Robert Bolick (right) and the Road Warriors held off Rey Nambatac and the Tropang 5G despite losing import DeQuan Jones in the game due to an injury. —PBA IMAGES

NLEX will soldier on without DeQuan Jones and a replacement import, at least for now, as it aims to go into the PBA Governors’ Cup break on a winning note on Friday against Converge.

The Road Warriors take on the FiberXers at 5:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where they will aim to snatch a win despite not having a reinforcement following Jones’ gruesome leg injury on Tuesday.

Jones underwent successful surgery after getting hurt against TNT at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, a major blow for a team that has been on a roll since new coach Jimmy Alapag took over.

But even without Jones for the remainder of the game, the Road Warriors were able to get a 118-111 overtime victory behind Robert Bolick’s game-tying four in regulation and a career-high 26 points from rookie L-Jay Gonzales.

After the doubleheader, the league takes a long break until the first week of October due to Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, giving NLEX more time to search for Jones’ successor.

“At least we have only one more game left before the break, and we have time to find someone suitable,” Bolick said.

Whoever that replacement is will be crucial for NLEX’s ambition to build on its early success and progress further come playoff time. The franchise has not reached the semifinals since its two Last-4 appearances under coach Yeng Guiao in the 2018 Philippine Cup and 2021-2022 Governors’ Cup.

Jones was one of the reasons behind the Road Warriors’ surge to the top of Group A, with his ability to score both inside and out and his valuable contributions on the defensive end, serving as a catalyst for the team’s run.

Bolick and the Road Warriors were also enamored with Jones’ good-natured personality, something they hope the replacement import can provide.

“Hopefully we can find someone like him (Jones). He’s like Cady (Lalanne, the Road Warriors’ import last conference),” Bolick said. Lalanne led NLEX to the top seed, but the team was eliminated by TNT despite owning a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

“DeQuan is the same type of import, so it’s up to Coach Jimmy and management to find someone like him,” he added.

Converge, on the other hand, looks to score an upset and boost its confidence going into the respite after it snapped a four-game skid on Tuesday by routing Terrafirma, 120-103. The FiberXers are currently tied for third with TNT at 4-4.

NLEX can afford to gamble on playing all-Filipino right now as they lead Group A with a 7-1 record. A loss to Converge would only leave the team tied for the lead with San Miguel Beer, still well inside the four teams that will qualify for the playoffs.

The Road Warriors and the Beermen are three wins up on the next teams below them.

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra and Meralco renew their rivalry at 7:30 p.m. to conclude this stretch of the group stage, with the crowd favorites playing for the first time in 12 days.

The Gin Kings were supposed to play the Blackwater Bossing last Sunday, but the game was postponed due to poor weather conditions brought about by the southwest monsoon coupled with roof leaks that prompted repairs at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Meralco, meanwhile, has decided to bring back Jordon Varnado as import in a bid to improve its 2-5 record, dead last in Group B. Varnado takes the place of Antonio Hester, who played six games for the Bolts.

Lately, there has been a steady stream of former Vikings going to work for the Atlanta Falcons.

Kirk Cousins was the most prominent from recent history but the well-paid quarterback wasn’t alone. In fact, the current head coach in Atlanta, Kevin Stefanski, got his start as a low-level Vikings employee before becoming an impressive offensive coordinator. The Falcons’ skipper welcomed a former Vikings draft pick to town.

Vikings Draft Pick Lands in ATL

As he often does, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson offered the news: “#Falcons sign Nick Muse, Trey Sermon, waived Le’Meke Brockington, Malik Verdon.”

In Muse, the Falcons are getting a tight end in the middle of his prime. He boasts pretty decent size (6’5″ & 252 pounds) and a quirky personality. His NFL career began by getting scooped up at No. 227 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s now among the ten draft picks from that crew of talent to no longer be in town.

Journey around the Minnesota area. While doing so, try to find Vikings fans with concerns about the recent draft efforts. Do you anticipate much difficulty? Bringing ten young lads to town and then not seeing a single one sign a second contract is a poor outcome.

In Atlanta, Nick Muse will be looking to compete from within the group of tight ends listed below:

• Kyle Pitts Sr.
• Austin Hooper
• Joshua Simon
• Jack Veiling
• Charlie Woerner
• Nick Muse

NFL teams pretty normally carry a trio of tight ends. Often, there are four kept around, especially with fullback being out of fashion in the NFL (not so in Minnesota). Muse has zero chance of overcoming Pitts, but he could plausibly snuggle into the TE3 or TE4 job.

His career has featured being involved sixteen games. The stats are modest: a single catch for 22 yards. Muse’s tally shows 19 snaps on offense and 184 snaps on special teams.

So far, Muse has worked for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and now the Atlanta Falcons. He can most commonly be found on the practice squad.

In a weird twist of fate, Nick Muse won the Super Bowl while working for the Eagles.

