Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Iran’s Zarif says wrestler Afkari executed for murder, not role in unrest

Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari was executed earlier this month for murder, the country’s foreign minister said on Monday, rejecting assertions by rights activists that the death sentence arose from his involvement in street protests. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was speaking in a virtual address to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Taking a knee has become PR stunt, says QPR’s Ferdinand

Former England striker Les Ferdinand believes ‘taking a knee’ in support of the Black Lives Matter cause has become nothing short of a PR stunt and that the real message is being diluted. Ferdinand, who is Black, is now Director of Football at Queens Park Rangers who were criticised after both sets of players opted not to take the knee before their match against Coventry City in the Championship on Friday.

MLB roundup: Padres clinch rare playoff berth

Mitch Moreland’s bloop double down the left-field line scored Manny Machado with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning Sunday as the San Diego Padres clinched their first National League playoff berth in 14 years with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Wil Myers hit a three-run homer for the Padres (34-20), who captured at least a wild-card berth.

DeChambeau muscles his way to U.S. Open victory

A bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau bashed his way to a six-shot U.S. Open victory on Sunday, silencing any lingering questions as to whether his brawny game could translate to the major stage. World number nine DeChambeau, who began the day two shots back of U.S. Open debutant Matthew Wolff, clinched his first major title with a mix of jaw-dropping drives and clutch putts, shooting a virtually flawless three-under-par 67 to reach six under for the tournament.

Deion Sanders named coach at Jackson State

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders was named the head football coach at Jackson State on Monday in a ceremony befitting of the flashy player known as “Prime Time” throughout his career. Sanders arrived at the arena at the school in Jackson, Miss., in a Cadillac Escalade, which followed the marching band and a police escort onto the arena floor.

Dynamo transfer F Elis to Portugal’s Boavista

The Houston Dynamo announced the transfer of forward Alberth Elis to Portugal’s Boavista on Monday. The 24-year-old Honduran has been a mainstay for the Dynamo since 2017, tallying 34 goals and 27 assists in 88 MLS matches. He had four goals and three assists in six games (four starts) in 2020.

Reports: Broncos WR Sutton has serious knee injury

The Denver Broncos fear that wide receiver Courtland Sutton sustained a “significant” knee injury during Sunday’s loss in Pittsburgh, multiple outlets reported Monday. Sutton sat out the season opener due to a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. He caught three passes for 66 yards against the Steelers before being ruled out in the third quarter with a knee injury and leg cramps.

Halep claims Rome title after Pliskova retires with injury

Top seed Simona Halep claimed the Italian Open in Rome on Monday after second seed Karolina Pliskova retired from the final with injury when she was down 6-0 2-1. Halep raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, breaking the defending champion three times and also saved three break points at 0-40 down in the fourth game.

MLB, MLBPA commit $10 million to Players Alliance

Major League Baseball and the Players Association jointly committed $10 million to The Players Alliance on Monday to help boost the participation of Black Americans in all levels of the sport. The Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization comprised of active and former players, will use the money to fund annual grants through 2024 to improve access to the sport from the youth level all the way to MLB front offices.

NFL roundup: Wilson tosses five touchdowns as Seahawks outlast Pats

Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes and the Seattle Seahawks made a defensive stand at the goal line on the game’s final play to defeat the visiting New England Patriots 35-30 on Sunday night. Cam Newton nearly rallied the Patriots from a 12-point deficit in the final 4:32. He scored on a 1-yard TD run with 2:16 left to make the score 35-30 and, after Seattle went three-and-out, drove to New England’s 1-yard line with two seconds left. Newton tried to run for the score, but was stopped by Seattle’s L.J. Collier for a 1-yard loss.