Latest news with #Canales
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
4 standouts from Week 1 of Panthers 2025 training camp
The Carolina Panthers are a bit more out of sight for this year's edition of training camp. With the organization in the middle of their construction on a new practice facility, fans have not been allowed to attend the team's workout sessions. But that doesn't mean a few players haven't shined through to start the summer. Here are four standouts from the Panthers' opening week of camp . . . WR Hunter Renfrow Renfrow has yet to drop the pen on his comeback story. After missing the entire 2024 campaign due to a challenging bout with ulcerative colitis, the former Pro Bowler signed with Carolina in the spring. He impressed head coach Dave Canales during mandatory minicamp and has kept on stacking days into training camp. "It's just the Hunter Renfrow I remember," Canales told reporters on Saturday. "He looks healthy. I think everyone who's watched football over the last four or five years remembers what he looks like, and he's really playing in top form right now. I'm really excited to have him here and to have his family, which is right down the road here after this practice, just to be able to connect with him. And it's a great story that's unfolding right before our eyes." The Panthers' wideout room is a bit crowded, at least compared to years past. But the 29-year-old Myrtle Beach, S.C. continues to make an intriguing case for a spot. WR Jimmy Horn Jr. Horn is also trying to make a space for himself at the end of the room. The 2024 sixth-round pick, as he did during the spring, has opened quite a few eyes with his speed. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer noted that Horn looked especially fast in one-on-one coverage drills on Saturday, beating fellow rookie defenders by "four or five yards." And by the looks of his footwork here, that shouldn't be too surprising . . . Horn made a few nice catches in seven-on-seven action and gave a preview of his prowess as a returner, too. And like Renfrow, he got some props from up top. Canales described what he admires about Horn on Thursday. "Yeah, I just love the way that he plays football. It's full speed all the time," Canales stated. "Some guys, we have to really teach them how to get in a walk-through mode. He's one of those guys. Everything he does is fast. "I think about Deven Thompkins—who I love, who was here last year. They just bring out the best in everybody because you know, when they're out there, they're going 100 miles per hour, full speed and they're looking to take the top off. So, I love that style about Jimmy. And what he's shown us—whether it's in drills or in the team periods, he's just all gas." OLB Princely Umanmielen Umanmielen caught the attention of many on Wednesday, when his close call on a strip-sack of quarterback Bryce Young caused an abrupt end to practice. That decision came from Canales, who initially thought Umanmielen was a bit too physical on the play. Upon further review, however, the rookie pass rusher actually tried to avoid making contact with Young. "We watched the film—he was actually trying to avoid . . . Bryce didn't have anywhere to go in the pocket," Canales said following Thursday's session. "So as he pulls his arm back, he kinda hits him and you can see Princely running kinda by. "Still made a point of it. Still great to teach the guys in those moments. But just another great teachable moment for the whole group. Hey, let's not pass judgement on what happened. I saw the play kinda, but I didn't see specifically. We'll be able to rewind it ten times and figure out what happened. "But had a couple 'nother good rushes today by Princely. Every day, shows up and does something good. I'm really encouraged with the effort, first and foremost, that he's giving and the strain to finish all the way through practice." One of those good rushes by Umanmielen saw the rookie beat starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu on an inside move for another would-be sack. S Demani Richardson Richardson made what deemed as the "play of the day" from the first outing . . . Richardson is one of a few contenders vying for the starting spot next to free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig. If he continues his ball-hawking ways, the undrafted rookie from 2024 could make himself a real factor in the backend of the defense. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers 2025 training camp tracker: Top takeaways and observations from Day 4
After cooling down in a walkthrough on Friday, the Carolina Panthers got back to some real on-field action this morning. Here are the top takeaways and observations from Saturday's session of training camp . . . Derrick Brown is getting there Defensive lineman Derrick Brown was absent from the few first days of camp due to personal reasons. Turns out, the personal reason was the birth of his fourth child. Now that he's back, Brown is ready to take on new life for 2025 after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in 2024. He was asked if he's close to 100 percent yet. "I feel like it. Gimme a few weeks, I feel like it," Brown replied. "Right now, they got a great plan in place, just gettin' back in shape. Being able to transition back into being able to play the plays I've played before and be there for the team. I expressed my opinion to them and they've been nothing but compliant on when it came to that." Head coach Dave Canales also offered an outlook on Brown. "We're gonna just kinda ramp him up each day and just kinda give him a little bit more, dose him a little bit higher," Canales told reporters. "He's gotta be ready to play Week 1, so we'll continue to grow the capacity in practice as we go." Hunting down a spot Canales also talked about veteran wideout Hunter Renfrow, who had himself quite a day on the practice field. He said that the former Pro Bowler has looked "great," then explained why. "It's just the Hunter Renfrow I remember," Canales stated. "He looks healthy. I think everyone who's watched football over the last four or five years remembers what he looks like, and he's really playing in top form right now. I'm really excited to have him here and to have his family, which is right down the road here after this practice, just to be able to connect with him. And it's a great story that's unfolding right before our eyes." Renfrow missed the 2024 season due to ulcerative colitis. He signed with Carolina shortly following the 2025 NFL draft. A bigger role for a slimmer Sanders Tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said he's feeling more confident as a pro, both on and off the field, entering Year No. 2. Part of that confidence stems from some newfound speed, thanks to his offseason weight loss. "I was probably like 255 [pounds] last year, like 238 right now," Sanders stated. "So definitely moving faster. Being able to get in and out my breaks better as well." Sanders will have to step up this summer in the absence of starter Tommy Tremble, who is currently on the active/physically unable to perform list as he recovers from back surgery. Top observations Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Boston Globe
