Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
News and updates from the Packers’ sixth training camp practice of 2023.
The second day of practice in pads is Tuesday for the Green Bay Packers. Expect more intensity and more attention to detail for Matt LaFleur’s team.
So, what will Day 6 bring at Ray Nitschke Field?
Here’s everything to know from Tuesday, Aug. 1, the sixth training camp practice of 2023:
We know LeBron James wears No. 6. But who else is on that list? We’ve got them all here.
The NBA is doing the absolute right thing by retiring Bill Russell’s No. 6 in the rafters for every team.
He meant so much to the NBA both on and off the court. He’s easily one of the best basketball players ever, but Russell was also a civil rights pillar and an icon who was larger than life. He meant so much and deserves
No player will ever be able to wear the number again. Well, after the current players who are wearing it hang it up, anyway.
There’s still a group of players around the league who have been wearing the number who are “grandfathered” in, meaning they don’t have to change because they were already wearing it. Everyone else is out of luck.
Who are those players? We’ve got them all listed here.
Watch our sneaker unboxing series, Special Delivery
Switching from No. 23 to No. 6 could put LeBron James in the history books for another accomplishment.
After making his switch from No. 23 to No. 6 official, LeBron James can potentially enter the history books for another accomplishment.
The switch means James will have worn four jerseys throughout his NBA career, and all four have a strong chance at being retired by the teams he has played for.
James started with No. 23 during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and though he didn’t guide the team to a championship before leaving, he lifted the ceiling of a roster that lacked dominant talent at an incredibly young age.
Then he donned No. 6 upon signing with the Miami Heat in free agency, where he added to his developing collection of accolades. He won his first two championships in 2012 and 2013, simultaneously taking home the Most Valuable Player award in both seasons.
The two trophies became the second and third titles in Miami franchise history.
James returned to Cleveland and reinstated his No. 23 jersey. He, along with Kyrie Irving’s ascension, led the team to its first championship in 2016 after an incredible 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals.
When James began a new chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers, he stayed with No. 23 and brought the city its first championship since 2010 during the Orlando bubble in 2020.
Since No. 6 will be his next number, there’s a possibility the Lakers could retire it if James can help deliver the franchise’s 18th championship, which would be the most in the league if the Boston Celtics don’t win another one first.
But Eddie Jones, who the Lakers drafted 10th overall in the 1994 NBA draft, also wore No. 6 and played a crucial role in the team’s success before leaving in the 1998-99 season.
If James has all four jerseys retired, he’d be the first player in NBA history to achieve that:
LeBron James has a chance to become the first player in NBA history with 4 retired jerseys.
The current record is 3 by Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich. pic.twitter.com/j1E96sjTup
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 9, 2021
Wilt Chamberlain’s retired jerseys are with the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Lakers. He wore No. 13 with all three teams.
Pete Maravich had his No. 7 jersey retired with the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans. The Atlanta Hawks retired his No. 44 jersey.
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LeBron James makes the switch official: He’ll wear No. 6 for the Los Angeles Lakers next season.
The move is now official: LeBron James will wear No. 6 on his jersey next season for the Los Angeles Lakers instead of No. 23.
A report came out last week about James’ plans to make the switch. James has worn No. 23 while with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his two stints with the franchise, and he kept the number when he signed the Lakers in 2018.
The 18-year veteran wore No. 6 when he played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014. He won two titles in Miami in 2012 and 2013, simultaneously winning the Most Valuable Player award in each of those campaigns.
James is also wearing No. 6 for the Tune Squad in his upcoming movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy“, which will also debut the new Nike LeBron 19 shoe.
James reacted to the change on his Twitter:
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 14, 2021
The switch also made for a fun comparison between how James performed while wearing No. 6 with the Heat for four seasons and No. 23 with the Cavaliers and Lakers for 14 seasons.
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CBS Sports college football reporter Dennis Dodd released his updated power rankings heading into Week 4 of the season and UF is on the move
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CBS Sports college football reporter Dennis Dodd released his updated power rankings heading into Week 4 of the season, and the Gators are on the move despite being just under a week away from actually kicking off their season.
