Sonny Styles has been a bright spot at the 2026 NFL Combine.

The star Ohio State linebacker wasted no time making an impression in Indianapolis, showing off size and athleticism in a big way. Styles was as-advertised in the measurement portion of the program. He checked in at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, but it was the jump that stole the show.

Styles recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump, the highest by any player 6-foot-4 or taller since 2003.

SONNY STYLES. 43.5"u VERTICAL. UNREAL.@OhioStateFB | @MoveTheSticks

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/8p7iU5LjG5

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

The 21-year-old entered the week as the 13th best prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft on USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly's big board.

Given his performance and testing results, he now figures to be a prospect on the rise as the pre-draft process continues.

Here's a look at Styles' results at the NFL combine, including vertical jump, 40 time and measurements.

Sonny Styles NFL combine results

• 40-yard dash:
• 10-yard split:
• Vertical jump: 43.5 inches
• Broad jump: 11 feet, 2 inches
• 3-cone drill:
• 20-yard shuttle:
• Bench press:

Sonny Styles vertical jump

Styles recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump, the highest by any player 6-foot-4 or taller since 2003.

Sonny Styles 40 time

This section will be updated.

Sonny Styles NFL combine measurements

• Height: 6-foot-5
• Weight: 244 pounds
• Hand size: 10 inches
• Arm length: 32 7/8 inches
• Wingspan: 80 7/8 inches

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sonny Styles vertical jump: Ohio State LB wows fans, scouts at combine

Paras Griffin via Getty Images

Taj Gibson is back in the NBA at 40 years young.

The 16-year NBA veteran has agreed to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. When he appears in a game, he will reportedly be the 35th player in NBA history to play at the age of 40 or older.

Gibson has been out of the NBA all season. He spent last year seeing sporadic minutes with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 2.9 points and 11.1 minutes across 37 games (11 starts).

The only other players from Gibson's 2009 draft class to see minutes this season: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan.

Gibson will be joining a Grizzlies team currently sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference at 21-36. They are six games behind the 10th-place Los Angeles Clippers for the final play-in spot, leaving them more likely to be considering the future than this year's outcome. In that respect, Gibson gives them a player who can offer guidance for their younger players.

As far as the loaded 2026 NBA Draft goes, the Grizzlies are tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh-worst record in the NBA.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks will be without All-Star forward Jalen Johnson and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the second of a two-game home series against the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Johnson exited Tuesday night's 119-98 win against the Wizards in the first quarter with a left hip flexor injury. He was ruled out after being evaluated by the training staff and finished the game with five points, three rebounds and two steals in six minutes.

Alexander-Walker will also be sidelined with a sprained left foot after previously being considered day-to-day. He scored 16 points and had five assists and three rebounds on Tuesday night.

Jonathan Kuminga and Zaccharie Risacher will join Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum in the lineup instead.

Kuminga comes off a dominant outing in his Atlanta debut, scoring a team-high 27 points and adding seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Golden State Warriors sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks in exchange for center Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline.

Risacher has taken on a different role for the Hawks over the past three games after being replaced by McCollum in the starting lineup. McCollum is another of the Hawks' seven newcomers. He was acquired with Corey Kispert in the early January deal that sent Trae Young to the Wizards.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Financial gap ppens door for Manchester City move

Vinicius Jr to Man City? Premier League giants monitor Real Madrid contract stand-off

Uncertainty surrounds Vinicius Junior’s future at Real Madrid, with Manchester City closely watching contract talks ahead of 2027.

Why Vinicius Jr’s future is under the spotlight

The future of Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid remains unclear as negotiations over a new contract continue without agreement.

The Brazilian winger is tied to the club until June 2027, a date that has now become central to growing interest from Europe’s top teams.

Talks between Vinicius and Real Madrid have been ongoing for months but have reached a difficult stage.

The main issue is financial, with a gap between the player’s salary demands and the club’s wage structure. This situation has opened the door for other clubs to follow developments closely.

Manchester City enter the picture

According to reports from Spanish outlet Sport, Manchester City have stepped into the situation with a clear strategy. The Premier League champions are said to have advised Vinicius to wait and not renew his contract for now as part of a long-term plan linked to the year 2027.

City’s interest is closely connected to the future of head coach Pep Guardiola whose contract also runs until 2027.

The English club see Vinicius as possible key figure in the next phase of the project depending on how their technical direction evolves.

Financial gap duels interest

Despite a strong relationship between Real Madrid president Florentino Perez & Vinicius, money remains the main obstacle. Real Madrid are keen to keep their star but remain firm on salary limits.

This has attracted attention not only from Man City but also from clubs in Saudi Pro League and England who are ready to offer higher guaranteed wages.

For now Real Madrid are pushing for different solution.

Madrid’s plan to secure their star

Real Madrid want to protect their leading attacker before 2026 especially as Vinicius has become the main leader of the attack.

The club are proposing deal based on large performance bonuses linked to goals and trophies, rather than major rise in basic salary.

This approach has helped narrow the gap in talks and reduced the impact of interest from Saudi clubs who see Vinicius as a major commercial figure for their league.

A decision between loyalty & opportunity

Vinicius joined Real Madrid in the 2018 /19 season and has grown into one of the club’s most important players.

At 25 year old, he now faces a big choice between continuing his story in Madrid or keeping his options open for a possible move abroad.

For now Real Madrid remain optimistic that agreement can be reached. However Manchester City are relying on time, with 2027 seen as the moment that could change everything.

Vinicius Junior is under contract until June 2027 and any delay in renewal increases pressure on Real Madrid as interest from elite clubs continues to grow.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is no longer on the coaching staff at Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders after spending two seasons in Boulder as a high-profile, lower-rung assistant coach.

Sapp, 53, never had served as a full-time coach before he joined Sanders’ staff in 2024, first as a graduate assistant coach and then as pass rush coordinator. But he said he loved his new role. It’s not clear why he’s taking his mohawk out of town.

“Warren Sapp has resigned from the CU football coaching staff to pursue other opportunities,” Colorado’s athletic department said in a statement Feb. 26. “CU Athletics thanks Warren for his contributions to our football program over the last two seasons and for his commitment to our student-athletes.”

COACH PRIME SPEAKS: Deion Sanders weighs in on BAFTA show racial slur controversy

Sapp is one of several recent coaching staff departures for the Buffaloes on defense, including defensive line coach Domata Peko, who left to join the staff of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston also left to join the staff of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, leaving a void that was filled by Chris Marve, who already was on staff as the team’s new linebackers coach.

The Buffs led the Big 12 Conference in quarterback sacks in 2024 with 39 but regressed in 2025 with only 13, which dropped them to a tie for 14^th out of 16 teams in the league.  

Sapp earned $150,000 at Colorado in his first year at Colorado, working an entry-level coaching job before getting paid $156,000 in his second year. His prospective hiring at Colorado in 2024 raised concerns among domestic violence survivor advocates in Colorado because of his previous history. But Colorado released a statement then noting that athletic director Rick George “personally met with Warren to clearly articulate the department’s standards and expectations, to which he acknowledged and agreed."

Last year, Colorado had three Pro Football Hall of Famers on staff, including Sanders, Sapp and Marshall Faulk. But now it's down to one (Sanders) after Faulk also left to take the head coaching job at Southern in Louisiana.

Colorado opens the spring practice season March 2 with 15 practices through April 11. It will be the fourth spring season in Boulder under Sanders, whose team last year finished 3-9 in 2025 after a 9-4 season in 2024 and a 4-8 season in 2023.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenboer@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warren Sapp parts ways with coach Deion Sanders at Colorado

Key players have gone, the manager is leaving and has criticised the club and upset fans - yet Crystal Palace's chaotic campaign could still end in European glory.

It has been a wild 12 months for the Eagles, who have found themselves in the headlines on an almost daily basis.

"I don't know what all the fuss was about," joked captain Dean Henderson shortly after they gained a 2-0 win over Bosnian side Zrinjski to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and reach the last 16 of the Conference League.

It has been an emotional rollercoaster for Palace supporters.

In May they won their first major trophy, beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup, then added another three months later with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool to clinch the Community Shield.

But winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal, skipper Marc Guehi nearly joined Liverpool, then moved to Manchester City five months later and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the verge of signing for AC Milan, only to fail a medical.

Oliver Glasner, the most successful manager in the club's history, then announced in January he was leaving at the end of the season, before telling the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad.

That appeared to be the end of his tenure, but he has stayed, though fans held up a banner on Sunday before the 1-0 win over Wolves saying he was "finished".

Asked if he had assurance of his job from his bosses, Glasner said "100%", adding: "There's so much noise, sometimes you really don't understand it. Maybe I gave some interviews that were not helpful and I have to admit that, but I'm always telling what I'm feeling, it's how I am.

"We're in a very good position in the league and the Conference League and it is up to us to make a really great season of it."

Palace are 13th in the Premier League, but 10 points clear of the relegation zone and only three away from eighth, which could be a position high enough to secure a European return next season.

For Glasner, he says the way the players are still performing for him is evidence that his job is secure.

"If the players believe in me and the staff, that's the most important thing, otherwise, you can pack your suitcase and go home because the players have to perform on the pitch," added the Austrian.

"We have a great togetherness in the group - players, staff, really positive. The same with the sporting director and the chairman. They are sometimes wondering, 'Hey, this is the second-best Premier League season ever'.

"The best was last year. So maybe the best two years in Crystal Palace's history, playing European football for the first time."

• Palace see off Zrinjski to reach Conference League last 16

'Favourites to go on and win it'

The Conference League, Europe's third-tier competition, is only in its fifth season, with two English sides - West Ham in 2023 and Chelsea in 2025 - among its first four winners.

From the start of this season's edition Palace have been the bookmakers' favourites, even though they only finished 10th in the league phase and had to go through two matches against Bosnian champions Zrinjski to get into the last 16.

But there are not many clubs in the competition Palace will fear.

They will find out on Friday whether they play German side Mainz, a team 13th in the Bundesliga, or Cypriot side Larnaca, who only scored seven goals in six league phase matches, though they did beat Palace 1-0 in October.

"We're hungry for more [silverware] but you don't talk about winning it three months out," added goalkeeper Henderson, who became Palace captain after Guehi left the club.

"It's knockout football and we go into it with confidence. You see the supporters get into the stadium early and Selhurst was rocking tonight and we can make it a fortress."

Former Palace defender James Tomkins, speaking on TNT Sports, said: "They go through to the next stage, into the last 16 of this competition and they are favourites to go on and win it from here.

"They've got to concentrate on the Conference League. The opportunity they've got is incredible. To add a third trophy in two seasons would be remarkable and beyond the wildest dreams of the fans.

"They needed a second goal to get over the line and it's a great night for the club. The atmosphere is amazing and you can see all the fans are behind the team and the manager and it means a lot."

Fans dreaming of successful end to Glasner's reign

Glasner, whose side have now gained two successive victories after a 12-game run from December without a win, felt the club were in a good position to push on and end the season well.

"It means a lot. We have not had easy days but now back-to-back wins at Selhurst Park," he added. "Everybody was expecting a win and they are the most difficult ones.

"Since day one we have had a great relationship with the fans. Yes, they have been a bit critical but they can be when the results and performances are not there.

"But we are in a good position in the Premier League, three points behind position eight, and in the last 16 of the Conference League.

"Now it is different to the autumn when we were playing three competitions, 12 weeks playing every third day."

With the club's injury problems easing and with Mateta along with key midfielder Jefferson Lerma expected back in two weeks, hopes will be rising among Palace fans that the most chaotic of seasons could end in more record-breaking glory and a first European trophy.

• Latest Crystal Palace news, analysis and fan views
• Ask about Crystal Palace - what do you want to know?

“El Gallo” vs. mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters continues.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Ilia Topuriais still waiting on his next official fight date (which won’t be UFC White House) after personal issues delayed his return during the promotion’s launch of its new Paramount+ era. But while the champ waits, he’s apparently found someone else to beef with — YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul.

Sort of.

Appearing on popular streamer Adin Ross’ live stream, Topuria was asked about Paul and didn’t mince words.

“He’s a very bad boxer,” Topuria said, while also acknowledging that Paul has done an excellent job marketing himself and building his brand.

Things escalated quickly when Ross placed a live call to Paul, giving the two a chance to trade barbs directly.

“Hey, I respect you, bro. I think you’re awesome,” Paul said. “I just think if you think I’m a bad boxer, then we should spar.”

“Yeah, whenever you want,” Topuria fired back. “I’m open to it. Your jaw is okay already?”

The jab referenced Paul’s broken jaw, which he suffered in his fight with Anthony Joshua, and from there, the conversation spiraled.

Paul claimed that multiple UFC fighters have agreed to spar him in the past only to back out — or be blocked by the promotion — citing Paddy Pimblett as one example. According to Paul, Pimblett allegedly turned down a $1 million offer and private jet accommodations.

Topuria, however, wasn’t impressed.

“As a YouTuber and streamer, you’re the best boxer,” he said sarcastically. “But compared to real boxers? You’d never be on that list. As a boxer, you suck.”

“When I beat your ass in sparring, what you gonna say?” Paul shot back.

“When you get your jaw healed, let’s do it,” Topuria responded. “Just get ready, because you’ll need another recovery period.”

Paul then pivoted to attacking MMA fighters in general, pointing to his boxing wins over former UFC competitors and mocking Topuria’s height.

“You’re not gonna touch me. All you MMA fighters are trash,” Paul said. “You’re a little guy, you’re 5’6”

Topuria admitted he’s shorter, but promised to humble “El Gallo.”

“I’m gonna put you to the height of my balls. You’re gonna be on your f—king knees,” he warned.

He also made it clear that a “real fight” under MMA rules would be an entirely different scenario — one that Paul surprisingly said he’d accept.

For now, it’s just talk. But with these two, that’s usually how it starts.

Real Madrid Castilla player Thiago Pitarch has impressed first team head coach Alvaro Arbeloa after the tie against Benfica, according to a report from MARCA.

Thiago came on during the stoppage time of their first win over Benfica, before making his second appearance in the second leg of the tie — this time playing from the 84th minute.

The young Spaniard looked tidy in possession, and his off-ball movement was also good, receiving a lot of appreciation from fans online.

The performances have impressed Arbeloa, who always knew about his qualities, having promoted him to Castilla earlier this season.

Thiago could get more minutes in future games and could even become a first-team regular. He is, according to the report, expected to get his first start for the first team sooner rather than later.

With Dani Ceballos’ recent injury and Jude Bellingham’s long-term absence, Thiago will get more and more appearances for the first team, and it will be up to him to see how many of those chances he will take with both hands.

The NFLPA's annual report cards are no longer being made public, but a few NFL reporters leaked this year's grades and they don't look good for Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski. According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, Stefanski earned a "C-" grade in his final year coaching the Cleveland Browns.

That just so happens to be the lowest grade in the entire NFL. Stefanski, a two-time AP Coach of the Year winner, seemed like a good fit to work with the team's young offensive talent. However, his teams did struggle in both 2024 and 2025.

Stefanski went 8-26 over the last two years, and was fired after a five-win season in 2025. The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris, who led the team to a 16-18 record over that same span.

Morris earned a grade of "B+" in this year's NFLPA report card. The Falcons never took that next step under Morris, but he never came close to losing the locker room.

Atlanta closed the season on a four-game winning streak despite being eliminated from playoff contention. Check out the full NFLPA player coach grades, as shared by Russini below.

NFLPA HC report card results:

A+ — Sean McVay, Dan Quinn
A — Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell, Andy Reid, Kevin O’Connell, Mike Vrabel, Aaron Glenn, Nick Sirianni, Mike Tomlin, Mike Macdonald
A- — Sean McDermott, Dave Canales, Zac Taylor, Brian Schottenheimer, DeMeco Ryans, Shane…

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 26, 2026

The Browns have long been known as a dysfunctional organization, however, it doesn't look good for Stefanski that the players gave him such a low grade. Cleveland's plan last season was highly unusual from the top down.

From their decision to draft Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, to their reluctance to move on from Deshaun Watson, the Browns didn't seem interested in winning last season. Some of that undoubtedly falls on Stefanski, but the Falcons weren't the only team interested in his services.

The fans will just have to trust that president of football Matt Ryan made the right call in hiring the former Browns coach.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski gets bad NFLPA coach grade

The airtight, gritty, down-to-the-wire history of Salesian-Richmond and De La Salle-Concord basketball matchups continued Wednesday night at Albany High School. 

Big plays and shots by Stanford-bound Elias Obenyah (17 points), Leon Powe Jr. (12 points) and Asante Johnson led Salesian to another grind-it-out victory, 54-51 in a North Coast Section Open Division semifinal game. 

But it was the Pride's defense that once again led the way, limiting De La Salle to five points in the final quarter and no points the final 3 minutes, 20 seconds. 

Salesian goes after its 12th NCS title - all since 2006 - at 7 p.m. Saturday at San Leandro High School against Clayton Valley Charter-Concord, a 55-50 winner over Dougherty Valley-San Ramon. Both teams own sparkling 25-3 records. 

Asked if Salesian's 11-day layoff had anything to do with its sluggish offensive performance or 11-point deficit early in the third quarter, Pride coach Bill Mellis shook his head. 

"It was (De La Salle) more than the layoff," Mellis said. "I think (De La Salle coach Marcus) Schroeder did a really good job with his game plan. They controlled the tempo. … Down the stretch, we made a couple plays and got a couple offensive rebounds and made free throws. That was probably the difference." 

Mellis would know. He's the section's active leader in wins with 693. Salesian and De La Salle have now split their past eight meetings since 2013. The cumulative score: De La Salle 390, Salesian 379. 

De La Salle (23-7), the defending champion, which fell to Dougherty Valley 70-59 in the East Bay Athletic League playoff final, was coming off a 71-68 first-round overtime home win over Moreau Catholic-Hayward. The Spartans got 16 points from senior point guard Ibrahim Monawar, and 11 points each from Austin See and Davit Pachulia (nine rebounds) against Salesian. 

But Monawar, who has fasted during the daylight all week to honor Ramadan, cramped up badly with 4:20 to go while trying to block a Johnson made 3-pointer, and didn't return. That. combined with top scorer and rebounder Mariano Lopez-Aarden fouling out. and Salesian's tenacious defense was too much to overcome. Three free throws down the stretch by Salesian's Isaiah Davis broke gave Salesian a 54-51 lead before two 3-point attempts in the final five seconds by See and Pachulia were heavily guarded and missed. 

De La Salle now faces Dougherty Valley in Friday's 7 p.m. third-place game ahead of the CIF Northern California playoff seedings, which will be announced Sunday. All Open teams advance to NorCals, while the top three only in the other divisions move on. 

"We just kept chipping away, chipping away until we came all the way back," Obenyah said. "I just think it was due to our experience that we pulled it out." 

High school basketball playoffs

BOYS BASKETBALL

SAN FRANCISCO SECTION  

Thursday's championship at Chase Center

Lincoln (17-10) vs. Lowell (16-11), 5 p.m. 

OAKLAND SECTION

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 Oakland 61, No. 4 Fremont 49

No. 3 Oakland Tech 78, No. 7 McClymonds 30

Friday's championship at Merritt College

No. 1 Oakland (23-6) vs. No. 3 Oakland Tech (19-10), 7 p.m.

CENTRAL COAST SECTION

(all games 7 p.m. unless noted)

Open Division

Pool A

Wednesday's games  

No. 1 Riordan 68, No. 4 Bellarmine 45
No. 5 The King's Academy 60, No. 8 Serra 36

Pool B

Wednesday's games

No. 2 St. Ignatius 65, No. 3 Mitty 56
No. 7 Menlo-Atherton 67, No. 6 Valley Christian 62

Friday's championship

No. 1 Riordan (26-1) vs. No. 2 St. Ignatius (24-3) at USF, 8 p.m.

Division 1

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Carlmont (15-10) at No. 2  Los Gatos (20-5), 7:30 p.m.
No. 4  Palo Alto (16-9) at No. 1  Milpitas (24-1)

Division 2

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 St. Francis (10-16) at No. 2  Christopher (19-6)
No. 5 Burlingame (18-8) at No. 1 Willow Glen (22-2)

Division 3

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Pioneer (14-11) at No. 2  Sacred Heart Cathedral (9-16)
No. 5 Leland (18-8) at No. 1  Soquel (22-5)

Division 4

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Menlo School (14-11) at No. 2 Half Moon Bay (15-10)
No. 4  Pacific Grove (13-12) at No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep (13-11)

Division 5

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Oakwood (20-4) at No. 2  Priory (18-6)
No. 5 Pinewood (17-8) at No. 1 Palma (23-2), 7:30 p.m.

NORTH COAST SECTION

(All games 7 p.m. unless noted)

Open Division

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 Salesian 54, No. 4 De La Salle 51
No. 2 Clayton Valley 55, No. 6 Dougherty Valley 50

Saturday's championship

No. 1 Salesian (26-3) at No. 2 Clayton Valley (26-3) at San Leandro HS

Friday's third-place game

No. 6 Dougherty Valley (21-9) at No. 2 De La Salle (23-7), 6 p.m.

Division 1

Saturday's championship game

No. 3 Granada (22-7) vs. No. 1 Bishop O'Dowd (22-7) at San Leandro HS, 5 p.m.

Friday's third-place game

No. 4 Liberty (25-4) at No. 2 Amador Valley (18-12)

Division 2

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 University 69, No. 5 Albany 50
No. 3 St. Mary's 69, No. 7 San Lorenzo 57

Saturday's championship

No. 3 St. Mary's (20-10) at No. 1 University (26-5)

Saturday's third-place game

No. 7 San Lorenzo (18-11) at No. 5 Albany (22-9), 3 p.m.

Division 3

Friday's championship game

No. 2 Cornerstone Christian (23-8) vs. No. 1 Branson (18-14) at College of Marin

Friday's third-place game

No. 6 College Park (17-3) at No. 5 Brave Christian (25-6)

Division 4

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 4 Mission San Jose 49, No. 1 San Marin 45

No. 2 Rancho Cotate 59, No. 6 Alhambra 40

Friday's championship

No. 4 Mission San Jose (19-10) vs. No. 2 Rancho Cotate (23-7) at Montgomery HS, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday's third-place game

No. 6 Alhambra (20-9) at No. 1 San Marin (16-13), 3 p.m.

Division 5

Saturday's championship game

No. 2 Eureka (17-12) vs. No. 1 Sonoma Academy (23-5) at Cardinal Newman, 5 p.m.

Friday's third-place game

No. 4 Drew (21-11) at No. 3 Redwood Christian (21-10) 

Division 6

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 St. Vincent de Paul 58, No. 4 Averroes 52
No. 2 Mendocino 62, No. 3 San Francisco Waldorff 44

Saturday's championship

No. 2 Mendocino (22-4) at No. 1 St. Vincent de Paul (20-10)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

SAN FRANCISCO SECTION

Thursday's championship at Chase Center

Lowell (15-10) vs. Washington (15-6), 7 p.m.

OAKLAND SECTION

Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. semifinals

No. 1 Oakland Tech 68, No. 4 Skyline 26
No. 3 Oakland 69, No. 7 McClymonds 47

Friday's championship

No. 1 Oakland Tech (17-10) vs. No. 3 Oakland (13-15) at Lake Merritt, 5:30 p.m.

CENTRAL COAST SECTION

(All games 7 p.m. unless noted)

Open Division

Pool A

Wednesday's games

No. 1 Mitty 66, No. 4 St. Ignatius 28
No. 5 St. Francis 68, No. 8 Half Moon Bay 27

Pool B

Wednesday's games

No. 3 Archbishop Riordan 53, No. 2 Priory 40
No. 6 Pinewood 69, No. 7 Alisal 32

Friday's championship

No. 1 Mitty (25-2) vs. No. 3 Riordan (18-7) at USF, 6 p.m.

