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Specialized, one of the most popular cycling manufacturers, is being sued for not paying workers who manufactured apparel for the California-based company.
"Specialized, the cycling company, likes to position itself as a green company, but there is nothing green about the fact that workers who make Specialized clothing are being cheated out of wages," according to a Green America petition.
The quote was accompanied by a picture of six persons, of which five held signs.
"Specialized! It's time to # at APS El Salvador," stated one sign.
APS, a Salvadoran garment factory, manufactured apparel for Hanesbrands, Gildan Activewear, Kellwood Company, and Specialized Bicycle Components until its closure in August 2022, according to a Worker Rights Consortium Factor Assessment released March 2024. Per the report, the WRC "initiated an investigation into the factory's failure to pay this compensation in response to a complaint from three Salvadoran unions whose members worked at the factory."
After the manufacturing operations ceased, the country's Ministry of Lab learned that APS failed to pay legally owed wages, severance, and terminal benefits over almost $2 million. According to PayYourWorkers, a coalition of over 280 trade unions and labor rights organizations around the world, Salvadoran workers rely on wages earned because when a business shuts down, workers must fend for themselves as there is no unemployment fund in the country. To help workers, the WRC urged all four brands to meet their financial obligations as required by El Salvador and each company's code of conduct.
To date, Kellwood Company and Gildan Activewear are the only companies that have agreed to meet some degree of their financial obligations. Both companies agreed to pay APS workers $1.34 million–only 67% of their outstanding balance–according to WRC.
Hanesbrands and Specialized collectively owe workers over $650,000 for services previously rendered.
"Hanesbrands, pressed repeatedly to act, ultimately offered a contribution that represents a
minuscule fraction of the money owed to the workers."
Despite its website's claim of "promot[ing] human rights…in our supply chain," WRC notes that Specialized has failed to respond to requests from APS factory workers, their unions, and international allies for the APS workers' legally outstanding compensation.
Specialized contests WRC's position.
In a statement to Cycling Weekly, the bike manufacturer's spokeswoman, Kelly Henningsen, stated, "Specialized takes its commitment to responsible manufacturing very seriously. We have been in constant communication with our supplier that utilized this El Salvador factory in the past and have clearly communicated our expectation that the workers' claims be handled and resolved appropriately." Additionally, "While we are not privy to the details of the ongoing legal process involving the workers and the factory, we have been monitoring and will continue to monitor the matter in close cooperation with our supplier and are looking forward to a resolution through the local process and in accordance with our expectation."
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Steelers receive massive Aaron Rodgers injury update ahead of Bears game
On Monday, former NFL quarterback and current analyst Matt Hasselbeck insisted that Pittsburgh Steelers starter Aaron Rodgers could play with a small fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist as long as Rodgers wouldn't need surgery to repair the issue. It seems Rodgers and the Steelers received a positive update regarding his health. Is Aaron Rodgers on track to start for Steelers at Bears? Late Tuesday morning, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported that Rodgers "will not need to undergo surgery to repair his fractured left wrist." Pelissero and Rapoport added that Rodgers "currently is pushing to" start for the 6-4 Steelers at the 7-3 Chicago Bears this coming Sunday but "will need clearance from doctors to be able to play." Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports shared that whether or not Rodgers will play against the Bears "will depend on [his] ability to take snaps under center and grip ability." "Really, it’s just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said about Rodgers' wrist while speaking with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. "And then it’s about how functional he is." Rodgers suffered his latest injury during Pittsburgh's 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12-of-16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in the relief appearance. "I can’t say enough about Mason Rudolph," Tomlin said during his media availability on Tuesday. "Although we’re used to it, it’s appreciated. He’s proven over his time here, he’s capable of coming in and playing winning football for us." Why Aaron Rodgers may be hyped to face Bears Rodgers famously featured for the Green Bay Packers from 2005 through the 2022 season and has a long history of tormenting Chicago fans. Per NBC Chicago, he has accumulated a career 24-5 record against the Bears. He passed for 64 touchdowns with 10 interceptions against Chicago as a member of the Packers. During the 2021 season, Rodgers trolled Chicago fans regarding his dominance of their beloved team. Shortly after the latest Rodgers update surfaced, ESPN BET had the Steelers as three-point road underdogs against the Bears.