Other former Vikings to be working for the Falcons include corner Mike Hughes and guard Kyle Hinton. Maybe unsurprisingly, Cousins is still on Atlanta’s books, showing up in $22.5 million in dead money. That’s the third-largest cap charge on Atlanta’s books for the upcoming season, per Over the Cap. Muse is listed as carrying a modest $1,145,000 cap charge.

Nick Muse is 27.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Javelin ace Neeraj Chopra and badminton great Pullela Gopichand on Thursday launched the Indian School of Coaching Excellence, an initiative aimed at strengthening India’s coaching landscape and sports ecosystem.

ISCE will focus on developing world-class coaches through multidisciplinary coach-development programmes. The programmes will integrate areas such as physical literacy, sports science, sports education, technology, and career development, equipping coaches with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the evolving demands of high-performance sport.

“It (ISCE) will serve as a collaborative knowledge-sharing platform, working closely with government bodies, SAI, sports federations, associations, high-performance centres, academic institutions, and the private sector to advance coaching excellence across India,” said a release.

Chopra, who recently won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, said coaches play an integral role in every athlete’s journey and stressed the need for a robust ecosystem to develop and nurture quality coaches in the country.

“I firmly believe that every athlete’s journey is shaped by the guidance and nurturing of his/her coach, not only as a sportsperson but also as an individual. Hence, in order to create the next generation of sports heroes in India, it is extremely important that our coaches have access to world-class education, mentorship, and the latest knowledge in sports science and athlete development. 

“Through the Indian School of Coaching Excellence, the Neeraj Chopra Foundation hopes to create an environment where coaches continue to learn, evolve, and inspire generations of athletes to realise their full potential,” said Chopra.

Gopichand, a Dronacharya awardee and recipient of the International Olympic Committee citation for coaching excellence, said ISCE will bring global expertise to help Indian coaches improve their skills.

“The future of Indian sport will be defined by the ecosystem we build. Coaches are at the heart of that ecosystem. ISCE is our effort to create a platform that combines global best practices with Indian experience, enabling coaches to continuously upskill, collaborate, and lead with confidence.

“We believe this initiative can play a meaningful role in shaping the next chapter of Indian sport,” said Gopichand, who has coached the likes of Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and former men’s world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth, among others.

“ISCE’s vision is to build a robust coaching ecosystem, which is essential to fuel and sustain India’s long-term success on the world stage. As the country embarks on its journey towards becoming a global sporting superpower, our success shall be defined not only by the champions we produce, but by the ecosystem we create,” the release said.

“The driving force behind ISCE is the belief that every great athlete deserves a great coach, and every great coach deserves access to world-class knowledge, mentorship, and opportunity,” it added.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has spoken about the ongoing legal dispute between his representatives and Louisiana State University over his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights.

On Thursday, Daniels shared a statement on Instagram Story as reports surfaced that his representatives had sent LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry a cease-and-desist letter.

The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner said he wants the issue to be resolved privately. He also made it clear that his main focus is preparing for the upcoming NFL season.

“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Jayden Daniels wrote. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”

The dispute began after LSU gave the No. 5 jersey to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett for the upcoming season. Jayden Daniels wore No. 5 during his historic 2023 season, when he won the Heisman Trophy.

LSU has not officially retired the number. However, Daniels’ representatives said he had asked for the number not to be given to another player after he left the school for the NFL.

According to a cease-and-desist letter sent by attorney Adam Kenner, LSU’s contractual permission to use Jayden Daniels’ NIL expired 180 days after his final college game. The letter asked LSU to immediately stop using Daniels’ name, image or likeness for commercial purposes, promotions or publications.

The letter was sent to Ausberry and dated Aug. 5.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin also spoke about Pickett receiving the No. 5 jersey during a news conference at LSU’s fall training camp on Aug. 5.

When asked about Pickett wearing the number previously worn by Jayden Daniels, Kiffin said the decision was made before he arrived at LSU. Pickett had reportedly been promised the jersey when he committed to LSU in December 2024 under former coach Brian Kelly.

“I’m not going to judge something [that was done] when I wasn’t here. But when a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it,” Kiffin said. “So at that point, I don’t think that’s really my decision. We should honor what he was told.”

Kiffin was named the head coach at LSU on November 30, 2025. He assumed control of the program for the 2026 season.

Jayden Daniels’ mother Regina Jackson gets dragged in Commanders QB’s legal dispute with LSU

Regina Jackson is not just Jayden Daniels’ parent. She is an NFLPA-certified agent and serves as his primary business manager. When news of the cease-and-desist letter broke,fFormer NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz posted his opinion on X on Aug.13.

“Whoever gave him this advice… (It was probably his mom),” he wrote.

He shared the remark alongside a GIF of television host Jimmy Fallon booing.

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“That narrative is simply not accurate”: Ryan Clark fires back at Jayden Daniels-Joe Burrow chatter amid LSU cease-and-desist drama