Sports
Grand jury looks at Deshaun Watson sex assault allegations
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A grand jury on Friday started contemplating proof gathered throughout a police investigation of sexual assault and harassment allegations towards Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The beginning of the grand jury’s work got here on the identical day that attorneys for 22 girls had been set to start questioning Watson throughout depositions which might be a part of lawsuits that they filed towards him final 12 months.
The ladies allege of their lawsuits that Watson uncovered himself, touched them together with his penis or kissed them towards their will throughout therapeutic massage appointments. One lady alleged Watson compelled her to carry out oral intercourse.
Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lead legal professional, stated he welcomed the grand jury and hoped it might decline to indict the NFL star. Watson and his legal professionals have denied the accusations. His legal professionals have stated “some sexual exercise” occurred throughout among the therapeutic massage appointments however that he by no means coerced anybody.
The primary lawsuit towards Watson was filed final March. The Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace was presenting proof and testimony to the grand jury from a Houston police investigation that started in April 2021 after a legal grievance was filed. The FBI had additionally been reviewing the allegations towards Watson.
Ten girls have made legal complaints towards Watson to police, based on Tony Buzbee, the primary legal professional for the 22 girls who sued. Eight of these 10 girls are represented by Buzbee and so they have been subpoenaed to testify earlier than the grand jury on Friday, he stated.
“They may gladly be there,”’ Buzbee stated.
On the identical time the grand jury was assembly on the Harris County legal courthouse in downtown Houston, Buzbee led the deposition of Watson a few half mile away on the workplaces of Hardin’s regulation agency.
Hardin stated that Watson will invoke his Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination. Watson is not going to reply questions in a deposition till the grand jury decides, Hardin stated.
The questioning of Watson by Buzbee was anticipated to final 45 to 50 hours over a number of days.
Many of the girls who sued have already been deposed by Watson’s attorneys. No civil trial date has been set for the lawsuits.
“My view is that for those who did nothing unsuitable and are harmless, you shouldn’t be frightened about incriminating your self,” Buzbee stated. “My shoppers didn’t plead the Fifth. As an alternative, they courageously testified below oath about what Deshaun Watson did to them.”
Watson’s legal professionals have sought to stability their protection of the NFL star whereas concurrently condemning sexual violence towards girls.
They’ve known as the lawsuits towards him a “cash seize” and claimed that each one 22 girls who’ve filed swimsuit are mendacity — a method some consultants and advocates say depends on long-used tropes designed to attenuate such accusations. Buzbee has stated a few of his shoppers have confronted criticism and even demise threats.
Even earlier than the lawsuits had been first filed, Watson had requested to be traded. The commerce request and the lawsuits saved Watson out all final season.
The Texans had been anticipated to attempt to commerce Watson this offseason.
Sports
Hawks get No 1 pick in 2024 NBA Draft despite 3% chance to win lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery saw a shocker as the Atlanta Hawks were awarded the No. 1 overall pick despite having just a 3% chance of winning it.
This is the Hawks’ first time getting the No. 1 pick since 1975, when they ended up drafting David Thompson, a five-time All-Star and NBA Hall of Famer. However, the Draft Lottery was not established yet, so it is the first time they won it.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields was all smiles when he heard his team’s name called and was likely in disbelief because his team had a very small chance of getting the selection.
The Detroit Pistons, who owned a league-worst 14-68 record, and Washington Wizards could not believe it as they had the best odds at 14% to get the No. 1 pick.
Instead, Washington was given the No. 2 pick, and the Pistons got the No. 5 pick for the third straight season despite owning the worst record in the league in back-to-back seasons.
Now, Atlanta has the opportunity to choose whoever they deem the best overall prospect.
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French small forward Zaccharie Risacher and center Alexandre Sarr are up there, as is UConn standout center Donovan Clingan.
However, there is not a Victor Wembanyama like last year’s Draft that makes having the No. 1 pick easy.
Here is the entire top 10 draft order.
- Atlanta Hawks
- Washington Wizards
- Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Detroit Pistons
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Utah Jazz
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Sports
UCLA completes perfect season with women's water polo championship
Adam Wright knows the drill.
At the final horn of UCLA’s 7-4 NCAA championship win over Cal on Sunday, the UCLA head coach carefully took off his sneakers and placed them on the bench. He gathered several players and assistant coaches in a group hug on the pool deck before sharing a consoling hug with Cal head coach Coralie Simmons.
