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NFL

Eagles 3.5-point favorites vs. Falcons in Week 1

The NFL schedule is out and so are point spreads for the Week 1 matchups.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has installed the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as 3.5-point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 6. The Eagles beat the Falcons 15-10 in the divisional round of last season’s playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers opened as the largest favorites on the Week 1 board. The Packers are 9-point home favorites over the Chicago Bears in the Sunday night game.

The Cleveland Browns, who enter the season having lost 17 in a row, are the biggest home underdogs in Week 1. The Browns are 7-point underdogs to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland has been an underdog in 31 of its past 32 games. The Browns were 1-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 of last season.

The New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders also begin the season as home underdogs. The Giants are 4-point underdogs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Dolphins are 2.5-point underdogs to the Tennessee Titans, and the Raiders are 1.5-point underdogs to the Los Angeles Rams in second of two Monday night games in Week 1.

The Detroit Lions are 6-point favorites over the New York Jets in the other Monday night game.

Other notable opening Week 1 lines include:

Soccer

Besiktas manager injured as violence erupts in abandoned Istanbul derby

Warning: Story contains graphic images

Crowd trouble in the Turkish Cup semi-final between Fenerbahce and Besiktas left visiting manager Senol Gunes injured and requiring five stitches as the second leg was abandoned at 0-0 on Thursday.

Sky Sports reports Besiktas boss Gunes was struck by an object thrown by Fenerbahce fans and suffered a head wound as a result, dropping to the ground and holding his head near the hour mark.

Gunes was helped to his feet and taken down the tunnel of the Sukru Saracoglu stadium to receive treatment. The rest of Besiktas’ players, coaches, and staff exited the match soon after, causing proceedings to be abandoned by the referee.

The Guardian adds Gunes was taken to hospital to treat his injury.

Footage seemingly showing a Besiktas staff member being beaten also emerged after the match:

The rivalry between the Turkish giants splits the city of Istanbul, and games between the two have a history of violence. The 2-2 first-leg draw featured a pair of red cards, issued to Fenerbahce pair Alper Potuk in the 44th minute and goalkeeper Volkan Demirel in the 76th, and the second leg, before its abandonment, saw Besiktas’ Pepe sent off for a mistimed lunging tackle at the half-hour mark.

The heated play on the pitch likely stoked the trouble in the stands. Fans of Fenerbahce aimed objects at Besiktas players during corner kicks, with the home players urging their own supporters to calm down, to no avail.

NFL

Forte, Hester to retire as members of Bears

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Former Chicago Bears greats Matt Forte and Devin Hester will both sign a one-day ceremonial contract on Monday, April 23 in order to retire as members of the organization, the team announced Wednesday.

Forte and Hester each spent their first eight NFL seasons with the Bears.

The greatest return man in league history, Hester, who Chicago drafted in the second round (57th overall) of the 2006 NFL draft, played for the Bears from 2006 to 2013 where he was named First-Team All-Pro three times.

Devin Hester, who holds the NFL record with 20 return touchdowns, also amassed over 3,300 yards and 16 touchdowns as a receiver. Scott Kane/USA TODAY Sports

Hester, who was voted to four career Pro Bowls, had a team-record five return touchdowns for the Bears as a rookie, and took back the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts 92 yards for a touchdown.

The University of Miami product also set franchise highs in punt returns (264), punt return touchdowns (13), single-season punt return touchdowns (four), kickoff returns (222), kickoff return yards (5,504) and single-game kickoff return touchdowns (two).

Hester added 255 receptions for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver.

Hester, who also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks, holds the NFL record with 20 return touchdowns.

He announced his retirement from the NFL on Dec. 12, 2017.

Selected by the Bears in the second-round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Tulane, Forte is the second-most productive running back in Chicago history with 8,602 rushing yards and 4,116 receiving yards.

At the time of his departure from the Bears following the 2015 season, Forte had led the NFL in yards from scrimmage since 2008.

Forte ranks second, behind only Hall of Famer Walter Payton, on the Bears’ all-time lists for rushing yards, yards from scrimmage (12,718), receptions (487) and 100-yard games (24). He’s third in total touchdowns (64) and sixth in receiving yards. Forte also set a single-season NFL record with 102 receptions as a running back in 2014.

Forte played his final two NFL seasons for the New York Jets.

Soccer

Real Madrid's Ramos faces potential semi-final ban

Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos could be banned for the Champions League semi-final first leg after the suspended Spaniard was spotted pitch-side during the latter stages of Wednesday’s tense victory over Juventus.

Ramos was suspended for the quarter-final decider at the Santiago Bernabeu for yellow-card accumulation. He broke UEFA rules by leaving the stands before approaching Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri on the touchline amid a frenzied period in the match that saw Real awarded a penalty and Gianluigi Buffon sent off.

UEFA regulations concerning misconduct by players and officials stipulate that players cannot take part in a match for which they are deemed ineligible, according to Sky Sports.

Related: Ronaldo’s injury-time penalty cancels out Juventus’ inspired comeback

Ramos’ standing for the semi-final first leg depends on referee Michael Oliver’s match report, and whether or not the English official mentions the incident. If Oliver did note Ramos’ actions, the Spaniard could be suspended.

Oliver’s report is due Thursday.

As Sky Sports notes, there is precedent for a one-match ban for similar circumstances. During the 2014 Champions League final, suspended Xabi Alonso hurdled a barrier to celebrate Gareth Bale’s match-winner. Alonso was subsequently banned for the first European fixture of the following campaign.

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Soccer