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Judge rules Deion Sanders must be available to testify — but after Georgia Tech opener

Published

1 day ago

August 27, 2026

Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes speaks with the media.

While the Colorado coach must be available, it is unlikely he will have to testify because of the limited scope of the trial. Stacy Revere / Getty

Aug. 27, 2026 Updated 5:53 pm EDT

A judge in Colorado bankruptcy court ruled on Thursday that Colorado head coach Deion Sanders must be available to potentially testify in the upcoming bankruptcy trial of his son, Shilo.

In a virtual hearing on Thursday, Judge Michael E. Romero informed Sanders’ attorney, Harvey Steinberg, that Sanders should make himself available virtually on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 4, one day after Colorado plays its 2026 season opener on the road at Georgia Tech. Romero told Steinberg that Sanders must be available at 1:30 p.m. MT.

Steinberg initially asked if Sanders could be available virtually later in the day Friday, but Romero said it had to be earlier in the day because the trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday, is expected to last only five days. Colorado’s Thursday game in Atlanta kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

However, it’s unlikely that Sanders will have to testify after Romero ruled that it would only be on a rebuttal-basis should Victor Vital, who is representing Shilo in the case, open the door to Sanders’ previous testimonies in a previous civil case. Steinberg told The Athletic after the virtual hearing Thursday that he does not expect Shilo’s defense team to revisit Deion Sanders’ previous testimonies.

In the virtual hearing Thursday, Vital informed Romero that he does not intend to go that route in next week’s trial.

Shilo Sanders is trying to discharge more than $11 million he owes to John Darjean after a 2022 default judgment in a Texas civil trial for which Shilo failed to appear. Darjean is a former high school security guard who sued Shilo Sanders following a physical altercation in 2015 when Shilo was 15. Darjean argued that the altercation left him with lifelong debilitating physical issues.

The lawyers representing Darjean recently attempted to subpoena Deion Sanders on the morning of Aug. 11 while the Buffaloes were participating in a preseason scrimmage on campus. Steinberg told The Athletic that Sanders was never physically served the papers and that he instead finally accepted them on behalf of Sanders on Thursday.

Colorado had no comment.

Romero said that Shilo Sanders’ trial would be open to the public and the transcripts would be publicly available.

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‘The Athletic Football Show’ previews the 2026 New York Giants

Published

2 seconds ago

August 29, 2026

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New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter looks to the right while wearing a blue jersey and team headband.

Abdul Carter is the biggest reason why the Giants defense can break through this season. Al Bello / Getty Images

“The Athletic Football Show” is previewing all 32 teams leading up to the start of the 2026 NFL season. Below are select quotes from the show’s preview of the New York Giants. The quotes are edited for clarity. You can watch the whole preview on YouTube and in the embedded video below, or listen to the full NFC East preview wherever you get your podcasts.

Robert Mays on what he’s watching the first month of the season: What is this offense? Coming into it, I think there’s an inclination to believe Matt Nagy, we’re going to be in the gun. We’re going to do some RPOs. It actually fits with Jaxson Dart’s skill set. Let’s do some of that. They come out in the preseason, the first three plays were under center, two-back, downhill runs, which I guess makes sense. Greg Roman is there. Patrick Ricard is there. So that’s my question. What is the offense? What do they want to be? What is the identity? What sort of stuff do they lean into? What sort of personnel groupings do we see with this team?

Dave Helman on what’s keeping him up at night: Jaxson Dart is what keeps me awake at night, because I can’t decide how I feel. He was 12th in EPA per dropback when he was throwing outside of the pocket, 20th when you account for just inside-the-pocket throws. He was second among all quarterbacks in rush EPA behind Josh Allen and tied with Patrick Mahomes for the most 10-plus-yard rushes.

If you tune into Dart, every other snap you’re over-the-moon excited, or you’re convinced he’s going to play his way out of the league in a year-and-a-half. I don’t know what to do with it. I think it’s worth saying again, he barely got to play with Malik Nabers. And so what does it look like if you have a real WR1 stabilizing things and hopefully giving you an easy out in your offense? If I felt better about the play caller, I’d probably be willing to just dive in and go whole hog. That’s not to say Matt Nagy can’t do a good job, but it’s not inspiring by any means.

Derrik Klassen on what would be a successful season for the Giants: If you feel some amount of confidence going into year three with Jaxson Dart, even if it’s not perfect. And, if we still care about you by Thanksgiving. If you’re a team that we still care about and you have a shot by Thanksgiving, I think that to me is probably success.

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Jerry Sandusky accuser to recant testimony, cites ‘psychological manipulation’ by prosecution

Published

7 minutes ago

August 29, 2026

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One of the 10 victims who accused former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky of sexual abuse is preparing to recant his testimony, according to court documents obtained Friday by The Athletic.

Sandusky, 82, is due to appear in court in Bellefonte, Pa., on Sept. 8 for an evidentiary hearing after a judge granted his request to review evidence that the accuser, recognized as R.R. or Victim 10 in court proceedings, has recanted or substantially disavowed his trial testimony.

