Bull rider killed in ‘freak’ accident’ during competition

FRESNO — A Brazilian bull rider was killed Sunday when his spur got caught in a rope, pulling him under the bull, and the animal stepped on his chest in California, according to the Professional Bull Riders touring group.

Amadeu Campos Silva, 22, was competing at a bull-riding Velocity Tour event at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, said Andrew Giangola, a spokesperson for Professional Bull Riders. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Campos Silva lost his balance and his spur got stuck in the flank strap, which is wrapped around the bull’s lower torso to encourage it to buck. In a “freak accident,” Campos Silva was pulled underneath the bull, which then stomped on his chest, Giangola said.

The Fresno County coroner’s office confirmed Campos Silva’s death but has not yet determined the cause.

Giangola said the bull, named “Classic Man,” will still be eligible for

future events despite the tragedy. The bull was not at fault, he said.

“It clearly was not an act of aggression,” he said. “The bull was bucking in his normal pattern.”

“A bull rider with a lot of promise,” Campos Silva competed in the 2020 Professional Bull Riders World Finals after debuting in the United States the year before. He was pursuing his dream to support his family.

“He was a determined cowboy,” Giangola said.

US draws Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico for World Cup qualifying

USA Basketball will face Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba in the first round of qualifying for the 2023 Basketball World Cup.

The Americans, who won a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Tokyo but finished only seventh at the most recent Basketball World Cup two years ago, found out their qualifying opponents Tuesday when the draw was held at FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.

It will also be the first major tournament for USA Basketball with Grant Hill as managing director. Hill is succeeding Jerry Colangelo in that role; Colangelo oversaw each of the last four Olympics for the U.S., helping assemble teams that won gold medals each time.

The U.S. has won the World Cup five times, most recently in 2014.

There are 80 teams in the qualifying rounds. It begins with a double round-robin; all teams in the various groups for the first round will play the other three teams in their group twice. First-round games will be played during three different windows — Nov. 20-30, Feb. 21-March 1 and June 27-July 5.

Second-round games begin in August 2022 and run through February 2023. The next World Cup — to be hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia — takes place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, 2023.

Defending World Cup champion Spain, trying to become one of the 12 European qualifiers for the tournament, opens with games against Ukraine, Georgia and North Macedonia in the opening round. Payton: Saints planning up to a month away from New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints are investigating the possibility of remaining in the Dallas area for up to a month and opening their regular season against Green Bay in the Cowboys’ home stadium, coach Sean Payton said.

While the Superdome appears to have been spared significant damage from Hurricane Ida, there are logistical challenges with staffing an NFL game there in the near future because of the widespread damage in the New Orleans area.

Many New Orleans residents have evacuated and officials have advised them not to return for at least another several days while roadways are cleared and widespread damage to power lines are repaired. Some neighborhoods are expected to be without power for weeks.

“There’s a chance that, if our stadium is not ready to host the Packers in Week 1, where might that game be?” Payton said Tuesday. “That game could very well be right here at AT&T Stadium. We’ve got enough fans in this area and Houston, certainly from northern Louisiana, that we think that would be something that’s very realistic.”