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SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

Bennet Davis announces his retirement By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ational team forward Bennet Davis has announced that he will retire from professional basketball after an 11-year career which spanned 10 countries across the globe. Davis, 34, took to social media to thank his loyal group of friends, family members and supporters that have aided the development of his career. “Eleven years pro and 16 plus years of blood, sweat and tears. It’s been a journey full of ups, downs and fun all rolled into one. I’ve been blessed to represent my country ‘The Bahamas’ and play all over the world providing for my family

through basketball,” he said in a Facebook post. “Unfortunately, the accumulation of small injuries has finally taken its toll; so at the age of 34 years young I bow out gracefully.” Davis spent the 2017 season with MAFC Budapest of the Hungarian Basketball League, the highest level league of basketball in the country and his second stint in Hungary. He averaged 14 points and 7.9 rebounds per game through 16 contests. In 2016, the 6’9” forward played for a pair of French clubs. His latest stop was as a member of SAP Vaucluse in the French NM1 league. Earlier in the season, he also played for Saint Chamond in French Pro B league. The 2015 season was his first in France and Davis helped his Union

Basket Chartes Metropole club to a playoff berth and averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Davis spent parts of the 2014 season with three clubs, Kaposvari KK of the Hungarian NBIA (19 games), KK Zadar of the Croatian A-1 Liga (4 games), and GreenTops Netanya of the Israeli Premier League (11 games). For the year he averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He had his most productive stint with Kaposvari where he averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. In the 2012-13 season, Davis suited up for Marso NYKK in Hungary where he averaged 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

SEE PAGE 2

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DOMINICK BRIDGEWATER, of the Bahamas, in action for the Bahamas. He also competed in last weekend’s preseason tournament of the Avant Garde Tain Tournon Basketball Club in Tain, France. the University of Kentucky Wildcats as a member of the Bahamas’ select squad. He led the team to the 2017 GSSSA Senior Boys Championship and for the past two editions of the National High School Championships, he was the tournament’s leading scorer

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

and was named an all-tournament selection. At the junior national team level, Bridgewater was also a member of a pair of squads to represent the country.

BENNET DAVIS, of the Bahamas, has announced that he will retire from professional basketball after an 11-year career which spanned 10 countries across the globe.

vision. He needs to improve his shooting and shoot off the dribble but Jean-Phillip is very excited to coach him in the junior ranks and to help him to achieve his goal of becoming a professional.” Bridgewater, 18, recently had an opportunity to compete against

JONES LOOKS FORWARD TO STAR-STUDDED EUROLEAGUE ROSTER THIS OFFSEASON DESPITE a disappointing conclusion to the WNBA season, Jonquel Jones has a star-studded Euroleague roster to look forward to this offseason. Jones will join defending Euroleague Champions UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian premier League and FIBA Europe’s Euroleague during the WNBA offseason. Back in the WNBA the Sun have also reportedly exercised 4th year team options on Jones, Courtney Williams, Rachel Banham, Morgan Tuck and Bria Holmes. With those options exercised, the Sun will have 11 players under contract through at least the 2019 season. Last offseason in China, Jones became one of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s most dominant players and led her Shanxi Xing Rui Flames to a runner-up finish in the final. The star forward averaged a team-high 29.3 points, 18.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 31 games for Shanxi Xing Rui. In the 2016 offseason, Jones was selected No. 5 overall by Woori Bank in the Korean Basketball League and led the team to a championship title. On the season she averaged 15.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks - all team leads - in 24 minutes per game for Woori Bank in 38 games. At the league’s award ceremony, Jones earned the Foreign Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year award and was named “Best Five” in the league. She finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game - a dramatic increase from her rookie season when she averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game.

Bridgewater named tournament MVP JUNIOR national team standout Dominick Bridgewater is making his transition toward professional basketball and dominated his experience on the court in France. Bridgewater was named the MVP of last weekend’s preseason tournament of Avant Garde Tain Tournon Basketball Club in Tain, France. He averaged 18 points and 11 assists per game for the Fos-Sue-Mur Provence Basketball Byers Epoirs team and will spend much of the regular season working against the Byers A-League team, which includes Jaraun “Kino” Burrows. The Epoirs team also competes in the league consisting of all of the junior divisions of each team in the LNB French Pro A League. Burrows will continue his career in the LNB French Pro A League for the upcoming season after he reached an agreement on a contract extension with the Byers earlier this summer. He said that in a short timespan, Bridgewater has already made an impression on the coaching staff in France. “Coach Jean-Phillip has told me he’s very excited to have Dominick and that he’ll play him at the one and some two,” Burrows said. “Even though it has been a short time he sees Dominick as a quick and explosive player with great

US OPEN, Page 5

Gabriel Sastre Jr takes his water polo game to Argentina By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Mantas Water Polo Club continues to create new milestone opportunities for its student-athletes as their international network expands. Gabriel Sastre Jr was the latest club member to take his game to the international level when he was invited to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to join the GEBA Water Polo Club for an upcoming tournament. GEBA Water Polo Club will compete in a national tournament hosted in Sante Fe, Argentina, September 14-16. Sastre earned the opportunity following a busy summer session, highlighted by an historic appearance

at the USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics. In a joint effort with the Houston Storms Water Polo Club, Sastre was one of six members of the Mantas to form a select team - BahTex ManStorm - that finished 24th out of 48 teams in the Under-16 Classic division at the event in San Jose, California. One member of the Houston Storms will accompany Sastre and will also join GEBA Water Polo Club in this month’s event. The USA Water Polo Junior Olympic Championships is the largest age group water polo tournament in America with over 400 teams competing over the course of the four-day event. The Bahamian players first joined the Storms at the Southwest Zone Junior

GABRIEL Sastre Jr sightseeing in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Olympics Qualifier tournament in Houston, Texas, last month where they finished fourth out of 10 teams. Bahamas water polo began its string of successes at the 33rd CARIFTA Aquatics Championships in Kingston, Jamaica with a trio of gold medals. In July, the Under-16 Water Polo team concluded tournament play with a silver medal and secured Youth Pan Am Games qualification in El Salvador at the CCCAN Championships. With the recent success of the Bahamas Manta Water Polo Club, head coach of the programme Laszlo Borbely said for the sport to continue its upward trend, corporate funding will be essential to its growth. “We are establishing water polo life and this

programme has grown a tremendous amount over the years. “We are achieving great success, the players are getting new opportunities and exposure, we are creating new relationships with countries and other programmes all over the world but to keep achieving we need the programme to expand and that, of course, will require greater funding,” he said to the Tribune prior to the Junior Olympics. “I would like for more of corporate Bahamas to really come on board, to see the vision and see the marketability. As these teams continue to qualify and travel to more and more events of higher stature it will take funding to do so and to have them prepared to continue this success.”