Florida’s ranked No. 6 in the power rankings, up one spot from last week. It jumped Georgia, who fell two spots from No. 5 to No. 7 in part due to question marks at the quarterback position. Presumed starter Jamie Newman decided to opt out of the season, leaving a battle between USC transfer JT Daniels and D’Wan Mathis that is yet to be resolved.
Here’s what Dodd said about Florida.
Ole Miss will be wearing powder blue jerseys. The Gators will be wearing the title of SEC East favorite (at least in this corner of the world). With Lane Kiffin making his Ole Miss debut (at his third SEC school), this one could be sneaky tough for the Gators going on the road.
The Gators are the second-highest ranked team in the SEC behind No. 3 Alabama. LSU is also ranked in the top 10 at No. 8, with Miami coming in at No. 9.
The full top 25 can be seen below.
|
RK
|
TEAMS
|
CHG/
|
RCRD
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 CLEMSON |
Maybe the biggest news coming out of this snoozer was how The Citadel covered the spread. Actually, the Tigers could have scored 100, but Dabo Swinney has a soul. Citadel coach Brent Thompson turned down an offer from Swinney to shorten the quarters in the second half. “We came here to play 60 minutes,” Thompson said. Whatever. Trevor Lawrence threw only nine times in a 49-0 win. | — | 2-0 |
| 2 |
 |
OU heads into Week 4 with the two most accurate passers in the country: Spencer Rattler and backup Tanner Mordecai are tied at 82.4%. Rattler will be stretched out a bit in the Big 12 opener against Kansas State. Rattler made what amounted to a cameo in the opener against Missouri State (14 of 17 for 290 yards). Is a 303.3 passer rating any good? | — | 1-0 |
| 3 |
 |
It’s finally here. The SEC returns! Missouri has to pay in hosting the Crimson Tide. It doesn’t help the Tigers will be missing 12 players due to COVID-19 concerns. The Tide are a four-touchdown favorite in the kickoff to the Angry Alabama Tour. | — | 0-0 |
| 4 |
 |
Nice bounce back for the Fighting Irish, who looked sluggish against Duke. Ian Book threw for 143 yards against South Florida and Notre Dame put the worst beating Bowling Green by the same score last year. The list of punching bags grows when Notre Dame visits Wake Forest. | — | 2-0 |
| 5 |
 |
Sam Ehlinger meet the second-worst defense in the country. Only North Texas has given up more average yards that Texas Tech, this week’s opponent. The Red Raiders surrendered 600 yards to Houston Baptist in the opener. The question is when will Tom Herman turn off the faucet this week? | 1 | 1-0 |
| 6 |
 FLORIDA |
Ole Miss will be wearing powder blue jerseys. The Gators will be wearing the title of SEC East favorite (at least in this corner of the world). With Lane Kiffin making his Ole Miss debut (at his third SEC school), this one could be sneaky tough for the Gators going on the road. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 7 |
 |
How long will we have to wait until Kirby Smart names a starter at quarterback? Given Smart’s covert lineup tendencies, it might not be until game time Saturday against Arkansas before we know. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 8 |
 |
The talent the Tigers lost could compete for a bowl game. It’s not likely they will run it back, but the attempt will be interesting to watch. The SEC on CBS debuts with Mississippi State going to Baton Rouge. Be there for the Leach-Orgeron Zoom postgame. | — | 0-0 |
| 9 |
 MIAMI (FL) |
The Turnover Chain got a workout. The Canes got three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception). “The ice is nice,” cornerback Al Blades Jr. said. Louisville got a workout. Miami had 10 tackles for loss. Is “The U” back? Not yet. It would have to win a national championship to do that, but something feels different so far this year. | 4 | 2-0 |
| 10 |
 UCF |
The Knights are officially the New Year Six’s favorite out of the Group of Five and perhaps a College Football Playoff darkhorse. Dillon Gabriel for Heisman? UCF’s quarterback threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of Georgia Tech. The Knights ran 92 plays, one every 20.7 seconds. I’m pleasantly surprised Josh Heupel has become this good a coach. | 4 | 1-0 |
| 11 |
 |
Hey, look who’s playing in the only SEC game this week between two ranked teams? Kentucky comes to The Plains as Bo Nix kicks off his second season and Gus Malzahn kicks off his eighth season at Auburn. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 12 |
 CINCINNATI |
