Liverpool’s concerted chaos books group-stage spot at Hoffenheim’s expense

Liverpool’s concerted chaos books group-stage spot at Hoffenheim’s expense

The Seattle Seahawks are trying to trade wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, sources told ESPN’s Dianna Russini.

Kearse has been a starter for the Seahawks since 2014 but is coming off a down season in which he caught 41 passes for 510 yards and one touchdown. He was briefly supplanted as Seattle’s No. 2 receiver behind Doug Baldwin, but he reclaimed that role when Tyler Lockett suffered a season-ending leg injury in December.

Kearse’s role in Seattle’s offense has been up in the air this summer.

Lockett is coming back from the injury, and while he hasn’t played in the preseason, coach Pete Carroll has said he has a good chance to be ready for Week 1. Fourth-year pro Paul Richardson at times worked ahead of Kearse in Seattle’s receiver rotation during training camp. The team drafted Amara Darboh in the third round and also has Kasen Williams vying to make the roster after a strong preseason.

Kearse is set to make $2.2 million in base salary in 2017 as part of the three-year, $13.5 million deal he signed in March 2016.

The path to Kiev became clearer for the 32 teams competing in the Champions League after learning what awaits in the group stage following Thursday’s draw in Monaco.

Clubs vying for a chance to compete in next May’s final at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in the Ukrainian capital discovered their opponents for the next phase of the competition, with titleholder Real Madrid lumped in a group that includes Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, and APOEL.

Meanwhile, last season’s runner-up, Juventus, faces a tough route to the knockout stage after being drawn with Barcelona, Olympiacos, and Sporting CP.

Here’s how the draw played out:

Group A

Benfica, Manchester United, FC Basel, CSKA Moscow

Group B

Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Anderlecht, Celtic

Group C

Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, AS Roma, Qarabag

Group D

Juventus, Barcelona, Olympiacos, Sporting CP

Group E

Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Liverpool, Maribor

Group F

Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City, Napoli, Feyenoord

Group G

AS Monaco, FC Porto, Besiktas, RB Leipzig

Group H

Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, APOEL

The first matchday of the world’s most lucrative club football competition will kick off Sept. 12 and 13.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene is endorsing Cyrus Mehri in his candidacy for NFLPA executive director.

Mehri, a civil rights attorney who co-wrote the NFL’s Rooney Rule, said last week that he plans to challenge DeMaurice Smith for his job as executive director of the NFL Players Association.

“We need someone well versed in labor law who is also a people person capable of relating to players,” Greene said in a statement. “Cyrus has that perfect mix. I have known him for a number of years through the Fritz Pollard Alliance and he knows our League very well. He will fight for players past, present and future. He is an extraordinary candidate and I am so grateful he has put his hat in the ring. The players should have a choice.”

Greene joins Jim Brown, Harry Carson and Kellen Winslow Sr. as former NFL stars who are supporting Mehri’s candidacy.

There is a chance, however, that Mehri won’t even be given a chance to run against Smith.

The NFL Players Association changed procedures for electing its executive director, creating the possibility that Smith could be reappointed without challengers this fall, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

Union rules now call for a selection committee to vote by Oct. 15 on whether to extend Smith’s contract, which expires in March 2018. If approved by all 14 members of the committee, Smith will continue as executive director for another term. The job will not be declared “open” unless less than half of the committee votes its approval.

Information from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert was used in this report.