a great start to the new year. This win allows the Habs to complete their seven-game road trip, their longest of the season, with a record of 3-3-1.

Against the Stars, it was Cole Caufield who scored the winning goal on a power play in the third period. He took advantage of some excellent play from Nick Suzuki and Sean Monahan to score his third goal in as many games.

This success allowed CH to take a 4-1 lead. After the Canadian took the lead in the first seconds of the game due to a mistake by Mike Matheson, he scored four goals without conceding. In addition to Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kaiden Guhle and Jordan Harris scored for the guests.

Except Peter DeBoer's players didn't allow it. With Scott Wedgewood called up to the bench in favor of a sixth outfield player, the local favorites scored twice to reduce their deficit to one goal.

Samuel Montembeault then closed the door to ensure he returned to Montreal with a win. He saved 32 times against his rivals' 35 shots. Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson are the ones who managed to fool his guard.

Note that Josh Anderson left the game in the third period after contact with defenseman Thomas Harley.

The Canadian will return to the Bell Center on Thursday when the Buffalo Sabers visit. Montreal will also play five of its next six games at home.

SUMMARY

THIRD PERIOD

8:00 p.m. – End of the meeting.

18:00 – DAL GOAL 4-3 The stars continue to put pressure on. This time Jason Robertson scored the goal. His 15th goal of the season reduced Montreal's lead to just one goal.

16:12 – DAL GOAL 4-2 The Stars pull their goalie at the end of the third period. Wyatt Johnston manages to reduce the deficit to two goals by scoring his tenth goal of the season.

09:08 – Josh Anderson is injured after contact with Thomas Harley. He walks laboriously towards the locker room.

06:45 – BUT MTL 4-1 Cole Caufield hits the goal on the power play. His 11th goal of the season gave Montreal a three-goal lead. Sean Monahan and Nick Suzuki are accomplices.

05:59 – Joe Pavelski receives a penalty. The Canadians will play on the power play.

00:42 – Jamie Benn receives a four-minute penalty. The Canadians will play on the power play.

00:00- Start of period.

SECOND PERIOD

8:00 p.m.- End of period.

14:49 – Josh Anderson receives a penalty. The stars will play on the power play.

06:54 – BUT MTL 3-1 Jordan Harris goes on the attack and takes a quick shot that beats Scott Wedgewood. His first goal of the season gave Montreal a two-goal lead.

00:00 – Start of period.

FIRST PERIOD

8:00 p.m. – End of period.

09:46 – BUT MTL 2-1 Kaiden Guhle jumps up when throwing back and hits the target. His third win of the season puts Montreal in the lead. Johnathan Kovacevic and Michael Pezzetta get assists.

04:14 – BUT MTL 1-1 Juraj Slafkovsky portrayed Nick Suzuki perfectly. The captain's 12th goal of the season allows Montreal to equalize. Jordan Harris also gets an assist.

00:11 – DAL GOAL 1-0 Mike Matheson is guilty of a turnover. Jamie Benn took advantage and scored after just 11 seconds. His seventh goal of the season made it 1-0 for Dallas.

00:00 – Start of the game.

In front of the net

Samuel Montembeault Record: 7-5-3 / Goals Allowed Average: 2.94 / Efficiency Rate: 90.3%

Scott Wedgewood Record: 11-2-2 / Goals Against Average: 2.92 / Efficiency Rate: 90.5%

Training from trainer Martin St-Louis

At the moment, the Chilean team has not yet defined its new coach. Around, Rodrigo Robles, Chile national coachassured that discussions were being held with various technical commands – including Ricardo Gareca – but rejected any advantage the Argentine coach had over other options.

Ricardo Gareca has no advantage over the candidates for the leadership of Chile

In recent weeks, various technicians have been suggested as possible options to take over the Chilean bank. However, Rodrigo Robles recently stated in a conversation with the media that there is still no agreement with the next strategist.

“There is no agreement with anyone. In fact, there is no financial offer for anyone. Furthermore, no money was discussed with any of the coaches. It was more of a presentation of sporting projects by the coaching staff and us.” are in this process.”

Likewise about the possibility that Gareca He took over the technical leadership and emphasized that he had no advantage over other trainers because all alternatives presented formal proposals. “I absolutely rule that out, I don’t want to personalize it out of respect for the other coaches. I would tell you that none of them have an advantage over the others,” he added.

Who are the candidates for the leadership of Chile?