The Bearcats kicked off their season with a 55-20 wipeout of Austin Peay. “We showed we’re a team not to mess around with,” said tailback Gerrid Doaks after scoring four times. Things get a bit tougher this week with Army West Point coming to town. | 4 | 1-0 |
| 13 |
 OKLAHOMA STATE |
Pokes everywhere had one heck of a Saturday. Anybody know the score of the football game? OK, that’s a Matthew Wolff reference. With Spencer Sanders knocked out with a lower body injury against Tulsa, is it possible the defense will have to carry the Cowboys? | 4 | 1-0 |
| 14 |
 NORTH CAROLINA |
The Tar Heels will go three weeks between Games 1 and 2. COVID-19 postponed Saturday’s game against Charlotte. North Carolina doesn’t play again until Oct. 3 against Boston College. Fingers crossed. | 3 | 1-0 |
| 15 |
 TEXAS A&M |
This is Jimbo Fisher’s best Texas A&M team. Why aren’t folks more impressed? Well, the Aggies play in the SEC West where Alabama, Auburn and LSU — at least — are better going into the season. Vanderbilt comes in to open the season at Kyle Field. | 3 | 0-0 |
| 16 |
 LOUISIANA |
Elijah Mitchell went for 164 rushing yards, including the winning touchdown, in overtime against Georgia State. The Ragin’ Cajuns rallied from down 21-7. “I think human nature, when everybody’s patting you on the back, maybe you relax a little bit,” coach Billy Napier said. Yup. | 1 | 2-0 |
| 17 |
 MEMPHIS |
Wake me with Memphis plays again. News broke Saturday that this week’s game against UTSA was already off due to COVID-19. UTSA was on the schedule only because the Houston game had been postponed. What the heck is going on down there? | 2 | 1-0 |
| 18 |
 KENTUCKY |
Everyone’s underdog SEC darling opens at Auburn. The Wildcats have won a combined 18 games the last two seasons under Mark Stoops. Terry Wilson steps back in for Lynn Bowden Jr. at quarterback. If Wilson (almost 3,000 total yards in 15 career games) goes out, Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood can step in. | — | 0-0 |
| 19 |
 PITTSBURGH |
How bad is Syracuse? Pitt beat the Orange 21-10 despite seven penalties, three missed field goals and two turnovers. Aside from a 69-yard touchdown pass, the Panthers defense allowed 102 yards on 55 snaps. | 6 | 2-0 |
| 20 |
 BYU |
After a postponement against Army, the Cougars host Troy this week. The win over Navy looks even better after the Midshipmen rallied to beat Tulane. The Trojans come in off a 34-point win over Middle Tennessee. | — | 1-0 |
| 21 |
 ARMY WEST POINT |
One of the better games of the season looms. Two top-10 rushing games clash as the Black Knights go to Cincinnati. Army leads the country at 389.5 yards per game. Cincinnati ran for 276 yards against Austin Peay. Key stat: Since 2016, the Knights have finished no lower than 14th in time of possession. | — | 2-0 |
| 22 |
 |
Let’s finally get the Volunteers out of our mouths and onto the field. Never has an eight-win team been so analyzed. Yes, the six-game winning streak is a big deal, but for gosh sakes, let’s just play. We’ll get an indication right out of the box whether Tennessee is a contender or pretender in the SEC East as the Vols go to South Carolina. | — | 0-0 |
| 23 |
 SMU |
The Mustangs can score with anybody after a 65-35 win at North Texas. Shane Buechele threw for four touchdowns. While we agonize over UCF and Cincinnati, let’s consider whether SMU can outscore its way to an AAC title. If you’ve got a quarterback, you’ve got a chance. | NR | 2-0 |
| 24 |
 MARSHALL |
Coming off a 307-yard passing debut, redshirt freshman quarterback Grant Wells ran for 43 yards against Appalachian State. That included a 12-yard touchdown for insurance in the third quarterback. Marshall beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2003. | NR | 2-0 |
| 25 |
 BOSTON COLLEGE |
In Jeff Hafley’s debut, Boston College upset Duke 26-6. The former Ohio State defensive coordinator apparently has an offense, too. Phil Jurkovec threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. “I’m giving every one of those players a game ball,” Hafley said. | NR | 1-0 |
Dropped out: Baylor, Louisville, Georgia Tech
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The latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports was released and after Week 2 of college football the rankings saw a bit of action
The latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports was released on Sunday afternoon and after the second weekend of college football action, the rankings saw a bit of a shake-up.