PAGE 2, Thursday, September 6, 2018

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CONNECTICUT Sun centre Jonquel Jones, of the Bahamas, gets a hug from Phoenix Mercury centre Brittney Griner, back to camera, as the Sun players walk off the court following their loss in a singlegame WNBA basketball playoff matchup on August 23, in Uncasville, Connecticut. (AP)

JONQUEL JONES LOOKS FORWARD TO STAR-STUDDED EUROLEAGUE ROSTER FROM PAGE 1 UMMC Ekanterinburg has won four Euroleague, 12 Russian titles and eight Russian Cups in team history. In addition to Jones, UMMC Ekanterinburg will include Courtney Vandersloot and Kayla McBride.

For the second consecutive year, Jones and the Sun were eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the WNBA playoffs. Phoenix scored 10 unanswered points over the final 2:32 in the fourth quarter to score a 96-86 win over the Sun. Jones finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and

seven assists on 6-9 shooting from the field. The Sun finished the season 1-3 in matchups against the Mercury. Last year, the two teams met in the same round and the Mercury eliminated the Sun 88-83 on the road. Jones was named the 2018 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, earning the

honour as the league’s top reserve for the first time in her three-year career. Jones, who was voted last season as the 2017 WNBA Most Improved Player, becomes the first player to win both the Sixth Woman and Most Improved awards. In honour of being named the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, Jones

will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany and Co. Jones averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, a career-high 1.7 assists and 1.24 blocked shots per game this season. She tied for ninth in the WNBA in blocks and ranked fifth in field goal percentage (55.0) and

second in three-point field goal percentage (46.7). With 50 three-pointers made, she surpassed her total from the previous two seasons combined (36). During the Sun’s 9-1 finish to the season, Jones averaged 18.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. That stretch included four games of 20 or more points.

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DOMINICK BRIDGEWATER, of the Bahamas, in action during last weekend’s preseason tournament of the Avant Garde Tain Tournon Basketball Club in Tain, France.

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FROM PAGE 1 In 2016, he won MVP en route to leading the Bahamas to the gold medal of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation’s Under-16 Tournament when he averaged 18.2 points and 3.8 assists per game. He followed with an appearance at the Centrobasket Under-17 Championships where he averaged 24.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

He was also selected to represent the Bahamas at the Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp in 2017. Basketball Without Borders features the top 66 boys and girls from 16 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. “It was normal, it was fun, we still had to play hard and put your all into it because they’re coming to compete hard as well,” he said about the camp. “I took away a lot, getting information from them to increase my game to make me better.”

Davis announces his retirement FROM PAGE 1 He has also played professionally in Finland (KTP), Japan (Niigata Albirex), Spain (Palencia), Puerto Rico (Cangrejeros), Mexico and most notably, with the Utah Flash of the NBA’s Developmental League. Davis briefly flirted with an NBA contract when he was called up by the New Jersey Nets prior to the 2009-10 season. He appeared in a single preseason game, totalled a single rebound in just four minutes of action against the New York Knicks.

His most notable D-League achievement came when he was named to the NBA D-League’s Select team. The team competed against some of the league’s best rookies and young talent at the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League. After graduating on the University of Northeastern in 2007 where he averaged 15 points, 6.6 rebounds 2.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, he began his professional career with Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan in Israel where he averaged 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

He was drafted by the Flash in 2008 and in his initial season with the team, he started just 14 games and averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. In his sophomore campaign, he doubled productivity in both areas with averages of 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 41 per cent from the field. A Grand Bahama native, Davis has been a member of several senior national teams including the 2012 and 2014 Centrobasket teams and the gold medal winning Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships team.

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Thursday, September 6, 2018, PAGE 3

Falcons present tough test for Super Bowl champion Eagles By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer THE last time the Eagles opened a season as NFL champions, it was 1960 and, well, who remembers what folks did then in Philadelphia? What they’ll certainly do Thursday night at the Linc when the Falcons come to town is roar with approval at the site of the Lombardi Trophy and the championship banner. Fans will sing many, many choruses of “Fly Eagles Fly.” And then the guys on the field will get down to business, defending the title they took away from New England last February. That defense will be difficult, particularly in the NFC, a stronger conference than the AFC. “Quite honestly, it’s going to be a great night from that standpoint,” coach Doug Pederson says of the season opener. “The fans that are in attendance are going to be crazy and they’re going to be excited. It’s going to be great for the banner to be dropped in Lincoln Financial (Field). It’s going to be a great atmosphere. “I think with this football team, though, they understand this is a different season, it’s a new team, new year. We’re sitting here 0-0 with a great

opportunity against a great opponent — a playoff/ Super Bowl-caliber team coming in here. Quite honestly, that’s their focus.” It had better be, because the Falcons barely lost in Philly in the divisional round last winter, and they’ve upgraded on both sides of the ball. Atlanta, No. 8 in the AP Pro32, comes in as a 2½-point underdog to top-ranked Philadelphia. Pro Picks goes out on a limb early. UPSET SPECIAL: FALCONS, 22-20 KNOCKOUT POOL We didn’t stick around for too long last year, so consider that when we choose the SAINTS to win this weekend. No. 15 San Francisco (plus 6) at No. 3 Minnesota Jimmy Garoppolo is undefeated as a starting quarterback. Streak ends Sunday. BEST BET: VIKINGS, 27-16 No. 5 Pittsburgh (minus 5 1-2) at No. 31 Cleveland The Browns are defeated in 17 straight. That streak continues, even if Le’Veon Bell is a no-show. STEELERS, 23-20 No. 29 Tampa Bay (plus 9 1-2) at No. 6 New Orleans Almost went with this as BEST BET. Saints have Super Bowl-level talent. SAINTS, 33-16

