Sports briefs
In the NFL
Deshaun Watson’s return from an 11-game NFL suspension remains on schedule.
Cleveland’s No. 1 quarterback was cleared to practice Monday, a significant step for the three-time Pro Bowler accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women while he played for Houston.
Watson reached a settlement with the league in August to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and undergo counseling and treatment.
To this point, the league said he’s fulfilled those obligations.
As long as he continues to meet conditions of the agreement, Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns on Dec. 4 against Houston, which drafted him in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in March for three first-round draft picks.
In baseball
The Miami Marlins promoted Caroline O’Connor to president of business operations on Monday, making them the first U.S. major sports franchise to have women serving simultaneously as president and general manager. The Marlins made history by hiring Kim Ng as GM in November 2020; two years later, they’ve made another significant move.
O’Connor is just the second woman to serve as president of a Major League Baseball team; Seattle’s Catie Griggs is the other.
n Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig will plead guilty to lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Court documents unsealed Monday say Yasiel Puig Valdés, 31, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements and after pleading guilty, he could face up to five years in federal prison. He also agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000.
He played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in 2019 before becoming a free agent.
In an August plea agreement, Puig acknowledged that over only a few months in 2019 he wracked 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.
In college basketball
North Carolina didn’t have a dominating start at No. 1. The Tar Heels open their second week atop the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll with coach Hubert Davis reminding his players it will take time to find a flow like the one that carried them to last year’s NCAA championship game.
UNC (2-0) earned 44 of 63 first-place votes to finish ahead of No. 2 Gonzaga in Monday’s first regular-season AP Top 25, which featured only slight changes from the preseason poll released Oct. 17.
The second-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) picked up 14 first-place votes after wins against North Florida and Michigan State, the latter coming on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Third-ranked Houston (2-0) and fourth-ranked Kentucky (2-0) picked up the remaining five votes.
Baylor and Kansas were tied for fifth previously. This time, Baylor is alone at No. 5, followed by Kansas and Duke. UCLA, Arkansas and Creighton round out the top 10.
In the NBA
LaMelo Ball had 17 points and nine assists, and the Charlotte Hornets stopped an eight-game slide with a 112-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Charlotte had seven players score in double figures, including its starting lineup. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 17 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16.