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Alex Ovechkin's name is back in the headlines, and not for reasons Washington wants. The Capitals confirmed to the Associated Press that Ovechkin was approached this summer to appear in a political advertisement for Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. The team hasn't said whether he declined, but the request alone is drawing serious attention given the ongoing war in Ukraine and the scrutiny Ovechkin has faced for years over his relationship with the Russian president.
Shifting to Columbus, where Ohio State is doing damage control after one of the ugliest collapses in recent memory. The Buckeyes held a twenty-point fourth-quarter lead over Texas and lost. Ryan Day is now publicly saying the program has to make some hard decisions, and Ohio State fell from number one all the way down to number six in the AP poll. Texas climbs to the top, and the Big Ten suddenly looks a lot more complicated.
And in Cincinnati, rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell announced himself to the league in a big way against Tampa Bay. Four pressures, four team turnovers, and Baker Mayfield never found his footing. The Bengals defense looked legitimately dangerous, and Howell was the engine driving it, feasting on one-on-one matchups all afternoon in what was a dominant opening-week performance.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