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

IN this file photo, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, right, and head coach Doug Pederson celebrate after the NFL Super Bowl 52 against the New England Patriots in Minneapolis. Before the Eagles begin their quest for a repeat, they’ll have one more celebration when the first Super Bowl banner in franchise history is unveiled in front of a sellout crowd that waited forever to witness the moment. “It’s going to be a great night,” Pederson said. (AP) No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (minus 5) at No. 21 Oakland, Monday night. The return of Jon Gruden to the Black Hole. Raiders could struggle after Chucky traded his best player. RAMS, 27-25 No. 28 Chicago (plus 7 1-2) at No. 9 Green Bay Khalil Mack surfaces in Chicago. More significant: Aaron Rodgers is back at QB for Packers. PACKERS 27-13

No. 13 Kansas City (plus 3) at No. 10 Los Angeles Chargers Lots of people like the Chargers in the AFC West. So do we. CHARGERS, 21-13 No. 12 Houston (plus 6 1-2) at No. 2 New England If healthy, the Texans could be ready for special season. But they rarely play well in Foxborough. PATRIOTS, 30-20

No. 26 Buffalo (plus 7) at No. 14 Baltimore Sean McDermott didn’t want inexperienced Josh Allen at QB against this defense. Smart man. RAVENS, 18-7 No. 24 (tie) Cincinnati (plus 3) at No. 30 Indianapolis Andrew Luck returns at last. He doesn’t have much surrounding him. BENGALS, 22-14 No. 7 Jacksonville (minus 3) at No. 20 New York Giants How satisfying will this win be for Tom Coughlin? JAGUARS, 20-19 No. 17 Tennessee (minus 1) at No. 27 Miami Not feeling good vibes about the Titans right now. DOLPHINS, 21-20 No. 16 Dallas (plus 2 1-2) at No. 11 Carolina Not feeling good vibes about the Cowboys right now. PANTHERS, 30-24 No. 22 Washington (pick-em) at No. 24 (tie) Arizona Two of the NFL’s most mysterious teams this year. Go with the hosts. CARDINALS, 24-20 No. 18 Seattle (plus 3) at No. 23 Denver Two more of the NFL’s most mysterious teams. Go with the ... you get the drill. BRONCOS, 20-13 No. 32 New York Jets (plus 6 1-2) at No. 19 Detroit, Monday night Sam Darnold’s debut gives this game some intrigue. So does Matt Patricia’s as Lions coach. LIONS, 23-19

AP SOURCE: FIRST NIKE KAEPERNICK AD TO AIR DURING NFL OPENER By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer NIKE has unveiled its first “Just Do It” ad narrated by Colin Kaepernick, and a person familiar with the situation says the spot is scheduled to air during the NFL season opener on Thursday night and during football games throughout the season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the airing have not been formally announced. The two-minute spot released yesterday highlights superstar athletes LeBron James, Serena Williams and others. And it touches on the controversy of NFL players protesting racial inequality, police brutality and other issues by demonstrating during the national anthem. Kaepernick narrates the full spot but first physically appears midway through. As a camera pans to reveal Kaepernick’s face, a reflection of a United States flag is visible on the facade of a building behind him. Kaepernick says: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

At the start of the ad, Kaepernick says: “If people say your dreams are crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do, good. Stay that way, because what nonbelievers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult, it’s a compliment.” The former 49ers quarterback is revealed as the narrator toward the end of the spot. The commercial’s universal theme is about athletes pushing for bigger dreams. It features young athletes who compete amid various challenges, touching on issues of gender, disabilities and weight loss, among others. Kaepernick says at the end: “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if they are crazy enough.” Kaepernick hasn’t spoken to the media publicly since opting out of his contract with San Francisco and becoming a free agent in 2017. He scored a legal victory last week in his grievance against the NFL and its 32 teams when an arbitrator allowed his case to continue to trial. The quarterback claims that owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests. His

AFTER BANNER GOES UP, EAGLES START TITLE DEFENCE VS FALCONS

A LARGE billboard stands on top of a Nike store showing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at Union Square yesterday in San Francisco. (AP) case hinges on whether owners worked together rather than decided individually to not sign Kaepernick. A similar grievance is still pending by former San Francisco teammate Eric Reid, a Pro Bowl safety who joined in the protests. Kaepernick already had a deal with Nike that was set to expire, but it was renegotiated into a multiyear agreement to make him one of the faces of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign, according to the source. The person said Nike will feature Kaepernick on several platforms, including billboards, television commercials and online

ads. Nike also will create an apparel line for Kaepernick, including a signature shoe, and contribute to his Know Your Rights charity. The deal puts Kaepernick in the top bracket of NFL players with Nike. The endorsement deal between Nike and Kaepernick prompted a flood of debate Tuesday. Sports fans reacted to the apparel giant backing an athlete known mainly for starting a wave of protests among NFL players of police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues. It was a trending topic on Twitter and other social networks, with some fans urging a boycott of the company’s clothes and

sneakers — even burning and cutting out the signature swoosh logos on their gear. “I stand for anybody that believes in change. I stand for anybody that believes in a positive attitude,” LeBron James said Tuesday night at a Nike fashion show and awards ceremony in New York. “I stand with Nike, every day, all day.” Nike also provides all NFL teams with game day uniforms and sideline apparel, a partnership that was extended in March to run through 2028. President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of protesting NFL players, said Tuesday in an interview with the Daily Caller that he thinks it’s a “terrible message” for Nike to use Kaepernick in ads, but that it’s their decision whether to use the quarterback. “I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it,” Trump said, adding it’s “a message that shouldn’t be sent.” Trump said it’s ultimately a business decision for Nike.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Before the Philadelphia Eagles begin their quest for a repeat, they’ll have one more celebration. The first Super Bowl banner in franchise history will be unveiled in front of a sellout crowd that waited seemingly forever to witness the moment. Then it’s on to defending their crown. Coach Doug Pederson and his veteran players have preached throughout the offseason the importance of moving forward and focusing on the present if the Eagles are going to have any chance of becoming the ninth team to repeat as Super Bowl champs. They have a tough opponent tonight in the NFL opener. The Atlanta Falcons were 2 yards away from knocking the Eagles out of the playoffs in the divisional round, but Matt Ryan’s pass to Julio Jones fell incomplete in the right corner of the end zone. “It’s going to be a great night,” Pederson said. “The fans are going to be crazy and they’re going to be excited. It’s going to be great for the banner to be dropped. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. This football team, though, they understand this is a different season. It’s a new team, new year. We’re sitting here 0-0 with a great opportunity against a great opponent. Quite honestly, that’s their focus.” The Falcons understand they were real close to advancing to the NFC championship game. Beating the Eagles this time around won’t make up for the loss in January, but the goal now is to finish the season at home in Atlanta, where the Super Bowl will be played in February. “They had a great team last year,” Ryan said. “I’m certain that the atmosphere will be good, obviously with them celebrating (what) they did last year. Once that settles, it comes down to us, our 11 on the field against their 11.”