Division 1

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Homestead (21-4) at No. 2 Los Gatos (19-6), 6 p.m.
No. 4 Los Altos (21-4) at No. 1 Menlo-Atherton (19-5)

Division 2

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Aragon (13-11) at No. 2 Hillsdale (18-7)
No. 4 Monta Vista (17-8) at No. 1 Valley Christian (10-15)

Division 3

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Pioneer (15-10) at No. 2 Santa Cruz (17-9)
No. 4 Notre Dame-San Jose (11-14) at No. 1 Mills (12-13)

Division 4

Thursday's semifinals

No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (15-7) at No. 2 Scotts Valley (25-1)
No. 4 Menlo School (16-9) at No. 1 Notre Dame-Belmont (18-4)

Division 5

Thursday's semifinals

No. 6 St. Francis SCP (14-11) at No. 2 Castilleja (11-10), 5:30 p.m.
No. 5 Crystal Springs Upland (13-7) at No. 1 Palma (22-3), 6 p.m.

NORTH COAST SECTION

(All games 7 p.m. unless noted)

NCS girls basketball playoffs

Open Division

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 San Ramon Valley 74, No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter 44
No. 2 Carondelet 52, No. 3 Piedmont 39

Saturday's championship

No. 1 San Ramon Valley (25-3) vs. No. 2 Carondelet (25-5) at Dublin HS, 7 p.m.

Friday's third-place game

No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter (22-8) at No. 3 Piedmont (20-4)

Division 1

Friday's championship game

No. 7 Heritage (23-6) vs. No. 1 Redwood (24-6) at Marin Catholic

Saturday's third-place game

No. 11 Pinole Valley (18-13) at No. 4 Acalanes (21-9), 3 p.m.

Division 2

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 Salesian 51, No. 5 Lick-Wilmerding 34
No. 3 Justin-Siena 47, No. 2 Moreau Catholic 45

Saturday's championship

No. 3 Justin-Siena (26-5) vs. No. 1 Salesian (20-10) at San Leandro HS, 3 p.m.

Saturday's third-place game

No. 5 Lick-Wilmerding (24-7) at No. 2 Moreau Catholic (22-7), 3 p.m. 

Division 3

Friday's championship

No. 2 Benicia (20-9) vs. No. 4 Miramonte (17-13) at Alhambra HS, 7 p.m.

Friday's third-place game

No. 11 Mission San Jose (17-12) at No. 1 St. Bernard's (21-8)

Division 4

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 Rancho Cotate 46, No. 4 Las Lomas 25
No. 2 Branson 40, No. 6 Marin Academy 25

Friday's championship

No. 1 Rancho Cotate (16-12) vs. No. 2 Branson (19-12) at Montgomery HS, 7:30 p.m.

Friday's third-place game

No. 6 Marin Academy (17-12) at No. 4 Las Lomas (16-13)

Division 5

Saturday's championship game

No. 6 San Domenico (12-13) vs. No. 4 Healdsburg (13-17) at Cardinal Newman

Saturday's third-place game

No. 10 Sonoma Academy (15-11) vs. No. 9 Gateway (14-12) at SF Waldorf, 5 p.m.

Division 6

Wednesday's semifinals

No. 1 Cornerstone Christian 67, No. 5 St. Vincent de Paul 43
No. 2 Ferndale 54, No. 3 Grace Christian Academy 27

Saturday's championship

No. 2 Ferndale (19-9) at No. 1 Cornerstone Christian (23-7)

After De La Salle opened the second half with a 6-0 run to go up 37-26, Mellis called timeout and "challenged them," he said. "It was like, ‘Hey, snap out of it.'" 

And they did. With a 14-3 run, started with a 3-pointer from Johnson and a putback by Powe. 

"We prepared so hard," said Pachulia, the oldest son of former Golden State Warrior Zaza Pachulia. "Right now it's not the best feeling to come up short, but I know in a couple of days, we'll look back and say we gave it our all and just fell a little short. It's back to the drawing board." 

• Cannon Simpson had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Vince Ellis and Zion Grissom combined for 22 in Clayton Valley's win over Dougherty Valley (21-9), which got a combined 28 points from Devyn Ranola and Rylan Sevilla. Clayton Valley, which hasn't played Salesian since at least 2004, has won 18 straight. 

More NCS boys: Down 20-9 after the first quarter, top Division 2 seed University (25-5) outscored Albany 60-30 the rest of the way in a 69-50 semifinal win. Lucas Lau (25 points), Thomas Meehleib (14) and Sam Newmeyer (13) led the way for the Red Devils, who now host St. Mary's-Berkeley, a 69-57 home winner over San Lorenzo (18-11), in Saturday's 7 p.m. championship. St. Mary's, which led 24-2, got 19 points from Christopher Baltrip. "I loved our toughness and believe in what we do," University coach Randy Bessolo said. "We are looking forward to St. Mary's, which is big and very, very good."

Central Coast Section boys: Riordan vs. St. Ignatius, Part III, is on after each won third straight home Open Division pool play games on Wednesday. Andrew Hilman, DJ Armstrong and JP Pihtovs combined for 35 points in a 68-45 win over Bellarmine, while Anthony D'Acquisto had 20 points and Noah Kirsch-Lopez added 12 for St. Ignatius in a 65-56 win over Mitty, which got 18 from Joseph Seifu. … The San Francisco and state powers will play for the Open title at 8 p.m. Friday at USF after Riordan won the first two games 53-51 and 100-95 in double overtime. "We made plays," St. Ignatius coach Jason Greenfield said about Wednesday's win despite being down three starters with injuries. "We had a chance to crack and instead made big shots, big plays. … There's no secret plan (against Riordan). We hung with them twice. We just need to make a few more plays." 

NCS girls: Ella Gunderson and freshman Presley Uchikura each scored 16 points and Hania Bowes and Kaitlyn Mills added 13 apiece as No. 1 Open Division seed San Ramon Valley-Danville (25-3) breezed past fourth-seed Clayton Valley Charter 74-44 to move into Saturday's 7 p.m. championship at Dublin against No. 2 Carondelet-Concord (25-5), a 52-39 winner over Piedmont (20-4). … Faith Thompson had 15 points and Caleigh Edwards added 10 to lead Salesian (20-10) to a 51-34 Division 2 semifinal win over Lick-Wilmerding (24-7), which got 14 points from Amaya Tavu. Salesian will play Justin-Siena, a 47-45 winner over Moreau Catholic, in Saturday's 3 p.m. championship at San Leandro. 

CCS girls: McDonald's All-American McKenna Woliczko had 20 points, Tee McCarthy 12 and Maliya Hunter 11 leading Open top seed Mitty (25-2) to a 66-28 Pool A win over St. Ignatius. The Monarchs go for the 34th CCS title Friday 6 p.m. against Riordan (18-7), a 53-40 win at Woodside Priory-Portola Valley thanks to a 17-point explosion in the fourth quarter by Chloe Yan. It snapped a 15-game winning streak for Woodside Priory.

This article originally published at Salesian boys edge De La Salle to advance to NCS Open championship game.

Sonny Styles NFL Combine results: Ohio State LB boosts stock with record-setting vertical jump originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 NFL Combine participants have the chance to not only measure up to the other members of their class, but also to all of the players who have participated in the event in the past. 

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was already going to be a high draft pick come April, and his athleticism was on full display at the combine. Styles went viral on social media for his record-setting vertical jump, and his impressive broad jump and that was before he even attempted the 40-yard dash or went through the on-field workouts to show his actual football skill. 

Here is more on linebacker Sonny Styles' NFL Combine results.

MORE: Vinnie Iyer's latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Sonny Styles height, weight

Styles was measured at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds. The Buckeyes linebacker ended his impressive collegiate career with 245 total tackles, including nine sacks, three forced fumbles and an INT.

Sonny Styles vertical jump

Styles went viral on social media for his vertical jump at the combine. He leapt an impressive 43.5 inches into the air. Seeing someone his size get that high is impressive. It is also a record as the NFL said that his vertical jump is the best all-time among linebackers. 

Sonny Styles’ 43.5 vertical jump. Insane. pic.twitter.com/09hgEp8zrU

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) February 26, 2026

MORE: Tracking all 2026 NFL Combine results

Sonny Styles broad jump

Styles' broad jump was measured at 11'2". While his vertical jump set an all-time record, he came just shy with his broad jump. Styles now ranks tied for fourth all-time for linebackers in the broad jump. 

.@OhioStateFB LB Sonny Styles putting up insane numbers already:
- 11'2" broad jump (T-4th all-time among LBs)
- 43.5" vertical jump (best all-time among LBs)

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/3Nshgb2Dyb

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

Sonny Styles 40-yard dash time

This section will be updated when Styles runs the 40-yard dash. 

Five ownership groups have placed bids to purchase the San Diego Padres, according to reports. 

Among the groups showing interest is one involving Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, who's part of a group led by Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla, The Athletic reports. Vuori, an activewear clothing brand, is based in Carlsbad, Calif., 35 miles away from downtown San Diego. Kudla and Brees are reportedly friends and workout partners, and the former QB, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February, regularly attends Padres games.

[Get more Padres news: San Diego team feed]

As expected, one of the bids is from Golden State Warriors team owner Joe Lacob, which was previously reported by The Athletic. Lacob. 70, has owned the Warriors since 2010, a span during which the team has won four NBA championships and become the most valuable team in the league. He has previously attempted to purchse the Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Two other groups that have reportedly expressed interest in buying the Padres are led by Dan Friedkin José E. Feliciano, which was originally reported by Sportico. 

Friedkin's Pursuit Sports group owns Premier League club Everton and AS Roma in Serie A. He also attempted to purchase the Boston Celtics before Bill Chisholm and his Symphony Technology Group won the bidding last spring. Feliciano and his private equity firm, Clearlake Capital, own Chelsea in the Premier League.

Bids were due for submission on Wednesday, The Athletic reported. Each of the five is reportedly viewed as "very strong" and a sale could be completed by the end of March, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Seidler family which currently owns the Padres has been exploring a potential sale since November. John Seidler, brother of late team owner Peter Seidler, currently controls the family trust, and thus the Padres, after being approved by MLB owners a year ago. 

The path to a sale was cleared when Sheel Seidler, Peter Seidler's widow, settled her lawsuit against her brothers-in-law, Bob and Matt Seidler. The lawsuit, filed in January 2025, alleged that the brothers committed "breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud" as trustees of the Seidler Trust that controls the franchise. John Seidler was not named in the lawsuit.

Peter Seidler died in November 2023 at the age of 63 after a months-long illness. He became the Padres' chairman and largest stakeholder after being part of the group that purchased the franchise in 2012.

The Seidler family is reportedly seeking a sale price close to $3 billion, according to The Athletic. The Padres were valued at $2.3 billion by Sportico last year. Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020, the highest sale price for an MLB team.

On Tuesday, motorists in Omaha, Nebraska, were stranded at an intersection after a gigantic sinkhole opened up, trapping them in an open cavity in the road.

Moments later, bystanders stepped in to help the drivers and get them to safety. Among the good Samaritans who sprang into action were two Nebraska Omaha Mavericks women's basketball players.

“I was still in the car, and I saw a man in a hole,” guard Olivia Borsutzki, who approached the scene first, said. “I was like, ‘I need to help.’ Nobody was helping.”

Borsutzki's teammate, guard Esra Kurban, who arrived moments later, was still trying to process what was happening. “I didn’t even know sinkholes existed,” Kurban said. “I was thinking, is it going to fall more?”

Within several minutes, Borsutzki and Kurban were able to get both drivers out of the sinkhole. The players say one of the drivers was "visibly shaken", and they later offered to let him sit in their car. No injuries were reported in connection with the two-car incident, and surrounding roads were closed off as officials assessed the situation.

The Nebraska Omaha's assistant athletic director, Jordan Sarnoff, later confirmed the two Omaha players were on site at the sinkhole. In a post on X, Sarnoff also shared footage of the roadway mishap.

"Two @UNOmaha Mavericks didn’t hesitate," Sarnoff said. "Proud of @OmahaWBB's Olivia Borsutzki and Esra Kurban for stepping up in a critical moment Tuesday next to campus."

Borsutzki and Kurban say they thought other people, including nearby adults, would step in to help the stranded drivers. However, several cars drove past the accident, and others close by had their cell phones out to record.

“We thought grown men were going to stop and help,” Borsutzki and Kurban said. “But no one did. So we left the car.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska Omaha women's basketball players rescue drivers in sinkhole

According to a report, the Pittsburgh Steelers have met with former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at the NFL Scouting Combine. Allar is throwing this week at the combine after missing more than two months of the 2025 college football season with a broken ankle.

Allar threw for 1,100 yards in six games in 2025. The potential is there but after throwing for 3,327 yards in 2024, his season was off to a slow start prior to the injury.

The best thing working to Allar's advantage in the 2026 NFL draft is just how weak the quarterback class is this year. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza has established himself as the top quarterback in this class and the consensus No. 1 overall pick, but after that, things get a little muddy. Alabama's Ty Simpson is throwing at the combine this week as well in hopes of cementing his status as the No. 2 quarterback with Allar squarely in the running to be the third quarterback off the board and a target for the Steelers.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers keeping close eye on QB Drew Allar, per report

Do you want to play in the NFL?

Well, if you do, you might have a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers, because their players don't seem to be happy playing for the franchise at the moment.

The annual player survey, where players get to grade their own franchises on how well they treat the player from the locker room to food to the coaches, was leaked on Thursday to ESPN.

While teams like the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings were lauded for how well they treat their players, the Pittsburgh Steelers were at the very bottom.

The team somehow got an F- in their home locker room, which makes more sense given that one anonymous player complained there are only 5 stalls for the entire team in the bathroom.

Treatment of Families? F.

Home Game Field? F-.

Team Travel? F.

Ironically, the one category that the players ranked the highest was their head coach, Mike Tomlin, who received a strong A grade.

Tomlin stepped down as head coach following the team's loss in the postseason to the Houston Texans at home.

It's not a good sign for a Steelers franchise whose stability can be credited to Tomlin's overseeing of the team for the past two decades. Although they didn't progress in the playoffs, their consistency in the regular season carried the team farther than their overall roster strength might suggest on paper.

With Tomlin out of the building, it's up to the new head coach, Mike McCarthy, to keep the ship steady.

Although the former Green Bay Packers head coach, who won a Super Bowl with current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, can't change the bathroom situation or the quality of the field they play on, he has to do his best to keep the personnel teams aligned.

It's the one reason Steelers players gave good to great grades, and if they can't keep that afloat, then Pittsburgh will be regarded as by far the worst place to play football in all of the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Steelers voted worst team to play for in the NFL by their own players

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Edwardsburg’s boys basketball team trailed 34-22 at halftime and went on to fall to Niles, 57-38, in Division 2 district semifinal action on Wednsday at Berrien Springs High School.

Maverick Gates scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Eddies, who finish at 15-9.

The Eddies played most of the game without injured point guard Blaise Crist, who didn’t play the entire second half.

Reed Gates and Brandon Wright each added nine for Edwardsburg. All of Wright’s points came on 3-pointers.

Maverick Gates’ 3-pointer gave the Eddies their last lead of the game at 10-9 in the first quarter.

The last tie of the contest came at 13 when Brandon Wright connected on a 3-pointer in the first.

Niles responded with a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead in the second quarter.

Edwardsburg pulled within 24-18 on a trey from Brandon Wright in the second, but the Eddies wouldn’t get any closer the rest of the game.

The Vikings, who improved to 17-6, took control of the game by going on a 10-2 run to take a commanding lead in the fourth quarter.

It was third win this year by Niles over Edwardsburg. In the previous games the Vikings prevailed, 70-35, and 59-56.

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets looked like they were capable of being one of the better teams in the league during the month of December when they were operating on all cylinders. However, since the calendar turned to January, Brooklyn has looked like a shell of its former self and head coach Jordi Fernandez explained how the team remains positive amidst the extended losing.

"Winning matters and competing for games is extremely important. The record is what it is, we’re well aware of it and we don’t like it. But, the players show up and work every day," Fernandez said prior to Thursday's matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The Nets have the worst record in the NBA in 2026 and at this point, it seems that the team is just trying to stay focused and continue to improve while keeping the big picture in mind.

"It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not a bad feeling. Coming here and feeling like we can compete against anybody has to be important," Fernandez continued. "If you’re up 10, you want to be up 20. If you’re down 20, you want to be down 10. We have to be competitive and understand this is a process."

While Brooklyn is hoping to win every game from now until the end of the season, the fact of the matter is the Nets have the eighth-hardest schedule to finish the year, in terms of opponent win percentage. Players like forward Michael Porter Jr. have recently spoken about maintaining the mindset of winning while keeping in mind that part of the team's mission is also to develop the younger players on the team.

If the Nets are lucky after this season is over, they may have the chance to draft a franchise player of their own, similar to what the Spurs did three years ago when they drafted Wembanyama. This season, similar to last season, has been hard for the organization as well as the fanbase, but everyone in the building is choosing to remain positive down the stretch with the hope that the growing pains will be worth it when the rewards start pouring in.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets trying to remain positive amidst recent losing stretch

The boxing circle is beginning to take notice of Zuffa Boxing following their acquisition of rising UK star Conor Benn. Many have questioned the large $15 million purse reportedly being handed to Benn for his one-fight deal with the promotion, but a UFC owner has defended the company's decision.

Amid the chaos that ensued after Benn was announced as a new Zuffa Boxing talent, TKO Group Holdings president and COO Mark Shapiro fought off the critics. The 29-year-old's transition from Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to Hearn's now-fierce rival, Dana White's Zuffa Boxing, caused turmoil online.

Many consider this the first of many big moves White and Zuffa will be making as the weeks unfold, but Conor Benn's hefty $15 million agreement hasn't gone down well with fans. Defending the company's strategy, Shapiro likened the move to the recent Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford deal last year.

"Now, let me be clear: We signed [Conor Benn] for just one fight," Shapiro said. "That's all we're talking about here. Of course, we hope eventually he'll fight in our Zuffa Boxing series, exclusively on Paramount+, but for now, this is just one fight."

"No different than what we did with Canelo and Crawford. No different than other superfights we are currently planning with SELA."

Benn's move is expected to cause a domino effect in boxing, with more notable names set to follow in his footsteps and jump ship to greener pastures under the new Zuffa Boxing regime.

As fans and fellow fighters continue to challenge Zuffa for paying over the odds for a one-fight Conor Benn deal, Mark Shapiro has hit back at the doubters. Shapiro confirmed that all of the costs will be bestowed upon SELA, as opposed to Zuffa Boxing. SELA is Turki Alalshikh's Saudi Arabian-led entertainment company.

"I would add that the reported purse, which I believe was around — I'm not confirming or denying — that Conor will be paid for the superfight in 2026, is not TKO going out of pocket. SELA, led by our great partner Turki Alalshikh, is covering the purse. Once again, no different than exactly what he did with the Canelo-Crawford fight."

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David Bailey 40 time: Texas Tech edge posts speedy time at NFL Combine originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 NFL Combine workouts began on Thursday, Feb. 26.

While draft hopefuls had spent the start of the week getting measured and going through meetings with teams and the media, Thursday marked the first day when on-field workouts started. 

The 40-yard dash is by far the most popular event and for David Bailey Jr, the edge rusher was determined to make the most of his opportunity.  The 6-foot-3, 250-pound athlete turned some heads during the first day of the combine by posting an impressive 40-yard dash time. 

Here is more on Bailey's speedy 40-yard dash. 

MORE: Vinnie Iyer's latest 2026 NFL mock draft

David Bailey 40 time

Bailey had two attempts at the 40-yard dash, and his first was actually his best. He ran an official 4.50-second 40-yard dash, currently the fastest for the position group. Bailey followed it up with a 4.54-second run on his second attempt. 

Texas Tech DL David Bailey, a likely Top 5 pick, runs a 4.51 40 👀pic.twitter.com/1gRWF93TzZ

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2026

MORE: Tracking 2026 NFL Combine results

Fastest 40-yard dashes by defensive linemen 

Despite how impressive Bailey's 40-yard dash was, it didn't crack the top-10 of the fastest for a defensive lineman. 

Here is a look at the top 40-yard dashes for defensive linemen at the NFL Combine. 

MORE: Tracking 40-yard dash times at the 2026 NFL Combine

David Bailey Jr. draft projection

In Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest prospect rankings, the draft analyst listed Bailey as the fourth best player in this year's draft. The edge rushing is expected to be one of the first players off the board in April. He is currently mocked to land with the Arizona Cardinals with the third overall pick by Kiper Jr.

Fox Sports' Henry McKennaCBS Sports' Garrett Podell and NFL Network's Lance Zierlein all predict Bailey to go to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4. Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer has Bailey falling out of the top five, going eighth overall to the New Orleans Saints. 

David Bailey at the 2026 Combine…

▫️Faster than Antonio Cromartie
▫️Quicker than Davante Adams
▫️Jumps higher than A.J. Green
▫️More explosive than Adrian Peterson
▫️Heavier than Von Miller#NFLCombine2026pic.twitter.com/EIrK6YIhXH

— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) February 26, 2026

Manchester United would ideally like to recruit more than one midfielder in the summer, given the revamp INEOS have planned.

Casemiro has already announced his departure, while the co-owners are keen to bring an end to Manuel Ugarte‘s disappointing Old Trafford stint.

Should both leave, the club would run out of senior options at the base of the midfield, which is why multiple additions are being expected.

As INEOS have shown with their previous transfer dealings, they prefer players with Premier League experience and have created a shortlist which includes three long-term targets.

Sandro Tonali has emerged as a concrete possibility

Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, and Nottingham Forest talisman Elliot Anderson.

The Seagulls midfielder’s form has plummeted following summer links to United, and INEOS must be wary of splashing the cash to land the Cameroonian in the summer.

Manchester City are leading the race for Anderson, while Real Madrid’s entry complicates the club’s pursuit of Wharton.

This explains why Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali has emerged as an alternative. The Italian maestro is keen to leave St James’ Park with multiple clubs chasing his signature.

Sandro Tonali not eyeing a return to Serie A

Recent reports seemed to suggest a return to the Serie A was on the cards for the former AC Milan ace, but The Daily Mail has reported a different take.

They have revealed that the 25-year-old does not view the Italian top flight as the best next step for his career, and prefers to stay in the Premier League.

“Sandro Tonali will NOT be returning to Italy, despite continued speculation. Tonali’s future on Tyneside is not certain, but Italy would appear an unlikely destination if he were to seek a move.

“Again this week there has been talk in his homeland of a summer move to Juventus for the midfielder. However, we understand Tonali does not see Serie A as the stage that will serve his career best in the coming years.

United have perfect chance to pounce

“The 25-year-old appreciates the improvement made in nearly three years at Newcastle playing under Eddie Howe in the Premier League, and attributes some of that to the strength of the English top flight, which has six teams in the Champions League last 16, compared to just Atalanta from Serie A.”

With the Magpies looking likely to miss out on Champions League qualification, United will be fancying their chances of landing Sandro Tonali should Michael Carrick guide the 20-time English league champions to a top-five league finish.

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

The Tampa Bay Rays today announced the first three public community engagement sessions, inviting residents across Hillsborough County to learn more about and share their input on the vision for a new ballpark and mixed-use district. 

In partnership with Hillsborough College, the Rays will kick off the series on Tuesday, March 3, at the College’s Dale Mabry campus, with additional engagement opportunities taking place throughout the county and more sessions to be announced soon.

Community Engagement Sessions on New Ballpark and District

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Hillsborough Community College – Dale Mabry Campus
Dale Mabry Student Services Auditorium (DSTU 111)
4001 West Tampa Bay Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33614

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Jefferson High School Auditorium
4401 W Cypress St.
Tampa, FL 33607

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
The Skills Center
5107 N 22nd St.
Tampa, FL 33610

Additional community engagement dates, locations, and details will be announced soon.

