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Soccer

Chelsea legend Lampard announces retirement

Frank Lampard has called time on his illustrious football career.

The Chelsea legend took to social media to announce that he is stepping away from the sport after more than two decades.

Despite receiving multiple offers to continue playing following the conclusion of his contract with Major League Soccer’s New York City FC, Lampard explained that he is content with his accomplishments and that it’s “time to begin the next chapter” of his life.

“After 21 incredible years, I have decided that now is the right time to finish my career as a professional footballer,” he said on his Instagram page.

“Whilst I have received a number of exciting offers to continue playing at home and abroad, at 38 I feel now is the time to begin the next chapter in my life. I’m immensely proud of the trophies I’ve won, of representing my country over 100 times and of scoring more than 300 career goals.”

The 38-year-old went on to thank his former clubs – West Ham, Manchester City, and NYCFC – before paying tribute to Chelsea, where he spent the majority of his career and won numerous trophies during the most successful era in the club’s history.

“Of course, the largest part of my heart belongs to Chelsea, a club which has given me so many great memories,” he said.

“I will never forget the opportunity they gave me and the success that we managed to achieve together. It is impossible to give thanks individually to all the people that helped and supported me in my 13 years playing there.

“All I can say is from the day I signed until now and going forward, I’m eternally grateful for everything and to everyone.”

Although he’s hanging up his boots, he won’t be far from a football pitch. He thanked the FA for the chance to pursue an opportunity to coach, and added that he is eager to pursue “off-field opportunities.”

Lampard – whose decision to retire comes just months after compatriot Steven Gerrard stepped away from the game – finishes his storied career with countless trophies, including three Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.

He also leaves the game with 106 England caps and more than 300 goals – 211 of which came as a Chelsea player, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer.

NFL

Cardinals WR Fitzgerald returning for 14th season

Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald says he will return for his 14th season in the NFL.

Fitzgerald told ESPN’s Jim Trotter on Wednesday that he will play out the final year on his contract with Arizona.

Fitzgerald, who has played his whole career for the Cardinals, had said earlier in the week he had “pretty much made up my mind” but wasn’t ready to announce the decision, which he added wasn’t a tough one to make.

The 10-time Pro Bowler led the NFL in receptions this season with 107. He also leads active receivers in career receptions with 1,125.

Fitzgerald, 33, ranks ninth in NFL career receiving yards with 14,389. Another 1,000-yard season would put him third behind Jerry Rice, with 22,895, and Terrell Owens, with 15,934. Fitzgerald has eight career 1,000-yard seasons, including in 2016, when he totaled 1,023.

Fitzgerald, speaking Tuesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open after participating in the Special Olympics Open, said his body is never at 100 percent but that he feels “good” and his body is in the process of “coming back.”

The Cardinals and coach Bruce Arians have been waiting to hear decisions on whether Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer would return.

“I feel very comfortable with where they’re at and what’s going to happen,” Arians said Tuesday. “Like everybody else, I’ve got my fingers crossed, and I think when the juices start flowing and the injuries go away, they’ll both be back, but there’s nothing to confirm yet.”

Information from ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss was used in this report.

NFL

9 years after SB loss, Pats get '19-0' trademark

Though it has been nine years since the Patriots nearly achieved an undefeated season, the team just now has gotten around to trademarking “Perfect Season” and “19-0.”

The Patriots have gone through the process with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and, in December, trademarked the two slogans through their parent company, The Kraft Group, online records show.

It was nine years ago this week that New England’s bid for the first 19-0 season in NFL history ended with a loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

On Jan. 17, 2008, three days before the Patriots beat the Chargers to go to 18-0 and advance to the Super Bowl, The Kraft Group filed for trademarks in preparation for merchandising the Patriots’ perfect season subject to winning the Super Bowl. The company filed to trademark “Road To Perfection,” “19-0” and “Perfect Season.”

Despite the team’s loss to the Giants, The Kraft Group still went through and trademarked “Road To Perfection” in the “sports and entertainment information” category in November 2012.

