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Deion Sanders will be the next coach at Colorado, the school announced on Saturday night, instantly making him one of the most compelling hires in college football this generation.

Sanders comes with just three years experience coaching college football, as he went 27-5 as Jackson State’s coach. Jackson State (12-0) completed an undefeated regular season on Saturday with a 43-24 blowout of Southern for the SWAC championship.

Sanders informed his team of his departure soon after Saturday’s win. He is still slated to coach Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17 against North Carolina Central, sources told ESPN.

Sanders’ arrival delivers a much-needed adrenaline shot to a Colorado program that’s had two winning seasons since 2005 and losing seasons in five of the last six years. Since 2005, Colorado has churned through the forgettable tenures of Karl Dorrell, Mel Tucker, Mike MacIntyre, Jon Embree, Dan Hawkins and Gary Barnett.

With Sanders’ arrival, Colorado will immediately become one of the most fascinating programs in the country. He immediately becomes one of the most recognizable coaches in the sport, and Colorado’s sudden attention comes at a time when the Pac-12 is on the precipice of losing both USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in 2024. Suddenly, Colorado is a buzzy program.

Sanders is an iconic American athlete, a member of both the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame. He played in the NFL for 14 seasons, won two Super Bowls and also played for several Major League Baseball teams from 1989 through 2001. He brings credibility, charisma and deep ties in the state of Texas — where he coached in high school for seven years before Jackson State — to start a recruiting pipeline.

Sanders is a defiant extravert who has long intentionally avoided humility and sought to be the center of attention. He’s known as “Coach Prime,” and that outsized persona will be needed, as Colorado is a program with no real identity that’s badly lagging in fund raising for NIL for its athletes.

“There were a number of highly qualified and impressive candidates interested in becoming the next head football coach at Colorado, but none of them had the pedigree, the knowledge and the ability to connect with student-athletes like Deion Sanders,” Colorado AD Rick George said in a statement. “Not only will Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I’m confident that he will lead our program back to national prominence while leading a team of high quality and high character.”

To provoke change, Sanders will need to overcome the antiquated infrastructure and significant obstacles that have spiraled Colorado to college football irrelevancy.

Colorado’s strict transfer policies and lack of NIL infrastructure have been significant obstacles in recent years. Many of Colorado’s best players, including potential first-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), left via the transfer portal after last season.

The hire of Sanders follows a trend that’s emerged in college basketball recently, with notable former players like Penny Hardaway (Memphis), Jerry Stackhouse (Vanderbilt) and Juwan Howard (Michigan) earning high-profile positions in college basketball.

Sanders told his team in a meeting posted on-line after the game that his decision wasn’t about money — “it’s not about a bag” — but rather the chance to create opportunities for African-American coaches.

“I feel like I have to do something about it,” he said. “There’s been four or more African-American coaches at the next level that have been terminated. I haven’t heard not one other… than a candidate like myself to replace them. So to me, that’s a problem that many don’t think about. But that’s a problem, if someone doesn’t step up and step out, that’s a problem.”

Sanders added: “My challenge is still to provoke change, no matter where I am. I’m 55 and don’t plan on changing anytime soon. God made me like this, and I think God is pleased with what he created.”

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Judge: First ejection of career ‘very surprising’

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Judge: First ejection of career 'very surprising'

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has accomplished plenty during his nine-year major league career. The five-time All-Star set the American League record for home runs in a season in 2022. He won the AL MVP award. He was named the 16th captain in New York Yankees history.

And not once in his first 869 career games was the 32-year-old slugger ever ejected.

That streak, though, ended Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

Judge was tossed for the first time leading off the seventh inning after arguing a called third strike in the Yankees’ eventual 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. Judge was displeased when plate umpire Ryan Blakney punched him out on a pitch he thought was outside for ball four. The outfielder had some words for Blakney as he walked away before turning around to go to the Yankees’ dugout. Blakney then threw him out of the game.

“Very surprising, especially in a 5-3 game, late in the game,” Judge said. “Battling a 3-2 count and kind of walking away saying my piece. I’ve said a lot worse. … I usually try not to make a scene in situations like that. So a little surprised [that] walking away that happened.”

Judge said there wasn’t any tension between him and Blakney leading up to that point. He ended his day 2-for-3 with a double. It was just his second multihit game since April 14, raising his batting average on the season to .209. Trent Grisham replaced him in center field.

“I got a lot of respect for Ryan and what he does,” Judge said. “I know their job is tough and I’ve always had their back because it’s tough back there. So, for it to happen that way, that’s what I’m most upset about. Especially late in a game like that, close game.”

Umpire crew chief Alan Porter told a pool reporter that Blakney hadn’t yet told him what Judge said to warrant the ejection.

“Apparently, Aaron did not agree with the pitch and said something that you shouldn’t have said, and he was ejected,” Porter said. “We do what we can to keep guys in the game, but he said something he shouldn’t have said.”

