Sports
Controversy stalks sparkling sprint talent Richardson | The Express Tribune
PARIS:
Sha’Carri Richardson’s talent is not in doubt as her stunning 100 metres world title in 2023 proved, but the American star is also like a moth to a flame when it comes to controversy.
The 25-year-old just cannot escape sparking headlines off the track.
Richardson was controversially barred from the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana following her victory at the US trials.
She arrives in Tokyo for the defence of the world crown on the back of another headline-making incident.
She spent a night in jail after being arrested for domestic violence when she had an altercation with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman, at an airport before this year’s US trials in August.
She scratched from the 100m at the trials and failed to reach the final in the 200m, but her place in the team for Tokyo was assured as a defending champion, although her best 100m time this season of 11.05sec leaves her way outside the favourites.
Coleman, who will be in Japan too as a member of the men’s sprint relay team, refused to press charges and defended her.
“She has things that she needs to work on for herself of course. So do I, so do you, so does everybody,” he told AFP.
Richardson later apologised to Coleman and admitted she was seeking help.
“I’m taking this time to not only see myself but get myself a certain level of help that overall is going to reflect who I truly am in my heart and my spirit,” she said.
‘We crave authenticity’
Richardson could not cut a more contrasting figure to that of her compatriot, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas, although both hail from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The clean-cut Thomas is a Harvard graduate, brought up by a single mother, who was then a teacher and is now a professor.
Richardson, who has cultivated a striking image with long multi-coloured nails and tattooed arms, was brought up by her grandmother Betty Harp and an aunt.
“My family has kept me grounded,” she has said.
However, while Thomas — who will sit out these championships due to injury — had a loving mother, Richardson yearned for that maternal love.
In her apology to Coleman she revealed “due to my past trauma and pain, I was blind and blocked off to not only receive it (unconditional love), but give it.”
In a video posting in 2023, she explained: “Not having that bond of my biological mother during the transition of me getting older… I think that’s what really got me.
“She was supposed to be my world and now that she wasn’t there I usually asked myself ‘Why I’m I here?’
“It really took me to a very dark place. When I was a junior in high school, I tried to commit suicide.”
Richardson has a tendancy of shooting from the hip and her hackles are easily raised.
Such was the case in a bitter break-up with her one-time Jamaican girlfriend, 100m hurdler Janeek Brown, with whom she became embroiled in a bitter claim and counter-claim of mental, physical and verbal abuse.
Brown said Richardson’s going public about the relationship had been “malicious and calculated.”
It was a far cry from happier times when Richardson delighted Brown by sporting LGBTQ+ colours after winning the 100m at the US trials in 2021.
Nevertheless Richardson has plenty of people who admire her for wearing her heart on her sleeve.
One of those is US track legend Michael Johnson.
“The thing with Sha’Carri is her purpose, talent and personality make her very interesting to watch,” he told The Times last year.
“She is out there and can be abrasive, but she can be very charming too.
“She is a reflection of where society is heading. We crave authenticity and we don’t want fake anymore.”
Sports
Craig Morton, quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, dead at 83
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame, died on Saturday. He was 83.
Morton was critical in helping the Broncos reach their first-ever playoff appearance, ultimately getting them to Super Bowl XII during the 1977 campaign.
After going 12-2 during the season, and getting wins in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Morton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.
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Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton stands on the sidelines with both hands on his hips. (GETTY)
“Craig Morton is unbelievable,” fellow Ring of Famer Haven Moses said after the Broncos won the AFC Championship in 1978, per the New York Times. “To me, he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League.”
Morton also won Sporting News Player of the Year, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL UPI MVP in 1977.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83,” the Broncos posted on social media.
Morton also led the Broncos to two different division titles and three playoff berths during his six seasons with the franchise. He finished his career in Denver with 11,895 passing yards, which marked the most in franchise history at the time.
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Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Morton also led the Broncos with pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907). But Morton’s time with the Broncos was the latter half of his NFL career.
He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965, the fifth overall pick out of Cal. Morton spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he threw for 10,279 yards with 80 touchdowns and 73 interceptions. He went 32-14-1 in his time with Dallas.
Then, during the 1974 season, Morton was moved to the New York Giants, a division rival of the Cowboys. He went 1-6 in his first seven starts that year and wouldn’t find much success in New York across three seasons.
Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
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For his career, Morton threw for 27,908 yards with 183 touchdowns. He owned an 81-62-1 record across 207 games.
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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s year couldn’t have been more perfect.
He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Now that the path is clear for a new athlete to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?
Here are the way-too-early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 5.
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2026 Heisman Trophy Winner
CJ Carr (Notre Dame): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Arch Manning (Texas): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Julian Sayin (Ohio State): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Dante Moore (Oregon): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Josh Hoover (TCU): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Darian Mensah (Miami, FL): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Gunner Stockton (Georgia): +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava (USC): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
John Mateer (Oklahoma): +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Here’s more on a few of the names on the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:
The Favorites: Carr and Manning are tied at +750 to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the 2026 regular season. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. He opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 4-2 to begin the season. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers.
Arch Manning is an early favorite to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Ones to Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young projects that both Smith and Sayin — as well as Manning — will be in the running in 2026.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin could make another trip to NYC — but this time as the winner.
Heisman in Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record.
Sports
Aaron Rodgers never met with Steelers despite rumor-filled weekend as QB’s decision remains up in air
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Aaron Rodgers didn’t make it back to Pittsburgh after all.
After reports surfaced this past Friday that Rodgers was expected to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in preparation for a return to the team he played for last year, many were hopeful the months-long wait was over.
However, during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN this Monday, Adam Schefter said neither the Steelers nor his agent were aware of any such meeting being on the schedule.
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Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers stands during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
But then, there were the reports about where Rodgers is in the world, with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporting that he was in the Steel City, though he wasn’t scheduled to visit with the team. A report from 93.7 The Fan added on, saying he was in town for golf.
Either way, the decision still lingers whether Rodgers will suit up for the Steelers, but the storied franchise gave themselves some insurance if the four-time MVP quarterback decides he wants to potentially play elsewhere.
STEELERS OWNERSHIP HOPES FOR CLARITY ON AARON RODGERS’ FUTURE ‘IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO’
The Steelers used an unrestricted free-agent tender on Rodgers last month, which allows Pittsburgh the right to match any offer Rodgers may get from another team.
Despite doubt from some camps on Rodgers’ potential return, Schefter noted his belief he will be in the Steelers’ depth chart come training camp. The Steelers have their OTAs scheduled to begin next Monday.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Getty Images)
With Rodgers at the helm this past season, the Steelers went 10-7, even earning a playoff berth after Baltimore Ravens rookie Tyler Loop’s now-infamous game-winning field goal did not get through the uprights. The Steelers ended up losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, extending the team’s playoff winless streak to eight straight seasons, including three consecutive campaigns.
Rodgers, who’s slated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he decides to call it quits for his career, threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2025.
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The Steelers also revamped their team for this season, as Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ old head coach with the Green Bay Packers, takes over for Mike Tomlin, whose generational run in Pittsburgh ended after 19 seasons (2007-25). While D.K. Metcalf and Rodgers built chemistry this past season, the Steelers also added veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts, while adding Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after being sacked during the wild-card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
And while Kenneth Gainwell is gone after a solid performance with Pittsburgh, Rico Dowdle comes into the fold to work alongside Jaylen Warren at running back.
Yet, the biggest question in football still remains: will Rodgers be a part of these new-look Steelers in 2026?
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