What to Expect at Community Engagement Sessions

Leadership from the Tampa Bay Rays and Hillsborough College will be in attendance to share the evolving vision for the project, provide updates, answer questions, and gather feedback from community members.

Ken Babby, Chief Executive Officer of the Tampa Bay Rays:

“Everything our ownership group is striving to achieve related to our Forever Home is focused on collaboration and partnership with the entire Tampa Bay community. The opportunity to personally deliver our plan is both an honor and essential to arriving at an outcome that will positively impact the future of the Rays, Hillsborough College and Tampa Bay as a whole. Even more important, each of these engagement sessions will be an important occasion for the Tampa Bay Rays to listen, because every voice from every corner of our region matters to us.  We’re eager to share our approach and welcome the thoughts of neighbors, citizens, business owners, baseball fans, and many more from throughout Tampa Bay, as it will take all of us working together to bring this bold vision to life.”

Dr. Ken Atwater, President of Hillsborough College:

“We look forward to hearing directly from our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community as this exciting project continues to take shape. This partnership represents a transformational opportunity for Hillsborough College, and most importantly, for the student experience. By reimagining our Dale Mabry campus as part of a vibrant, mixed-use district, we have the opportunity to enhance campus facilities, expand workforce offerings and internship pathways, and create new avenues for learning and career development that will benefit our students for generations to come.”

Over the past several weeks, the Rays have been meeting with a variety of stakeholder groups across the community, including first responders, members of the business community, civic leaders, and other key partners, as part of a broader effort to ensure thoughtful and collaborative planning from the outset.

These public sessions will give baseball fans, Hillsborough College students and faculty, nearby residents, and community and business leaders an opportunity to review evolving concepts, ask questions, and share feedback that will help shape the final design.

Context on New Ballpark and District

The plan and partnership with Hillsborough College are designed to improve campus facilities, expand workforce development, and create curriculum and internship opportunities for more than 45,000 students, reinforcing the site as a key driver of regional growth.

The project is envisioned as a public–private partnership, with ballpark costs shared between the team, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa. The broader, multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development will be 100 percent privately financed.

A recent independent economic analysis projects that the mixed-use development will generate $34 billion in direct economic impact, support 12,000 new permanent jobs, and attract approximately 10 million annual visitors to the campus and surrounding district once fully built out — on par with annual attendance at a major U.S. theme park.

The Rays and Hillsborough College are consulting closely with a broad coalition of project partners and stakeholders, including Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and design, engineering, development, and finance partners.

Rays fans and community members can learn more about the project and make a $19.98 deposit to secure early access to seating in the new ballpark by visiting NewBallpark.RaysBaseball.com.

Vikings oddly predicted to go after Pro Bowl QB in free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Vikings have become the punchline of jokes this offseason after the franchise let Sam Darnold go in favor of J.J. McCarthy.

With Darnold now a Super Bowl champ with the Seattle Seahawks, and McCarthy struggling, something a change will be forthcoming this offseason.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been named as one player the Vikings could target, but here comes ESPN's Seth Walder with his starting quarterback predictions for 2026.

And when it comes to the Vikings, Walder has Kirk Cousins, not McCarthy, starting.

"Given how Minnesota let its known quantity in Darnold walk out the door in favor of McCarthy, I suspect coach Kevin O'Connell will want to go back to known, solid production. And Cousins represents that," Walder wrote.

"The Falcons are expected to release Cousins. Once they do, the Vikings might take him back."

More:ESPN offers harsh Shedeur Sanders' Browns reality in franchise's QB search

Is Cousins the right move?

The thing the Vikings have to ask themselves is, will McCarthy be their guy long-term? If the answer is yes, then it is not good for him to sit behind Cousins. Get him out on the field and learn on the fly.

Yes, that will likely mean the Vikings won't contend, but getting McCarthy valuable live NFL reps is the best thing for him. After all, he did show glimpses last year.

But Cousins represents familiarity for the Vikings, and they were a playoff team twice with him as the starter.

So, how the Vikings approach their quarterback situation this offseason will tell us a lot about their feelings on McCarthy. 

Is he "the" guy, or not?

More NFL news:

• Analyst offers horror 4-word prediction for Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs
• Analyst claims Ravens out of Super Bowl bubble, but rationale is wrong
• Bengals give stunning Trey Hendrickson future quote that fans will love
• Mike Evans' agent drops huge update over Buccaneers future 
• If Chiefs hit on key offseason priority, it's over for the AFC
• Rams named landing spot for rocket-arm QB
• Bills' Joe Brady reiterates stellar Keon Coleman desire

Santos and Vasco played the only match of the fourth round of the Brasileirão on Thursday night (26), bringing together the then bottom two teams in the standings.

Neymar took center stage.

There was a celebration for Vini Jr., a spat with a rival, insults, and two goals from the number 10 in a World Cup year.

He secured Peixe’s 2-1 win over Cruz-Maltino at Vila Belmiro in heavy rain.

A result that gave Santos some breathing room.

And sank the Carioca team, which is still searching for a new coach.

EXCITEMENT from the start

The first big chance was for Vasco, with Nuno Moreira. But Brazão said “no.”

Santos didn’t take long to respond, reinforcing that the game would indeed be open.

Up until then unable to stand out, Neymar made his mark at the 25th minute.

He received the ball from Moisés and struck it cleanly, giving Jardim no chance.

Goal number 151 for Santos. Entering the club’s Top 10 all-time scorers.

The celebration began with calls for silence directed at the Vasco fans present at Vila.

Then, a dance at the corner flag, reminiscent of Vini Jr., who was the target of racism against Benfica in the Champions League.

A commotion broke out before the game resumed due to Neymar’s celebration.

He argued with Thiago Mendes and pretended to have been headbutted.

Both ended up getting yellow cards.

They were rivals in France, with the then Lille midfielder injuring Neymar while he was at PSG.

As he left for halftime, Neymar was asked about the incident with Thiago Mendes and didn’t hold back.

"Always him. He always wants to start trouble, always wants to act tough, it’s always like that. With all due respect, he’s an idiot. He already broke me once at PSG and promised to do it again today. So let’s see if he’s man enough to break me again."

Vasco continued to be very dangerous down the left.

A Santos error came, and Gómez set up Barros, who finished with freedom (43’).

Securing the equalizer before halftime.

More Neymar vs. Thiago Mendes and another goal from the 🔟

Their rematch didn’t take long in the second half.

But Neymar was unsuccessful in getting Thiago Mendes sent off.

The duel continued with pure back-and-forth. And mistakes on both sides.

It was after another Vasco error that Santos pulled ahead again.

After a long ball to Neymar, Paulo Henrique “set it up” for the rival as he went up with Saldivia.

And Peixe’s number 10 was grateful, finishing with class (16’).

Both coaches worked hard.

There was no lack of effort. But there was a lack of stamina.

And Santos celebrated.

📊 Standings and schedule 📅

Victorious for the first time in the BR, Santos moved up to four points.

They took 13th place.

Meanwhile, Vasco remains with just one and is now in last place.

That’s ten losses, one draw, and one win in the last 12 Brasileirão games—including 2025.

Cruz-Maltino now turns its focus to the Carioca semifinal.

They will face Fluminense on Sunday (1) after losing 1-0 in the first leg.

And Peixe will only play again on the 10th.

They will visit Mirassol at Maião for the fifth round of the Brasileirão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh says he's "lucky to be alive" after a health scare in which he passed out and woke up to find himself covered in blood.

The former Miami Heat star, whose NBA career ended after a series of blood clots, said in a video posted to social media that he was still recovering, but gave no further details on the nature of the incident.

The 41-year-old said in an Instagram video he was preparing for a date with his wife when he collapsed. 

"I woke up covered in my own blood," he said. "It was crazy. It was fast. It was instant. There was no warning. I didn't have any time to prepare for it."

Bosh had joined LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the Heat's "Big Three" before blood clots -- in his lungs and legs -- ended his NBA career, forcing him out of the game in the 2015-16 season.

At the time he was 31 and still averaging 19.1 points per game and he harbored hopes of returning until finally announcing his retirement in 2019.

The Heat retired his No. 1 jersey in March of that year and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021 in a class that included Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber.

Bosh said his most recent scare had given him a "simpler and more honest" perspective on life.

He urged fans to act upon their plans and desires for their lives.

"No matter what it is, make sure you don't wait. That's the thing that I get from this," he said.

"Don't wait to take action because it could come fast. It could come quick. And I'm lucky to be alive, and I feel great about that.

"And now I'm thinking about how I live my day-to-day life. That's really it. But don't wait."

bb/amz

Eric Garcia has offered some insight into life at Barcelona and relationships in the locker room. The players are said to have held plenty of discussions in the wake of defeats to Atletico Madrid and Girona, and Garcia says it’s good to talk.

“I wouldn’t put it this way, but the trust we all have means that at some point… Raphinha, for example, who gets quite heated, if we ever have to argue, we argue. It won’t escalate; we’ll still love each other. I think it’s positive that we can tell each other things as they are,” he told Mundo Deportivo.

Garcia also made it clear that manager Hansi Flick is eager for them player to share their thoughts in a bid to improve.

“The manager asks us to communicate, to talk things through, to share how we feel and what we see on the pitch that perhaps they don’t quite see. He wants us to be honest with ourselves,” he added.

“This week, after losing two games, has been a time for talking and seeing how we can improve, because we’re entering a very important stretch: the Champions League, La Liga, the second leg of the Copa del Rey… The first-leg result was too harsh, but sometimes these things are good for you.

“Up until that game, everything was going smoothly, and now, because of two matches, it seems like everything has fallen apart.”

Barcelona did manage to bounce back from those defeats with a win against Levante and now go on to face Villarreal on Saturday.

Iga Swiatek is widely recognised as one of the greatest tennis players on the planet and quite possibly a future all-time great.

The Polish star has already won six Grand Slam titles by the age of 24, and could add another to her collection when she competes at the French Open in a couple of months.

Last year, Swiatek had the opportunity to go and watch a certified all-time great basketball player at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

That player was Stephen Curry, the former MVP and four-time NBA champion.

Iga Swiatek expressed her respect for Steph Curry’s ability to manage the expectations of making three-pointers

Steph Curry is a basketball legend: a marksman who has made the most three-pointers in NBA history and is the only unanimous NBA MVP in history.

Iga Świątek had the opportunity to see Curry play live in March last year. Swiatek attended the Golden State Warriors game against the Charlotte Hornets, which the Warriors won 119-101.

“I loved watching this game,” Swiatek told the WTA Tour.

“I was super grateful for the reception, because, I don’t know, I wasn’t really expecting that. It was amazing and I really appreciate that.”

“It was more like a 6-love, 6-love match kind of,” she said, laughing. “So it wasn’t really super exciting till the end. They were winning it pretty easily.

“But still, watching Steph live was amazing, and, for sure, you can see the skills straightaway.

“I also thought about how it is for him when everybody just expects from him to have these three-point shots. I really, really respect how he manages that.”

Iga Swiatek’s performance at Indian Wells 2025

Swiatek was in San Francisco ahead of her participation in Indian Wells: a Californian WTA 1000 event.

Swiatek, who was defending her 2024 title, defeated Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska and Karolina Muchova to reach the quarter-finals.

There, she beat Qinwen Zheng 6-3, 6-3, setting up a clash with 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals.

Andreeva, the ninth seed, stunned Swiatek 6-7, 6-1, 3-6, advancing to the championship match against Aryna Sabalenka.

Andreeva defeated top seed Sabalenka, winning her second WTA 1000 tournament in as many events.

Vinicius Junior has been a man in fine form for Real Madrid over the last few weeks, but his time at the Bernabeu could soon be ending. He’s into the final 18 months of his current contract, and although negotiations over a new deal are planned for the summer, there is no guarantee that an agreement will come.

Real Madrid are determined to secure a renewal agreement, even if they are not currently prepared to meet the demands set by Vinicius and his representatives. However, threats are rife from outwith the Bernabeu, with several clubs hoping to take advantage of the situation with the 25-year-old.

Manchester City are one of the clubs monitoring Vinicius’ situation at the Bernabeu, and reports in England (via Sport) have claimed that officials at the Premier League side have asked the Brazil international not to sign a new Real Madrid contract.

Image via Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Man City plan to sign Vinicius if Pep Guardiola leaves

A number of high-ranking personnel at Man City are very enticed by the possibility of signing Vinicius, although one of them is not current head coach Pep Guardiola. However, in anticipation of the former Barcelona manager walking away at the end of the season, plans are being put in place for a move to be made.

Guardiola prefers Man City to sign Rodrygo Goes, but Real Madrid have deemed him non-transferable – and with his contract running longer, there is no position to negotiate. Because of this, Vinicius is seen as more viable, and the Cityzens are prepared to meet whatever asking price is set.

It will be interesting to see how the situation with Vinicius plays out. It would be a big blow for Real Madrid to lose him, although it would open up the possibility to sign a top-level striker, with Kylian Mbappe moving out to the left wing.

Wolves 0-1 Villa

Wolves have the luxury of playing with freedom because they have accepted that they are getting relegated. That makes this a banana skin for Villa because they are playing a Midlands derby, yet all the pressure is on them and not the home side. Unai Emery might feel that his team has dropped silly points recently, which has made them start to look over their shoulder. They will never admit this publicly, but they might prefer at the moment playing away from Villa Park.

Cherries 3-0 Sunderland

Xhaka was back on the bench last weekend. Anyone who still needs convincing about how huge his influence has been on Sunderland only needs to see how their form has dipped since his ankle injury.

This fixture, though, is another example of how football fans are not cared about. The south coast is one of the longest trips a Mackem supporter has to make, so who chooses that this fixture to kick off at midday?

It’s not like broadcasters would lose ratings if they changed the timeslot.

Burnley 1-2 Brentford

Like Wolves, Burnley have benefited from knowing they are relegated, being able to play with more freedom. Yet a win gives the Clarets an outside chance of survival, meaning they have to chase a game, which is where they lack quality.

Brentford should have too much.

Liverpool 2 – 1 West Ham

The Hammers have a first opportunity in a while to get out of the bottom three. The only problem is that the opportunity is at Anfield. The fear is, have the Irons left it too late? They will feel that in their last two home games, they should have taken away more than 2 points.

Forest goes to the Etihad on Wednesday. If you offered West Ham the gap between them and Forest not growing this weekend, they would take that.

Newcastle 2-0 Everton

The cup competitions should lift the mood around Tyneside. 11th in the league, it’s crucial that the Toon Army still have something to dream about, such as the FA Cup and Champions League.

Everton doesn’t have that and might be going through the motions.

Leeds 0-1 Man City

I trust Leeds to make this physically difficult for Man City and the atmosphere at Elland Road to be intimidating. Ultimately, the visitors will have that extra bit of quality.

I’ve never seen Haaland work as hard as he did last Saturday. He was on his knees at the final whistle because of the number of times he got back to help his defence. It was a message that the city is willing to fight for the title. That’s what a cold Saturday night in Yorkshire will be …a battle.

Brighton 2- 2 Forest

Because of their small squad, Forest often struggles playing directly after a European tie.

Yet I think they will get the boost of watching West Ham drop points on the Saturday, meaning both these two teams would take a draw on the Sunday.

Fulham 1-1 Spurs

The NLD was an example of why I think Spurs missed a trick with their interim appointment of a new manager.

If you’re only hiring someone till you get your main target, in the summer, why not bring in someone for the short term who will at least lift the mood around the club? No disrespect to Igor Tudor; he’s not going to capture the imagination.

A Harry Redknapp in the dugout last Sunday would have at least kept fans believing for longer.

It’s the second season running where Tottenham might stay up simply based on those below them being so poor.

If West Ham don’t get a result at Anfield, it takes the pressure off the visitors at the Cottage.

Man United 2-0 Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner will privately think he could have dealt with things differently this season, but I disagree with Sam Allardyce that, long term, the Austrian’s reputation will be impacted at Selhurst Park.

I think most Eagles feel in a lot of departments that the club have missed a chance by standing still this campaign, yet their current manager is still the man who won their first ever trophy, and domestic form was always going to be compromised for the sake of a European adventure.

Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea

I’m hoping Liam Rosenoir plays the same tactics he did in the 2nd leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

It’s hard enough beating Chelsea simply because they have players who can produce a moment of magic out of nowhere. It becomes more difficult if we kick off with Man City only 2 points behind us.

In many ways, Arsenal’s biggest threat in our remaining Prem fixtures is us. That’s why the NLD was such a vital victory, but it was the first time this year in 5 attempts we managed to win playing after the Sky Blues. That stat tells me playing a day after Pep Guardiola’s team is a mental struggle.

I just picture the Emirates growing anxious really quickly, and if we are not ahead after an hour, the whole ground grows tense.

We need to fix this if we want to be champions.

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Ilia Topuria is not losing sleep over Arman Tsarukyan.

Later this year, Topuria is expected to defend his UFC lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje, but it’s not the matchup that many fans want to see. Top contender Arman Tsarukyan was passed over for the interim title shot earlier this year and has been chirping at Topuria since the summer, angling for his shot at the 155-pound title. That is the matchup that many feel would be the biggest test for Topuria, but “El Matador” disagrees.

“[Arman Tsarukyan is] my toughest challenge? No way,” Topuria said during a live stream with Adin Ross. “I’ve already had my toughest challenges.

“I don’t like to say who he fought, because there’s not an easy fight in the UFC. Everyone is a tough opponent. That’s one of the reasons why they’re fighting in the biggest promotion in the world. But he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot. He got knocked out in the beginning of his career. And he doesn’t really have the ability to finish the fight. He only finishes the fights when his opponent gets tired, and he just goes on the ground and does the ground and pound and all that.

“But if he faced someone who really has that preparation, has that cardio, he doesn’t get scared if he goes to the ground, he’s going to suffer.”

10-2 in the UFC, Tsarukyan is currently on a five-fight winning streak and was set to rematch Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in January 2025 before a last-minute injury forced him out of UFC 311. After that, he weighed in as the backup fighter for Topuria’s vacant title bout with Charles Oliveira, and then submitted Dan Hooker in November at UFC Qatar. On top of that, Tsarukyan has been flexing his muscles in other disciplines, collecting grappling accolades while waiting for his title opportunity.

But Topuria is not impressed.

“Arman, easy. Because he will panic,” Tsarukyan said. “With me, he will panic. What’s he going to do? I always used to say, when I’m in training camp, I know how it feels when you feel pain. I know how it feels when you feel tired. I know how it feels when you feel like you can’t do more, and you keep doing it. I know about myself that there’s not a situation that I’m going to give up.

“So, when I walk inside the octagon, my opponents should know that they’re going to have a badass motherf*cker in front who doesn’t know how to give up. That’s never going to happen. You’re going to have to kill me. And you know what, I love my life, and I’m not ready to die.”

All that being said, Topuria isn’t opposed to fighting Tsarukyan. Ultimately, if that’s the fight the UFC wants, “El Matador” is happy to oblige.

“You never call the UFC and tell them who you want to fight or where you want to fight,” Topuria said. “So, if they call me and tell me they want me to fight with Arman, no f*cking problem. I fought with so many tough opponents. And you think I don’t want to fight Arman? I don’t care. If they give me that fight, I’m fighting him. No problem.

“Justin, Arman, I don’t care. Both of them, same night.”

NFL Combine winners and losers: Live updates on defensive linemen, linebackers in Indianapolis originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway, and after four days of arrivals, interviews, exams, and meetings, the fun has finally begun.

It's time to watch the athletic testing and positional drills that skyrocket stocks, starting with the defensive linemen and linebackers. Defensive backs and tight ends will perform on Friday, with running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks headlining Saturday's festivities and offensive linemen rounding out the weekend.

For all the turbulence at other positions, the 2026 NFL Draft is strong in the front seven. Several edge rushers stand to be top-five picks come April. It's a preternaturally deep linebacker class, and the interior linemen will have starters drafted into Day 3. Perhaps more than any position, it's important to focus on size. Weight and arm length thresholds are king in the trenches, and many top prospects are fighting against historical precedents on their way to Round 1.

As these prospects vie for draft capital, we'll keep track of the most important performances of the day.

Live winners and losers from the NFL Combine

Winner: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

At 6062 and 327 pounds, Banks is every bit as big as we thought he was. The rest of his frame was even more impressive, posting 94th-percentile hand size, 94th-percentile arm length, and a 99th-percentile wingspan (via Trevor Sikkema).

Banks is a freak, and ripping off a 5.05 40-yard dash on his first attempt is further proof that he is a different beast than us mere mortals. Banks fought through injuries this season, but if his 61st-percentile 40-yard dash is confirmed, it will be hard to keep that kind of upside out of Round 1. 

His second run went for 5.13 seconds, but with 10-yard splits of 1.76 and 1.77 seconds, he's a comfortable winner early on Thursday.

Loser: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M

Howell wasn't surprising anyone with his lack of length. But coming in with 30.25-inch arms is confirmation that he's a negative outlier and bound to hurt his stock. No edge rusher in MockDraftable's database (NFL Combine participants since 1999) has that kind of limitation -- by a half-inch.

That's a problem anyway one cuts it, and weighing in at 253 pounds (totally fine!) may not be able to compensate. He might need standout 40-yard dash and three-cone times to limit his fall, and even an optimistic view of his athletic profile is more about damage control than potential.

Howell's film is promising. However, his arm length demands that coaches ask how they can mitigate his biggest weakness. Fair or not, that makes him more difficult to take in the top 50.

Winner: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

He hasn't run yet, but merely being measured has made Styles a winner of the week. At 6'5", 244 pounds, he has more than enough muscle to make plays in the box. His 71st-percentile arm length stands out on film.

MORE: NFL Combine measurements tracker 2026: Hand size, height, weight and more for Fernando Mendoza, other notables

Remember, this is a former safety. His transition to linebacker went smoothly, and he eradicated his tackling concerns in his platform season. Styles has strong instincts and special movement skills, and in Indianapolis, he proved that he doesn't have to sacrifice physicality in the process.

I expect him to bring the house down when it's time for the 40.

UPDATE: He just posted a 43.5-inch vertical jump. That's the second-best mark for a linebacker since Cameron Wake in 2005 -- a full inch more than the next-best contender. We're shaping up to witness a truly incredible Combine performance.

Loser: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Woods entered the season as my top player and an easy selection for DT1. I'll remain higher than consensus, but the calculus has grown increasingly difficult. His 2025 campaign wasn't as impressive as his show-stopping 2024 film, and his pre-draft process hasn't gotten off to a roaring start.

Woods weighed in at 298 pounds, lighter than anticipated and a signal that he might be shedding weight to shed time on his 40-yard dash. Then he didn't run.

Likewise, Woods' arm length came in at 31.25 inches, a fourth-percentile mark for interior linemen. It's not the end of the world, given his ability to shed blocks and find solutions with athleticism. Still, it's an extra point of caution, and he didn't put his athletic prowess on paper.

Winner: Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana

Proctor wasn't on my radar entering the event. That hasn't stopped him from leaving a mark on Day 1 of drills. Proctor ran a 4.79 40-yard dash with a promising 10-yard split.

Throughout his athletic testing and positional drills, he looked like an easy mover. That bodes well for him to be a Day 3 selection as a rotational pass rusher, having turned his burst into nine sacks this season. Color me intrigued, especially if his 291-pound frame holds up on early downs.

Winner: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, Central Florida

Lawrence put himself on the map in Indianapolis. At 6'4" and 253 pounds, Lawrence isn't quite as small as the class's most burst-dependent edge rushers. Still, he put on a show, setting the tone with a 40-inch vertical jump and 10'10" broad jump. 

.@UCF_Football EDGE Malachi Lawrence:

- 6'4", 253 pounds
- 40" vertical jump
- 10'10" broad jump

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/MopTX0d9eX

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

He didn't stop there. His first run was 4.53 seconds, trailing only David Bailey (4.51) at edge rusher (for first attempts). He'll have upward momentum during the pre-draft circuit, especially if he continues to move well during positional drills.