The Florida Gators moved up two spots into the No. 6 position without even playing, thanks to the omission of two Big Ten teams — the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions — who sat ahead of UF at No. 2 and No. 7, respectively, in the initial poll results published on Aug. 6.
Florida’s fellow SEC members also fared well, with the Alabama Crimson Tide moving up a spot to second in the poll, while the Auburn Tigers crept into the top-10 with a two-spot jump in the No. 9 position and the Texas A&M Aggies round out the top of the list with a three-spot move into tenth. The upward moves were also due to the omission of Big Ten and Pac-12 teams.
The full top-25 rankings are provided below.
| Rank | Team | Rec | Pts | 1st | Prev | Chng | Hi/Lo |
| 1 | Clemson | 1-0 | 1020 | 37 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 0-0 | 973 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2/3 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 1-0 | 907 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3/6 |
| 4 | Georgia | 0-0 | 904 | 0 | 4 | — | 4/4 |
| 5 | Louisiana State | 0-0 | 852 | 3 | 5 | — | 5/5 |
| 6 | Florida | 0-0 | 837 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6/8 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1-0 | 760 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7/10 |
| 8 | Texas | 1-0 | 697 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8/14 |
| 9 | Auburn | 0-0 | 694 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 9/11 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 639 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10/13 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 1-0 | 575 | 0 | 19 | 8 | 11/19 |
| 12 | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 547 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 12/16 |
| 13 | Central Florida | 0-0 | 414 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 13/21 |
| 14 | Cincinnati | 0-0 | 403 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 14/22 |
| 15 | Memphis | 1-0 | 314 | 0 | NR | 15 | 15/NR |
| 16 | Louisville | 1-0 | 313 | 0 | NR | 17 | 16/NR |
| 17 | Tennessee | 0-0 | 309 | 0 | NR | 9 | 17/NR |
| 18 | Miami | 1-0 | 267 | 0 | NR | 16 | 18/NR |
| 19 | Virginia Tech | 0-0 | 265 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 19/24 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 232 | 0 | NR | 9 | 20/NR |
| 21 | UL Lafayette | 1-0 | 219 | 0 | NR | 23 | 21/NR |
| 22 | Brigham Young | 1-0 | 201 | 0 | NR | — | 22/NR |
| 23 | Appalachian State | 1-0 | 177 | 0 | NR | 12 | 23/NR |
| 24 | Baylor | 0-0 | 161 | 0 | NR | 7 | 24/NR |
| 25 | Army | 2-0 | 127 | 0 | NR | — | 25/NR |
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Falling under .500 in the Big 12 once again, UT lost to KU 66-57. Up by five at the half, it was a miserable second half from the Longhorns.
Falling under .500 in Big 12 play once again, Texas dropped another conference game against Kansas 66-57. Up by five at halftime, it was a miserable second half from the Longhorns that saw the Jayhawks score 40 points.
Jericho Sims was the main scorer for Texas, having 20 points on 9-14 shooting. Leading the team with six rebounds, the Longhorns got outrebounded by 11 boards.
The only other player in double figures for Texas was Matt Coleman, scoring 10 points while shooting 33% from the floor. The rest of the team struggled scoring, especially from the three-point line, only making two of their 10 attempts.
Devin Dotson was the leading scorer for Kansas like he has been all season, dropping 21 points. Adding six rebounds and three assists, Dotson continued to prove that he is one of the best players in the Big 12.
The Longhorns now have a tough stretch upcoming, starting with a road game against West Virginia. After that, they will play host to LSU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and play TCU on the road. It will be an uphill climb for Shaka Smart and the squad if they want to make the NCAA Tournament.
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After losing to the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks have dropped out of the top five in Touchdown Wire’s Week 17 NFL power rankings.
The Seahawks have taken a tumble in the power rankings after their devastating loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Down four spots entering the final week of the regular season, Seattle has fallen from No. 2 to No. 6, no longer a top-five powerhouse in Touchdown Wire’s lineup.