Major domino falls for Yankees with Trent Grisham decision
Outfielder Trent Grisham is accepting his $22.025M qualifying offer and will return to the New York Yankees in 2026, reports ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. Players who accept a QO are considered free-agent signings and are thus ineligible to be traded prior to the following June 15 unless they consent to the move. Trent Grisham had a breakout season It’s at least a modest surprise, as Grisham is coming off a breakout year at the plate that saw him club a career-high 34 home runs. He slashed .235/.348/.464, thanks in no small part to a career-best 14.1% walk rate and a 23.6% strikeout rate that stood as the second-lowest in his career. Between that production, the fact that Grisham only just turned 29 earlier this month, and a thin outfield market in free agency, the stars seemed to align for him to pursue a weighty multi-year contract this winter. Instead, Grisham returns to the site of his breakout and will hold down a key role in an outfield that’s also currently slated to include Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge. The Yankees are interested in re-signing Cody Bellinger, have been linked to Kyle Tucker and also have DH Giancarlo Stanton at least loosely in the outfield mix. (He played 132 outfield innings in 2025.) How does Trent Grisham's decision affect the Yankees? Grisham’s return muddies the waters a bit, but GM Brian Cashman said recently that even if he accepted, it wouldn’t impact the team’s pursuit of a new deal with Bellinger, via the New York Post’s Greg Joyce. The Yankees wouldn’t have made the QO to Grisham if they believed his acceptance was a roadblock to bringing back Bellinger or signing Tucker. They’re surely glad to have him back. Even though his defensive grades took an unexpected downturn in ’25, he has the best defensive track record in center of the Yankees’ in-house options. While Grisham could have looked to cash in this winter, he’ll instead take a hefty one-year payday in what amounts to a bet on himself. Though he’s a left-handed bat, his power output was hardly a product of Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch. In fact, Grisham hit just .195/.326/.376 at home this season, compared to .254/.364/.506 on the road. If he can replicate this year’s huge power production, he could hit the market next offseason on the back of consecutive plus seasons at the plate and without the encumbrance of a qualifying offer. A big enough showing this year could realistically position Grisham for a $100M+ contract — particularly if his defensive grades rebound, too. The looming potential for a work stoppage is one other wrinkle to consider, but if anything, today’s glut of QO decisions suggests that players aren’t necessarily going to shy away from short-term deals that put them on the open market next year — at least not en masse. Grisham is one of four players to accept the QO, joining Gleyber Torres, Shota Imanaga and Brandon Woodruff in that regard. In a vacuum, any one of the four accepting his QO wouldn’t be considered a major surprise — but all four accepting in the same offseason is downright atypical. This marks the first time since the inception of the qualifying offer that more than three players have accepted a QO. With Grisham back in the fold, the Yankees’ projected payroll for the upcoming season jumps to about $263M, per RosterResource. They’ll now have about $286M of luxury-tax obligations, placing them just over the third penalty line. That means that the Yankees’ top pick in the 2026 draft will drop by 10 places, unless they’re able to sneak their luxury count back under $284M. Given the wide swath of offseason dealings that’s likely still on the table for Cashman and Co., that doesn’t seem to be a very likely outcome. In all likelihood, the Yankees will wind up in the top CBT penalty tier, just as they’ve done in each of the past three seasons. How does Trent Grisham's decision affect the rest of MLB? Turning to the rest of the league, Grisham’s early removal from the free-agent market — to a team that didn’t clearly need to retain him, no less — subtracts arguably the top center field option from the market. Bellinger, of course, can still play center but barely did so in 2025. Most teams probably consider him more of a corner outfielder/first baseman who can play occasional center field. Harrison Bader and Cedric Mullins are the two most notable options still on the market, though the former has been more of a part-time player and the latter is looking to bounce back from an awful 2025 showing. The market was light on center fielders to begin with and is even more so now, so teams looking for help at the position might be more inclined to turn to the trade market to address that deficiency.