After arriving in Argentina, Pablo Millad, president of the ANFP of Chile, said they had spoken to them Ricardo Gareca, Nestor Pekerman and Diego Alonso. Especially with regard to the former coach of the Peruvian team, he emphasized his good disposition.

“I spoke to Ricardo Gareca, a good technician. We also talked to others. We also met with José Néstor Pékerman and Diego Alonso is on the list“, he emphasized to the media.

Is Gabriel Milito an option to lead Chile?

According to TNT Sports, Gabriel Milito It is also an alternative to wear the jersey of the Chilean team, since Gareca and Pekérman would not have reached an agreement for economic reasons.

Gabriel Milito is an option to lead Chile. Photo: X

“Gabriel Milito appeared as the main option to take over the technical direction of La Roja,” they wrote on their Twitter account.

Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic have accused Wander Franco of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering, the state ministry said in a statement Wednesday evening.

The Rays' shortstop has been under investigation for more than four months over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor whose mother faces the same charges, the statement said.

Franco is scheduled to appear before a judge in the case for the first time Friday at 8 a.m. ET.

In documents filed with the court, authorities requested that Franco, 22, be held on $86,000 bail, barred from leaving the country and placed under house arrest.

“These measures requested by the State Department are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the process,” the official statement said.

Franco, who was arrested Monday for violating a summons, remains in custody.

According to an Associated Press report, the money laundering charge stems from allegations that Franco made payments to the minor's mother.

Prosecutors are also asking the judge to ban the minor's mother from leaving the country and place her under house arrest.

Franco's lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez Encarnación, refused to speak to the media, telling reporters only that Franco was fine. Authorities also refused to comment on the case outside of the official statement because it involved a minor. The legal age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18 years.

Now the prosecution's case, including the evidence, is in the hands of an investigating judge. According to a report in the Dominican newspaper Listin Diario, this phase of the trial will determine whether the case will move forward and whether Franco will be subject to restrictions.

At that point, the judge may release Franco on bail, continue to temporarily detain him, take measures to prevent him from leaving the Dominican Republic, and/or require him to attend from time to time as the case and/or trial progresses appears to the authorities. The judge could also dismiss the case if there is not enough evidence to support it in the future.

After four months of quiet investigations, the investigation against Franco has progressed quickly since Christmas.

On December 26, two houses were searched as part of the investigation in the Dominican Republic: the house of Franco's mother in the municipality of Palo Blanco in Baní and the house registered to Franco in Villa Real. The next day, authorities also visited the homes of Franco's uncles. He was not found at any of the locations.

Franco's wife was told he was scheduled to appear at the prosecutor's office on December 28.

Franco didn't show up, and when he finally showed up – with a new team of lawyers – he was interrogated for about three hours and arrested. ESPN Deportes reported he was arrested for failing to comply with a subpoena.

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Allegations against Franco first came to light publicly on social media on August 13. Franco, who did not attend the Rays game that day, appeared to deny them in a live video he broadcast on his Instagram. He has not spoken publicly since then.

Franco, who signed an 11-year contract worth $182 million in November 2021, did not play again last season. He initially agreed to take a week's leave of absence from the Rays as Major League Baseball investigated. He was subsequently placed on leave under the league's and players' union's joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Dominican Republic authorities also confirmed they are investigating similar allegations.

Traditionally, MLB has waited for a legal investigation and/or prosecution before deciding on possible disciplinary action. However, the league has issued suspensions under this policy even in the absence of legal charges.

Franco, who is due $2 million next season, was named to his first All-Star team in July. When his season ended, he was hitting .281 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs.

The Rays have not commented on Franco's case since August and have distanced themselves from their former franchise face. The team removed advertising and merchandise featuring the shortstop from Tropicana Field.

With spring training starting next month, the Rays have several infielders who can play shortstop. But top reserve Taylor Walls had offseason hip surgery and his availability at the start of the season is questionable.

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Jason Zucker made a completely disgraceful gesture at the expense of Nick Cousins ​​​​on Tuesday and could be suspended by the National Hockey League.

The Arizona Coyotes forward sneakily hit the Florida Panthers forward against the bay window. Cousins ​​​​had just made a similar gesture to defenseman Juuso Valimaki, who was kneeling on the ice.

Then there was an argument between Zucker and Gustav Forsling. The former Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins player was ejected from the game for his actions. He also has to report to the player safety department on Wednesday.

This season, his first with the Coyotes, the 31-year-old American has 12 points in 29 games.

Watch the sequence in question in the video above.