“Just about all season long, the Seahawks were cruising,” writes Doug Farrar. “They entered Sunday with the lead for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and what seemed like an easy game against the Cardinals. So what happened? The Seahawks lost to Arizona, and they may have lost a lot more. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise were injured, and coach Pete Carroll said both are done for the year. Left tackle Duane Brown needs knee surgery and could be done for the year.”
Touchdown Wire's Week 17 NFL Power Rankings — Playoff picture becoming clearer #NFL https://t.co/ZQYLYfWYR2
— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) December 24, 2019
“All three losses are significant, but the injury to Carson could be devastating,” Farrar continues. “He had rushed for 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns and was one of the focal points of the offense. It’s impossible to replace someone like Carson. The Seahawks are going to have to tweak their offensive philosophy. They need to put more responsibility on the plate of quarterback Russell Wilson, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Seattle certainly made a move in the right direction Monday night, signing former Seahawks superstar running back Marshawn Lynch to the roster.
The Seahawks and 49ers will square off Sunday night to determine the rightful winner of the NFC West.
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Despite having a bye week, the Seattle Seahawks remain at No. 6 in Touchdown Wire’s Week 12 NFL power rankings.
Coming off their bye, the Seattle Seahawks remain in the top 10 of Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings. For the second week in a row, Seattle lands at No. 6 heading into Week 12.
Here’s what Doug Farrar wrote:
We’re going to give opposing defenses a little tip here: DO NOT apply man coverage when you’re playing the Seahawks. Just don’t do it. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, per Sports Info Solutions, Russell Wilson completed 79 of 136 passes for 1,022 yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception against any iteration of man coverage. No other quarterback had more than nine touchdowns against man. Rookie receiver DK Metcalf is one of four receivers (Amari Cooper, Mike Evans and Marvin Jones are the others) with five touchdown receptions against man coverage, and Tyler Lockett has four more.
NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Ravens are toying with the rest of the NFL https://t.co/ujMsgh0F21
— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) November 19, 2019
Schematically, this is where we hope for a re-run of Super Bowl XLIX, because the Patriots are by far the NFL’s best man-coverage team, with 10 interceptions and just one touchdown allowed in Cover-0, Cover-1 or 2-Man. Anyone else needs to zone up, because Wilson, one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in a crowded MVP race, will demolish you if you decide to track his receivers too closely.
But before the Seahawks can eye the Super Bowl or even the playoffs, they must get past the Eagles in Philadelphia this Sunday. Don’t forget, the game has been flexed out of prime time, with kickoff now set for 10 a.m. PT.
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Despite an overtime victory Monday night against the 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks stand pat at No. 6 in the Week 11 NFL power rankings.
The Seattle Seahawks emerged victorious over the San Francisco 49ers Monday night to advance to 8-2 on the season and close the gap on control of the NFC West.
Despite their efforts and overtime win Week 10, the Seahawks stand pat at No. 6 in Touchdown Wire’s latest NFL power rankings.
“Through most of the 2019 season, Seattle’s defense has been an absolute liability, while Russell Wilson has had to take every game into his command,” writes Doug Farrar. “Against the 49ers in a brutally-fought game, that defense finally stepped up, led by edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who finally put together the game he’s been waiting for since the Seahawks traded for him on Sept. 1. The Seahawks had 15 sacks and 29 QB hits coming into this game, and they turned it all around with five sacks and 10 quarterback hits in a 27-24 battle that went to the end of overtime.”
New on @TheNFLWire: Power Rankings! Upsets were the story of the week, right through to the end of Monday night, and that upset pushed a new team to the No. 1 spot https://t.co/ewkK0ROVdX
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) November 12, 2019
“Clowney ruled the day with five tackles, a strip-sack, five quarterback hits, and a fumble return for a touchdown,” Farrar continued. “So, on a night when Wilson threw his second interception of the season to keep the 49ers alive, it was atypically that Seattle defense that ended up slamming the door.”
Regardless of the slopiness of the play and the mistakes on both sides of the ball, Seattle did what it needed to do against a previously-unbeaten 49ers squad. Beating the unbeaten should account for a boost in the power rankings at least, but the Seahawks remain stuck at No. 6 for now.
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