Loser: LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama

One player who didn't move all that well was Alabama's LT Overton. It's important not to double-count these Combine drills for guys that test as expected.

However, Overton was a bit slimmer than anticipated at 274 pounds. Even so, his 4.91 40-yard dash was tied for the slowest mark on the edge. It's hard to see Overton making a living as a sack artist at the next level; his run defense is his calling card. If he doesn't have the size to pull that off, Overton may lack the juice to be a starter on Sundays.

Fortunately, he moved a little better during positional drills to mitigate concerns.

Winner: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Bailey didn't test like a generational freak, but he was still able to run a 4.51 40-yard dash to lead the position. He's doing his part to put minor movement concerns to rest, and the rest of his athletic markers were promising. 

His 1.62 10-yard split was impressive, and his 35-inch vert and 10'9" broad jump help insulate his profile. He also came in a little bigger than some expected, crossing the 250-pound threshold with 33.75-inch arms. This event was more about solidifying his stock than improving it. Bailey checked the necessary boxes to be a top-15 pick.

Winner: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson

Parker was a prospect that fared unfavorably on my preseason board. The top-five hype was always rich, but as an early Day 2 selection, he has room to make some noise at the next level.

Part of that equation is Parker's ability to convert speed to power. Running a 4.68 40-yard dash at 263 pounds is impressive and an indictment of his best pass-rushing trait. With the size to stick on early downs and fun flashes as a pass rusher, sneaking into Round 1 is possible, even if his stock tumbled with Clemson's playoff aspirations.

Loser: R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma

R Mason Thomas talked a big game about his speed making up for perceived physical deficiencies. At 241 pounds, Thomas needs truly elite burst to compensate. Being a dynamic edge rusher has staying power on early downs if the ability to wreak havoc outweighs concerns against the run.

Instead, Thomas slipped on his first run on the way to a 4.67 time. On his second opportunity, he was even slower, logging a 4.72-second 40-yard dash. It's a legitimately concerning mark that makes a strong Pro Day performance necessary. A bad day in Indianapolis doesn't have to kill his stock, but it means his work is cut out for him.

Loser: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

I'm not convinced this stint will impact his draft stock; the teams that like Bains will like him regardless of arm length. He's a nuanced pass rusher who solves problems to overcome his length issues, and he has a proven track record of producing and rising in big games.

Yet, Bain measured in at 263 pounds. That helps inform us that he intends to play outside full-time at the next level, rather than splitting time along the interior because of his lack of length. And reader, the length is indeed lacking. At 30 7/8", he's operating as an outlier, prompting damage-control tweets and an extended look at his profile.

It would have been nice if Bain showed off his elite movement skills by testing or doing positional drills. We'll have to wait for his pro day, raising the stakes for an impressive performance.

More NFL Draft news

• Why is Jordyn Tyson skipping NFL Combine workouts?
• Five measurements to look forward to at the NFL Combine
• Top snubs from the 2026 NFL Combine
• Five best fits for Ohio State safety Caleb Downs

For the first time in six games, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae will step back into the lineup, ending a prolonged stretch as a healthy scratch that, while difficult, may ultimately serve as one of the more important developmental checkpoints of his young NHL career.

Sam Ersson will start for the Flyers tonight vs. Rangers. Emil Andrae will draw back into the lineup.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) February 26, 2026

For both Andrae and the Flyers, his return represents a recalibration of sorts—of expectations, responsibilities, and trust.

And maybe most importantly, it’s another test of whether Andrae can consistently differentiate himself from a promising call-up into a dependable, everyday NHL defenseman.

A Necessary Pause in a Promising Trajectory

When Andrae was first recalled earlier this season, he impressed straightaway.

He moved the puck decisively, drove offense, and played with the kind of assertiveness that belied his size. At 5-foot-9, Andrae will never overwhelm opponents physically, but he compensates with anticipation, mobility, and pure fearlessness. He closes gaps aggressively and can escape pressure cleanly. And when he does get the puck, he sees the ice like a player who has always been accustomed to controlling it.

That early success confirmed the already favorable opinions he had garnered from previous NHL stints—at 24 years old, he's obviously not a finished product, but he does possess a heap of desirable qualities in a blueliner, and has oodles of potential for his coaches to work with as he continues developing.

But as the season wore on, the natural inconsistencies of a young defenseman began to surface. The reads that came easily in his first stretch required quicker processing, and the risks became more costly.

Head coach Rick Tocchet was candid in his assessment of where Andrae’s game had slipped before the Flyers' game against the New York Rangers on Feb. 26.

“I think he played his best hockey when he was first called up,” Tocchet said. “I think he was obviously good on the breakouts, good on wheeling the puck… It’s just stuff he tries too much—making passes in the middle of the ice or being out of position, things like that. But that’s growing as a young defenseman.”

#Flyers coach Rick Tocchet on what Emil Andrae needs to do to get back in:
"Well, I think one of the reasons why we have to do this is our PK...That's the problem, he's not a PK guy. So actually, this week, he's worked on his [PK]. That's really what it's going to come down to." https://t.co/rD63WBHETa

— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) February 25, 2026

Roles, Trust, and Lineup Balance

Andrae’s absence wasn’t solely about performance. It was also about his fit in the overall lineup.

Tocchet pointed to penalty killing responsibilities multiple times, along with the importance of balanced right-left defensive pairings, as key factors in Andrae’s temporary removal from the lineup. 

Defensemen must earn that trust incrementally. It comes through consistency, through reliability, and through proving that risk-reward decisions consistently favor the team.

Now, Andrae has a prime chance to make a case for his usefulness not just in 5-on-5 play, but on special teams as well.

“He might get some PK time tonight [against the Rangers],” Tocchet said. “So hopefully if he’s out there that he can help us out on the PK, too.”

Even limited penalty-killing usage would be an important step in signaling growing confidence from the coaching staff in both Andrae’s offensive instincts and his defensive discipline.

What Andrae Brings That the Flyers Need

Despite his recent absence, Andrae offers something the Flyers’ blue line doesn’t have in abundance: natural puck-moving fluidity.

They have offensive-minded in defensemen in players like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale, but Andrae adds a layer of relentlessness to that core of smaller offensive defensemen. 

His skating allows him to escape pressure without defaulting to glass-and-out clears. His vision allows him to identify transition opportunities early, and his willingness to attack open ice forces opposing forechecks to hesitate.

Those traits are especially valuable for a Flyers team that relies heavily on structure and pace to generate offense. A clean breakout is often the first offensive play, and Andrae has shown he can initiate those sequences.

What he’s learning now is when to be aggressive and when to be simple—a crucial and delicate balance that separates promising young defensemen from reliable NHL regulars.

A Critical Stage in His Long-Term Development

The six games Andrae spent out of the lineup may ultimately, in a twisted sort of way, benefit him in the long run. 

From the press box, the game slows down. Patterns become clearer, making mistakes easier to recognize without the immediacy of competition. As frustrating as it is not to be on the ice, for young defensemen dealing with stagnation, those observational stretches can accelerate growth, allowing Andrae to return with both perspective and motivation.

He knows what earned him his initial opportunity. He also knows what cost him his place, and no doubt he understands what’s required to keep it.

The good thing is that Andrae doesn't have to scrap his whole game and start over. As Tocchet pointed out, the expectation is not for Andrae to completely reinvent his game, but to refine it and stay consistent with it. Keep the mobility; keep the confidence; keep the creativity. But going along with that, pair those clear strengths with restraint, positional awareness, and situational judgment.

A Meaningful Opportunity for Player and Team

For the Flyers, reinserting Andrae is more than just switching up the lineup in the hopes of taking three points away from New York. The team is simultaneously evaluating his nightly performance and his trajectory.

Can Andrae become a reliable puck-moving presence in their top six? Can he handle defensive responsibility in critical moments? Can he grow into a player they can trust in all situations?

Those answers won’t come after one game, but they’ll begin to emerge now, as he steps back onto the ice—not as the wide-eyed up-and-down kid from his first stints with the big club, but as a more mature and experienced young defenseman who has felt both the momentum of early success and the humility of stepping back.

Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Max Muncy recorded a hit as he made his spring training debut on Thursday.

The third baseman went 1-for-3 with a single to right field in the third inning.

He also grounded out in the first inning and struck out looking in the fifth.

What Are the Expectations for Max Muncy Entering 2026?

Muncy is coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons, playing just 173 of the possible 324 regular season games.

He was put in the injured list twice in 2025, though he managed to play in 100 regular season games.

Muncy slashed .243/.376/.470, though manager Dave Roberts has made clear that the third-baseman brings both tangible and intangible benefits to the team.

“I just love the way Max plays, and he gets lost a lot because we have so many superstars, but he’s gotten big hits for us, made big plays for us, and it’s very obvious when he’s not in the lineup for whatever reason, how we perform offensively,” Roberts said. “So he’s very valuable to our ball club.”

To maximize that value, the Dodgers have been giving key players their rest this offseason.

“For a lot of us coming off back-to-back World Series, just trying to prioritize rest over the offseason. That was a conversation that was had with several people,” Muncy told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “It was kind of ‘Give your body as much rest as possible. We’ll start ramping up a little later than normal.’ As a result, we’re just not ready for the first week of games. But we’re still scheduled to get more than 50 at-bats which is definitely plenty to get ready.”

Muncy Is More Than Just On-Field Production

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More than anything, though, Muncy has become known for his loyalty. He’s the longest-tenured Dodger on the team, and he’s remained with the squad by taking team-friendly deals.

”I think for me what epitomized, what captures Max is he loves being a Dodger and he’s taken less money to not challenge the free agent market because he wanted to be here,” Roberts said. “And so that’s something for me is, you want as many players to be a part of this organization that just want to be here. And so that’s something that has huge value.”

The New York Jets and their fans certainly have a rollercoaster relationship, especially after their 2025 NFL season struggles, but head coach Aaron Glenn hasn’t made it any easier.

The former NFL cornerback received his first head coaching job last season with the Jets. However, after posting a brutal record in Year 1 fans are already putting Glenn on the hot seat.

That sentiment about Aaron Glenn won’t be changing any time soon after a viral 2026 NFL Combine moment. On Thursday, cameras in Indianapolis were quick to follow Glenn after his eyes were closed while players worked out on the field.

MORE: ESPN analyst makes bold Cowboys Super Bowl claim ahead of NFL Draft

you gotta be joking rn
pic.twitter.com/DWDnTni2wa

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 26, 2026

The problem for Aaron Glenn is that it turns out he was catching a quick nap, which made him an instant internet meme.

Jets fans were heavily frustrated with the latest misstep from the AFC franchise as Glenn and New York prepare to pick inside the top five in the NFL Draft.

New York hasn’t reached the NFL Playoff since 2011 and given the current state of the team their 2026 NFL Draft will need to hit on many young prospects in order to turn things around.

MORE: Prime Video, networks could target major NFL stars in broadcasting shakeup

The Jets finished dead last in the AFC East last season after the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills reached the postseason. Meanwhile, New England upset Jets fans even further after reaching the Super Bowl in February.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

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The post Aaron Glenn embarrasses Jets fans with viral nap at 2026 NFL Combine appeared first on The Big Lead.

For anyone on the outside looking in, the annual NFL Scouting Combine feels like a glorified farce. It feels like it encourages a lot of open (irresponsible) projection about incoming NFL prospects. But if you're actually attending the event as a scout or coach, you should probably do everything you can to maximize your time in Indianapolis. That, or ensure you got enough sleep the night before. It's a busy weekend. You need your energy.

Both of these concepts are evidently lost on second-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

Glenn, who is currently trying to steer the Jets out of their latest oblivion (one he is largely responsible for), was caught on camera dozing off in the middle of positional drills on Thursday. In all honesty, it's not that big of a deal. Glenn was caught on camera in a weak moment, and we shouldn't overanalyze it. I'd venture to guess that all of us non-NFL coaches also have our weak moments during our respective workdays, but there isn't someone filming us. This could have happened to anyone. But when you're trying to rebound from a three-win season at the helm of one of the NFL's preeminent, moribund franchises, maybe you should be more cognizant of optics.

Maybe you should realize that, as one of only 32 coaches, a camera will very likely and eventually veer over to where you're sitting in any public setting. Alas, I can't be too harsh on Glenn here. Judging by the miserable, aimless coaching job he did in his first year with the Jets, it doesn't seem like Glenn is aware of optics at all.

Being caught sleeping with everyone watching at one of the NFL's biggest events of the calendar kinda feels like it's par for the course for him:

Somebody probably alerted Jets HC Aaron Glenn that he's asleep on live television. #NFLpic.twitter.com/VxqNpzcMai

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 26, 2026

Good luck to the Jets as they try to engineer their first successful rebuild in years under Glenn. It seems apparent they're going to need it.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Aaron Glenn fell asleep at NFL combine, has questions about Jets focus

Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Mookie Betts was spotted working with a new trainer during Spring Training, a notable development for the shortstop.

Betts is entering a season with a lot to prove, especially after becoming a certified shortstop and earning a Gold Glove award.

The Dodgers, especially manager Dave Roberts, seem to believe that Betts can return to his former hitting success, with him trusting Betts to hit clean-up after Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker.

Will Smith and Freddie Freeman were clearly better offensive players in 2025, but over his career, Betts has been able to impact at the top of the order, especially with his speed on the bases.

With the pressure on Betts, his preparation has become all the more important, and he is taking cues from a player with a similar build.

Yoshinbou Yamamoto, a player known for his unique training methods, has become famous for his javelin throws and interesting workout routines, all of which come from Osamu Yada, his longtime trainer.

Yada is the man who took a Japanese teacher who had professional baseball hopes all the way to the top of the mountain — World Series MVP and one of the top five pitchers in the National League.

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Yada is known as “Sensei Yada” around the clubhouse, and the Dodgers hired him to join the staff when Yamamoto joined, meaning he can help other players, and Betts has seemingly sought out his help.

In photos circulating online, Betts has been seen carrying Yada on his shoulders without shoes and throwing javelins himself.

Betts’ interest in Yamamoto’s training

During Yamamoto’s first spring training, Betts was among the players eager to learn about the pitcher’s methods.

“If Yoshinobu had an amazing build, I wouldn’t be interested. But he’s similar to me. That’s why his training method intrigued me,” Betts said in the past, per The Chosun Daily.

Yamamoto does yoga, javelin, and barefoot weighted-ball throws, all while focusing on his mechanics and delivery.

Betts, being a hitter and fielder, has different body requirements, but considering Yada’s years of mastering a baseball player’s body, he could end up being healthier than ever and producing better offense.

He had a 104 wRC+ last year, the lowest of his career history, hitting .258/.326/.406.

According to Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain, with further work on his body and no illness, the organization is hopeful that he can improve those numbers and put together an amazing season on both sides of the dish.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caleb Downs and Kenyon Sadiq played it cool Thursday at the NFL's annual scouting combine.

Rather than brag about sitting atop their respective positional rankings — safety and tight end — for April's NFL draft, the two All-Americans spoke confidently about simply what they could add next fall.

At this stage, there's no real debate about where Downs and Sadiq stand. The only real question is how long they'll be waiting on draft night to see where they end up, largely because of the league's tendency to undervalue both positions.

“I don’t know how other teams see it. Frankly, we don’t care how other teams see it," said Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, who has spent two recent first-round picks on safeties — Kyle Hamilton at No. 14 in 2022 and Malaki Starks at No. 27 last year. “We didn’t go into the 2022 draft thinking Kyle Hamilton was going to be the best player available when we picked, and he happened to be the best player available, and thank God he was.”

Hamilton responded by quickly establishing himself as one of the league's most gifted playmakers, a group many scouts expect Downs to join soon after he's spent the past three years starring at two of college football's powerhouses: Alabama and Ohio State.

The three-year starter made nearly 250 tackles during his career, picked off six passes, forced three fumbles and recovered one, making anyone who dared to challenge him in the middle of the field pay a steep price.

How good is he?

"One of my favorite all-time players,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban once said on ESPN's College GameDay. “Absolutely, one of my favorites. As a freshman, the maturity that he showed, the preparation, the way he performed, I loved the guy. He’s a great person.”

He was equally impressive at Ohio State where teammates raved about the instant impact he made on their 2024 national championship team and the continued impact he made in 2025 when Ohio State returned to the playoffs as the 2025 Big Ten runner-up.

Some teammates who also were invited to Indianapolis this week believe he just might be the best defensive player in the draft.

Still, Downs is more concerned about what he does in the pros than where he's drafted.

“I feel like my mind really puts me above a lot of people in terms of how I process the game and play with instincts. I feel like that's what makes me special,” he said before explaining what traits he brings. “You're getting a really talented player, a smart player who can make an impact on the field and in the facility to make a culture change.”

Sadiq could help some NFL team change directions, too.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, the former Oregon star hopes to dazzle scouts when he runs the 40-yard dash Friday night, a rarity for a projected first-round selection. His combination of size, speed and athleticism could create the kind of matchup problems pro teams crave and he insists he wants to become better at both route-running and run-blocking.

It's everything an NFL executive wants to hear, and it could lead to Sadiq becoming the second straight Idaho native to be the first tight end selected. Colston Loveland went 10th overall to Chicago in 2025.

But neither Sadiq nor Downs are deterred by any projections. Nope, they're each more eager to prove themselves this fall.

“There’s been more credit going to tight ends, and you see the market being reset by guys every year, so, I think the value has definitely gone up,” he said. “It creates a lot of mismatches on the defensive side, whether they’re nickel or base or whatever it is. So, I think if you have a great tight end or a couple great tight ends, it really helps out your offense.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The NFLPA report cards are out. For the Las Vegas Raiders they got high marks in several areas, but were lacking in a couple of areas. ESPN released the results of the report cards.

The area where the Raiders got the highest marks was their weight room (A+). They have a shiny new state-of-the art facility and the report card shows it. In fact, all the areas they received high marks are related to the the things that are important because they are things that carry over from last year.

Meanwhile the areas where they received the biggest criticism are the areas which have been changed out since this vote was taken late last season. Those were all coaching related.

The worst grade was given to offensive coordinator, a position that was held by Chip Kelly most of last season. That position received a flat 'F' from players. But head coach, DC, STC, and position coaches all got low marks as well.

These grades are very good news for the Raiders. They swapped out the head coach, all the coordinators, and most of the position coaches this season. While they can feel pretty good that players are pleased with all the other areas, including GM John Spytek (A-) and owner Mark Davis (A).

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFLPA 2026 report cards: Raiders get 'F' in one area, but overall good news

Biggest NFL Combine takeaways from Day 1 of draft workouts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NFL fans alike gather in person or around a television to witness something unique to football. Football is not the only sport that conducts a “Combine” to put incoming rookies through interviews, drills, medical evaluations and mental tests. However, it is the only sport where the “Combine” has become must-see TV.

Also known as the National Invitational Camp (NIC), the combine like everything else has a history. The four day football evaluation did not begin as the television event it is now. Just like the images of the NFL Draft decades ago, the combine used to be a small affair. Before 1976, the combine did not exist.

In the pre-1970s, NFL teams rarely conducted any sort of physical assessment of potential incoming college players. During that same period, the NFL Draft was also 17 rounds. Not the seven rounds it is today.

The NFL Combine in today's world

The first implementation any sort of physical assessment was actually started by the New York Jets who in 1976 invited prospects to their headquarters to be interviewed and tested.

“Besides character and intelligence, the other non-football thing we put a premium on is the medical aspect,” Mike Hickey, the Jets’ director of player personnel, wrote in a column for The New York Times in April 1983. “We attempt to have every player we are interested in have an orthopedic physical by our team physicians.”

The early days of what would eventually become the Scouting Combine were just a series of visits. The opposite of pro day visits we have now. Instead of all the scouts and front office personnel travelling to Florida’s pro day or USC’s pro day, the prospects would travel to the respective NFL cities to be tested.

The process was complicated and expensive. In the early 1980s, Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm recommended to the NFL’s competition committee that teams should work together to “centralize the evaluation process”.

The first Combine took place in 1982 in Tampa, Florida. That first Combine included 16 teams and 163 players. The number of invitees has doubled over time to around 300 over the last decade plus.

More:2026 NFL combine: Full list of draft prospects

Initially there were three groups of camps. The Indianapolis-based National Football Scouting Inc (NFS), BLESTO and Quadra Scouting. In 1985, all three camps were merged to save on operating costs. The central location in 1985 was Phoenix, Arizona. The central location for 1986 was New Orleans, Louisiana, however, in 1987 the venue was moved to Indianapolis where it has remained ever since.

Over time more and more aspects were added to the process. Just like the old NFL Drafts consisted of a closed-door operation not open to the fans, so was the Combine. As the Combine itself evolved, so did the public’s interest in it.

More:How the NFL Scouting Combine got its name: Schedule, history and origins of the biggest NFL Draft event

The first ever televised NFL Scouting Combine didn’t occur until 22 years after its inaugural event in 1982. In 2004 the then new NFL Network aired six one-hour end of the day recaps on the events of the Combine. In 2005, those one hour recaps became two hour recaps. In 2006 and 2007 the Combine coverage grew to over 25 hours of television coverage.

In the 2020s, the Combine is viewed as the second largest and most important event in the pre-draft process. Second only to the NFL Draft itself. Today, the combine evaluations are critical to the work NFL teams do on these prospects. Game tape will always be No. 1, but right behind the in game evaluations is the NFL Scouting Combine.

NFL Combine live updates, highlights from Day 1

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko joined Eisen and Jeremiah

The school with the most prospects in Indy is @AggieFootball.

Their head coach Mike Elko stopped by the booth to chat with @MoveTheSticks and @RichEisen!

2026 NFL Combine on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/cSH85fnhY2

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 26, 2026

Defensive Tackle Run and Club Drill

The Run and Club Drill is more intended for what Defensive Tackles typically do. Attempting to shed or get around blocks within a confined space. The club is the easy part. The spin will have varied degrees of fluidity. The tricky part is the final turn and flattening. 

Most of the prospects struggled with the spin move aspect. Most lack the instinctive plant foot. Resulting in what looks like moving around the bag instead of spinning around the bag. The chop and rip aspect just before they need to flatten also gave some players issues. 

Each of these interior linemen move through this drill with speed and power. What separates the prospects is the ability to execute these moves in a phone booth. The wider the move the less impressive. Zane Durant, again, was by far the best competitor in this drill. 

Defensive Tackle Pass Rush Drill

Also referred to as the 'Swim' drill. Players will drive off the line, hit the first bag, then run forward and swim the next bag, then a sprint to the finish. As it is a pass rushing drill, these will look less impressive than when we see the actual pass rushers doing this drill. 

The following will be relayed as almost pass/fail. Interior defensive lineman typically will work the drill similarly. It will either look good, or it won't. 

Good 

Nick Barrett, Rayshaun Benny, Zane Durant, Deven Eastern, Gracen Halton, Lee Hunter, Darrell Jackson Jr, Tim Keenan III, Jackie Marshall, Chris McClellan, Kayden McDonald, Tyler Onyedim, Albert Regis, Damonic Williams, 

Not so good

Cameron Ball, DeMonte Capeheart, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Kaleb Proctor, Gary Smith III, 

Best of the Group

Zane Durant was clearly the class of the group for the Pass Rush Drill. While Rayshaun Benny, Lee Hunter, and Chris McClellan were are better than the rest, Durant stood head and shoulders above the rest. There is real athleticism, not positional athleticism with Durant. He could create real creativity from a defensive coordinator with his agility and balance from the defensive tackle position. 

Defensive Tackle Four Bag Agility Drill:

"They call it the four bag agility drill because there are four bags on the ground" Rich Eisen said. This drill is usually done with much more fluidity and smoothness when done by pass rushers, but it does measure agility and change of direction. 

Rayshaun Benny of Michigan was the first defensive tackle to make this drill look smooth. Some minimal bag movement, but otherwise very smooth and fast. 