Then he dove into the pool head first.
After coaching the UCLA men’s team to four NCAA championships, Wright led the women to their first national crown since 2009 and completed the program’s first undefeated season since 2008. The Bruins (26-0) are the first team since USC in 2016 to complete a perfect season and just the fifth team in NCAA women’s water polo history.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Wright told reporters at Cal’s Spieker Aquatics Complex. “It feels so good to see UCLA back on top because that’s what I was used to when I was at school at UCLA, and I’m just lucky to be a part of it.”
Wright, who also won NCAA titles as a player in 1999 and 2000, took over the women’s program in 2017. The Bruins were coming off a streak of close calls, advancing to the NCAA title game three times in four seasons only to come up short each time. After UCLA won seven of the first nine NCAA women’s water polo championships, including five consecutive titles from 2005-09, Stanford and USC split the next 13.
But with a talented young roster, the Bruins could be starting a new dynasty.
Freshman Panni Szegedi led UCLA with three goals in the championship game, moving her into a tie for the team-lead with 39 goals on the season. Underclassmen scored six of UCLA’s seven goals, and freshman Lauren Steele starred in the cage with 17 saves.
The relationship between the young players and veterans including graduate students Brooke Doten and Hannah Palmer exemplified the culture that powered the Bruins to their eighth NCAA championship and 12th national title overall.
“Our connections outside the water go so far in the water,” Steele told reporters.
The former Orange Lutheran star figures to be a mainstay of UCLA’s future success. She graduated from high school early to join the Bruins in December then started all 26 games, earned MPSF newcomer of the year honors and was named MPSF tournament MVP as UCLA won its first conference championship since 2017. She is still slated to attend her high school graduation ceremony next month.
“Just an absolute stud,” Wright said on the ESPNU broadcast while his hair was still soaked from celebrating in the pool. “Changed the complexion of UCLA women’s water polo.”
Szegedi scored all three of her goals in the second half after the teams were tied 2-2 at halftime. The freshman from Hungary broke the tight game open by giving the Bruins a two-goal lead with 5:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the first time either team led by multiple goals in the defensive battle.
Seeing Steele’s eyes from the pool deck, Wright said he knew the freshman would finish the job from there.
Steele put the exclamation point on UCLA’s championship celebration after players and coaches climbed out of the pool. Standing in front of an oversized poster of the bracket, teammates waited for Steele to finish her on-camera interview before handing her a blue sticker with UCLA printed on it. She stuck the badge on the national championship line.
Sports
Travis Kelce spotted dancing in star-studded group at Taylor Swift's Paris show
The “City of Love” was the latest sighting of Travis Kelce at a Taylor Swift concert, and he had some A-list celebrities dancing alongside him to his significant other’s chart-topping hits.
The Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end was seen at Paris La Défense Arena in Paris where Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid were next to him to enjoy Swift’s 87th Eras Tour show.
Coincidence on the number, anyone?
Videos have circulated on social media of Kelce dancing to Swift songs, including “… Ready for It?” “Lover” and the classic “You Belong with Me.”
It’s significant that Kelce has been spotted at this show as he hasn’t been seen since she went back on tour. Swift has been in Paris for three nights prior to this fourth and final show, where Kelce was spotted.
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Of course, this isn’t the first time Kelce has reciprocated the love and support Swift showed during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning season last year. During the Chiefs’ bye week, Kelce was seen in Buenos Aires for one of Swift’s Eras Tour dates.
They will clearly go the extra mile to support each other; Swift famously flew from Japan to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl after a tour date across the Pacific.
And fans, whether it was of Kelce first or Swift, have fallen in love with the couple throughout the process as they continue to be one of the world’s power couples.
While love isn’t something to rush, many are clamoring to know if Kelce has any thoughts of proposing to Swift to take their relationship to the next level.
Recently, Chiefs long snapper James Winchester said on the “Like a Farmer” podcast that he thinks his teammate will be engaged at some point because he sees “they’re very similar in a lot of ways.”
“Being around Trav for the last nine years, I mean, I think they’re more similar than you would think. I wish the best for them,” he added.
Other than supporting Swift, Kelce has had a great offseason thus far. The Chiefs made him the highest-paid tight end in the game with a new contract extension that’s worth $34.25 million over two years, with $17 million fully guaranteed for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
So, personally and professionally, Kelce had a lot of things to dance about in Paris with some of his friends while watching Swift kill it onstage.
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