LEBRON SAYS IN KAEPERNICK REFERENCE: I STAND WITH NIKE By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Clutching his young daughter in his arms, LeBron James said he stands with Nike, a clear reference to the company’s Colin Kaepernick ad campaign. The basketball superstar — and new Los Angeles Laker — made the remarks as he received an award Tuesday for both his style and his philanthropy from Harlem’s Fashion Row. The fashion collective partnered with Nike for the New York event, both a fashion show and an awards ceremony that focused on diversity in the fashion world. The evening culminated in the reveal of the latest LeBron James Nike basketball shoe: a women’s sneaker designed by three female African-American designers and inspired by strong African-American women. In emotional remarks, James paid tribute to the three women in his life — his mother, wife and 3-year-old daughter, Zhuri. He noted how his mother had raised him alone, and given him “a sense of pride, a sense of strength, a sense of no worry.” “Because of you, Gloria James, I’m able to be in a position today where I can give back and showcase why I believe AfricanAmerican women are the most powerful women in the world.”

PAGE 4, Thursday, September 6, 2018

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Phillips’ 2-out, 2-run HR in 9th lifts Red Sox over Braves 9-8 By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Brandon Phillips hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, highlighting his long-awaited season debut and capping the biggest comeback by the Boston Red Sox this year for a 9-8 win over the Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox overcame a late six-run deficit and seesawed past Atlanta to sweep the three-game series between division leaders. Boston, with the best record in the majors, scored six times in the eighth to make it 7-all. After Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer with two outs in the Braves eighth, the Red Sox bounced back for their 97th win this year. The 37-year-old Phillips sat out the first half of this year, signed a minor league contract with Boston in late June and was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday. He didn’t play that night, but started at second base in the final game of the interleague set. After becoming the first player in Red Sox history to wear No. 0, in one swing the guy with the zero became a gameday hero. Andrew Benintendi

BOSTON Red Sox’ Brandon Phillips is greeted as he enters the dugout after putting the Red Sox ahead of Atlanta Braves with a two-run home run in the ninth inning yesterday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) singled with one out off A.J. Minter (4-3) and Steve Pearce struck out, bringing up Phillips. On the first pitch, Phillips homered deep into the left field seats. Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who hit another leadoff homer in the first, didn’t move as Phillips’ shot sailed over his head. Phillips scored three runs, drew two walks

and made the most of his first hit with Boston. Braves stadium organist Matthew Kaminski played “Welcome Back” before Phillips’ first at-bat in the second inning. Phillips, a high school star in the Atlanta area who played most of last season with the Braves, tipped his helmet and then walked. Phillips was a three-time All-Star second baseman

with Cincinnati. Known for his acrobatic fielding, he connected for his 211th career home run. In a game packed with momentum shifts, Freeman hit his tiebreaking homer off Brandon Workman (4-0). Freeman was given his first break from the starting lineup this season before coming off the bench in a defensive switch.

Atlanta led 7-1 before Boston scored six times in the eighth to tie the game. Atlanta reliever Dan Winkler gave up four hits and four runs without retiring a batter. Christian Vazquez got two hits in the inning, Blake Swihart hit a tworun double and pinch-hitter Ian Kinsler tied the game with a two-run single. The Red Sox sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, using five pinch-hitters and batting about 40 minutes against four relievers. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 38th save. The collapse by the Braves’ bullpen wasted a strong start by righthander Mike Foltynewicz, who gave up only two hits and one run in six innings. He provided stability, with two walks and five strikeouts, one day after Braves pitchers combined for nine walks in a 5-1 loss. Ozzie Albies hit a tworun triple in Atlanta’s five-run fifth inning that made it 7-1. With the sweep, Boston has won 25 of its last 29 games against National League teams. Boston began the day leading the second-place Yankees by 8 ½ games in the AL East. NL Eastleading Atlanta was three games ahead of Philadelphia.

RED SOX BEAT BRAVES IN MATCHUP OF DIVISION LEADERS ATLANTA (AP) — Steve Pearce had three hits and three RBIs, Rick Porcello allowed two hits in five innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Tuesday night for their second straight win in a matchup of division leaders. Porcello (16-7) gave up one run and struck out five, improving to 10-3 on the road this year. He had been 0-2 in his previous three starts overall since an Aug. 14 win at Philadelphia. BREWERS 11, CUBS 1 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Lorenzo Cain reached base five times, Wade Miley pitched six stingy innings and Milwaukee romped past Chicago to climb within three games of the NL Central leaders. Miley (3-2) allowed one run and three hits, struck out five and walked none as Milwaukee won for the fifth time in its last six

meetings with its division rival. The second-place Brewers maintained a 1½-game lead over St. Louis for the top NL wild card. YANKEES 5, ATHLETICS 1 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Luke Voit hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the eighth inning, Adeiny Hechavarria also went deep and New York beat Oakland. Brett Gardner singled twice and scored a pair of runs for the Yankees. Aaron Hicks added two RBIs. ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — A rough day for the Seattle Mariners that began with a clubhouse brawl ended with Baltimore rookie Renato Nunez and the Orioles rallying to win. Mariners shortstop Jean Segura and teammate Dee