Zane Durant followed Benny and made it looks easy. Kept his eyes down through most of it, which is not recommended, but very smooth. "He's so athletic" Jeremiah said after his attempt. 

Bryson Eason had another smooth run of this drill. Perhaps not going all out speed wise, but enough that it didn't seem he was worried about the changes. 

Deven Eastern might be the first participant to do the drill at his top speed. Legs under him, no glaring mistakes, at full speed. 

Gracen Halton had a really solid run. Fast with high knees, no bag infractions. Really solid. 

Lee Hunter showed some stiffness in his hips, but made this drill look much better than the Wave Drill. 

Tim Keenan III had an interesting run through the bags. Lateral movement looked much better than average but struggled in forwards and backwards transitions. 

Kayden McDonald looked much better in the bad agility drill. No stumbles, close to full speed, lateral movement was good and he kept his feet under him. 

Defensive Tackle Wave Drill: 

The Wave Drill forces players to display lateral quickness and recovery speed. Most tackles will perform this similarly due to the nature of the position. When someone excels in this drill it pops off the screen. 

Caleb Banks anticipated the changes well, but lacks an explosiveness that shows up on screen. 

Nick Barrett had an almost stumble early but saved it. Less controlled than Banks, but the results were better. 

Following Capeheart's 40 times, his Wave Drill was similar. Awkward movements but unquestioned results. Not smooth but fast and his cuts didn't slow him down. 

Gusta and Halton both had stumbles after the first change of direction. 

Lee Hunter was a bit choppy but remained in control, no slipping and no guessing the change. Very solid, just not fast. 

Jackie Marshall didn't stumble and didn't miss at any point. However, he was yelled at throughout the drill to open it up. As if he was moving a little slower to better anticipate the changes. 

Kayden McDonald fell on the first move clear to the turf. They cancelled his run and he'll get another change to try the first attempt again. His second attempt was better but not by much. No falls, but he did appear to be pacing himself (which teams don't love in this drill) and seemed to be confused on the direction queues. 

Tyler Onyedim looked really good. One of the ones that pops off the screen. Completely under control, feet under him, adamant moves, good spring out of the cuts. 

Ian Rapoport reporting: Tennessee Titans agree to trade DT T'Vondre Sweat to the Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson. 

Defensive Tackle 40 times:

Albert Regis - DT - Texas A&M: 1st attempt: 4.92 / 2nd attempt: 4.88

Regis had the best 'looking' start (1.73 split) of the tackles thus far. The first tackle to not have the drag foot start. High knees and driving through the line. 

Good start, not as good as the first one. Form got a little wide in the first ten, but he cleaned it up and improved on his already good time. 

Kaleb Proctor - DT - SE Lousiana: 1st attempt: 4.80 / 2nd attempt: 4.84

Clean start (1.69 split), very fluid gate. Runs smoother than hard. Giving a very solid first 40 time. 

The form lost a little something on the back end. Still a good time, he'll stick with the first 4.80 time. 

Chris McClellan - DT - College: 1st attempt: 5.05 / 2nd attempt: 5.08

A very clunky start (1.80 split), but recovered down the stretch make up some of that time. Comes out of his form early, but the drive/kick makes up for it. 

First step was faster but still had a drag foot on the second step. Really pushed through yards 10-20. 

Jackie Marshall - DT - Baylor: 1st attempt: 4.88 / 2nd attempt: 4.92

Really nice run. Good start (1.69 split) fluid throughout. Despite the smoothness, strong steps led to a very nice time. Shaving almost a tenth off the expectation. 

Tim Keenan III - DT - Alabama: 1st attempt: 5.32 / 2nd attempt: 5.31

Keenan is another larger DT. Another less than explosive start (1.84 split) but he recovered nicely with a steady but strong gate. 

Good start again. He looked to be ahead of his own pace at the midway point, but began to slow in the last ten yards. Giving him a slightly longer time. 

Lee Hunter - DT - Texas Tech: 1st attempt: 5.25 / 2nd attempt: 5.18

The first attempt will seem like a bad number, but Hunter is a large man. 6'4, 325. The 1.82 10-yard split is a little underwhelming; lacks a first step explosion you want to see. 

Hunter made a significant improvement. Similar slower split but he drove hard down the stretch. Improving the time by seven one hundredths. 

Gracen Halton - DT - Oklahoma: 1st attempt: 4.83 / 2nd attempt: 4.86

Faulted on the first start. Strange kick down the stretch, but it works. Halton gives a very good sub 4.9 time. 

Less than ideal start but with that same strange kick down the stretch. The start hurt this time as the back end was almost the same. 

David Gusta - DT - Kentucky: 1st attempt: 4.88 / 2nd attempt: 4.90

Really solid first run. Good start, steps get more aggressive with each passing yard. Very solid at 4.88. 

The second attempt was a very different run. Same good but not explosive start, but this time with a pronounced wide stride. 

Bryson Eason - DT - Tennessee: 1st attempt: 5.12 / 2nd attempt: 5.09

Eason has a relatively fluid movement for a man his size. In control and steady. At 6'3, 315 that was a solid run. Could be big for Eason if he can get under 5.10. 

Same controlled, steady run except this time he cleaned up the start and improved his time. Getting under the 5.10 mark as previously predicted. 5.09 on the second attempt. 

Zane Durant - DT - Penn State: 1st attempt: 4.76 / 2nd attempt: 4.77

Durant comes in with an explosive expectation. Another angry runner. "We weren't expecting turbulence, but we were expecting a fast 40 time. Both require a seat belt" Daniel Jeremiah said on the broadcast. 

Durant delivers another impressive sub 4.8 time. Almost a carbon copy form wise. Good start and he drives with every step. 

Brandon Cleveland - DT - NC State: 1st attempt: 5.11 / 2nd attempt: 5.22

Cleveland maintains decent upper body form and didn't come out of his crouch until the finish line. Solid measured movement, in control.

Cleveland looked to have a good start, but something happened in the middle third. Appeared to be a hamstring pull, but he fought through it and didn't fully pull up until after the finish line. Eisen and Jeremiah could be heard audibly reacting with saying "oh great" at almost the same time. 

DeMonte Capeheart - DT - Clemson: 1st attempt: 4.85 / 2nd attempt: 4.86

Capeheart is the first of this batch of 40 times to really move. Capeheart had a similar first start to Barrett, but Capeheart fully recovered in before the 10-yard mark and was really churning. Runs like he's angry at the ground.  

Capeheart has a way of running, but it works. Same angry, hard steps. Once he gets up to speed it looks awkward, but he's moving. 

Nick Barrett - DT - South Carolina: 1st attempt: 5.11 / 2nd attempt: 5.11

Barrett had a less than clean start on the first attempt but recovered after his second step. The time was not great at 5.11, but if he can clean up the start, he can shave a few hundredths off that time. 

Barrett 2nd attempt was exactly the same as the first. In time and form. Start was better, first step was much better, but lost a little something towards the end of the run. "I think he's a 5.11 runner..." Rich Eisen said as he crossed the finish line. 

Caleb Banks - DT - Florida: 1st attempt: 5.05 / 2nd attempt: 5.13

Banks false faulted on the first two starts of the first attempt. On the third start, Banks ran a respectable time for his size. He looked like a large DT running a 40, but form remained constant.

Banks struggled through his second run adding almost a full tenth to his time. Seemed to lose form and had labored steps in the final third. 

Cameron Ball - DT - Arkansas: 1st attempt: 5.11 / 2nd attempt: 5.13

Ball's first attempt was mildly concerning. Clean start, however, his form broke down just after the 10-yard split and struggled to regain it until about the 30-yard mark. Could improve on the second attempt. 

Second run was not better, but still acceptable. Clean start but slow in the first five. Came out of his form a little early. 

Final Defensive Tackle 40-time leaders: Zane Durant - 4.75, Kaleb Proctor - 4.80, Gracen Halton - 4.82, DeMonte Capeheart - 4.85, David Gusta - 4.88

Stacey Dales reporting: 6'3, 335 Florida DT Caleb Banks will perform today despite a broken foot suffered in September. He will be a full participant. Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald will not run the 40 but is expected to participate in the bag drills to show his explosiveness. 

Rich Eisen and Daniel Jeremiah have begun the broadcast from the NFL Network perch. First up will be defensive tackles. This group has some big names, a few could even crack the first round. Jeremiah has Lee as his No. 1 DT in the class. With Kayden McDonald, Caleb Banks, Peter Woods, and Christen Miller making up the top 5. All with the exception of Hunter have something to prove during this Combine. 

2026 NFL Scouting Combine: Defensive players with the most to prove

A few guys to be on the lookout for in Group 1. @MoveTheSticks

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/pDiKbmbXm4

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

2026 NFL Scouting Combine Schedule

Position groups split up over the next four days in Indy 🏈

2026 NFL Combine starts Thursday 3pm ET on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/XK47clg2Za

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

Remembering a viral Joe Burrow Combine tweet:

When Joe Burrow joked about retiring after getting his hand measurements at the NFL combine 😂🤚 pic.twitter.com/T1F5FytNxa

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 26, 2026

Combine News: According to the New York Post, Eagles General Manager has reversed his position on keeping WR AJ Brown. 

More NFL Combine news: 

• 2026 NFL scouting combine rankings: Quarterbacks
• 2026 NFL scouting combine rankings: Running backs
• 2026 NFL scouting combine rankings: Offensive line
• 2026 NFL scouting combine rankings: Wide receivers
• 2026 NFL scouting combine rankings: Tight ends
• 2026 NFL scouting combine: Defensive players with the most to prove

How to watch 2026 NFL scouting combine

• Live stream: Fubo (free trial), NFL+

The NFL Combine can be live streamed wioth Fubo, which offers a free trial. NFL Network will also broadcast the Combine on NFL+, the league's paid subscription service.

The NFLPA's report cards are no longer released by the association, but ESPN's Kayln Kahler acquired the full results for 2026, and the Green Bay Packers took a big tumble coming out of the 2025 season.

After finishing seventh in 2025, third in 2024 and sixth in 2023, the Packers fell all the way to 21st in 2026, with knocks against the training department, head coach and offensive coordinator creating the steep decline.

This year, over 1,700 players from across the NFL contributed to the report cards, which give players the chance to grade teams on a variety of factors, and the survey was conducted between Nov. 2 and Dec. 11 -- before the Packers' season fell apart. The NFLPA also added several categories, broadening the report card's scope and providing a better overall picture of the 32 teams.

Some additional context from Aaron Nagler on the Packers' report:

Tough look for the Packers in this year's NFLPA grading. From a source: pic.twitter.com/i30bX6JFzo

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) February 26, 2026

In most cases, grades across most teams in specific categories are similar and not exactly notable. It is the outlier grades that are the important ones, and the Packers have several -- mostly on the negative side.

Overall rank

• 2026: 21st
• 2025: 7th

The Packers suffered the biggest drop in the rankings among NFL teams between the 2025 and 2026 seasons. After three straight top 10 finishes, the Packers are now a bottom third team.

Treatment of families

• 2026 grade: C+
• 2025 grade: B

Not providing daycare for families during home games remains an issue in Green Bay.

Home game field

• 2026 grade: C+
• 2025 grade: N/A

Lambeau Field is revered, but the playing surface is unpredictable and often slippery.

Food/dining area

• 2026 grade: B+
• 2025 grade: A-

Players wanted more nutritious options at the facility. The Packers ranked sixth in this category last season.

Nutritionist/dietician

• 2026 grade: B
• 2025 grade: A-

A big drop here. The Packers ranked seventh in this category last season but now rank among the bottom third.

Locker room

• 2026 grade: A
• 2025 grade: B

The Packers completely upgraded the locker rooms at Lambeau Field ahead of the 2025 season, creating a big improvement.

Training room

• 2026 grade: C
• 2025 grade: A-

Another huge drop. "Outdated" equipment and a "lack of space" were to blame. The Packers are upgrading the training facilities at Lambeau Field this offseason.

Training staff

• 2026 grade: C
• 2025 grade: B

A "lack of trust" drove this poor ranking. Not great coming off a season in which many players suffered big injuries. Players saw the training space and training staff as the top priorities needing to be addressed.

Weight room

• 2026 grade: A-
• 2025 grade: A

Strength coaches

• 2026 grade: B
• 2025 grade: B

The Packers were one of only five teams to get worse than a B+ grade here.

Position coaches

• 2026 grade: B+
• 2025 grade: N/A

The Packers are middle of the pack here.

Offensive coordinator

• 2026 grade: C

Adam Stenavich was one of eight offensive coordinators to get a C grade or worse. The other seven were fired.

Defensive coordinator

• 2026 grade: A-

Jeff Hafley, who left to become the Dolphins head coach, was a highly respected assistant coach in Green Bay. For what's it worth, Jonathan Gannon got a B+ in the head coach grades.

Special teams coordinator

• 2026 grade: B+

Rich Bisaccia was well-received among players, and his B+ grade ranked in the middle of the pack.

Team travel

• 2026 grade: B-
• 2025 grade: A-

A lot of complaints here league wide. Only 12 teams graded out higher than a B-, but the Packers did have a big fall in grade.

Head coach

• 2026 grade: B-
• 2025 grade: A-

Maybe the most alarming drop. Only six head coaches graded out worse than a B, and LaFleur was one. Four of the five other were fired. LaFleur got an extension. Interestingly enough, many veteran players stood up for LaFleur publicly after the disappointing end to the season.

General manager

• 2026 grade: B+

A B+ grade for Brian Gutekunst put him in the bottom half of general managers. Like LaFleur, he also got an extension.

Team ownership

• 2026 grade: A-
• 2025 grade: A-

This grade stayed steady through the transition from Mark Murphy, who retired, to Ed Policy, who went through his first season in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers suffer steep decline in NFLPA's report cards for 2026

The NFL recently won a grievance against the NFLPA report card, and while the union is still allowed to conduct their annual survey, the results are not allowed to be revealed to the public. It seemed like a hollow (and petty) victory at the time, and has been only proven to be, with Kalyn Kahler of ESPN getting ahold of the latest results, anyway.

Here are the final grades for the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles:

Treatment of Families: C+
Home Game Field: A
Food/Dining Area: A
Nutritionist/Dietician: B+
Locker Room: D
Training Room: B-
Training Staff: A
Weight Room: A-
Strength Coaches: A-
Position Coaches: A-
Offensive Coordinator: C+
Defensive Coordinator: A+
Special Teams Coordinator: A
Team Travel: F
Head Coach: A
General Manager: B
Team Ownership: B

Some notables

• Head coach Nick Sirianni graded higher than both owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman — for someone considered on the hot seat every season, the players continue to support Sirianni.
• It’s interesting that the head coach, defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio), and special teams coordinator (Michael Clay) all received A’s for their jobs last season, and yet the offensive coordinator (Kevin Patullo) — who everyone said was not the problem — was only given a C for his job.
• It’s encouraging that most of the other staff and coaches graded out as A’s. They’ve embraced a family environment around the organization and have put the best-of-the-best in positions to help the players. It’s also nice that the players like the people they’re working with and for everyday.
• No wonder the Eagles play so well on the road… they’re harnessing ire from the travel conditions to get to their destination and are playing mad from the onset. That’s something that should be easily fixed, and it’s showed up as an issue enough years in a row that Lurie and Co. should really do something about it — maybe he could use some of that minority stake money he got last year to reinvest in some of the team’s amenities.
• Speaking of amenities, the Eagles locker room received the second-lowest grade among all categories, and is the product of an aging building and few upgrades in recent years. Some other teams, like the Cardinals and Texans, who had received poor marks in the report card are now set to break ground on some new facilities in the coming years — the Eagles should be next.
• Overall the grades are encouraging about the trajectory of the organization and the vibes inside the building. Players are generally happy to go to work, and like and trust the people in charge of helping them. Heading into free agency, this report card at least won’t hurt the chances that guys want to sign with Philadelphia and commit to this team.

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Online sportsbook operators in Massachusetts are going to have to notify and then explain in detail to bettors why they’re no longer allowed to wager as much as they once could.

And the books will have to start doing so in the commonwealth before the start of the NFL season, although operators may seek "waivers" that allow them more time.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted unanimously on Thursday to adopt a regulation that would require a sportsbook operator to have in place "procedures to provide timely notice to a patron that their wagering activity has been limited, including a specific explanation for the attachment of the limit(s) and identification as to which market(s) are so limited."

In other words, a licensed sportsbook in the commonwealth would need a system in place to let bettors know that they’ve had the amount they’re allowed to bet restricted, and then back that up with an explanation for why and what exactly has been limited. 

Massachusetts unanimously approved a regulation that requires sportsbooks to notify bettors within 48 hours of limiting their account.

It will come with almost stunning granular guidance backing the reg.

Goes into effect on June 1, pending waiver requests from sportsbooks.

🧵 pic.twitter.com/x8RLEao42G

— Fairplaygov (@fairplaygov) February 26, 2026

Before approving the regulation, commissioners spent some time going back and forth with staff regarding questions posed by sportsbook operators about how the rule would work in practice. 

Commissioners were, for example, in favor of the effective date of the new regulation being June 1. They also expect “timely notice” of limiting to mean within 48 hours and for bettors to be notified each time they're limited.

Furthermore, the commissioners expressed a desire for currently limited players to be notified about their wagering restrictions.

“I like it because it forces the operators to review today where they stand on some of these limits going forward, which I think is the whole purpose of it,” MGC chair Jordan Maynard said during Thursday’s meeting. “And [operators] did convince me, maybe to their detriment, that it’s a small enough number of patrons where they’re able to do that kind of analysis.”

Additional directions from the commissioners included that a bettor limited in another jurisdiction who tries to wager in Massachusetts should be notified if they’re limited while in the commonwealth.

Explain yourself

The books will be required to retain their communications with bettors about limits so the MGC can audit those messages and ensure compliance. The communications will have to be more than “boilerplate” explanations as well.

“It has to be something particularized to the patron,” commissioner Eileen O’Brien said.

While the Massachusetts sports betting regulator reserves the right to tinker further, and operators have the right to voice their concerns and seek waivers for the regulation, Thursday’s approval puts the commonwealth in line to address a concern they’ve long heard about. That concern is the complaints they've received from bettors that they’re being unfairly limited by sportsbook operators. Some bettors suspect they’re being restricted in how much they can wager simply because they win too much. 

Mandatory prediction market mention

For its part, the MGC has been a trailblazer on the issue among regulators of online sports betting in the U.S. The commission has been holding meetings and discussions about bettor limiting for a few years now, and hasn’t let the issue go. 

Operators have argued that limits are applied only to a small percentage of the wagering population. They also contend limits are applied for good reasons, such as bettors who attempt to "courtside" by attending events and trying to bet on an outcome before a sportsbook can update the odds. Moreover, the companies claim limits allow them to offer more betting markets.

Yet the limiting issue has loomed even larger now that there are federally regulated prediction markets available across the U.S. that boast they do not limit bettors at all. Some sharp bettors have found a home on the exchanges, which pair buyers and sellers of event contracts in a way that can resemble state-regulated sports betting. 

Prediction markets have faced pushback from state regulators and lawmakers, including in Massachusetts. However, they are still facilitating de facto sports wagering all over the U.S., competing with state-regulated sportsbooks in some jurisdictions.

“Those who advocate for those pseudo-regulated, so-called prediction market products, they use the fact that they don’t limit as a positive for their product, and so I think that as far as the operators can possibly push their business model to be transparent on this piece is a net positive ultimately,” Maynard said on Thursday. 

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Despite all the on and off-field chaos, Crystal Palace, 13th in the Premier League but 10 points above the relegation zone, could still make more club history by winning their first European trophy.

They remain favourites to win the Conference League, despite only coming 10th in the league phase. The only surprise against Bosnian champions Zrinjski, a strong and well-organised but limited side, was that Palace's winning margin was not bigger.

Guessand, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Daichi Kamada all had goalbound efforts deflected wide before Adam Wharton provided the quality with a wonderful flighted assist for Maxence Lacroix's headed first-half goal.

Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson did not have a shot on target to deal with from the visitors, although Zrinjski's only real chance came in the 91st minute with Tomi Juric heading wastefully wide, before Evann Guessand scored to seal their place in the next round.

Their potential last-16 opponents will not cause any fear for Palace as Mainz are 13th in the German Bundesliga, while Larnaca only scored seven goals in six matches in the league phase, although they did beat the Eagles 1-0 in October.

But for now, Oliver Glasner, facing regular questions about his position, stays in his role and the Eagles continue their pursuit of a trophy for the ultimate end to a campaign full of highs and lows.

Tuesday’s win over the New York Knicks seemed like a seminal moment for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They showed that the new-look team could hang with one of the best teams in the conference, while still acknowledging that there was room to grow.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, things haven’t gone well since that day. The team announced that James Harden broke his thumb in the win, Donovan Mitchell was added to the injury report with a groin strain, and the Cavs lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday due to poor perimeter defense.

A loss in the standings wasn’t the only thing the Cavs suffered that day. Three new rotation players have been added to the injury report. Keon Ellis has broken his left index finger, Dean Wade has a right ankle sprain, and Dennis Schroder also has a right ankle sprain.

This has all led to the following injury report for Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons:

• Donovan Mitchell – OUT, groin strain
• James Harden – QUESTIONABLE, broken thumb
• Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE, right ankle sprain
• Dennis Schroder – QUESTIONABLE, right ankle sprain
• Keon Ellis – QUESTIONABLE, right ankle sprain
• Max Strus – OUT, left foot Jones fracture

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The severity of any of the new injuries isn’t known at this time.

The most concerning part of the injury report is Mitchell missing his second game in a row with a groin strain. It seems like Mitchell has battled some kind of injury in late February/early March for the past few seasons. This groin strain is the latest one.

The Cavs need Mitchell at his best if they’re going to meet playoff expectations. Shutting him down for several games, if needed, would be in their long-term best interest. We’ll likely find out more information about his injury on Friday evening when head coach Kenny Atkinson speaks with the media.

Harden is expected to play through his thumb injury and could return to the court for this matchup.

The three new names on the injury report of Ellis, Wade, and Schroder are concerning. Each fills a vital role for this team that isn’t easily replaced.

We’ll see which of the questionable players are available to play. At the very least, it’s disappointing that the Cavs will be without their best player and could be missing several key contributors in Friday’s matchup with Detroit.

Multiple US Olympic men's ice hockey players have apologized for their team's response after President Donald Trump joked he would "have to" invite the women's team to the White House too.

The gold-winning men's team took a congratulatory call from Trump last weekend as they celebrated their final victory over Canada, where the president extended an invitation to Washington DC.

Locker room footage show several male athletes laughing as the president joked that he would be "impeached" if he did not also invite the US women, who also won gold, to his State of the Union address.

Both Trump's joke and the reaction have drawn intense criticism, which has overshadowed the historic triumphs, and the women's side later declined an invitation from Trump to Tuesday's speech, citing prior commitments.

"Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment. You know, things just happened really quick there," Charlie McAvoy told reporters ahead of an NHL game Thursday.

"If you know the relationships that we have... with the women's team and how we've supported them, it's certainly not reflective of how we feel," said McAvoy, a defenseman for the Boston Bruins.

His US teammate Jake Sanderson told journalists the laughter had been "a bit of a mistake" that "got blown out of proportion a little bit," while reserve goaltender Jeremy Swayman said "We should've reacted differently."

Auston Matthews, the gold-winning US men's team captain, told a press conference Wednesday that the situation resulting from Trump's joke about the women's team was "unfortunate." 

Some 20 players from the men's team were feted in the Oval Office at the White House and again at Trump's speech before a joint session of Congress. Trump gave goaltender Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A handful of men's players did not attend.

During his State of the Union address, Trump said the women's team "will soon be coming to the White House."

Hilary Knight, captain of the victorious women's team, said it was unfortunate that a "distasteful joke" by Trump had overshadowed the achievements of US athletes at the Milan-Cortina Games.

"How we speak about women matters, and we need to celebrate this team," Knight said Thursday on "Good Morning America." 