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Worcester annual Latin American Festival cancelled, political and economic reasons named
Advertisement But recently, Centro, the nonprofit organizing the event, announced they were canceling this year's festival because of economic and political reasons, such as loss of funding and growing tensions over sharing cultures. The festival has been a yearly tradition in Worcester for over three decades, drawing crowds of over 15,000 attendees to the city center. In a statement, CEO of Centro Augustina Velazquez said they were canceling the event's 33rd iteration because 'post-pandemic inflation has doubled the costs' for various items needed to put it on, including infrastructure and security. Artists are also charging more, making the festival more difficult to finance, according to Velazquez. 'Additionally, political tensions—driven by federal policies and public perception—further complicate matters,' Velazquez said. 'While some individuals recognize the valuable efforts municipalities are making, others remain unaware or skeptical. Consequently, this has led to a decrease in community engagement." Advertisement Artists and families like Canales and his daughter were saddened to hear that the festival would not be taking place this year. Yony Avila, a reggaetón singer whose stage name is JK EL Especialista, performed at last year's festival and remembers many vendors selling handcrafted items and people hosting activities, as well as stands dedicated to different Latin American countries. 'It was cool, everyone was having fun and I really liked the way they did it because they had different countries and a lot of information about [the cultures],' said Avila, who is from Honduras. Avila, who heard about the cancellation from the organizers, said he was sorry to hear that the festival would not be taking place this year, and that kids and families would not be able to enjoy sharing and learning about different cultures. Over the past several months, tension over the recent immigration policies has risen in Worcester, Velazquez said that the event was not cancelled due to fear of ICE. 'To those who were unaware of all the details and used harsh words like 'we're afraid of ICE,' I urge you not to act on emotion and to consider all the reasons I've shared,' Velazquez said in the statement. Canales said that his daughter had the opportunity to perform her song in the bachata style, a lively style of Latin dance and music, for the first time on the stage at the Latin American Festival last year, making the experience extra special for them. He hopes that it can continue so other families can experience a similar feeling of connection with different cultures. Advertisement 'From the moment we arrived, everyone involved and part of the organization treated us like we were home. And we were home,' Canales said. Katarina Schmeiszer can be reached at
Morocco World
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey: How to Watch & Score Prediction
Borussia Dortmund face Monterrey on Tuesday morning in the Round 16 of the Club World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Kick-off is at 2 a.m. Moroccan time (GMT+1) and fans can catch the action live for free on the DAZN website and app. Let's talk Dortmund first. Niko Kovač's men cruised through Group F unbeaten, but let's be honest – it wasn't exactly a procession. A nervy draw against Fluminense followed by wins over Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns put them top, but they've yet to flex fully. Still, with Karim Adeyemi buzzing up front and young Jobe Bellingham pulling strings, there's plenty to like about the Germans. Add in Julian Brandt returning to the starting XI, and the Black and Yellow look dangerous – on paper, at least. But Monterrey aren't here for the tourism. Domènec Torrent's squad is riding high after stunning Urawa Red Diamonds 4–0 and drawing against River Plate and Inter in the group of death. Torrent's not afraid to tinker. Three games, three formations, and somehow it's working. Canales and Ocampos are expected to start the game after being rested in the last outing, and Ramos will be expected to marshal the backline. Dortmund may dominate possession, but Monterrey will happily sit back and wait for the counter. Expect them to play smart, strike on set pieces, and hope Ramos can hammer it home. Predicted Lineups Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Couto, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Groß, Bellingham, Svensson; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy Monterrey (3-5-2): Andrada; Medina, Ramos, Guzmán; Chavez, Deossa, Rodríguez, Corona, Arteaga; Canales, Berterame Prediction: The Rayados will fight tooth and nail, Ramos will likely throw an elbow or two, and Canales will create something slick. But in the end, Dortmund's depth and pace will wear them down – but it's going to be tight. Borussia Dortmund 2–1 Monterrey
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL insider shares wild take about the future of Panthers HC Dave Canales
Panthers head coach Dave Canales can't be in danger of losing his job already . . . right? Well, that might be a possibility according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio—who believes a disastrous campaign could spell the end of Canales' run. Florio named the second-year head coach as one of five candidates he thinks may feel the heat of the hot seat in 2025. He writes: There's a glass-half-full vibe around the Panthers, given that they finished relatively strong in 2024 after a disastrous start. If that comes to fruition for the 2025 Panthers, all will be well. If the wheels come off, it could spell doom for Canales, who enters his second season on the job. The key becomes owner David Tepper. Will the hard-charging, results-demanding, drink-throwing (at least once) owner tolerate, say, a 4-13 finish? It won't be easy for Canales, if that happens. Mainly because of the guy who signs the checks, and who issues the pink slips. That glass-half-full vibe comes after a noted improvement in the first year under Canales, who led the Panthers to a three-win jump from the season prior. Carolina was also more competitive than they were in 2023, as evidenced by their near-upsets of the eventual AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 and the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. But Florio surmises that a step back could ignite the itchy trigger finger of Tepper, something we saw after just 11 games of Frank Reich in 2023. Tepper is now in his eighth year as team owner, and still has yet to experience a winning season. The Panthers, in addition, are entering 2025 on the longest playoff drought in franchise history. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