Gordon tangled, while catcher Mike Zunino and others tried to break it up. The skirmish occurred four hours before the game at Safeco Field. Moments after Gordon politely asked reporters to leave the locker room, the double doors burst open with players shoving and shouting. DODGERS 11, METS 4 LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Freese hit his first homer with his new club and Rich Hill rebounded from a sluggish start on the mound as Los Angeles erased an early four-run deficit to defeat New York. Austin Barnes also homered for the Dodgers, who remained a half-game behind first-place Colorado in the NL West. The teams meet this weekend for three games at Coors Field. CARDINALS 11, NATIONALS 8 WASHINGTON (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a grand slam, Marcell Ozuna homered twice and St. Louis defeated Washington. Molina provided a cushion for the Cardinals with his sixth career slam, which made it 11-5 in the ninth inning. St. Louis hit five homers overall in stopping a three-game skid. Right fielder Yairo Munoz robbed Ryan Zimmerman of a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, reaching over the fence and pulling the ball back into the field of play for a two-run double. ROCKIES 6, GIANTS 2 DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon had a pinchhit home run and Carlos Gonzalez tripled with the bases loaded during a fiverun seventh inning that carried Colorado past San Francisco. David Dahl also homered and Charlie Blackmon had three hits for the Rockies, who lead the NL West in September or October for the first time since 1995. It was the fourth straight loss for the Giants, who also have dropped six in a row to Colorado. DIAMONDBACKS 6, PADRES 0 PHOENIX (AP) — Robbie Ray struck out 10 and pitched two-hit ball for 6 1/3 innings as Arizona blanked San Diego to end a four-game losing streak. The Diamondbacks’ skid had knocked them out of first place in the NL West.

PHILLIES 9, MARLINS 4 MIAMI (AP) — Carlos Santana homered to start a four-run first inning and Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Miami. Jake Arrieta (10-9) struck out a season-high 11 and earned his first win since July 31. He allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings and improved to 5-1 in eight career starts against the Marlins. ASTROS 5, TWINS 2 HOUSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman hit three doubles and Yuli Gurriel homered for the second game in a row, leading Justin Verlander and Houston to its fourth straight win. Verlander (14-9) yielded one run and three hits while fanning eight over seven innings. Roberto Osuna got his 13th save. TIGERS 8, WHITE SOX 3 CHICAGO (AP) — A fan was hit in the face by a foul ball and bled profusely before walking to the first aid station, causing a brief delay during Detroit’s win. The middle-aged male fan was sitting in the first row on the first base side of Guaranteed Rate Field — well beyond where the netting extends to end of the dugout — when he was struck by Jeimer Candelario’s foul leading off the Tigers ninth. INDIANS 9, ROYALS 3 CLEVELAND (AP) — Mike Clevinger struck out 10, Francisco Lindor hit another leadoff homer and Cleveland ended a threegame losing streak. Clevinger (11-7) allowed just three hits in six innings and remained unbeaten in his last seven starts. Kansas City had its season-high winning streak stopped at six, and lost starting pitcher Danny Duffy and rookie right fielder Brett Phillips to injuries. RANGERS 4, ANGELS 2 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus each hit solo home runs in the fourth inning to lead Texas. Andrus hit the first pitch of the fourth against Andrew Heaney (8-9) to tie it at 1. Two batters later, Beltre went deep for the ninth time this season and 471st time in his career.

RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 0 TORONTO (AP) — Ryne Stanek became the first rookie pitcher in 75 years to start consecutive games and combined with six relievers on a three-hitter as Tampa Bay won its fourth in a row. A night after throwing one inning and 16 pitches, Stanek worked one inning. He became first rookie to start back-to-back games since the St. Louis Cardinals’ Red Munger got one out in a loss to Philadelphia on July 28, 1943, then pitched a complete-game victory over the Phillies the following day, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. PIRATES 7, REDS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Starling Marte hit a two-run homer, Gregory Polanco had a two-run double and Pittsburgh topped Cincinnati.

COREY KLUBER

KLUBER EARNS 18TH WIN, FANS 10 AS INDIANS BEAT ROYALS 3-1 By STEVE HERRICK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber became the first 18-game winner in the majors this season, striking out 10 and pitching the Cleveland Indians past the Kansas City Royals 3-1 Wednesday. The Indians moved closer to the third straight AL Central title and reduced their magic number for clinching the division to nine. Kluber (18-7) allowed one run and two hits in 6 2/3 innings. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was pulled after throwing 105 pitches. Cleveland used three relievers to complete the two-hitter. Brad Hand struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save since being acquired San Diego and 32nd this season. Brad Keller (7-6) allowed three runs — one earned — in seven-plus innings and lost for the first time since Aug. 7. The game began in sweltering conditions with the temperature at 91 degrees for the first pitch. Edwin Encarnacion’s RBI grounder broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth. Greg Allen’s RBI single in the second gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead, and Kansas City tied it in the fourth on rookie Ryan O’Hearn’s triple. Kluber retired the first 10 batters before Alex Gordon lined a double on a 3-2 pitch. Hunter Dozier struck out, but O’Hearn’s ling drive was over Allen’s head in center field. Michael Brantley’s one-out single started the go-ahead rally.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 6, 2018, PAGE 5

Osaka powers into the US Open semi-finals by routing Tsurenko By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka charged into the first Grand Slam semifinal by a Japanese woman in 22 years, routing Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. The No. 20 seed continued what’s been a largely dominant run through the draw by winning in just 57 minutes, the third time in her five matches she didn’t even have to play an hour. Osaka moved from Japan to New York at age 3, and her deepest major run is coming at the same tournament she first visited as a child. “Well, it definitely means a lot for me, and I always thought if I were to win a Grand Slam, the first one I’d want to win is the US Open, because I have grown up here and, like, then my grandparents can come and watch,” she said. “I think it would be really cool.” She raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and then 4-0 in the second against the shaky Tsurenko, who finished with more unforced errors than points in her first major quarterfinal. Osaka will face either 14th-seeded Madison Keys or No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro in the first major semifinal appearance for a Japanese woman since Kimiko Date reached the final four at Wimbledon in 1996. Osaka was followed on Arthur Ashe Stadium by Kei Nishikori facing Marin Cilic in a men’s quarterfinal. Together, Osaka and Nishikori were the first Japanese woman and man to make the quarterfinals of the same Grand Slam since Date and Shuzo

Matsuoka at Wimbledon in 1995. The 20-year-old said she was nervous, claiming to be “freaking out inside” — though it certainly never showed. “Just like my entire body was shaking, so I’m really glad I was able to play well today,” she said. She won 59 points to just 28 for the unseeded Ukrainian, who knocked off No. 2 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. But Tsurenko said she was sick Wednesday, waking up with a sore throat and not breathing well. “Unfortunately during this tournament I had many issues with my health, and today was not my day obviously. I was not feeling well,” she said. Osaka had consecutive 50-minute matches earlier in the tournament, including a 6-0, 6-0 thrashing of Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round. She was finally tested in the round of 16, edging past No. 26 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in a little more than 2 hours, but she was back in complete control against Tsurenko, winning 20 of 22 points (91 percent) on her first serve. Tsurenko labored in the heat during her fourth-round victory over Marketa Vondrousova, having her temperature and blood checked during a medical timeout in the first set and nearly quitting when she trailed early in the second. She recovered to win in three sets, with her opponent accusing her of acting after the match. It was another hot afternoon Wednesday, with temperatures in the high-80s (30s Celsius) but feeling some 10 degrees hotter with the humidity.