The team has yet to determine whether to visit the White House, ESPN reported.

But the women's team are set to attend a celebratory event in Las Vegas this July hosted by rapper Flavor Flav.

"If the USA Women's Hockey Team wants a real celebration and invite… I'll host them in Las Vegas," the rapper had earlier written on Instagram.

"Do some nice dinners and shows and good times. I'm sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real."

amz/bb

The Pittsburgh Steelers organization is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, as the newly revealed survey results from the 2026 NFL Players Association annual report cards painted the Steel City brand of football in a negative light.

According to ESPN's Kalyn Kahler, the Steelers ranked dead last out of all 32 NFL teams, sliding down four spots from their No. 28 ranking in 2025.

Kahler reported that the Steelers received low grades in multiple categories, including owner Art Rooney II ranking last for "willingness to invest in facilities."

Additionally, the Steelers' Acrisure Stadium was the "lowest-rated home field in the league," with players pointing to "excessive wear" from high school and colleges playing their games there.

To make matters worse, the Steelers' locker room received an F grade, with players claiming it has "only five bathroom stalls for the entire team."

Kahler continued that the Steelers' training room and strength coaches were also areas criticized.

Steelers senior director of communications Burt Lauten told ESPN that the team wouldn't comment on a report they haven't "seen in its entirety."

For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers ranked worst NFL team by 2026 NFLPA survey

While many are campaigning to get a spot on the UFC's highly talked-about event at the White House, some others are not.

Brandon Moreno, a former UFC flyweight champion, was asked on Wednesday at the UFC Fight Night 268 media day if he'd like to participate in that event, should he beat Lone'er Kavanagh this Saturday, and be able to make a quick return to competition. The Mexican fighter was visibly bothered by the question and gave the reporter a quick response.

"Brother, tell me why would I want to fight there?" Moreno said in Spanish. "It's motivating for who? You? I'm not interested at all, thank you."

Moreno (23-9-2 MMA, 11-6-2 UFC) takes on Kavanagh (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 268 in a five-round bout. This is his first fight of 2026, and he hopes this is the first of many. Moreno saw a two-fight winning streak come to an end this past December against Tatsuro Taira, slowing down his plans to regain the belt at 125 pounds. Moreno wants to fight often, so he can get back to title contention as soon as possible.

"Look, this fight for me, and this was also a reason why I never thought about pulling out, was because I want to star in the conversation and I want to stay relevant," Moreno explained. "I'm someone that tries to stay focused on the opponent ahead, which in this case is Lone'r, but I'm very aware that this year I want to be very active. I want to win, come out unscathed, and raise my hand to get a return as quickly as possible. My mind and body are aligned right now, and I think I can make it happen."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Former UFC champion has no interest being a part of White House event

Shams Charania: The return: Taj Gibson has agreed on a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. At 40 years old, Gibson is back in the NBA for his 17th season – a big man regarded as a consummate leader and professional over his career.

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Taj Gibson returns to the NBA at age 40 with Grizzlies

Watch The Dealmaking 3 of the Week:

This week of The Dealmaking 3 with “The Sports Professor” Rick Horrow features less invasive anti-doping blood draws as the latest trend at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Whoop signing its first F1 deal with Ferrari N.V. (NYSE: RACE) as its global growth continues, and the Teddy Bridgewater Act which is expected to make a difference in the funding of high school sports in Florida.

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The Dodgers continued their unbeaten streak in Cactus League play Thursday, taking a narrow 7-6 win over the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

Tyler Glasnow made his first start of spring training , and struck out four batters while recording six straight outs. He came out for the first batter of the third inning and allowed a hit, which turned into an earned run after the runner scored following his exit from the contest.

The Dodgers took the lead in the first inning through a Freddie Freeman sacrifice fly, and extended their lead to two in the bottom of the second through a Miguel Rojas RBI single.

Their lead didn’t last long, though, as two-run homer in the top of the third from Tanner Murray leveled the score and a sacrifice fly fro, Lenyn Sosa gave the White Sox the lead. An Edgar Quero single extended their lead even further, putting the Dodgers at a two-run deficit by the end of the half inning.

L.A. didn’t just sit back, with Teoscar Hernandez plating Will Smith with a grounder to third in the bottom of the inning before hitting a solo homer to left center two innings later to even the scores once again.

The White Sox took the lead back in the top of the sixth through Curtis Mead’s solo homer off of Ben Casparius, but the Dodgers more than made up for it in the bottom of the sixth. Keston Hiura and Hyeseong Kim crushed back-to-back homers to give L.A. a one-run lead, then Josue De Paula hit an RBI single later in the inning to extend the Dodgers’ lead to two.

Chicago pulled one back in the top of the eighth for the White Sox with an RBI triple — his first hit of the spring — but Kyle Hurt and Jordan Weems managed to keep the White Sox quiet for the remainder of the game.

The win brings the Dodgers’ record to 6-0, and they stand as the only team in both the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League yet to lose a game.

The Dodgers jump straight back into action Friday, facing off against the San Francisco Giants on the road at 12:05 p.m. PT.

Earlier this week, Joan Laporta – who is running for re-election as Barcelona president – launched his new book, titled “Así salvamos al Barça” (This is how we save Barça). One of the sections was devoted to addressing the continued allegations aimed at the Catalan club regarding the Negreira case.

Laporta has regularly denied any allegations of wrongdoing in relation to Barcelona’s payments to Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees. As per Marca, he did so again in his book.

“There is no evidence to show that the payments made by FC Barcelona to companies linked to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees influenced the selection of referees or altered the results of matches. I invite all those who accuse us of refereeing corruption with such levity and frivolity to specify the match, the goal, the play or the suspicious act of favouritism that allegedly occurred as a result of this technical advice.”

Image via Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Laporta: Real Madrid have appointed referees for 70 years

Rather, Laporta took the opportunity to point the finger at Real Madrid. He believes the Bernabeu club have directly benefitted from a string of appointments at the CTA, dating as far back as 70 years ago.

“It is worth remembering that, for seven decades and almost uninterruptedly, the presidents of the referees’ committees, under their various names, were Real Madrid fans, former players or former managers and, in some cases, all three at the same time. That is to say, for seventy years, the members, former players or former directors of Real Madrid appointed the referees who had to dispense justice on the field of play in each and every one of the matches of La Liga and the Copa del Rey. That was, without a doubt, the biggest scandal in the history of Spanish football!”

Vincenzo Italiano feels Bologna ‘did enough over the two games’ to deserve their Europa League play-off success against SK Brann, as they prepare to face Roma or Freiburg.

The Rossoblu had the benefit of the first leg 1-0 victory in Norway, but were told as they warmed up that Fiorentina had managed to throw away a 3-0 advantage in the Conference League with Jagiellonia.

They still had a shaky start, requiring three big Lukasz Skorupski saves and a Remo Freuler goal-line clearance, but Jacob Sorensen’s red card damaged Brann.

Joao Mario eventually drilled in the winning goal after one of 13 corners, with Benjamin Dominguez hitting the woodwork in stoppages.

Italiano expected Bologna struggle

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, speaks to his players during warm up prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Bologna FC 1909 and SK Brann at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on February 26, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“The first 20 minutes were honestly what I expected, because Brann only had one result to go for, so they were forced to come out fighting,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“We made a few too many mistakes, we could’ve done more with Rowe and Bernardeschi in good positions. Once we had an extra man, we made the most of the situation, and I think between the two games, we did enough to deserve qualification.

“Our target was to stay in the Cup competitions in March, we did it in Europe and unfortunately not the Coppa Italia.”

Another reason why Brann were moving in a different gear is that their domestic league is on hiatus, so they’ve been able to focus only on the Europa League.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Joao Mario of Bologna celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates Nikola Moro and Martin Vitik during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Bologna FC 1909 and SK Brann at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on February 26, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“It was very important to get the first leg result, because we knew Brann would be in good shape, especially as we have so many matches to contend with. We knew their tempo could be a problem for us, we played an intelligent game in Norway.

“They caused us issues this evening for the first 20 minutes, but we are managing to remain more solid and avoid dangerous counter-attacks, which we allowed too often in recent months.”

Bologna are through to the Europa League Round of 16, and will find out in tomorrow’s draw if they will be paired with SC Freiburg or their fellow Italians Roma.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Federico Bernardeschi of Bologna is challenged by Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson of SK Brann during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Bologna FC 1909 and SK Brann at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on February 26, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Jens Odgaard was a substitute this evening, but the coach hits back at suggestions he is no longer a first choice player for Bologna.

“I read someone this week say that Odgaard was pushed to the margins of the squad, that’s just unthinkable. We rested him with so many games, then changed strategy, but he showed when he came off the bench what he can do with that ability to keep the ball. He remains an important player for us, whether he starts or not,” insisted Italiano.

“Joao Mario is introverted, shy, and I think he needs to start smiling more. I was a little worried at first, to be honest, but he relaxed and is now showing why he played regularly for Porto and was signed by Juventus. He can play on the right or left, he did well defensively and scoring a goal today.”

They often say the NFL is a "copy cat" league, where each team is desperately seeking the "next" version of whatever has been working. Right now, the Seattle Seahawks are the talk of the town as Super Bowl LX champions... especially their quarterback, Sam Darnold.

Cast aside years ago, and perennially labeled a "bust" or constantly questioned, Darnold proved everyone wrong by helping guide the Seahawks to their second-ever Lombardi trophy. Darnold showed the league that young quarterbacks who flame out elsewhere can still reclaim their career, given the right opportunity. Now, this has teams questioning all sorts of previously held beliefs regarding certain players. The NFL is likely on the search for the next "Sam Darnold."

Football talk show host and analyst Rich Eisen recently spoke how he believes another quarterback under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan might be the next to make this sort of leap: Mac Jones.

"Mac Jones, in my estimation, is the most likely candidate to be the next Sam Darnold of anybody else."

—@richeisen on Mac Jones' potential after being under the Kyle Shanahan system 👀

(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/w4tW9GkaME

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 23, 2026

The comparison makes sense. Jones didn't fall out quite as hard as Darnold did, but his tenure in New England came to an unceremonious end with multiple benching's. Jones started seven games in Jacksonville last season, where he went 2-5, had eight touchdown passes against eight interceptions. However, he may have extended his career with strong play for the Niners this past season. In relief of the injured Brock Purdy, Jones went 5-3 as a starter in San Francisco, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Jones is under contract with the Niners for another season, but that could make him incredibly attractive for an NFL team to take a chance on him. Trade for him, see what he can do, and if it's anything worthwhile, sign him to another short term deal.

Whatever the case may be, Sam Darnold's success with the Seahawks in 2025 is going to get plenty of other "cast-off" quarterbacks a second or even third look.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: NFL free agency: the NFL is on the hunt for the next "Sam Darnold"

Speculation around Jurgen Klopp's role with Red Bull is dismissed, Chelsea remain in pole position to land Murillo and Wolves' asking price for Mateus Mane is putting off Liverpool and Manchester United.

Reports that Jurgen Klopp will leave his role as head of global soccer at the Red Bull organisation are "complete nonsense and totally unfounded", says CEO Oliver Mintzlaff. (Sky Sports Germany - in German)

Liverpool are firmly in the frame for Nottingham Forest's 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo, although Chelsea still lead the pursuit. (Teamtalk)

Serbia international Dusan Vlahovic favours a switch to Barcelona when his Juventus contract ends this summer, although Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea remain in the hunt to sign the 26-year-old forward. (Teamtalk)

Arsenal and Manchester City are considering bids of £30m for Atalanta left-back Honest Ahanor. Chelsea are also interested in the 18-year-old Nigerian. (Caught Offside)

Liverpool and Manchester United will not pay Wolves' £50m asking price for 18-year-old England youth international Mateus Mane this summer as they consider the midfielder too raw. (Football Insider)

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney is targeting silverware in Saudi Arabia with current club Al-Ahli, but the Englishman, 29, is not ruling out a return to the Premier League. (Talksport)

Forward Nicolas Jackson is set to return to Chelsea. The 24-year-old Senegal international moved to Bayern Munich on loan last summer, but the Bundesliga champions are not keen on a permanent switch. (CFBayernInsider)

Newcastle United are looking at Brighton's Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and Manchester City's English stopper James Trafford, both 23, as they target finding a long-term successor for England international Nick Pope, 33. (The i Newspaper - subscription required)

Newcastle United are also watching Union Saint-Gilloise winger Anan Khalaili. The 21-year-old Israel international has scored three times in the Champions League this season. (Mail+ - subscription required)

Liverpool's 19-year-old winger Trent Kone-Doherty, from Northern Ireland, might soon leave to join Norwegian club Molde despite being offered a new contract at Anfield. (Football Insider)

Napoli inserted a clause in the deal of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen's switch to Galatasaray which means the Turkish club will have to pay them up to £60m if they sell the 27-year-old to an Italian club. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)

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It’s no secret that out of all 32 NCAA Division-I conferences, the Western Athletic Conference is one that has been hit the hardest by the conference realignment carousel. One thing is for sure: in the conference’s 64-year history, the WAC has certainly remained resilient throughout.

Losing their last charter members to the Mountain West in 1999, ceasing to sponsor FBS football in 2012, and its last-ditch attempt to create a formidable mid-major basketball conference that also happened to sponsor FCS football ultimately flamed out with a slow mass exodus of schools looking for more stable pastures and memberships in the coveted FBS level.

It was an uncertain way to kick off the 2020s, but looking back, change has been the name of the game in the WAC since its inception. Now, what’s left of the conference is giving it one last hurrah before being disbanded, realigned and rebranded come July.

For a longtime the WAC has been extremely top heavy. After the exodus of the FBS Football schools in 2013, only six different schools, out of a possible membership of eighteen different teams have brought a conference title home.

The championship spread is as follows:

New Mexico State: 6 Regular Season Championships, 6 Conference Tournament Titles

Grand Canyon: 2 Regular Season Championships, 4 Conference Tournament Titles

Utah Valley: 4 Regular Season Championships, 0 Conference Tournament Titles

Cal State Bakersfield: 1 Regular Season Championship, 1 Conference Tournament Title

Seattle: 1 Regular Season Championship, 0 Conference Tournament Titles

Stephen F. Austin: 1 Regular Season Championship, 0 Conference Tournament Titles

With Grand Canyon’s departure to the Mountain West this past summer, only one former championship program remained, Utah Valley.

The Preseason Poll appears to be holding true as we approach the end of February. Back in October the predicted order of finish was as follows:

The only real distinction may be Abilene Christian and Utah Tech swapping places in the standings. So, who are the contenders in the WAC’s final men’s basketball iteration? I’d say it’s currently a three-team title race, with one dark horse candidate in fourth, with enough games to still win it all.

Utah Valley Wolverines

Utah Valley has become a smaller carbon copy of the Utah State gig a few hours up the I-15. Coaches win in Orem; it may take a season or two, but Wolverine fans are becoming accustomed to hanging up banners inside the UCCU Center. Even as the University remains embroiled in a public legal battle against the WAC, its teams continue to challenge for championships.

Through non-conference play, the Wolverines went 10-3, with solid wins over Big West title contenders UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. Todd Phillips logged his second straight 20-win season last week. Currently sitting atop the conference standings with a 20-7, 10-4 record.-

The Wolverines have been led by Jackson Holcombe, who boasts a Swiss army knife stat line of 15.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, a league-leading 2.4 SPG, and 1.3 BPG in just 29.1 MPG. The 6-7, 215 guard returned to Utah Valley after being a primary option off the bench for Coach Phillips last season. He’s blossomed into one of the most impactful players in the conference.

Four other Wolverines average double-digits, including sniper Tyler Hendricks (45.8% from deep on 4.9 attempts a game) and floor general Trevan Leonhardt, who averages a league-leading 6.0 APG. Utah Valley is a program anchored in top-quality defense, currently a borderline top 50 team per KenPom.

And with a lineup featuring players with high major size, length and athleticism throughout. It’s easy to see why Utah Valley sits atop the conference yet again. The only team out of the four in contention to have earned WAC hardware since their arrival to the conference thirteen seasons ago. They have four games to go on their schedule, split in half between home and away games. Not the easiest route to their 5th and final WAC championship, but what a way to go out before the program departs for the Big West this summer.

Utah Tech Trailblazers

The Trailblazers may be one of the more pleasant surprises of the season so far. Longtime Head Coach Jon Judkins is enroute to posting Utah Tech’s first ever finish above .500 in their short Division I history.

Utah Tech stumbled its way through non-conference play with a 7-7 record to show for it. But with important experience, having played three high-majors on the road and losing three games by single digits. It may have taken them some time to gel together as a unit, but the patience has paid off. Currently sitting in second, behind only .5 games with a record of 17-12 and 10-5 in WAC play.

Coach Judkins managed to retain his top freshmen talent from last season and built a title contender around them. Adding three future starters in Ethan Potter (Utah Valley), Noah Bolanga (St. Bonaventure) and Jusaun Holt (Kennesaw State) via the Portal. Along with one via local Juco Snow College in Chance Trujillo.

The Trailblazers have already played 15 conference games and have only three left on their schedule. With two being comfortably at home inside Burns Arena. Where Utah Tech is 10-2 this season, building their fortress in St. George one game at a time.

California Baptist

Rick Croy’s group enjoyed a fruitful non-conference slate, with notable wins over UC Irvine, which itself is in a battle for the Big West’s title and Oregon State. They also took on three of the top teams in the Big 12, coming up short each time, but only by a margin of 7.0 PPG against the Buffaloes and Utes. While Top-25-ranked BYU was a different story entirely.

The Lancers started conference play with a three-game losing streak. Falling on the road to Utah Valley, UT Arlington and Tarleton State, all in a week’s time. Since they’ve enjoyed the spoils of an eight-game winning streak, mostly at home. They currently boast a 19-8, 9-5 record, good enough for third in the conference.

California Baptist hasn’t been immune to the injury bug, but has kept their stars relatively healthy (only one player has played in all twenty-seven games). This has helped fuel their run in WAC play thus far. Led by Preseason WAC Player of the Year Dominique Daniels Jr. and his league leading 22.0 PPG. The under six-foot scoring guard continues to be one of the toughest defensive assignments in the conference, supported in the scoring column by Martel Williams and his 13.3 PPG.

The Lancers also embrace a defense-first philosophy. Then they rely on their dynamic scoring duo to bridge the gap when necessary. Coach Croy’s group has three of its final four games to be played at home in the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. California Baptist is currently undefeated this season, with a 12-0 record at home. Do they have the easiest path to a regular-season title? It certainly isn’t the toughest.

UT Arlington Mavericks

The dark horse candidate still technically in the running for their first WAC title are KT Turner’s Mavericks. UT Arlington would have to win three straight to pull this off, and everyone currently in front of them in the standings would have to lose the rest of their games for them to earn a share of the title, but hey, anything’s possible, right?

Coach Turner’s group began WAC play with a hot hand, going 4-1 in their first five games. But have since struggled, including a five-game losing streak to kick off the month of February. Like others listed above, UT Arlington pride themselves on stellar defense (ranked 60th nationally per KenPom) but has struggled to put the ball in the basket.

Entering conference play, they were 8-4. Led by preseason all-conference selection Raysean Seamster and Northern Colorado transfer Marcell McCreary. The Mavericks welcomed an impressive recruiting class, but like others have fallen victim to the parity in the WAC this season. Coach Turner can certainly help get these guys to their first WAC title, but they head on the road to Stephenville and Abilene to end the regular season. Not the easiest way to finish the season.

The final standings could look different in a few weeks. But, the numbers favor Utah Valley as regular-season champions. Would fans love to see the Trailblazers, Lancers, or Mavericks earn their first-ever and last possible piece of WAC hardware? Of course, but remember, there’s always the last WAC Tournament title if the Wolverines happen to beat everyone to the finish line.

Larry Muniz is a Mountain West Basketball beat writer for Couch Potato Sports along with West Coast mid-major coverage at Mid-Major Madness.

On a happy night in Vigo, with Celta's qualification, we have learned about the four new teams that have qualified for the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League.

The evening has been exciting, especially in Belgium with a Genk-Dinamo Zagreb match that found resolution in extra time with an unexpected 3-3. 

Bologna narrowly defeated Brann and will face either Roma or Freiburg. Forest, after eliminating a strong Fenerbahçe, will be up against Betis or Midtjylland. 

Olympique Lyon or Aston Villa await Celta in the round of 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

He keeps going "endlessly."

Giroud made the difference for Lille to reach the Europa League Round of 16 by leaving his mark this Thursday (26).

He has now scored 11 goals in European tournaments since turning 35 years old.

Almost forty—he's 39—the French striker has joined a list full of stars. See below.

Lille was one of the eight teams to qualify for the Round of 16 after the second leg of the playoffs. 

Check out the highlights and possible matchups to be confirmed this Friday (27) below.

A list to respect, huh!

After losing at home 1-0, Lille needed to win at the Rajko Mitic, the Marakana.

And they opened the scoring in Serbia with Giroud, just four minutes in. 

He now figures on the list of players with 11 or more goals in major European competitions after turning 35.

It was the third goal of the 2018 World Cup champion with France in the current UEL edition.

Red Star improved in the second half, but the decision went to extra time.

And it was up to Ngoy to secure Lille's qualification at 99'.

Penalties and more excitement in the other games

After losing away 2-1, Hungarian side Ferencváros knocked out Bulgarian Ludogorets by winning 2-0.

Goals by Kanichowsky and Zachariassen still in the first half. 

There was another draw between Viktoria Plzeň and Panathinaikos.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the 1-1 in Czechia took the decision to penalties.

And the Greek team won 4-3.

In the other game that kicked off at 2:45 p.m., Stuttgart managed the big advantage they built in Scotland.

They were defeated by Celtic (1-0), but had won 4-1 in the first leg. 

Bologna had already won away and confirmed their qualification by beating Norwegian side Brann again, 1-0. 

Sorensen made things harder for the visitors by being sent off at 37 minutes. And João Mário scored the game's only goal at 56'.

Celta also confirmed their favoritism with another win.

They had won 2-1 in Greece and this time beat PAOK 1-0.

Swedberg scored at 63'. 

Fenerbahce dreamed after conceding 3-0 at home. 

Akturkoglu opened the scoring at 22 after a mistake by Murillo.

And extended the lead after a penalty committed by Jair in the first attack of the second half.

Vitor Pereira had made four substitutions at once.

And Forest took control of the game.

And two of the players who came on made the difference. Play by Ola Aina and goal by Hudson-Odoi (68'). 

Fener didn’t give up. Forest had chances to tie and even turn it around, but both sides lacked precision. And the English team advanced 4-2 on aggregate. 

Only Galatasaray and Samsunspor (Conference) will represent Turkish football in the UEFA tournaments' Round of 16.

Belgian side Genk won 3-1 on Croatian soil, opening a good lead. 

And saw Dinamo Zagreb strike back in regulation time.

The visitors took the lead with Bakrar (47). Sor (51') equalized.

But Stojkovic (57' and 75') took the decision to extra time.

Extra time came, and with it, a Genk goal, with Perez Vinlof scoring an own goal (101') 

Hero in regulation, Stojkovic left the Belgian team with ten men two minutes later.

And Genk made it 3-3 thanks to Heymans (114'). Securing a 6-4 aggregate win.

Possible matchups

The UEL Round of 16 matchups will be decided this Friday (27) starting at 8 a.m. (Brasília time).

But there are already predictions, as UEFA determined the possible pairings since the playoff draw.

The teams that advanced directly to the Round of 16 and were just waiting will host the first leg matches. 

These are Lyon (1st), Aston Villa (2nd), Midtjylland (3rd), Betis (4th), Porto (5th), Braga (6th), Freiburg (7th), and Roma (8th).