News of the trial was first reported by Onward State.

In a signed affidavit from June 30, 2025, Victim 10 said he felt pushed to change his story. His testimony “evolved,” he said, after “leading questions, intense investigative pressure and psychological manipulation.”

“I was misled repeatedly during the process, particularly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan,” Victim 10 said in the affidavit. “I now regret my role in facilitating what I have come to view as a deeply flawed prosecution.”

McGettigan, who died in December 2025, was the lead prosecutor in the case that rocked Penn State and led to the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno in 2011 in the wake of the allegations.

Even if the charges involving Victim 10 are dismissed, Sandusky is unlikely to be released from prison, where he is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted in 2012 on 45 charges of sexual abuse.

Sandusky walking into a courthouse in 2016 to appeal his conviction. (Photo: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)

In their motion for a trial, Sandusky’s attorneys highlighted Victim 10’s claim that he was told that the trauma may have fragmented his memory, and that he “could safely affirm details that he did not fully recall.”

“I was led to believe that failing to testify in the manner prosecutors expected would allow a dangerous man to escape justice,” Victim 10 wrote, later saying he was unaware that his statements “would be used to secure a de facto life sentence for Mr. Sandusky.”

Victim 10 said he was coached during pretrial meetings, one of which lasted approximately six hours, where he was asked repeatedly to reframe his account until his responses aligned with what appeared to be desired by the prosecution team.

“I ask the courts, and any fair-minded reader, to consider that my testimony may have reflected not willful falsehood, but a tragic convergence of memory uncertainty, professional suggestion, prosecutorial coercion and my own vulnerability,” he wrote.

According to the filing from Sandusky’s attorneys, Victim 10’s estranged wife is also prepared to testify that Victim 10 initially denied being abused by Sandusky.

In a statement to ABC News, prosecutors with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said the woman’s opinion “thirteen years after defendant’s trial, pondering what she thinks may or may not have really happened to (Victim 10) when he was 10 years old, or any other Sandusky child victim for that matter, is irrelevant and inadmissible.”

Victim 10, who later received a $5.5 million settlement from a civil suit against Penn State, did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about whether he is recanting all of his accusations, or just some of the details. He also did not respond to a request for clarification about what will happen with the settlement money he received.

Attorney Andrew Shubin, whom Victim 10 named in his affidavit as part of the legal counsel who represented him in the civil case against Penn State, declined to comment on the story and would not say if he still represents Victim 10.

Sandusky has maintained his innocence since the initial accusations. Sandusky was an assistant on Paterno’s football staff from 1969 to 1999. His nonprofit, The Second Mile, was founded in 1977 and operated until 2011, when Sandusky was arrested. The foundation’s purported mission was to help underprivileged youth, and it was through the foundation that Sandusky met several of the victims.

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St. Louis City nearing record deal for Rapids’ Rafael Navarro: Sources

Published

14 minutes ago

August 29, 2026

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Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro jogs with a bandaged left hand.

Rafael Navarro has 11 goals and five assists this season for the Colorado Rapids. Dustin Bradford / Getty Images

Aug. 28, 2026 8:07 pm EDT Updated

St. Louis City is closing in on a blockbuster deal to acquire Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro from the Colorado Rapids, according to multiple sources briefed on the situation.

St. Louis is expected to pay in the region of $12 million, those sources told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet finalized, which would be a new record deal between MLS clubs. While broad terms are set, multiple details still must be ironed out to complete the trade.

If no further progress is made in the next 24 hours, Navarro will be available for selection for the Rapids against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, sources added.

St. Louis made Navarro its top target this summer and had been working on a deal for a long time. The club is rebuilt under head coach Yoann Damet, and Navarro is viewed as the perfect profile to elevate the attack.

The fee would easily be a club record for St. Louis. The Rapids just set a club-record departure with Lucas Herrington heading to Hull City for an initial $17 million fee earlier this summer.

The Rapids tried to sign Navarro to an extension earlier this year, but when it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, the club had to acquiesce to a departure. If Navarro moves within the league, the team can convert $3 million of the fee to GAM while opening the DP spot.

Colorado’s attack needed improvements in Matt Wells’ system, and the club will completely overhaul the group. The Rapids had already been in the market for a DP winger and now can sign two or use that spot on another spot in the attack if Navarro departs for St. Louis as expected.

Israeli international forward Sayed Abu Farkhi is close to joining on a $6 million deal via the U-22 initiative, The Athletic reported earlier this week. He and Darren Yapi are natural options at center forward in the interim as the club looks to get further deals done.

Navarro, 26, initially joined the Rapids on loan in the summer of 2023. Over the last three seasons, he’s been one of the more consistent goal scorers in MLS, including a career-best 15 goals in 2024. He has 11 goals and five assists this season.

The Rapids face Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. St. Louis hosts FC Dallas on Sunday.

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