More thought was apparently given to the other two trademarks — “Perfect Season” and “19-0” — as The Kraft Group filed for the maximum of five extensions to provide the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with the necessary documentation over the next eight years.

The one complication with those two filings is that, while thousands of T-shirts were printed commemorating a perfect Patriots season, none of them were ever sold. Emblazoned with an event that didn’t occur, they instead were shipped to other countries.

David Tyree’s acrobatic catch helped seal the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory — and end the Patriots’ quest for a 19-0 season. John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

Having to prove that they deserved the right to the phrase, the Patriots apparently licensed “Perfect Season” to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, which produced a DVD of the 2015 state football championship game between Xaverian Brothers and Central Catholic high schools. Xaverian prevailed, winning its 24th straight game (spanning two seasons).

The championship games were hosted at Gillette Stadium, home of the Pats.

The Patriots have a deeper connection to Xaverian. Hall of Famer Andre Tippett’s son Cody played on that 2015 team and was presented with the award for the best player in Massachusetts high school football by Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Former Patriots Vince Wilfork and Steve Grogan also sent their sons to Xaverian.

The Patriots informed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that the DVD went on sale in October 2016. Requests made through a team spokesman for comment were not returned.

The Patriots were a few plays away from winning it all in 2008, but they still might benefit if they or another team — in any sport — has a perfect season and wants to use the phrase.

Their trademarks cover rights on everything from DVDs and clothing to toys and even pencils.

The Miami Dolphins, who completed a perfect season in 1972, filed to trademark “17-0” and “Perfectville” but eventually abandoned their pursuit.

NFL

Tagliabue sorry for 1994 concussion remarks

HOUSTON — Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is apologizing for remarks he made decades ago about concussions in football.

In an interview with the Talk of Fame Network that airs nationwide Wednesday night, Tagliabue admitted he erred in 1994 in saying concussions were “one of those pack-journalism issues.” He also claimed then that the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

Up for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Tagliabue spoke out Wednesday about a major blemish on a record highlighted by labor peace throughout his 17-year tenure.

While NFL commissioner in 1994, Paul Tagliabue downplayed talk of concussions being a major concern. He has come to regret those remarks. George Gojkovich/Getty Images

“Obviously,” he said, “I do regret those remarks. Looking back, it was not sensible language to use to express my thoughts at the time. My language was intemperate, and it led to serious misunderstanding. I overreacted on issues which we were already working on. But that doesn’t excuse the overreaction and intemperate language.

“Bottom line, it sounded like I was shooting the messenger, which was the concussion issue. My intention at the time was to make a point which could have been made fairly simply: That there was a need for better data. There was a need for more reliable information about concussions and uniformity in terms of how they were being defined in terms of severity.”

Tagliabue explained on the Talk of Fame broadcast that the reporting of head trauma issues was inadequate back then, that the system needed improvement. No firm conclusions could be drawn based on the information the league had at the time, he said.

So when he appeared at a New York panel discussion, Tagliabue was making comments without in-depth knowledge of the issue.

“A few days before that panel, we had reviewed information about concussions and that was one of the things that led me to offer the opinion that there was not an increase,” he said. “We looked at data from the five seasons before `94, and it was relatively flat in terms of concussions. And data from `94 was consistent with the prior five seasons.

“But I think the consistency there was more about the inadequacy of our reporting system than what was going on on the playing field.”

Tagliabue also addressed his 1994 appointment of Dr. Elliot Pellman, a rheumatologist who became Tagliabue’s personal physician, as the head a mild traumatic brain injury committee. He said that Jets owner Leon Hess suggested Pellman.

“Hess said that he was a hard worker, he was highly intelligent, he was a good organizer and he could work effectively with coaches and players,” Tagliabue explained, “and he was willing to stand up for the medical point of view and not be cowed. So I put Dr. Pellman in charge, knowing what his specialties were.”

Pellman became a highly criticized figure on that committee because of his lack of background in head trauma cases.

“It was truly based on track record that these men had with their teams and what I thought they could help us accomplish with internal change,” Tagliabue said of the appointment.

Tagliabue was also a finalist in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He is eligible in the contributors category along with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

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