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

NAOMI OSAKA, of Japan, serves to Lesia Tsurenko, of Ukraine, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis tournament yesterday. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Tsurenko didn’t appear bothered by the conditions, but whether it was her health or just first-time jitters, she was off from the minute she stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium.She

pushed some balls a few feet past the baseline, often failing to make Osaka do anything special to win a point and finishing with 31 unforced errors.

“I hate matches like this,” Tsurenko said. “I didn’t want to show this kind of game in front of this big crowd, but unfortunately I’m just not able to play now.”

‘IT’S CRUEL, SOMETIMES, TENNIS’: NADAL TOPS THIEM By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal began his U.S. Open quarterfinal as poorly as possible, shut out in a set by a 6-0 score for only the fourth time in 282 career Grand Slam matches. On the previous three such occasions, he’d lost. On this one, he managed to come back to win, although it took 4 hours, 49 minutes and never did get easy for him. The defending champion and No. 1 seed at Flushing Meadows recovered from his disastrous start and other stumbles along the way to beat No. 9 Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) for a semifinal berth at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, winning

BJORN OPTS FOR EXPERIENCE WITH RYDER CUP WILDCARD PICKS

a physical, back-and-forth tussle that concluded after 2 a.m. on Wednesday. “Very demanding, in all aspects,” said Nadal, who will face 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro on Friday for a berth in the final. “A question of a little bit of luck at the end.” How tense and tight was this one? Not only was Nadal two points from losing at 5-all in the closing tiebreaker, but he finished with fewer total points, 171-166. “It’s cruel, sometimes, tennis,” Thiem said, calling the loss “the first really epic match I’ve played.” When it ended, on an overhead by Thiem that sailed long, everyone in Nadal’s guest box — a group that included actor Ben Stiller — leaped to their feet to celebrate. Nadal climbed over the

net to hug his opponent , then whisper an apology and words of encouragement. “I’m very sorry for Dominic,” Nadal told a rowdy crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “He’s a close friend on tour. He’s a great guy. A great player.” Asked about that at his news conference, Thiem said with a chuckle: “Well, I don’t think he’s really sorry.” This rematch of the French Open final in June, won by Nadal, was his first match against a top-20 opponent at the U.S. Open since 2013, when he beat then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final. It sure seemed at the shocking outset as if Nadal was somehow unprepared for this step up in competition. Thiem collected 24 of the opening set’s 31 points, thanks in large part to a 13-3 edge in winners.

Hard to not think back to 24 hours earlier, when Nadal’s great rival, No. 2 seed Roger Federer, was upset in the fourth round during similarly muggy conditions. Nadal was sweating so much in the 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity that a mountain of white towels formed next to his changeover bench. Thiem made him work for this win. And how. The depth and strength of Thiem’s groundstrokes were doing what Nadal’s shots usually do to opponents: robbing them of time and space. Plus, Thiem — an Austrian who turned 25 on Monday — was serving well, taking every point when he put a first serve in, and handling returns without a hitch. “After that first set,” Nadal said, “the match became more normal.”

THE chance of playing another Ryder Cup kept Ian Poulter motivated through his dark times over the last two years. Paul Casey made major changes to his schedule in order to get another shot at golf’s greatest team event. Throughout his own recent slump, Sergio Garcia was in regular conversation with close friend Thomas Bjorn in an effort to stay in the European captain’s thinking. It all paid off on Wednesday. In a selection that rewarded experience over form, Bjorn balanced a team overflowing with rookies by picking Garcia, Poulter, Casey and Henrik Stenson as his wild-cards for Europe’s bid to regain the Ryder Cup from the United States in Paris from Sept. 28-30. “You need people like that,” Bjorn said, “who have been there and done it, positively and negatively.” Bjorn wasn’t short of options as he weighed up who to add to a team containing automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Thorbjorn Olesen, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren. Up-and-coming Englishman Matt Wallace perhaps made the strongest case for inclusion after winning the Made In Denmark event last weekend — in front of Bjorn on his home course — for his third victory in 15 starts on the European Tour. But selecting Wallace would have meant Europe had a sixth rookie on the team, along with Olesen, Rahm, Hatton, Fleetwood and Noren. In the end, Bjorn leant on Europe’s tried and tested. The four captain’s picks have made 20 Ryder Cup appearances between them, and each has won at least 50 percent of their matches in the competition. Their average age is 40.75. “I’m going to give everything I can, not only on the golf course but in the team room,” said Garcia, the most fortunate of the picks having missed the cut in eight of his last 13 events. “I want to make sure some of those rookies feel as comfortable as possible, try to make them better, and hopefully that helps us all to get our goal, that is winning the Ryder Cup again.”

SERENA WILLIAMS PUTS ASIDE SHAKY START TO BEAT PLISKOVA By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams began her U.S. Open quarterfinal tentatively. Her shots lacked their usual sting, her attitude its usual conviction. She was facing the last player she lost to at Flushing Meadows. She kept looking up her coach, as if seeking solutions. After just 20 minutes Tuesday night, Williams was in danger of trailing by two service breaks. Not much later, the outcome was no longer in doubt, because the 23-time Grand Slam champion suddenly was in complete control. Williams put aside some early shakiness and an early deficit, turning things around with an eight-game run en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the semifinals. It was Williams’ first win over a top-10 player this season. “I was playing really not a good game,” said Williams, who was a point from trailing 4-1 and did fall behind 4-2 while making 22 of her 30 unforced errors in

the first set. “I was thinking, ‘You know, I can play better.’ So that was the good news.” Pliskova offered this guess about what was happening to Williams: “Maybe she was a little bit nervous.” Maybe. But that didn’t last long. Pliskova is a big server and hitter in her own right, someone who briefly spent time at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2016, when she beat Williams in the semifinals. The 36-year-old American did not compete in New York a year ago, because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament. Go back to 2015, and that was another semifinal departure for Williams, whose bid for a calendaryear Grand Slam was shockingly ended by Roberta Vinci. “Well, I want to just be able to get past the semis here. It’s been a few, couple, rough semis for me,” Williams said. “But regardless, this has been a great road.” This time, Williams’ semifinal opponent will be No. 19 seed Anastasija