See the possible matchups below: 

Ferencváros 🆚 Porto or Braga

Panathinaikos 🆚 Midtjylland or Betis

Genk 🆚 Freiburg or Roma

Celta 🆚 Lyon or Aston Villa

Stuttgart 🆚 Porto or Braga

Nottingham Forest 🆚 Midtjylland or Betis

Bologna 🆚 Freiburg or Roma

Lille 🆚 Lyon or Aston Villa

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Northern Ireland's Josh Rock says it was a "special" feeling to hit his first Premier League nine-darter at Belfast's SSE Arena on Thursday.

The 24-year-old from Broughshane in County Antrim lost his quarter-final 6-2 to Gian van Veen of the Netherlands, but picked up a set of 18ct gold darts worth £30,000 for his perfect leg.

It was the 22nd nine-darter in the competition's history and Rock said achieving the feat more than made up for his exit on the night.

"Being from Northern Ireland and hitting a nine-darter in front of Belfast is phenomenal," Rock told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane.

"My consistency in the Premier League is good but tonight, the 6-2 (defeat) I don't even care. I've hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd and enjoyed that even more.

"When it [ninth dart] left my hand and the double 12 went in, I just thought 'I've hit a nine-darter in Belfast'. My body is still shaking; I had to shake my shoulders to calm myself down, but I'm buzzing.

"Nine-darters don't come around too often, but to hit one in the Premier League in Belfast - what a feeling."

Rock is without a win in his Premier League debut season, losing 6-2 in each of his four matches and admitted he was feeling the pressure in front of his home fans.

However, he is hopeful his nine-darter in Belfast can act as a catalyst for the rest of the season.

"I hope this gives me the belief to push on for the rest of the Premier League," he added.

"I know what I can do and tonight, I didn't feel the pressure, but when I stood on that stage I felt added pressure and just wanted to perform. When I hit the first 180 and second 180, I just thought 'please hit this for everybody', and I did.

"To be classed as one of the leading players in the PDC and the world is a great feeling. From a Northern Ireland perspective, there's not a lot of us in the world but to do that in front of the home crowd is massive."

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Nate Tice & Matt Harmon join forces LIVE in Indianapolis to reveal 9 big moves they’re rooting for this NFL offseason. The duo kick things off with thoughts on the Tennessee Titans trading for former New York Jets EDGE Jermaine Johnson. In other news, the Indianapolis Colts and Anthony Richardson are seeking a trade partner, and Matt thinks the Kansas City Chiefs could be an interesting fit for the reclamation project. The duo also discuss the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars and how they should approach upgrading their offense.

Next, Nate & Matt hit on one wide receiver the New England Patriots NEED to draft, one the Las Vegas Raiders need to sign and two who we could see traded this offseason.

Later, Nate diagnoses what the Chiefs offense needs to get back on track, plus a few of his favorite defensive free agents, while Matt has one skill player the Washington Commanders need to go after in the 2026 NFL Draft.

(1:45) - Titans trade for EDGE Jermaine Johnson

(6:30) - Moves we want to see: Anthony Richardson, Jaguars & Saints offensive upgrades

(22:50) - Moves we want to see: Patriots and Raiders offensive targets, A.J. Brown & DJ Moore trades

(38:40) - Moves we want to see: Chiefs offensive upgrades, Commanders draft target, Nate’s favorite defensive FAs

(Greg Fiume & Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out all episodes of Football 301 with Nate Tice and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is upon us for the rest of the week, as the top draft prospects will test and interview for NFL teams in hopes of hearing their names called later this offseason.

But the combine isn’t only a time where teams meet with prospects. It’s also an opportunity for head coaches and executives of teams to talk with one another ahead of the new league year, where trade talk and other business can begin to happen.

Just last year, the 49ers agreed to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick during the week of the Combine. Now, with San Francisco looking to bolster its roster this offseason, could they look to make another trade or two?

If so, those conversations could start up this week, as general manager John Lynch noted that there are only a few times when most general managers are around each other to strike up those conversations.

“Oh, I think that’s accurate for sure,” Lynch said this week in regards to whether a lot of trade talks start at the Combine. “I thought you were talking like evaluations of players long before, and that sometimes is the case too. But, absolutely.

“There’s a couple, three probably, inflection points. Usually down at Mobile (at the Senior Bowl), you get most GMs are down there, then at the Combine, and then at league meetings. So, usually at one of those places, a lot of those conversations. And this week it’s kind of, everybody’s in that mindset coming off the season, now you’re really looking forward. And yes, a lot of those conversations have commenced, and the inception of them was here, and some finish here.”

The 49ers could be players in free agency this offseason with some extra money to spend, but they may also look to the trade market to fill some of their needs. One of those may be at defensive line, where San Francisco could use additional help both on the edge and in the middle. While there are some edge candidates in free agency, such as Jaelen Phillips, Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, and Khalil Mack, the 49ers could opt for a player with a better contract and send out draft capital in return.

Similarly, without much of a defensive tackle class in free agency, San Francisco could target an upgrade there via trade, as they did with Maliek Collins two years ago.

There is also the possibility of sending a player out, with Renardo Green being a rumored option for trade recently. ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Ben Solak gave an 80 percent chance that Green would be traded this offseason, noting the fit and the inconsistencies over his first two years. So perhaps those conversations could also begin to take place this week.

We’ll see what the 49ers elect to do in the coming weeks. But the trade market could be their way to upgrading and offloading their roster this offseason.

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Could Antoine Griezmann really be headed to Orlando City SC — and if so, would he be the one player capable of challenging Lionel Messi for MLS supremacy? We kick things off by diving into the rumor, the fit, and what Griezmann’s personality and playing style would mean for the league. Is this realistic, or just classic MLS chaos?

Then NJ/NY Gotham FC defender Mandy Freeman joins the show. She reflects on Gotham’s improbable championship run, the weight of expectations heading into the new season, and what it’s like being a 10-year NWSL veteran who’s seen the league evolve from host families and modest crowds to sold-out stadiums. Mandy also opens up about her love of fashion and gives a thoughtful critique of the NWSL’s new High Impact Player rule — explaining why raising the ceiling doesn’t necessarily raise the floor for players across the league.

We wrap with Champions League drama: Weston McKennie continues to shine, but did Juventus FC let him down again? Is it time for him to seek a bigger move? Vinícius Júnior delivers another electric performance against SL Benfica, while FK Bodø/Glimt stun Inter Milan — raising serious questions about what’s happening with Italian teams in Europe this season.

Timestamps:

(7:30) – Griezmann to Orlando!? Can he dethrone Messi in MLS?

(18:00) - Gotham FC defender Mandy Freeman joins The Cooligans

(42:00) – Weston Mckennie continues to shine but Juve is failing him

(53:30) – Vini Jr. Shuts up Benfica with another amazing performance

(59:00) - Bodø/Glimt stun Inter Milan

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Entering this week, it looked as though the USC women’s basketball team might have finally figured things out. While Sunday’s loss to Ohio State was disappointing, the Trojans had won six in a row prior to that, and put up a strong fight against a top ten opponent.

Hence, Wednesday’s matchup with Penn State, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, was supposed to be an easy victory. The task at hand for the Women of Troy was simple: get in, win the game, get out without an my injuries, and get ready for Sunday’s massive rivalry matchup with No. 2 UCLA.

Well, mission failed. USC let the matchup become a trap game and somehow fell 85-82 to a Penn State team that entered the contest with just three Big Ten wins.

USC’s season is not over. The Trojans will still get their shot at UCLA on Sunday, followed by the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. But how can we expect the Women of Troy to compete with some of the best teams in the country when they could not even beat one of the worst?

At this point in the season, time is not on USC’s side. Lindsay Gottlieb and company must go back to the drawing board and get things figured out quickly, or else the Trojans will not be playing very deep into March this year.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball falls 88-85 to Penn State

CBS Sports moved the Florida Gators to a No. 2 seed following Wednesday night's win over the Texas Longhorns,

Bracketology experts David Cobb and Jacob Fetner made the Orange and Blue the focus of their Thursday update, noting the Gators' strong finish against the Longhorns all but guaranteed the seeding change. Florida has trended upward over the last couple of weeks, and dominating the final eight minutes of Wednesday's game helped UF secure its spot with three regular-season games left to play.

"It appeared the Gators were headed for a fight to the finish. That would have been a rarity for a Florida team that has largely rolled through its SEC schedule," Cobb wrote. "But what happened next illustrated why the Gators are trending up to the No. 2 seed line in CBS Sports Bracketology and why they should be feared as a legitimate contender to repeat as national champions."

The Gators ended things on a 23-7 run, winning by double-digits. Florida kept scoring, and Texas's offense disappeared in the clutch.

"It was a stretch of nearly perfect basketball that should serve as a warning shot to the rest of college basketball," wrote Cobb. "The Gators are coming."

Cobb pointed to Florida's improved 3-point shooting as the key difference maker. Florida made 10 or more buckets from deep just twice in its first 23 games. The Gators have done it three times in the last five games, even with an 8-for-18 performance against the Longhorns. A 44.4% night from three was a distant dream at the beginning of the season, but Todd Golden's group has gotten there.

Florida has remained in the top 15 of the KenPom efficiency ratings all season long, but expected values don't always lead to the predicted outcome. Early-season losses to projected No. 1 seeds Arizona, Duke and UConn put Florida in catch-up mode. The Gators have finally caught up, reaching the No. 7 ranking in wins above bubble, a key metric when it comes to deciding seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

"Now the question is whether there's enough runway left for Florida to creep into the No. 1 seed conversation," Cobb said. "... The Gators finally have top-eight results-based metrics to pair with top-five predictive metrics. The push for a repeat is in full swing."

It won't be easy to overtake any of those three teams mentioned above for a No. 1 seed, and Michigan has looked like a national championship contender all year. Still, Florida is making a case.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.StoryBlock

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball: CBS Sports bracketology after win over Texas

The NFL recently sued the NFLPA to keep their report cards from being published to the public, but since the lawsuit, the NFLPA has stated that they will continue to run their report cards, distribute them among the union and not publish their findings on their website. That doesn’t prevent union members from leaking this information to the press, though.

On Thursday, Cheesehead TV’s Aaron Nagler was able to acquire some of the report card notes on the Green Bay Packers. Here’s what was shared:

The Green Bay Packers fell 14 spots, to 21st overall in this year’s Report Card – the steepest year-over-year decline of any team. The drop is driven largely by the decline in ratings for the training room and training staff, which now rank in the bottom third of the league. Players report a lack of space and outdated recovery equipment, along with a lack of communication and trust in the training room. These issues are a top priority players identify to be addressed.

Players report that the team does not provide gameday childcare, as most teams do, contributing to their bottom-third ranking for treatment of families. The team’s nutrition program similarly ranks near the bottom, with players wanting improved nutrition plans and more nutritious food options to better support these plans. Head coach Matt LaFleur dropped a full letter grade this season and ranks second to last in the league in respect for players.

As Nagler noted on Twitter, the Packers are currently redoing their training room, but it’s still not a great sign that the combined room and staff ranks near the bottom of the league. Green Bay fans have long complained about the team’s injury situation for years now, but there was hope that the hiring of strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Hill in 2024 would change their fortunes. Hill came to Green Bay via the San Francisco 49ers, where he was a strength and conditioning assistant for five seasons. Over those five seasons, here’s how the 49ers ranked in terms of injury impact: 6th, 1st, 3rd, 9th and then 29th.

Since Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur’s good friend, took over the 49ers, San Francisco has been the most injured team in the NFL. After their one healthy season, Green Bay hired away a 49ers assistant to lead their strength and conditioning program.

Beyond the training room, it’s interesting to me that LaFleur “ranks second to last in the league in respect for players,” considering how many team leaders spoke up and stated that they wanted the club to retain LaFleur after the team’s playoff loss.

Either way, a historic drop in the NFLPA’s rankings is not a great look for the Packers, who generally rank high on the list. Here’s Green Bay’s history on the report card:

• 2023: 9th
• 2024: 3rd
• 2025: 7th
• 2026: 21st

—

Kalyn Kahler of ESPN has now reported the full rankings. Here’s a breakdown of them below. If grades are equal, teams are listed alphabetically.

Defensive Coordinator

1. LAC: A+
2. PHI: A+
3. SEA: A+
4. ATL: A
5. DEN: A
6. HOU: A
7. JAX: A
8. KC: A
9. LAR: A
10. MIA: A
11. NO: A
12. SF: A
13. CLE: A-
14. GB: A-
15. TB: A-
16. BAL: B+
17. CIN: B+
18. IND: B+
19. MIN: B+
20. NYJ: B+
21. BUF: B
22. CAR: B
23. DET: B
24. NE: B
25. TEN: B-
26. WAS: B-
27. ARZ: C+
28. CHI: C+
29. DAL: C
30. LV: C
31. PIT: C
32. NYG: D+

Food/Dining Area

1. DEN: A
2. HOU: A
3. LV: A
4. MIA: A
5. PHI: A
6. SF: A
7. ATL: A-
8. NO: A-
9. SEA: A-
10. WAS: A-
11. CAR: B+
12. GB: B+
13. JAX: B+
14. LAC: B+
15. NYG: B+
16. BAL: B
17. CHI: B
18. DAL: B
19. DET: B
20. IND: B
21. NYJ: B
22. TEN: B
23. BUF: B-
24. MIN: B-
25. PIT: B-
26. KC: C+
27. ARZ: C-
28. CLE: D+
29. NE: D+
30. TB: D+
31. LAR: D
32. CIN: F-

General Manager

1. CAR: A
2. DEN: A
3. IND: A
4. LAR: A
5. MIN: A
6. SEA: A
7. WAS: A
8. BAL: A-
9. BUF: A-
10. CHI: A-
11. DET: A-
12. HOU: A-
13. JAX: A-
14. LV: A-
15. MIA: A-
16. NYJ: A-
17. SF: A-
18. TB: A-
19. ATL: B+
20. GB: B+
21. KC: B+
22. LAC: B+
23. NE: B+
24. TEN: B+
25. ARZ: B
26. DAL: B
27. NO: B
28. PHI: B
29. PIT: C+
30. CIN: C
31. CLE: C
32. NYG: D+

Head Coach

1. LAR: A+
2. WAS: A+
3. CHI: A
4. DET: A
5. KC: A
6. MIN: A
7. NE: A
8. NYJ: A
9. PHI: A
10. PIT: A
11. SEA: A
12. BUF: A-
13. CAR: A-
14. CIN: A-
15. DAL: A-
16. HOU: A-
17. IND: A-
18. JAX: A-
19. NO: A-
20. SF: A-
21. ARZ: B+
22. ATL: B+
23. BAL: B
24. DEN: B
25. MIA: B
26. TB: B
27. GB: B-
28. TEN: B-
29. LAC: C+
30. LV: C+
31. NYG: C
32. CLE: C-

Arizona’s players actually liked Jonathan Gannon (B+) more than the head coach who hired him (Matt LaFleur, B-) this offseason.

Home Game Field

1. BAL: A
2. DEN: A
3. PHI: A
4. KC: A-
5. LV: A-
6. MIA: A-
7. SF: A-
8. JAX: B+
9. WAS: B+
10. ARZ: B
11. MIN: B
12. CLE: B-
13. DET: B-
14. GB: C+
15. HOU: C+
16. CHI: C
17. DAL: C
18. LAC: C
19. LAR: C
20. NO: C
21. ATL: C-
22. IND: D
23. NE: D
24. CIN: D-
25. BUF: F
26. CAR: F
27. SEA: F
28. NYG: F-
29. NYJ: F-
30. PIT: F-
31. TB: F-
32. TEN: F-

Locker Room

1. DET: A
2. GB: A
3. LV: A
4. MIN: A
5. CIN: A-
6. JAX: A-
7. LAC: A-
8. MIA: A-
9. NYJ: A-
10. CHI: B+
11. DAL: B+
12. HOU: B+
13. SEA: B+
14. ATL: B
15. BUF: B
16. NO: B
17. SF: B
18. WAS: B
19. BAL: B-
20. IND: C+
21. NE: C-
22. CAR: D+
23. TEN: D+
24. DEN: D
25. LAR: D
26. NYG: D
27. PHI: D
28. TB: D-
29. CLE: F
30. KC: F
31. ARZ: F-
32. PIT: F-

Green Bay recently built a new locker room, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they rank high here.

Nutritionist/Dietician

1. ATL: A
2. CHI: A
3. HOU: A
4. LV: A
5. NYJ: A
6. SEA: A
7. BAL: A-
8. CAR: A-
9. DET: A-
10. IND: A-
11. JAX: A-
12. KC: A-
13. LAC: A-
14. MIA: A-
15. NYG: A-
16. WAS: A-
17. DAL: B+
18. DEN: B+
19. MIN: B+
20. NO: B+
21. PHI: B+
22. SF: B+
23. ARZ: B
24. GB: B
25. LAR: B
26. NE: B
27. PIT: B
28. TEN: B
29. BUF: B-
30. TB: B-
31. CLE: C+
32. CIN: F

Offensive Coordinator

1. DAL: A
2. LAR: A
3. NE: A
4. SEA: A
5. BUF: A-
6. CAR: A-
7. CHI: A-
8. CIN: A-
9. DEN: A-
10. HOU: A-
11. MIA: A-
12. MIN: A-
13. SF: A-
14. JAX: B+
15. PIT: B+
16. WAS: B+
17. IND: B
18. TB: B
19. ARZ: B-
20. BAL: B-
21. NO: B-
22. NYJ: B-
23. KC: C+
24. NYG: C+
25. PHI: C+
26. GB: C
27. TEN: C
28. ATL: C-
29. DET: C-
30. CLE: D+
31. LAC: D-
32. LV: F

Every single team with a C+ grade or lower for offensive coordinator made a change this offseason, other than the Packers, for what that’s worth.

Position Coaches

1. BUF: A
2. LAR: A
3. CAR: A-
4. DET: A-
5. MIA: A-
6. PHI: A-
7. SEA: A-
8. SF: A-
9. ARZ: B+
10. ATL: B+
11. GB: B+
12. HOU: B+
13. MIN: B+
14. WAS: B+
15. BAL: B
16. DAL: B
17. DEN: B
18. IND: B
19. NYG: B
20. NYJ: B
21. PIT: B
22. TB: B
23. TEN: B
24. CHI: B-
25. CIN: B-
26. CLE: B-
27. NE: B-
28. NO: B-
29. KC: C+
30. LAC: C+
31. LV: C+
32. JAX: C

Special Teams Coordinator

1. JAX: A+
2. TEN: A+
3. DET: A
4. HOU: A
5. NYJ: A
6. PHI: A
7. SEA: A
8. CAR: A-
9. DEN: A-
10. LAC: A-
11. MIN: A-
12. NO: A-
13. PIT: A-
14. WAS: A-
15. ATL: B+
16. BAL: B+
17. BUF: B+
18. CIN: B+
19. DAL: B+
20. GB: B+
21. IND: B+
22. LAR: B+
23. NE: B+
24. NYG: B+
25. SF: B+
26. ARZ: B
27. KC: B
28. MIA: B
29. CHI: B-
30. TB: C+
31. LV: C-
32. CLE: D

Strength Coaches

1. MIA: A+
2. WAS: A+
3. ATL: A
4. BAL: A
5. BUF: A
6. CIN: A
7. DEN: A
8. DET: A
9. HOU: A
10. IND: A
11. JAX: A
12. LAR: A
13. LV: A
14. MIN: A
15. NO: A
16. NYJ: A
17. SEA: A
18. SF: A
19. TB: A
20. CAR: A-
21. CHI: A-
22. DAL: A-
23. NE: A-
24. PHI: A-
25. CLE: B+
26. KC: B+
27. NYG: B+
28. GB: B
29. LAC: B
30. TEN: B
31. ARZ: B-
32. PIT: B-

Team Ownership

1. BAL: A+
2. DEN: A+
3. MIN: A+
4. WAS: A+
5. ATL: A
6. DET: A
7. HOU: A
8. IND: A
9. JAX: A
10. LV: A
11. MIA: A
12. SEA: A
13. BUF: A-
14. CHI: A-
15. GB: A-
16. LAC: A-
17. NO: A-
18. SF: A-
19. DAL: B
20. LAR: B
21. NYG: B
22. NYJ: B
23. PHI: B
24. CAR: B-
25. NE: B-
26. KC: C+
27. CLE: C
28. TEN: C
29. CIN: D+
30. TB: D
31. PIT: D-
32. ARZ: F

Team Travel

1. MIA: A
2. DEN: A-
3. NO: A-
4. SEA: A-
5. ATL: B+
6. CHI: B+
7. JAX: B+
8. MIN: B+
9. NYJ: B+
10. DET: B
11. LAR: B
12. LV: B
13. BAL: B-
14. BUF: B-
15. GB: B-
16. HOU: B-
17. IND: B-
18. LAC: B-
19. WAS: B-
20. ARZ: C+
21. SF: C+
22. TEN: C+
23. DAL: C
24. NYG: C
25. CIN: C-
26. CAR: D
27. CLE: D-
28. KC: D-
29. NE: F
30. PHI: F
31. PIT: F
32. TB: F

Training Room

1. BAL: A
2. HOU: A
3. JAX: A
4. LV: A
5. MIA: A
6. NO: A
7. ATL: A-
8. CIN: A-
9. DEN: A-
10. DET: A-
11. LAC: A-
12. MIN: A-
13. SEA: A-
14. WAS: A-
15. BUF: B+
16. CAR: B
17. CHI: B
18. IND: B
19. LAR: B
20. NYJ: B
21. NYG: B-
22. PHI: B-
23. TEN: B-
24. CLE: C
25. GB: C
26. PIT: C
27. TB: C
28. KC: C-
29. NE: C-
30. SF: C-
31. ARZ: D+
32. DAL: D

Training Staff

1. ATL: A
2. DEN: A
3. HOU: A
4. LAR: A
5. LV: A
6. MIA: A
7. NO: A
8. PHI: A
9. SEA: A
10. WAS: A
11. CAR: A-
12. CIN: A-
13. JAX: A-
14. LAC: A-
15. MIN: A-
16. BUF: B+
17. DET: B+
18. IND: B+
19. NYG: B+
20. NYJ: B+
21. PIT: B+
22. TEN: B+
23. BAL: B
24. CHI: B
25. NE: B
26. ARZ: B-
27. CLE: C+
28. TB: C+
29. DAL: C
30. GB: C
31. KC: C
32. SF: C-

Treatment of Families

1. LV: A
2. MIN: A
3. ATL: B+
4. BAL: B+
5. DET: B+
6. JAX: B+
7. MIA: B+
8. NYJ: B+
9. SEA: B+
10. TEN: B+
11. WAS: B+
12. BUF: B
13. CAR: B
14. DAL: B
15. DEN: B
16. IND: B
17. NE: B
18. NO: B
19. SF: B
20. HOU: B-
21. NYG: B-
22. CHI: C+
23. GB: C+
24. LAC: C+
25. LAR: C+
26. PHI: C+
27. KC: C
28. ARZ: D+
29. TB: D
30. CLE: D-
31. PIT: F
32. CIN: F-

Weight Room

1. LV: A+
2. MIA: A+
3. ATL: A
4. BAL: A
5. BUF: A
6. CHI: A
7. DEN: A
8. DET: A
9. HOU: A
10. JAX: A
11. SF: A
12. WAS: A
13. CIN: A-
14. DAL: A-
15. GB: A-
16. LAC: A-
17. MIN: A-
18. NO: A-
19. PHI: A-
20. SEA: A-
21. TB: A-
22. CLE: B+
23. NYJ: B+
24. CAR: B
25. IND: B
26. KC: B
27. LAR: B
28. NYG: B
29. PIT: B
30. TEN: B
31. NE: C-
32. ARZ: D+

—

As a reminder, these surveys were open from November 2nd to December 11th last year, so the Packers were between 5-2-1 and 9-3-1 at the time. After the surveys closed, Green Bay lost five straight games to end the year.