Judge said he had never been ejected at any level in his baseball life — from little league through high school, college and the pros. It was the first time a Yankees captain was ejected from a game since Don Mattingly in May 1994.

“I didn’t even see myself get tossed,” Judge said. “It was a crowd reaction I heard, so I kind of assumed at that point.”

Though surprising to the Yankees, Judge’s ejection isn’t the team’s most controversial this season. Manager Aaron Boone was tossed five pitches into a game on April 23 for words that appeared to have come from a fan behind the dugout.

On Saturday, Boone, whose 35 ejections since 2018 are the most among managers, defended his star.

“I was surprised,” Boone said. “Judgy says very little usually. Very respectfully, walking away. Come on, man.”

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Arraez a big hit in Padres debut, goes 4-for-6

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Arraez a big hit in Padres debut, goes 4-for-6

PHOENIX — Luis Arraez had four hits and an RBI in his first game after being traded from the Miami Marlins, Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer in San Diego’s eight-run seventh inning and the Padres routed the listless Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Saturday.

The Padres made a massive deal Friday, acquiring Arraez from the Marlins along with nearly $7.9 million in a trade for four players. The two-time batting champion didn’t join his new team until about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, but he wasted no time in producing, going 4-for-6 while scoring two runs.

“Clearly an amazing approach, and I can see why he is the rightful moniker of ‘The Sprinkler,'” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “You’re talking about he’s an artist being able to put the ball in the whole field. That was that was a sight to behold. What a talent.”

Arraez wasn’t the only San Diego player seeing the ball well at Chase Field.

Jurickson Profar had a two-run homer in the seventh inning among his four hits, and Kim followed with a three-run shot. Manny Machado had three RBIs. And Michael King (3-3) allowed six singles in six innings for San Diego’s season-high fourth straight victory. The Padres had 18 hits.

“I absolutely love him,” King said about Arraez. “He’s a spark plug who’s a really tough out and just finds the bases. It’s going to be really fun to see him with the guys we have behind him.”

The Diamondbacks would love to put this week behind them.

Arizona had two runners picked off at first in the first inning and didn’t get a runner past second base until Gabriel Moreno‘s two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth. The reigning National League champion Diamondbacks have been outscored 28-2 since a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday and have lost seven of nine.

“It’s obvious right now we’re grinding, things are not going well and we just aren’t getting the job done,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You go to work and you have a bad week at work — it happens. But we’ve got to find a way to shorten up that gap when we’re not playing good baseball to find a way to win a game.”

Arraez led off his first game with the Padres by hitting the second pitch by Brandon Pfaadt (1-2) into the corner in right for a double. He scored on Machado’s single for San Diego’s 32nd run in the first inning this season, second most in the majors to the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 37.

“He got us going and kept us going,” Shildt said.

The Diamondbacks got off to a much shakier start.

Arizona had two singles in the first inning, but Jake McCarthy got picked off by King, and Ketel Marte was thrown out by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. after rounding first too far.

Fielding caused the Diamondbacks problems in the fourth inning.

Shortstop Blaze Alexander had an error on a potential double-play ball then threw late to the plate when Profar took off from third on Luis Campusano‘s grounder. Arraez’s single to left put San Diego up 3-0.

The Padres chased Pfaadt in the seventh inning and blew the game open against Arizona’s bullpen, sending 14 batters to plate. Pfaadt allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings.

“We’re a team trying to get back on its high horse, and certainly it didn’t work out today,” Pfaadt said. “Certainly, we’ll try to look forward to tomorrow and try to get back on the horse.”

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Phils SS Turner (hamstring) set to miss 6 weeks

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Phils SS Turner (hamstring) set to miss 6 weeks

PHILADELPHIA — Trea Turner will miss at least six weeks with a left hamstring strain after being injured in the fourth inning of Philadelphia‘s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

The Phillies placed the two-time All-Star shortstop on the 10-day injured list Saturday, but Turner said he’ll need more time.

“I hate being hurt,” he said.

Turner has started all 30 games this season, helping the Phillies (22-11) enter Saturday with the most wins in baseball. He is hitting .343 with two homers, 10 doubles, nine RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson, before knowing the extent of the absence, said losing Turner for any amount of time would be a blow.

“It’s a huge loss,” he said. “It’s Trea Turner, one of the best players in baseball.”

Turner had two hits in Friday’s game, when he helped the Phillies to their 14th win in the last 17 games.

He was injured on a stellar hustle play. He singled, stole second and scored from there on a passed ball on a walk to Bryce Harper. Philadelphia’s speedy shortstop just beat the tag by right-hander Jordan Hicks, and plate umpire Brian Walsh’s safe call was confirmed by video review.

“It was a great play,” Thomson said. “Won us a ballgame.”

Turner injured his left hamstring running the bases between third and home.

The Phillies recalled Kody Clemens from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Turner’s roster spot.

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