SERENA WILLIAMS, of the United States, celebrates after defeating Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis tournament on Tuesday in New York. (AP) Sevastova of Latvia, who surprisingly beat defending champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-3 earlier Tuesday. Stephens, who said she had been dealing with a sinus infection, rued all of her wasted opportunities, most notably the seven

break points she failed to convert in the first set. She sure didn’t attempt to hide her frustration, either, repeatedly gesturing toward or speaking in the direction of her coach, Kamau Murray, up in the stands. When someone

urged her to raise her level in the second set, Stephens replied, “I’m trying!” “When you don’t play big points well, the match can get away from you,” Stephens said. “I think that’s what happened today. I didn’t convert.”

Sevastova, who retired in 2013 because of injuries and returned nearly two years later, advanced to her first Slam semifinal. “Still long way to go, I think,” she said. Especially considering that the next step will come against Williams, who’s heading into her 36th semi at a major, 12th at Flushing Meadows. Williams already proved at Wimbledon that she is capable of the sort of dominant performances she has shown over the years, making all the way to the final at the All England Club before losing. She’ll hope to do one better now and claim a seventh U.S. Open title. Her sluggish start against Pliskova came in the same 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity that hampered John Isner in his quarterfinal loss to Juan Martin del Potro on Tuesday afternoon. The heat also affected Roger Federer in his fourth-round exit against John Millman a night earlier and prompted the tournament to suspend play in junior matches for a few hours.

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SMALL CROSSWORD SATURDAY

75p plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

today’s full solution

0907 181 2575

For your chance to win, call: 0907 181 2723 or text DXMENSA to 84902**

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Lisa Wild

SMALL CRoSSwoRd

Lisa Wild

r thirst to ease, believe. /lmx

SMALL CRoSSwoRd

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For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2583

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

today’s Target solution

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. All puzzles use The Chambers Dictionary

■

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 6, 2018, PAGE 7

Storm and Mystics to meet in WNBA Finals By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer ELENA Delle Donne has the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they’ll face Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm. The star forward came to Washington last year to try and lead the Mystics to a championship. She has them one step away. “D.C.’s become home to me,” said Delle Donne, who grew up about two hours north in Delaware. “Now we need the city to rally behind us because we’re not finished yet.” Bird chose to stay in Seattle a few years ago while the franchise was rebuilding. Now she’ll get a chance to win her third WNBA championship. “It’s been a great run,” said Bird, who scored 14 of her 22 points in the final 5:48 of a 94-84 win over Phoenix in the semi-finals Tuesday night. “When the

season started I wasn’t sure what was going to happen and now we’re in the Finals.” Game 1 is Friday night in Seattle. The two stars helped their teams win decisive Game 5s and advance to the championship round. Both players did so while overcoming injuries from earlier in their series. Delle Donne sustained a bone bruise in her left knee during Game 2 that forced her to miss the third game of the series. Bird broke her nose in Game 4 and sat out the second half. Yet with the season on the line, both stepped up. They certainly didn’t do it alone. Washington rookie Ariel Atkins was instrumental, leading her team with 20 points and seven rebounds Tuesday in an 86-81 victory over Atlanta. “My goodness did Ariel Atkins step up for us. She’s not a rookie,” Delle Donne said.

League MVP Breanna Stewart scored 28 points to lead the Storm, and reserve Sami Whitcomb had 11 crucial points off the bench. “You have to take your hat off to the heart that we had down the stretch. ... We really dug in,” Seattle coach Dan Hughes said. “Watching Sue Bird have the presence in that moment. I played Stewie for the first time 40 minutes, and then you get a player like Sami Whitcomb who trains like no other and was ready for a big moment. So a lot of things that we had to dig to get, and that’s what you’ve got to do to advance. Advance we will.” • Here are a few other tidbits looking ahead to the Finals:

SEATTLE Storm players gather in a celebratory huddle after a 94-84 win over the Phoenix Mercury during Game 5 of a WNBA basketball playoff semi-final Tuesday in Seattle. The Storm advanced to the WNBA finals. (AP) 2005 before falling just short. The 2004 loss came against Bird and the Storm. Hughes had one shot at a title in 2008 when he was coaching in San Antonio before the Silver Stars lost to the Detroit Shock.

FIRST-TIME WINNER Either Washington coach Mike Thibault or Hughes will win his first WNBA title. Thibault had reached the finals twice before with Connecticut in 2004 and

“It’s great for the league. The more we can be on television and be visible, it’s a good thing. So, I think this year shows just how equal the league is,” Mystics star Kristi Toliver said. “All the teams are really, really great. We should be very thankful and lucky — well, not lucky, we earned the right to be here — but it’s a tough league. For this series to go to five, for Phoenix and Seattle to go to five, it’s just the female players in

FITTING SHOWCASE After a regular season that featured parity around the league, it was fitting both semi-finals came down to decisive games.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Morning showers, then a shower

Partly cloudy with a shower

An afternoon shower in places

Some brightening

Nice with clouds and sun

Mostly cloudy

High: 87°

Low: 77°

High: 87° Low: 77°

High: 88° Low: 76°

High: 89° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

95° F

85° F

95°-86° F

99°-86° F

100°-87° F

99°-85° F

almanac

ABACO

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

7-14 knots

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 75° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

6-12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 79° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 38.50” Normal year to date ................................... 25.68”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6-12 knots

6-12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

5:04 a.m. 5:42 p.m.

2.9 3.6

11:17 a.m. 0.3 ---------

Friday

6:06 a.m. 6:39 p.m.

3.1 3.8

12:10 a.m. 0.5 12:18 p.m. 0.1

Saturday

7:03 a.m. 7:33 p.m.

3.3 3.8

1:05 a.m. 1:16 p.m.

Sunday

7:57 a.m. 8:23 p.m.

3.5 3.8

1:55 a.m. 0.0 2:11 p.m. -0.1

Monday

8:48 a.m. 9:13 p.m.

