‘It’s an excuse’: New York Giants’ Cam Skattebo says CTE and asthma are ‘fake’
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is facing backlash after dismissing both chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma as “fake” during a recent podcast appearance,Speaking on the Bring the Juice podcast, the 24-year-old was asked whether he believes CTE – a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma – is real,Skattebo called it an “excuse”, agreeing with the host before making a similar claim about asthma,“Yeah, asthma’s fake too,” Skattebo said, adding at one point that people should “just breathe air”,The comments have drawn criticism given the scientific consensus around both conditions.
CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a progressive neurological disease associated with repeated blows to the head.It is marked by a buildup of abnormal tau protein in the brain, which can damage blood vessels and disrupt functions tied to memory, mood and impulse control.Symptoms can include cognitive decline, behavioral changes and, in advanced cases, dementia.The condition can only be definitively diagnosed posthumously.It has been identified in numerous former football players after their deaths, including Junior Seau and Aaron Hernandez.
A 2023 Boston University study found evidence of CTE in roughly 92% of former NFL players whose brains were examined, while the league finally acknowledged a link between football and the condition in 2016.Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of Americans and can be life-threatening in severe cases.Skattebo, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2025 NFL draft, emerged as a key contributor for the Giants as a rookie before his season ended early due to an ankle injury.He finished with 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games.The Giants have not publicly commented on his remarks.
Carlos Alcaraz cuts through the noise to ease past Joao Fonseca at Miami Open
As Carlos Alcaraz worked through his service motion midway through his opening match at the Miami Open, a scream pierced the night-time air. One of the 16,000 spectators breathlessly cheering Alcaraz’s demise had attempted to distract the Spaniard just before he struck the ball.In a spectacular atmosphere unlike many other Masters 1000 second round matches in recent memory, Alcaraz maturely navigated both a passionate, adversarial crowd and a prodigious teenage opponent in Joao Fonseca to reach the third round of the Miami Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win.This meeting had been greatly anticipated ever since Fonseca began to emerge on the tour. Still just 19 years old, Fonseca has risen rapidly up the rankings, outpacing many legendary players with some of his early achievements, such as an ATP 500 title in Basel last year
Jack Draper blown away in straight sets by US star Reilly Opelka at Miami Open
Jack Draper suffered a tough defeat in his opening match at the Miami Open as he could do little to neutralise a dominant serving performance from Reilly Opelka, who fired down 25 aces in two sets en route to a 7-6(3), 7-6(0) win.The defeat is a difficult setback for Draper, the 25th seed, as he continues to navigate the early stages of his return to competition from a bone bruise injury that forced him off the tour for seven months. Miami is just the third ATP tournament of his comeback.While some big servers view the phrase as a pejorative, undermining the other qualities in his game, the 6ft 11in Opelka proudly describes himself as a servebot. This performance was a demonstration of his destructive serving and his ability to completely take his racket out of the hands of his opponents
USA’s Jordan Anthony wins 60m world gold after his blood clot ‘the size of a soccer ball’
On a night of dizzying speed and freakish drama, track and field found itself a new sprint sensation. It came in the form of Jordan Anthony, a 21-year-old American with one heck of a story, along with the first global gold medal around his neck.“The devil is always going to try, but I will never let him stop me from getting a gold medal,” he said after winning one of the great world indoor championships 60m races of all time in 6.41secs, the fourth-fastest time in history.And then it all came gushing out
Coroner ‘cannot be satisfied’ that Ricky Hatton intended to take his own life
A coroner has said she “cannot be satisfied” that British former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton intended to take his own life.Hatton, 46, was found dead in his home on 14 September, with the inquest concluding that the official cause of his death was hanging.But the veteran boxer “was the best he had been in years” in the lead-up to his death, his family told Stockport coroner’s court.Hatton’s body was found in his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, after police received a call from a concerned neighbour, later revealed to have been his manager, Paul Speak.Hatton was last seen by family members on Friday 12 September, when he took his daughters and granddaughter to a pub for a meal, the court heard
NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder won’t visit White House, citing ‘timing issue’
The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will not visit the White House during their trip to the nation’s capital this weekend.A Thunder spokesperson confirmed Friday that a “timing issue” will prevent the team from making the traditional appearance. Oklahoma City face the Wizards in Washington on Saturday.“We have been in touch with the White House and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn’t work out,” the Thunder said in a statement shared with the Athletic.Championship teams across the major American sports have traditionally received invitations from the president to visit the White House and celebrate their victories
Jessie Diggins seals extraordinary fourth World Cup overall title before retirement on home snow
No woman from outside Europe had ever captured the cross-country skiing World Cup overall title until Jessie Diggins in 2021. Now she’s won it four times.The Minnesota-born star clinched yet another crystal globe in the twilight of her glittering career on Friday, securing the season crown with a fifth-place finish in the 10km classic at the World Cup finals in Lake Placid, New York. Diggins made it a mathematical certainty with two races remaining in the season-ending weekend, giving her a third consecutive overall title and fourth in total.Diggins entered the finals with a 342-point lead over Sweden’s Moa Ilar
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