Sports
No. 3 Florida aims to continue dominance vs. Georgia
Feb 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) shoots a three point basket against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Looking for its 13th straight win in the series, No. 3 Florida faces rival Georgia in Southeastern Conference action on Tuesday night in Athens, Ga.
The Gators (24-3, 11-3) haven’t lost to Georgia since March 2019, when current Bulldogs head coach Mike White was Florida’s coach.
The Gators currently are riding a six-game winning streak, with five of the six contests won by double figures.
With their 79-65 road victory against LSU on Saturday, the Gators inched closer to their third-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2014.
After building an early 14-point lead, Florida was in a dogfight following a 22-2 LSU run that gave the Gators a six-point halftime deficit. As coach Todd Golden’s group has done throughout this season’s gauntlet of a conference schedule, Florida wore down its opponent, even after a shaky start.
“That was a great win for us,” Golden said. “We came out playing very well, but credit to LSU, I thought they punked us over the back half of the first half. … At halftime we had to recalibrate and make sure we got back to rebounding, defending, taking care of the ball and doing the things that don’t require talent.”
For an offense that ranks 11th nationally with an average of 83.6 points per game and boasts prominent backcourt scorers in Walter Clayton Jr. (17.1 ppg), Alijah Martin (15.0) and Will Richard (12.6), Florida has added a low-post presence, center Rueben Chinyelu, who is averaging 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last three games. He is at 6.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg for the season.
“That was his best game as a Gator, for sure,” Golden said of Chinyelu’s 19-point, 13-rebound double-double against the Tigers. “He’s improving so much in real time, and he’s given us a big lift over these last couple of weeks.”
In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Georgia (16-11, 4-10) needs its tailspin to end if it wants to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. Firmly on the bubble, an upset victory on Tuesday would boost a Bulldogs resume that’s in need of another quality win.
Georgia doesn’t have a loss outside of Quad 1 but is 3-10 against Top 25 teams this season. The Bulldogs hung tough on the road against No. 1 Auburn on Saturday before falling 82-70.
“We competed at a higher level than we have in recent weeks,” White said after the loss. “Auburn made some big plays late. Otherwise it would have been even more interesting at the end. If we continue to play like that down the stretch of the season, I’ve got faith that we have some more wins in us.”
Georgia’s 66-63 November victory over then-No. 22 St. John’s is pulling much of the resume’s weight, while a pair of January victories against ranked teams Kentucky and Oklahoma have the Bulldogs in contention to hear their name on Selection Sunday next month.
Asa Newell leads Georgia with an average of 15.4 points per game, while Silas Demary Jr. is second at 12.1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tour de France final stage rerouted due to wildfires
A firefighter works to battle wildfire near the A9 motorway near Beziers, France, July 3, 2026. Wildfires in southwest France have forced organizers of the Tour de France to reconfigure the final stage, set for Sunday.
The change is necessary because multiple first responders have been diverted to the fires. The new route will leave a smaller race footprint for local officials to secure.
“As numerous wildfires are currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are fully mobilized to combat the blazes, while internal security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population,” the Amaury Sport Organisation said in a statement.
“In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy a portion of the internal security forces initially mobilized to ensure security for the final stage of the Tour de France, in order to reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.”
The wildfires have led to the evacuations of about 200,000 people.
Stage 21 had been set as a 132.5-kilometer ride from Thoiry down the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
The re-imagined Stage 21 still will end along the famed road, just after a circuit on the Montmartre. But the run now will occur solely within the Paris boundaries and travel just 89 km. Cyclists will take two extra circuits along the Champs-Elysees before heading out for the Montmartre climb.
The Montmartre circuit has proven to be popular after it was used in the 2024 Paris Olympics and then added to the 2025 Tour de France. The area can accommodate large gatherings of fans, who turn the area into a party atmosphere.
Earlier in the Tour de France, fans were asked to stay away from the final 40 kilometers of Stage 3 because of wildfires and the need to deploy first responders to the area.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) takes questions from the media at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team offered Christian Gonzalez a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Kraft did not reveal the specific terms of the deal on Saturday, the first day of training camp.
“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said during the team’s Pawtriots pet adoption event, per the Boston Herald. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history.
“So we’re glad we drafted him and we developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension for the first time after being selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Trent McDuffie is currently the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, pocketing $31 million per season on his four-year, $131 million contract that he signed this offseason.
Gonzalez, 24, made the Pro Bowl last season after posting 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed in 14 starts. He has three interceptions, 24 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, one sack and 145 tackles in 34 career games (all starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
49ers' Kyle Shanahan to be limited in camp after serious car crash
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to the media during the NFL League Meetings on March 30, 2026, at Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand, needed over 40 stitches to his face and sustained a severe concussion after he was involved in a car accident last week, ESPN reported Saturday.
Per the network, the accident occurred on July 14 after Shanahan collided with an SUV near his northern California home.
The other driver was not injured, per Palo Alto lieutenant Nicholas Martinez. Martinez added that drugs and alcohol were not involved.
The 49ers said Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp, with ESPN reporting doctors will not clear Shanahan for all activities until concussion symptoms clear.
The team said assistant head coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle the head-coaching responsibilities during this time.
49ers general manager John Lynch is scheduled to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Niners are scheduled to hold their first practice of training camp Sunday morning and are set to open the season on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Shanahan, 46, will begin his 10th season as head coach in San Francisco. He owns an 82-67 record in the regular season. He has a 9-5 postseason record, guiding the 49ers to a pair of Super Bowl appearances — losing to the Kansas City Chiefs both times (2020, 2024).
–Field Level Media
Tour de France final stage rerouted due to wildfires
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