3.7 3.8

2:44 a.m. -0.1 3:04 p.m. -0.1

Tuesday

9:38 a.m. 10:01 p.m.

3.7 3.6

3:31 a.m. -0.1 3:55 p.m. 0.0

Wednesday 10:28 a.m. 10:48 p.m.

3.6 3.4

4:17 a.m. 4:46 p.m.

0.2 0.0

0.0 0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:53 a.m. 7:24 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

3:19 a.m. 5:08 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Sep. 9

Sep. 16

Sep. 24

Oct. 2

CAT ISLAND

HOME AWAY FROM HOME The Mystics will play their home games at George Mason. Washington’s normal home — the Capital One Arena — is being renovated. The Mystics played their semi-final home games at George Washington’s arena, but that also has a conflict.

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

the world doing what they do. And it’s great that everybody gets to see that.”

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6-12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots E at 6-12 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 79° F 79° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years. NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA

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(BAHAMAS) LIMITED. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS

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PAGE 8, Thursday, September 6, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Patriots’ Brady says his goal is still to play 5 more years By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

NEW England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) speaks with quarterback Danny Etling during football practice yesterday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady is making one thing clear as he prepares for his 19th NFL season: He doesn’t plan to stop playing football anytime soon. In the epilogue of his seven-part Facebook Watch documentary series “Tom Vs Time” released yesterday, the 41-year-old Patriots quarterback reiterated his desire to play at least five more years. “I’d love to play 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,” Brady said. “It’ll be a challenge for me. I don’t think it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be hard to do. I think it’s going to be very hard to do. But I think I can do it. And once you stop, you’re done. And I think I’m not ready to say that I’m done, because I don’t feel like I am. I still feel like there’s things to accomplish. ... It was really hard to get to this point. Why not finish it off?” New England opens its 2018 season Sunday against Houston. Despite winning five Super Bowls and becoming the oldest player ever to win MVP honours last season at age 40, Brady said he thinks there’s another level he can reach. “I think the last eight years of my career have been better than my first 10, so I should just prolong it, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. Since its debut in January, “Tom Vs Time” has provided viewers a glimpse into several behind-thescenes moments with Brady on the field since he turned 40, as well as rare looks at his private life off the field.

This final episode also explored what Brady said is a new approach to certain aspects of NFL life, which includes ignoring the opinions people have of him. At one point he seemed to address the criticism he’s received in recent seasons about his relationship with his personal health coach and business partner Alex Guerrero. During training camp, Brady called it “ridiculous” to suggest the suspension of Patriots receiver Julian Edelman is tied to his work with Guerrero. Those same questions about Guerrero prompted Brady to abruptly end his first media availability of camp. “(The media wants) to talk about a lot of drama,” Brady said during the epilogue. “I’m sure a lot of teams have things like that. But ours is just to the tenth degree. I’m learning to deal with it better.” Brady also hinted at the rumoured discord between him and coach Bill Belichick, which both have previously downplayed. “I think anytime you’re together with people for a long period of time, relationships ebb and flow,” Brady said. “I think people are just looking for something to write and talk about. I just don’t give a (expletive) anymore that much about anything. ... Nothing’s that big a deal to me anymore. Or maybe I’m just caring more about things that really matter — like my family, like people’s health, like life and death. “But to worry about a lot of (expletive) of what people may say or think or feel — I really don’t care anymore.”

NY Giants wide receiver Beckham ready for return By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With the rehab behind him and the pain gone, three-time New York Giants Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr is returning to the NFL with an even bigger target on his back, and an outspoken Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback ready to take a shot at him. Beckham doesn’t mind. The NFL’s highest paid receiver can’t wait to play in a game for the first time since breaking his left ankle against the Chargers on October 8. Facing Jaguars All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey is a plus. And Beckham insists there isn’t going to be a repeat of his Josh Norman debacle in 2016. The 25-year-old isn’t taking the bait this time. When Beckham gets on the field on Sunday, it will all be about playing the game he loves again. “I can’t stop thinking about it,” Beckham said yesterday. “I’m at home, I’ll be in the middle of conversation, my mind doesn’t get off this game. It’s been a long time. There was a lot of hard work and preparation just to be able to get back to running and playing again. So, I’m excited. I’m real excited about this team and the opportunity we have in front of us.” Beckham has come a long way since the injury, one that put his career in jeopardy more than most people know. It took him months to be able to run, and to watch the videotape of his injury in its entirety. He would watch and turn it off before the hit. “I didn’t want to see it,” Beckham said. “It reminded me of Joe Prothro at Alabama, that gruesome (leg) injury (2010) that you just don’t want to see again. When it’s you, it’s even harder to watch, because you can feel

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NEW York Giants NFL football player Odell Beckham Jr talks to the media yesterday about playing for the first time since being hurt in October. The Giants face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. (AP Photo/Tom Canavan) the pain receptors hit your brain and you can feel it all over again. Just being able to watch that video comfortably and just see. “I can watch it now any time.” During training camp, Beckham convinced the Giants he had returned to 100 per cent and he was rewarded with a $95 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player at his position. “I don’t think that the contract can do anymore for that target on my back,” Beckham said. “Inflicted by the world, inflicted by myself. That target has been on there since I came in, so I don’t know if a contract is going to help. That target increases and decreases. Guys have always wanted to hit me and be able to talk about it. It’s just the reality of where I’m at in life. It’s just something I’ve had to deal with.” Going against Ramsey will be a challenge but it probably won’t be as personal as the one with Norman. The Redskins cornerback criticised Beckham before their 2016 game. Beckham drew three

personal fouls in the contest and was suspended for a game. He admits he was suckered in by all the pre-game trash talk. “Yeah, but you took the cheese,” he said. “So, I can’t be mad at anything that happened. I bit on it, so it’s all good.” Beckham actually developed a friendship working out with Ramsey in the offseason, and he says it is interesting they will be facing each other. Ramsey caused a stir during the summer by saying Beckham made the Giants go, not Eli Manning. “He’s got all the intangibles,” Beckham said of Ramsey. “He’s athletic and he’s just good. Like I said, he’s just one of the best in the league. He does it all.” Beckham has the same ability on the other side of the ball. He has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns in 47 games. He is already tied for second among all-time Giants’ receivers with three 1,000-yard seasons. His 38 touchdown catches are the second most since entering the NFL in 2014.

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