Author: Shekari Philemon

The FIA will introduce new wet weather engine software before the United States Grand Prix on Oct. 25, following a failure that left multiple cars losing power on the formation lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix, run this year at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. What went wrong? A bug in software the governing body supplies to every team, which governs how electric power is deployed. Cars running at low engine revolutions in sectors where a 250 kilowatt power reduction applied lost drive beyond what was intended and could not recover it within those sectors. The problem appeared coming out of a…

The NBA and FIBA said Thursday they will proceed with plans for a new professional league in Europe, days after EuroLeague clubs rejected a formal merger offer. What did they say? That a unified structure would serve clubs, players and supporters, and that both organisations remain committed to a new men’s league in Europe alongside partners sharing their vision and the principles of the European sports model. The statement was issued jointly, which matters because it places the sport’s international governing body formally alongside the NBA rather than neutral between the parties. Why was the offer rejected? Valuation, according to…

Celebrations in which players mimic drinking a beverage will no longer be treated as violations, the NFL and the players’ association said in a joint statement on Wednesday. What prompted this? A cluster of fines. Several players were penalised in Week 2 for celebrations imitating drinking, including a San Francisco fullback whose version has been his signature for years. The union’s executive director said there were 20 celebration fines across Weeks 2 and 3, which he described as an unusual spike, and that every fined player appealed. Two of those fines were rescinded earlier Wednesday. What is still prohibited? Three…

Baltimore acquired two time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens from Philadelphia on Wednesday, sending a 2027 fifth round pick and a 2028 second rounder for Jurgens and a 2027 seventh. Why did Baltimore need him? Because it has run out of centers. The position has been a problem since the previous starter left in free agency in March. One candidate suffered a season ending knee injury in a joint practice in late August. Two more were lost in a single game in Rio de Janeiro, one with a broken fibula and one with a knee injury, and the player expected…

Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Jannik Sinner are among the players confirmed for the Australian Open’s 1 Point Slam in January, an exhibition in which every match lasts a single point and the winner takes one million Australian dollars. How does it work? A knockout bracket where each match is decided by one point. Men and women, professionals, amateur qualifiers and wild cards all compete in the same draw, which means a club player can eliminate a Grand Slam champion in the time it takes to play a rally. The final is at Rod Laver Arena on Jan.…

EuroLeague clubs rejected a formal merger offer from the NBA this week, though plans for a separate NBA Europe competition are proceeding regardless, with a 16 team league targeted for as early as the 2027 to 28 season. How solid is the rejection? Less than the word suggests. European basketball officials involved in negotiations indicate a significant number of the 13 permanent EuroLeague clubs have expressed interest in joining NBA Europe, and talks are expected to continue. What held this week was a collective position, not a settled one, and the source material describes a fractured situation with clubs weighing…

Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement on Tuesday, two days after being a surprise inactive against the Los Angeles Rams in a decision the team learned of that morning. What did he say? That he wanted to play one more season and concluded he could not. In a statement posted to social media, Johnson said he had deeply wanted to take the field with his teammates for a final year, that reflection had shown him his personal and family priorities had changed, and that focusing on his mental health is critical right now. He said he owed it…

The NFL Referees Association said Tuesday it will challenge the severity of suspensions issued to two game officials for conduct toward players, arguing the penalties exceed what precedent supports. What were the suspensions? Two games for a line judge who swore at Arizona tight end Trey McBride during a loss at the New York Giants, and one game for a referee who yelled at Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson and gestured for him to move away. Both were issued Monday. Are the two incidents comparable? Not really, and the penalties reflect that. The first involved an official directing profanity at a…

Nikola Bartunkova extended her China Open run into the quarterfinals on Tuesday, beating Sinja Kraus 6 to 0, 4 to 6, 6 to 3 two days after eliminating the world number two. How far has she come? Further than her ranking suggests. The 34th ranked Czech beat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the third round on Sunday, and has now won three matches at a tournament where both top seeds were gone inside the first week. She next faces seventh seeded compatriot Karolina Muchova in a first meeting between them. How did Muchova get there? Barely. She beat Naomi…

Coco Gauff was beaten 6 to 3, 6 to 3 by Elise Mertens in the China Open fourth round on Wednesday, days after describing the volume of racist messages she had received online as insane. What did she say about the abuse? That it has been draining. Coco Gauff said she turns her phone off and moves on, and that there is nothing else to be done. Earlier in the week she posted that people could dislike her or disagree with what happened without being racist, said the quantity of racist comments and direct messages she had received within hours…