by Dan Mullen The weird and mediocre season took another twist on Monday when the Florida coach canceled media access to players and coordinators for the rest of the week. It came two days after a 34-7 thrashing of Georgia in nearby Jacksonville, the program’s seventh loss in its last nine games against Power Five opponents. Mullen appeared frustrated earlier Monday as he asked a recruiting question during a 12-and-a-half-minute media session that was described by school officials as coming in a “narrow window.” “We’re in the season right now,” said Mullen, who can’t be on the road to recruit due to NCAA penalties that included a one-year penalty for cause. “We will recruit after the season. When it comes to recruiting, we can talk about recruitment. It became a sore subject for Mullen and a hot topic for Florida fans. Georgia has signed a higher-ranked class every year since 2014, waves of talent including 26 more five-star recruits than the Gators have landed. Florida’s Class of 2022 now ranks 22nd in the nation after two recent disengagements; linebacker Shemar James from Mobile, Alabama, and cornerback Julien Humphrey of Houston withdrew verbal commitments following LSU’s stunning upheaval in Florida last month.
BASEBALL
Bob Melvin gets 3-year deal to lead Padres
Bob Melvin donned a striped Padres home jersey and declared the obvious to become San Diego’s new manager. “What an opportunity. I’m probably as surprised to be here as all of you are,” Melvin said after being introduced at a press conference at Petco Park. The hiring of Melvin, who has 18 seasons of experience in management in the big leagues, was a surprise for several reasons: He was still under a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics, where he spent the last 11 years, and the general manager of the Padres. A. J. Preller had a propensity to hire skippers without big league management experience. Melvin inherits a team that included five All-Stars – including Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jake Cronenworth – but disappointed after the trade deadline and finished with a losing record for the 10th time in 11 seasons. The Padres were 79-83 and were third in the NL West, 28 games behind San Francisco. Melvin signed a three-year contract to replace Jayce Tingler, who was fired after the worst slump in team history, moved the Padres from a one-game lead for the NL’s second-place wildcard on Sept. 9 to elimination with more d a week to play in the season.
BASKETBALL
Cavaliers’ Kevin Love placed on COVID-19 protocol
Riders forward kevin love has been placed under NBA health and safety protocols and will miss Monday’s game in Charlotte – and likely several more. It is unknown if Love is still with the team. The Cavaliers provided a brief statement on Love as they prepare to play the final of a five-game road trip, saying only that “further updates will be provided at the appropriate time.” Love, 33, is averaging 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for Cleveland this season in a reserve role. He played 20 minutes and scored 11 points in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Love has been with the Cavs since 2014. He’s been slowed by injuries the past few seasons and hasn’t played more than 59 games since 2016, when he appeared in 60 and helped Cleveland win an NBA title.
HOCKEY
Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane out of COVID-19 protocol
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has been removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Assistant coaches Tomas Mitell and Matt Meacham also left the protocol. The move means Kane is cleared to play when Chicago looks for its first win of the season on Monday night against the Ottawa Senators. “It’s good that he’s back in the locker room and on the ice,” center Kirby dach noted. Kane entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Oct. 23. He has one goal and four assists in five games this season. Kane trained with the team in morning practice, but the coach Jeremy Colliton was evasive when asked if the forward would play against the Senators. “Unexpectedly he was there,” Colliton said. “He could play, but it’s early enough to make that call.” … Pittsburgh Penguins defensemen Marcus Petterson and Chad Ruhwedel entered the COVID-19 protocol after testing positive for the coronavirus. Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the positive tests and said Sullivan said Pettersson was symptomatic while Ruhwedel has so far been asymptomatic. Pettersson and Ruhwedel are the fifth and sixth Penguins members to enter protocol so far this season, joining forwards Jeff Carter, Jack Guentzel, and Zach Aston Reese and defender Kris Letang … The NHL has suspended the Montreal Canadiens forward Cedric Paquetteor two games without pay for boarding the Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. The incident happened in the first period of the Ducks’ 4-2 win over Montreal on Sunday in Anaheim. Paquette received a major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding. He will lose $9,500 in salary. Paquette can return when Montreal hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
FOOTBALL
Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic could make a Champions League return
Christian Pulisic traveled with Chelsea to Sweden, and the American winger could make his first appearance for the team in 2.5 months when the Blues play in Malmö on Tuesday night in the Champions League. The 23-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania injured his left ankle on September 8 while playing for the United States in a World Cup qualifier in Honduras. Pulisic returned to full training last week. He has only featured for Chelsea twice this season, in the European Super Cup against Villarreal on August 11 and in the Premier League opener three days later against Crystal Palace, when he scored . Pulisic was then sidelined following a positive COVID-19 test – he is fully vaccinated – and returned for the US qualifier against Canada on September 5…Booed and heckled by Tottenham fans, Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed on Monday after his fifth defeat in 10 Premier League appearances in charge of the club. Now Tottenham have turned to hiring again Antonio Conté, one of the coaches he sought to recruit in a chaotic off-season process that ended with Nuno being far from the first choice for the job. Nuno’s sacking, after just four months on the job, follows a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United on Saturday when his decisions were mocked and fans chanted ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ at the stadium. Portuguese coach… Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero will be sidelined for at least three months after undergoing cardiac tests. Aguero has been “subjected to a diagnostic and therapeutic process” which will not allow him to play for some time, the club said on Monday. “The effectiveness of the treatment will be assessed to determine its recovery process.”
