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NEW YORK — Former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig has decided to withdraw his agreement to plead guilty to a charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation.

Puig is changing his plea to not guilty because of “significant new evidence,” according to a statement Wednesday from his attorneys in Los Angeles.

“I want to clear my name,” Puig said in the statement. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”

In mid-November, the Justice Department announced Puig, 31, had agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements in an interview with federal investigators back in January.

That left him facing up to five years in federal prison — though he was eligible for probation under the plea agreement, his lawyers said. He also agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000.

The interview was conducted via Zoom and was related to gambling that occurred in 2019, his lawyers said.

“At the time of his January 2022 interview, Mr. Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues, and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him,″ Puig’s attorney Keri Axel said in Wednesday’s statement. “We have reviewed the evidence, including significant new information, and have serious concerns about the allegations made against Yasiel.”

Axel is in discussions with the government about the new evidence, the statement said.

Puig, who has been playing in South Korea, was born in Cuba and spent seven seasons in the majors from 2013 to ’19, the first six with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted .277 with 132 home runs and 415 RBIs, and earned an All-Star selection in 2014.

In an August plea agreement, Puig acknowledged that over a few months in 2019, he racked up more than $280,000 in losses while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games through a third party who worked for an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player.

Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites and through a man who worked for Nix, authorities said.

Puig did not interact with Nix, his lawyers said in the statement Wednesday.

In the plea agreement, Puig acknowledged lying in January to federal investigators who were looking into the business, denying he had placed bets through the operation.

Nix pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and filing a false tax return. Prosecutors said Nix’s operation ran for two decades and included both current and former professional athletes as clients or employees.

Federal prosecutors also announced that another former MLB player, Erik Kristian Hiljus, 49, of Los Angeles, had agreed to plead guilty to two counts of subscribing to false tax returns. They said he was an agent for Nix’s operation.

Hiljus could face up to six years in federal prison at sentencing.

Puig played for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019 before becoming a free agent. He then played in the Mexican League and last year signed a one-year, $1 million contact with South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes.

MLB would not investigate the issues related to gambling unless Puig attempts to sign with a big league organization.

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Army to allow alcohol sales at football games

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Army to allow alcohol sales at football games

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army will begin selling alcoholic beverages at football games at Michie Stadium beginning with its game Friday against Tarleton State, athletic director Tom Theodorakis announced Wednesday.

Army was the last service academy to not sell alcohol at football games. Air Force began sales in 2017 and Navy in 2021.

“The opportunity to purchase alcohol has become common practice at college athletic venues across the country, and we’re pleased to introduce it here at West Point as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the gameday experience,” Theodorakis said, adding that Army is committed to ensuring a safe and family-friendly environment for fans.

Fans will be able to purchase beer and ready-to-drink cocktails with a limit of two drinks per transaction. A portion of the revenue from alcohol sales will help support Army’s other 29 sports.

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Harvard-Yale rivalry to return to Fenway in 2026

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Harvard-Yale rivalry to return to Fenway in 2026

BOSTON — Harvard and Yale will play The Game at Fenway Park next season, the second time the rivalry has moved to the historic home of the Boston Red Sox.

The Nov. 21, 2026, game will be the 142nd meeting between the Ivy League schools — the third most-played rivalry in college football. Yale leads the series 71-61-8, including the last three years.

Harvard won the 2018 game 45-27 at Fenway, the first time The Game was played off campus since an 1894 meeting that was so violent the Harvard faculty voted to disband the football program.

Fenway has hosted football since its opening year in 1912, and it served as the home of the AFL’s Boston Patriots from 1963-68. More recently, the ballpark has hosted some Boston College and high school football games and the Fenway Bowl.

Fenway also has hosted concerts, Shakespeare in the Park, big air skiing, Irish hurling and pickleball.

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Sources: Tide DL Keenan (ankle) out for opener

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Sources: Tide DL Keenan (ankle) out for opener

Alabama will be without team captain and starting defensive tackle Tim Keenan III for Saturday’s opener against Florida State after he suffered a high ankle sprain Tuesday in practice, sources told ESPN.

Keenan was scheduled to undergo a tightrope surgical procedure Wednesday and is expected to miss multiple games, but sources said Alabama expects him back at some point this season. The Crimson Tide face UL Monroe in Week 2, Wisconsin in Week 3 and then have a bye week before traveling to Georgia for the SEC opener on Sept. 27.

Coach Kalen DeBoer said earlier Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference that Keenan was still being evaluated after suffering a lower-body injury and would “probably not” be full go for the game.

Keenan, a fifth-year senior, is one of the anchors of an Alabama defensive line that should be one of the strengths of the team. He’s a two-year starter and one of the strongest leaders on the team. Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Beaman and true freshman London Simmons are next in line to step in for Keenan, who was second on the team a year ago with 7.5 tackles for loss.

Offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts‘ status for Saturday’s opener remains uncertain, according to DeBoer. The fifth-year senior, who has started 21 games over the past two seasons, has been “very limited” in recent practices as he works his way through the NCAA concussion protocol.

The Crimson Tide were already going to be without starting running back Jam Miller, who dislocated his collarbone in a scrimmage and will miss multiple games. DeBoer told ESPN last week he expected Miller to be back for the Georgia game.

On3.com was the first to report the news of Keenan’s surgery and the expectation he would miss multiple games.

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