Aaron Rodgers joins the Pittsburgh Steelers

From the Editorial Staff, AFP and AP

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, June 6, 2025, p. a12

Aaron Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, has postponed his retirement and will play with the Pittsburgh Steelers next season, the NFL announced yesterday on social media.

At 41 years old, Rodgers quelled the rumors that have been swirling for months by accepting the offer from the team led by Mike Tomlin.

Speculation mounted after the quarterback visited the team's facility in late March, arriving incognito wearing a hat and sunglasses.

According to local media, the Super Bowl 45 champion with the Green Bay Packers could sign his one-year contract this Friday and join the team before the start of preseason training, which begins next Tuesday.

The four-time NFL MVP is expected to have a very exciting debut in a Pittsburgh uniform, facing the New York Jets, his former team, in the season opener on September 7.

Earlier this year, the New York team released Rodgers after two very disappointing seasons. The first, the quarterback was virtually unskilled due to a serious injury in his debut.

Since leaving the Jets, Rodgers' future has been up in the air, as he has not publicly confirmed whether he intends to continue playing or retire.

The Steelers, who haven't won a playoff series since 2017, were considered Rodgers' likely destination if he remained active, especially since quarterback Russell Wilson's departure to the New York Giants in March.

Before the Jets, Rodgers played nearly two decades with the Green Bay Packers, whom he led to a title in 2011, and now he'll lead the Steelers' offense, as they attempt to break a 15-year Super Bowl streak in the 2025 season.

Rodgers will join a team that has made several changes at the position since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. The veteran player will compete for the starting job with Mason Rudolph, who returned to Pittsburgh on a two-year contract in March, so the Steelers will have their fifth Week 1 starter in five seasons.

Pittsburgh has maintained its competitiveness, to a degree, amid constant turnover at the most important position on the field. It has reached the playoffs four times in the last five seasons, only to be quickly eliminated from the postseason.

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La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, June 6, 2025, p. a12

Paris. World number one in women's tennis, Aryna Sabalenka, ended Poland's Iga Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the French Open yesterday and reached her first Roland Garros final, where she will face American Coco Gauff, the world number two.

"It feels amazing, but I also understand that the job is not done yet ," said the 27-year-old Belarusian, who took the top spot in the WTA rankings from Swiatek last October. "She's the toughest opponent, especially on the clay at Roland Garros. I'm proud to have achieved this victory ."

Sabalenka's 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Swiatek prevented the Pole from becoming the first woman to win four consecutive championships at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament since professionals were admitted in 1968.

With the roof of the Philippe Chatrier court closed on a rainy day, there was no wind or other elements against the rallies, and both produced magnificent tennis at times. But in the end, the difference was that when Sabalenka decided to hit hard, she forced Swiatek into making mistakes. "I lost a little bit of my intensity ," the Pole admitted. " I just couldn't counterattack ," she added.

Swiatek's racquet included 12 unforced errors in the third set compared to none for Sabalenka. A difficult run continues for the 24-year-old Pole, who hasn't reached a final since capturing her third consecutive trophy—and fifth Grand Slam title—12 months ago in Paris. She recently fell to number five in the rankings .

Her poor run included elimination in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was then suspended for a month after testing positive for a banned substance.

On the other hand, Sabalenka is undoubtedly the best there is in women's tennis right now. Even before reaching this final, her six title match appearances this year are the most for a woman before the French Open since Serena Williams in 2013.

On Saturday, she will face Coco Gauff in the final, who reached her second Roland Garros final by defeating local player Loïs Boisson 6-1, 6-2, ending the Frenchwoman's strong performance.

▲ In the first game of the NBA Finals, Indiana silenced the Oklahoma City crowd in their home stadium. AP Photo

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La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, June 6, 2025, p. a31

Oklahoma. With a last-gasp score from Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 last night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a historic comeback victory.

The Pacers trailed by 15 points with 9:42 remaining, matching the largest fourth-quarter comeback in a Finals game since Dallas overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Miami on June 2, 2011.

Thus, Indiana found a way to pull off the victory. Dressed in white, the home fans couldn't counter the momentum of the playoff kings of last-minute comebacks . After 25 years without a decisive game, they stamped their name in the final 0.3 seconds and managed to rally to take the lead in the series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the game's leading player, scoring 38 points for the Thunder, while Pascal Siakam powered the visitors with 19. While both teams' performances were crucial in sparking a thrilling game, Haliburton emerged as the star of the show, saving the Indiana franchise with a daring shot that clinched the game.

So, once again, Indiana found a way to come out on top in the waning game, just as they did a few weeks ago against Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York. The next game in the series is tomorrow.