CFP rankings: SEC in great shape after third reveal
The third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season were released on Tuesday night with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A M, Georgia and Texas Tech making up the top five. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders each move up one spot with Alabama falling down to 10th after a 23-21 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama round out the top 10. The Big Ten and SEC continue their dominance by claiming eight of the top-10 spots, but the SEC looks to be in the best position of any league with five teams in the top 10, even with Alabama's second loss of the season. Alabama clings to playoff spot as SEC's outlook only grows stronger Here is a look at what the 12-team bracket would look like as of Tuesday: The biggest takeaway from this week's rankings is the position the SEC finds itself in. Texas A M, Georgia and Ole Miss appear to be in excellent shape, while Oklahoma and Alabama still find themselves in the projected field. Texas was the biggest loser, falling seven spots to No. 17 after its loss to Georgia. Even for Alabama, which suffered its second loss on Saturday, it could still find itself in the SEC Championship game depending on how everything plays out over the final two weeks, which could only strengthen its case even more. Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 13, ahead of No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. With the five highest-ranked conference champions guaranteed to make the 12-team field, Miami would inherit the 11-seed as things currently stand. Following South Florida's loss to Navy, Tulane moves up to No. 24 and the 12th-seed as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. No. 11 BYU would be the first team out following the third reveal. There are two ranked matchups this weekend as No. 8 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Missouri and No. 15 USC takes on No. 7 Oregon. With only two weeks of regular-season play remaining, time is running out to add quality wins to resumes, something each of these two games will certainly do. Assuming there are no more hiccups, the SEC has a realistic shot at getting five teams in the field. Week 12 presented an opportunity for other teams to move up, but after Texas A M completed its remarkable comeback over South Carolina and with Alabama remaining in the top 10, that does not bode well for the rest of the field.
Ranking the top five defenses in the NFL after Week 11
In an era that has been defined by great quarterback play, last Sunday’s slate proved that even the best signal-callers can meet their match with a great defense. Standout performances by the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos defenses helped put each team in the driver's seat for a division title, while the Philadelphia Eagles' domination of the high-octane Detroit Lions offense secured a hard-fought 16-9 victory. With more than half of the 2025 season complete, the great defenses — and great defensive coordinators — are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Here are the top five defensive units in the NFL right now. 5. Seattle Seahawks In just his second season as head coach, Mike MacDonald has built a defense that is just as fast and physical as the one he had in Baltimore. The secondary group of Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant and rookie Nick Emmanwori has had fans dreaming about another Legion of Boom, while veteran defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence has proven to be a valuable offseason addition with four sacks and two fumbles returned for touchdowns. The lack of a standout pass-rusher holds them back from being at the top of the list, but their stifling of the high-powered Rams offense proved they can hang with anybody. 4. Houston Texans The Texans defense has been steadily improving in each year under head coach DeMeco Ryans, culminating in what has been the NFL’s best unit in terms of both points and yards allowed in 2025. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter make up possibly the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL, combining for 17 sacks and 29 quarterback hits through the first 10 games, and first-team All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. leads a stout secondary. The only knock on the Texans is that they haven’t been tested by many elite offenses over the season’s first half, but they will get their chance to prove themselves with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs looming over the next three weeks. 3. Los Angeles Rams The Rams may not have the star power of the Texans, but what they lack in flash, they make up for in depth and consistency. They are the least penalized team in the league and rank in the top five in both opponents' third-down conversion percentage and opponents' red zone touchdown percentage. And while the Rams' pass defense ranks just 21st in passing yards allowed, that's largely due to their stout run defense and the fact that they are usually so far ahead that teams need to take to the air to catch up. There’s a reason why defensive coordinator Chris Shula is getting head-coaching buzz, and his masterful game plan against the Seahawks helped force quarterback Sam Darnold into four brutal interceptions. 2. Denver Broncos Much like the Texans, the biggest criticism of the Broncos was that they hadn’t been tested by any elite offenses. That all changed last week, as they held quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to just 19 points en route to the franchise's biggest win in the last decade. With three more sacks, the Broncos extended their NFL-leading total to 49.0 and kept them on pace with the 1984 Bears for the most in NFL history. Nine-and-a-half of those have come from Defensive Player of the Year candidate Nik Bonitto, though Jonathon Cooper (7.5) and Zach Allen (6.0) have played a key role as well. The fact that the Broncos dominated the Chiefs without star cornerback Patrick Surtain only adds to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s case for Assistant Coach of the Year, and the looming return of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year should take the unit to yet another level. 1. Philadelphia Eagles Though the Broncos' defensive talent may be second-to-none, they haven’t done it on the biggest stage like the Eagles. Most of the unit that dominated Mahomes and company in the Super Bowl has returned, with second-year defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell taking another step forward. The free-agent losses of Milton Williams and Josh Sweat played a part in some early-season struggles, but the trade-deadline acquisition of linebacker Jaelan Phillips has helped pick up the slack. The last two weeks have seen the Eagles hold the Lions and Green Bay Packers, two potential postseason opponents, to just 16 combined points, indicating that they may once again be peaking at just the right time
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