If you average out the grades into letter grades, this is what the full league-wide rankings look like, unweighted (alphabetical if grades are tied):

1. DEN: A-
2. HOU: A-
3. JAX: A-
4. MIA: A-
5. MIN: A-
6. SEA: A-
7. WAS: A-
8. ATL: B+
9. BAL: B+
10. CHI: B+
11. DET: B+
12. LV: B+
13. NO: B+
14. NYJ: B+
15. SF: B+
16. BUF: B
17. CAR: B
18. DAL: B
19. GB: B
20. IND: B
21. LAC: B
22. LAR: B
23. PHI: B
24. KC: B-
25. NE: B-
26. TEN: B-
27. CIN: C+
28. NYG: C+
29. TB: C+
30. ARZ: C
31. CLE: C
32. PIT: C

Nelly Korda won the season opener but hasn't played on the LPGA since. But now we know the next two times Korda plans to see it up.

The LPGA is in midst of a three-tournament Asian swing, but Korda will be competing in the first two events when the tour returns stateside.

Korda has committed to the Fortinet Founders Cup at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, March 19-22, in Menlo Park, California, and the Ford Championship, March 26-29, at Whirlwind Golf Club, Cattail Course in Chandler, Arizona.

Korda won in Orlando on Feb. 1 to kick off 2026. It'll be about seven weeks in between competitive rounds for her. She didn't win in 2025 after earning seven victories in 2024, including four in a row that spring. Her win at the 2024 Ford was the second of those four straight (but at a different golf course).

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul is also signed up to play both the Fortinet and the Ford. Korda and Thitikul won the first two events of the LPGA's 2026 season, the first time in the 20-year history the Rolex rankings the Nos. 1 and 2 players won the first two tournaments of a season.

Third-ranked Charley Hull is not on the list for the Fortinet but is set to play in Arizona at the Ford.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Nelly Korda commits to Fortinet Founders Cup, Ford Championship

Real Madrid are in the market for a new central defender, as they seek to cover off the expected departure of David Alaba, as well as the possible one of Antonio Rudiger. They have been linked with Ibrahima Konate and Nico Schlotterbeck in recent weeks, and now a new name has been added into the mix.

Previously, Real Madrid have shown a lot of interest in William Saliba, and while he signed a new Arsenal contract earlier in the season, there could be chances in the future for him to end up at the Bernabeu. For now, he is no longer being focused on, and rather, it is his centre-back partner that club bosses are considering.

According to TEAMtalk, Real Madrid recently made an enquiry into the availability of Gabriel Magalhaes. The Brazil international has been a standout performer for Arsenal over the last 18 months, which has led Los Blancos to view him as an ideal option to strengthen their defensive ranks.

Image via Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Arsenal stance on Gabriel exit

However, there is little chance of a deal being done. Real Madrid’s enquiry was quickly rebuffed, with Arsenal making it clear that a sale is not possible at any price. Given the 28-year-old signed a new long-term contract last summer, there is no pressure for the Premier League leaders to cave, which makes it very difficult for him to end up in the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid must now consider other options. It is imperative that a top-level performer arrives this summer, especially in the event that Rudiger is not offered a new contract. It would leave Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio as their frontline central defenders, and given that the former pair have had their fair share of injury problems this season, a quality alternative is essential.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are arguably the biggest stars in men’s tennis right now, with each boasting a huge following on social media.

Alcaraz is undoubtedly the man of the moment, claiming two titles from his two tournaments in the 2026 season so far.

One of those titles arrived at the Australian Open, where he beat Djokovic in the final after the Serbian knocked out Sinner in the semifinals.

The trio fittingly occupy the top three spots in the ATP rankings, but how do their Instagram followings compare?

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic Instagram followings

Considered by many as the greatest male player of all time, it is Djokovic who leads the way with 16.4 million followers on Instagram.

With 8.4 million, Alcaraz is second on the list, while third-placed Sinner has 5.1 million followers on the social media platform.

For comparison, other iconic players such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have totals of 13.1 million and 21.2 million respectively.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Grand Slam titles

While the three ATP icons care deeply about their fans, success on the court will be much more important to all three.

And given his age, it is unsurprisingly 38-year-old Djokovic who once again leads the younger duo in that regard, at least in terms of major glory.

He fell short of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but remains top of the men’s all-time list.

His fellow legend Nadal is second with 22 and Federer is third with 20, while Pete Sampras is next in the list with 14.

Alcaraz is creeping up the all-time leaderboard after clinching his seventh major title in Melbourne, where he completed the career Grand Slam.

Sinner can do the same if he wins the French Open, with the Italian currently boasting four Grand Slam titles.

The Spaniard has a superb 7-1 record from his finals, three of which have arrived against Sinner, who has a 4-2 finals record.

Their rivalry is unquestionably the best in men’s tennis right now, with many fans uncertain over which player will end their career with more Grand Slam titles, and indeed what their overall totals will be.

READ MORE:Naomi Osaka says Novak Djokovic has completely changed the way tennis is played

The Yankees’ bullpen has a little bit of everything. It has All-Star fireballers, sinker specialists, a splitter maestro, a couple of guys who rely on finesse rather than pure stuff, a pitch-to-contact lefty, and a few flawed, but talented arms vying for a couple of spots. It’s not hard to see that a few guys, barring an unexpected turn of events, have a spot locked up already. This is the case of David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, and Tim Hill. One has to think that Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn will be in there, as well.

After that, there are as many as six or seven pitchers with at least an outside chance of making the roster, not to mention the fact that the team usually takes a long look at the post-spring training cuts to add names, as well. The likes of Jake Bird, Cade Winquest, Kervin Castro, Osvaldo Bido, Ángel Chivilli, Brent Headrick, and Yerry De Los Santos are actively competing to see who makes the roster, and most of them are looking good if we combine their offseason, their early-camp work, and the first few days of Grapefruit League games.

It’s still February, though, so it’s too early to even think about who makes the roster of this group and who gets left behind. What we are seeing, however, is that at least a couple of interesting names from that list could be on the outside looking.

Just because of the assets invested in them, one can conclude that Winquest, as a Rule 5 Draft pick, and Bird and Chivilli, as trade pieces that required the organization to give away prospects, could have a leg up in the competition. It’s important not to rule out a guy like Headrick, though, owner of a 3.13 ERA and 30 strikeouts in just 23 innings with the Bombers last year. His swing-and-miss stuff could definitely boost the Yankees’ bullpen and give it another lefty to complement Hill.

Yes, there is still the feeling that the Yankees are one or two quality relievers short of boasting a high-flying bullpen, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t talented hurlers in the organization with enough juice to win a spot and contribute.

Bird himself is a solid bounce-back candidate after last year’s disaster, and he has thrown 2.1 scoreless innings this spring with no walks and three strikeouts. Chivilli has big fastball velocity and two breaking balls, his changeup and slider, that had a whiff rate over 40 percent last year. Sometimes, it’s a matter of bringing in guys one or two adjustments away from unlocking the full extent of their potential, and Chivilli could be that guy.

And if the Grapefruit League ends and the Yankees are still not happy with their group of arms for the bullpen, they can always review other teams’ cuts and bring in a useful pitcher. That’s exactly how they got Yarbrough last year, and he went on to put up a 4.36 ERA in 64 frames in 2025 with long stints of dominance. On top of it all, the Yankees’ relief corps could also get some reinforcements in the form of starters, if and when Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt rejoin the rotation. The first two are expected back in April, while Schmidt is more of a second-half play.

Other unexpected names might join the bullpen mix eventually, such as Carlos Lagrange. Yes, pitching coach Matt Blake revealed on Wednesday that moving him to relief is a possibility later down the road.

There are multiple avenues for a great bullpen, and having several talented guys taking the ball in spring training and showing off the improvements they made in the postseason in a healthy competition is definitely one of them. The Yankees may not have a top-five bullpen this year, but internal competition is strong and that’s always a positive.

Our 2026 NFL Combine media recap series continues Thursday with defensive backs who will certainly clear the Detroit Lions’ football character tests. Cornerback may not be an immediate need in Detroit, but there are certainly questions beyond 2026. At safety, the injury situation could force Detroit to re-invest on the back end.

Here are five high-character standouts from the defensive back group.

Previously:

• Linebackers
• Defensive linemen
• Tight ends

Clemson CB Avieon Terrell

Size: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Quick bio: Brother of A.J. Terrell, Avieon could be a good fit with the Lions given his press-man coverage history and eagerness to get dirty in the run game. Produced a whopping five forced fumbles in 12 games last season, along with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Current draft projection: Round 1-2
Combine vibes:

I spent the first half of Terrell’s media session listening to projected top-10 pick D’Angelo Ponds, but I continued to overhear Terrell and was eventually just full drawn into his press conference (which I wanted to watch anyways).

Terrell’s size could be an issue for some teams, but I imagine the Lions will love his playing style enough to not care too much about size (think Amik Robertson).

“My favorite thing about football? Just being able to hit somebody for free,” Terrell said. “You wake up and can just go hit somebody. So I love that about football. That’s the best thing.”

Given Clemson’s down season last year (7-6), Terrell opted to take on a leadership role to help the young players navigate the adversity. When I asked him what makes good leadership, he mentioned doing all the little things as a role model.

“Watching extra film, extra work after the game, running to the line, not letting nobody walk off the field. Them little things are (for) leaders,” he said.

Arizona State CB Keith Abney

Size: 6-foot 190 pounds
Quick bio: A two-year starter at ASU, Abney is a bit undersized but known for his feistiness and ability to be a ball hawk. In his last two seasons, he produced 21 passes defended, five interceptions, and two forced fumbles. In 2025, he also produced an 85.3 PFF coverage grade, good for 15th-best in the country. Was a captain, as well.
Current draft projection: Round 2
Combine vibes:

Abney sometimes gets tabbed as a zone coverage cornerback, something he is clearly trying to deny. When asked about the underrated parts of his game, he listed two things that would certainly get the Lions’ attention.

“My tackling or my man coverage,” Abney said. “I think a lot of guys view me as a zone defender, but if you turn on the tape, I do a great job (in man).”

Abney’s biggest quirk is that he was involved in competitive speed roller skating. The hobby stemmed from his desire to both compete and connect with people.

“Just meeting people. It was something that I was good at, something that was opening doors. I got to travel a lot of places, and just competing, really. The competitiveness of it. It’s either you win or you lose,” Abney said.

Texas safety Michael Taaffe

Size: 5-foot-11, 193 pounds
Quick bio: Taaffe’s story reminds me of Dan Jackson: he stayed at Texas his entire career just waiting for his opportunity. For years, that meant focusing on special teams and situational defensive play. But in the past two seasons, he’s gotten his defensive opportunity and ran with it. Taaffe excels with effort and a tremendous character that earned him the Wuerffel Trophy (more on that in a minute).
Current draft projection: Day 3
Combine vibes:

Note: Taaffe said he met with the Lions at the Combine

Taaffe had the most polished press conference of the NFL Combine. He struck me as a very impressive human being, and it started with him talking about winning the Wuerffel Trophy—which recognizes outstanding character and community services among all of college football.

“I totally believe in trying to be significant over being successful. Successful is cool, being on a plaque is cool with 10 interceptions in one season. That’s really cool. That’s what we try to work for every single day. But to be significant, to change people’s lives, I think that goes way longer than anything that this game of football can provide. What this game of football has given me, it’s given me a platform to stand in front of you great men and great women and be able to talk about what really matters in life. So that’s what football has given me. This pigskin has given me an opportunity to have the closest relationships with friends, learn life skills that will carry me for the rest of my life. Just being significant and serving the community and being a disciple in the locker room.”

Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman

Size: 6-foot, 205 pounds
Quick bio: The third brother to play safety at Purdue before transferring to Oregon in 2025, Thieneman has the opportunity to be the first of his siblings to carve out a serious NFL career. A starter for two years at Purdue and one at Oregon, Thienamen tallied at least 90 tackles in each year. Thieneman has the size, speed combination to fit multiple schemes and fill multiple positions.
Current draft projection: Round 1-2
Combine vibes:

Thieneman will hear his name called early because of his physical traits, but he’s also got the intangibles to go along with it. I was impressed by daily routine, as inspired by the hard-working mentality of his parents, and his two brothers, who also played safety at Purdue.

“That hard work and discipline. My discipline showed up (in) what I needed to do everyday. At Oregon, I had my specific set schedule. Everyday, I’d wake up at about 5, get there about 5:30, and then go through my routine and just do that everyday,” Thieneman said.

I also like how mindful he was when he transferred to Oregon. Because it’s so common these days, there is a sense players do it haphazardly. But Thieneman walked through his very deliberate process in the tough decision to move from his roots at Purdue to Oregon.

“I was looking for three things in the portal,” Thieneman said. “A great culture. Second was a defensive scheme that would prepare you for the next level playing different coverages, different rotations. And then three was that competition side on offense and defense. I felt Oregon really excelled at all three of those.”

Arizona CB/S Treydan Stukes

Size: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
Quick bio: Stukes spent his entire six-year college career at Arizona after walking on, and he eventually became the leader of the defense. He started nearly 40 games throughout his career, playing outside cornerback, nickel, and eventually safety. In the NFL, he projects either as a safety or a big nickel with good size and speed.
Current draft projection: Round 3
Combine vibes:

Enjoyed talking to Stukes, who overcame adversity by posting his best career season in 2025 after suffering a torn ACL that cost him most of his 2024 year. Stukes talked extensively about how he mentally focused during the rehab by reading seven mindfulness, wellness books—including one written by his dad.

“It taught me how to be resilient, how to be patient, and trusting the plan that been (put) on me,” Stukes said. “I learned a lot about myself during that process and I was diligent about putting in those daily deposits that help you reap the rewards you want to reap.”

One of Stukes’ biggest draws in the NFL will be his versatility. He played outside initially, moved to nickel in 2023, then played some safety this final year at Arizona.

Billy Horschel sounded off on a key change made to PGA National. Again.

At last year's Cognizant Classic, Jake Knapp opened with a 12-under 59, just the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. This came as a shock to many who grew up in an era when single-digits under par would win you the "Honda" Classic. Now, double-digits was leading after round one. 

Horschel, and eight-time PGA Tour winner, shot 66 that same day, but lamented the fact that prior to the 2024 edition of the tournament, PGA National overseeded the rough and the fairways with ryegrass. The entire property was once straight bermuda, making for a classic Florida golf challenge, especially when it was hot and windy. See: the 2015 Honda, which Padraig Harrington won at six under. 

RELATED: Ryan Gerard appears to hit bird (!) with a tee shot, still manages to hit the green

One year later, Austin Smotherman began the 2026 Cognizant Classic with a nine-under 62. Horschel shot a two-under 69. He continued to bang the Bermuda drum, while making sure to couch it with some reasonable thoughts, too. 

"I talked about it last year. This is a really good golf course. It's a very fair golf course," Horschel said Thursday. "When it blows hard, it's a challenge, and when it's sort of benign like it is today, it's gettable.

"A few years ago the rough was longer and then they started cutting it down and then they overseeded the golf course," he added. "Listen, I think the tour gets a bad rap, and it's not anything against the owners of PGA National. I understand where they would want to overseed. People want it to look pretty on TV, and if it looks pretty on TV, maybe people will want to come play it.

"But at the end of the day, as I've said for many years on the PGA Tour, I understand we are using a golf course that we don't own a lot of times, and sometimes we're at the discretion of what the owner wants to do. Obviously we give our opinion of what we think is best for the golf course and how they want to set it up and challenge it, but also, the owners have a say in it. But I think for me, as I said last year, born and raised in Florida, playing a Bermuda golf course, this far down south and playing overseed, it's going to be soft."

Horschel mentioned that PGA National is far from the only Florida golf course that has made a similar change, and it's not the only one that's done it on the tour schedule, either. TPC Sawgrass made a similar switch to rye overseed when the Players Championship moved to March, and that golf course still plays plenty difficult. 

As for PGA National, without wind, it's not the same test as it once was. And you can check the data, Horschel says. 

"I can pull it up on my phone, in '20, '21, '22, there were three times in a row where it was a top-10 hardest golf course," Horschel said. "I think it was like 4, 7, 6. Then it went to 12, and then the last two years it's been in the 30s.

"Some of it has to do with wind. There's no doubt about it. If this place doesn't blow, it's very gettable. As tour players have always talked about, it doesn't matter how long the golf course is; if it's no wind and it's soft, we're going to shoot a number."

Horschel remained adamant that the change had nothing to do with the PGA Tour, nor does he blame PGA National for doing it, a point he made on Twitter/X Wednesday evening before the tournament began. 

On Thursday, Horschel stated it was "just his take on it." 

"It's not a shot at anyone. It was just sort of commenting to someone who was taking a shot at the PGA Tour, and I sort of gave them a little more insight that it's not always in the PGA Tour's hands. If they want to try and do something, it's not always in their hands to set it up the way they want to."

RELATED: Why Bryson DeChambeau, LA Golf are parting ways

The concept of an all-star game is simple. It's a unique exhibition where a sports league brings together its best competitors to create a spectacle for fans and showcase the league to a wider audience. Stock car racing has seemingly lost that memo. NASCAR announced the format for the 2026 All-Star Race on Thursday, featuring the full Cup Series field taking the green flag for the 350-lap race. The field will eventually be reduced to 26 cars for the race's $1 million final stage.

NASCAR stated that it will have the full field compete in the two 75-lap sprint segments in lieu of its traditional All-Star Open preliminary race. After the first segment, the order of the top 26 drivers will be inverted, with the leader dropping to 26th. The ineligible drivers with the lowest combined finishing positions after the two segments will advance to the 200-lap final segment. I mention "ineligible" because the qualification criteria for the final stage are the same as those typically used for the entire event.

The race winners from both the 2025 and 2026 Cup Series seasons are locked into the final segment. This means that 17 drivers have already locked in their spots for the final stage. Former Cup Series champions are also locked in, but every active full-time champion has already won a race over the past year. Excluding the spot reserved for the Fan Vote winner, there are eight transfer spots up for grabs.

Read more: 5 Bad Driver Habits Guaranteed To Annoy Everyone Else On The Road

The NASCAR All-Star Race is lost in the wilderness

It's near-impossible to conceive a reason for NASCAR to force at least 17 drivers to puddle around for 125 laps. Drivers locked into the final segment have no reason to fight for position or risk damaging their equipment. The All-Star Open was special because it was a race without the big names. Drivers who typically didn't feature at the front of the field had the opportunity to be in the spotlight for a single afternoon and try to make a name for themselves. That opportunity still exists, it'll just be overshadowed by the all-stars loitering at the back.

While NASCAR has pushed to reinvent itself over the past few years, the All-Star Race has been lost in the wilderness since 2020. The organization made the bold decision to move the race away from Charlotte Motor Speedway, its traditional home, to Bristol in an effort to have fans in attendance during COVID-19 restrictions. The race then moved to Texas Motor Speedway, and then to the revived North Wilkesboro Speedway. With North Wilkesboro receiving a points-paying round, NASCAR shifted the All-Star Race to Dover International Speedway. The event has seemingly become a consolation prize for underperforming tracks.

Maybe NASCAR can find a recipe to bring the heat back to the All-Star Race. The season-opening Clash is seemingly doing well despite dropping its original gimmick as the pole winners' exhibition race. The event is a unique bullring affair at the infamous Bowman Gray Stadium, with a format similar to local short-track racing. The racing there is far from clean, but it's a fun exhibition to welcome everyone back for a new season.

Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.

Read the original article on Jalopnik.

The Los Angeles Rams were aggressive in retaining key players in 2025, and they could do the same to kick off the 2026 offseason.

L.A. reportedly "hopes to extend the contract of tackle Warren McClendon Jr.," according to NFL reporter Tony Pauline. McClendon Jr., a 2023 fifth-round pick, had a breakout season in 2025 when he started 10 games for the injured Rob Havenstein. The 24-year-old had the lowest pressure rate allowed among right tackles this past season at just 2.94%.

McClendon Jr. should be in the driver's seat to keep the starting right tackle spot after Havenstein retired based on his 2025 performance. However, he only has one year left on his rookie deal and will be a free agent after the 2026 if the Rams don't re-sign him.

It's unclear what that deal would look like for McClendon Jr., considering he only started five games in his career before his breakout 2025 season. For reference, left tackle Alaric Jackson signed a three-year, $57 million deal with $35 million guaranteed before the 2025 season. Jackson, though, was the Rams full-time starter for two full seasons before he earned his new contract.

If the Rams re-sign McClendon Jr. or plan to extend him before the 2026 draft, it could alter their strategy for the first round. Many experts predict L.A. will draft a right tackle to either start or take over if McClendon Jr. leaves after 2026. But if McClendon Jr. signs a big extension, L.A. can look elsewhere in the first round.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Report: Rams looking to extend OT Warren McClendon Jr.

Betfred Super League

Wigan (24) 54

Tries: Keighran, French, Field 2, Smith 2, Eckersley, Nsemba, Forber Goals: Keighran 9

Leigh (0) 0

Wigan Warriors ran in nine tries to hammer local rivals Leigh Leopards 54-0 and continue their impressive start to the 2026 Super League season.

Tries from Adam Keighran, Bevan French, Jai Field and Harry Smith put Wigan into a dominant 24-point lead at half-time for the second match in a row.

Further tries from Field and Smith plus one each from Zach Eckersley, Junior Nsemba and Tom Forber after the break - as well as nine goals from Keighran on a perfect night with the boot - ensured a third league win from three for Warriors.

Leigh failed to show up during a very one-sided 'Battle of the Borough' on a disappointing night for the visitors littered with handling errors and a lack of discipline.

Wigan went ahead after 10 minutes - French fired in a short pass for Keighran to cross over from close range on the last tackle after Leigh's Lachlan Lam conceded a set of six in his own half for a late shot.

Liam Marshall dotted down for Warriors soon after but the celebrations were cut short as referee Liam Moore spotted a forward pass from French in the build-up of a flowing team move.

French then found a small gap in the Leigh backline on the right edge to roll challenges from Lam and Tesi Niu to grab Wigan's second in a dominant opening 20 minutes from the hosts.

A well-measured kick from Smith was batted back one-handed by Nsemba to full-back Field who showed a dummy before darting over for the impressive Warriors' third try.

Field turned from scorer to provider moments later, finding room in midfield before setting up Smith to dot down underneath the sticks and, after Keighran dispatched a fourth successful kick, the game was effectively over as a contest by the half-hour mark.

Moments into the second period, Leigh's Matt Davis was forced off with a head injury having taken the full force of a kick to the corner by Smith.

And Warriors stretched their legs soon after when a beautiful line break from Patrick Mago allowed the prop to pass to Smith, who unselfishly found Field to finish another free-flowing move for his second of the night.

At this stage, Wigan were playing exhibition rugby league and a miss-out pass from French cut out three Leigh defenders and found Eckersley who strolled in for Wigan's sixth try.

Nsemba then got his name on the scoresheet, getting on the end of a delicate grubber kick from Smith, before Field raced away on a wonderful break and found the supporting Smith to dive over next to the sticks.

Hooker Forber got 50-up for Warriors, barging over for his side's ninth try between the sticks before Keighran added the extras once more to seal a perfect night for Wigan.

Leigh were dealt a further blow with just a minute remaining as full-back Bailey Hodgson had to be helped off the field with a serious looking knee injury.

Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Farrell, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Walters, Ellis.

Replacements: Mago, Partington, Eseh, Forber.

Leigh: Hodgson; Senior, Niu, Brand, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Horne, Mulhern, Halton, Trout, Liu.

Replacements: Hughes, Davis, Alick-Wiencke, O'Brien.

Referee: Liam Moore.

Welcome to Atlanta, where the players play and the gentlemen's clubs have the best wings in town.

The Atlanta Hawks are leaning into the city's famed hip-hop culture and history, featuring what the team is calling an "iconic cultural institution" that's definitely NSFW in an upcoming promotional night.

The team announced Wednesday it will collaborate with prominent Atlanta strip club Magic City for a one-night only, in-game celebration of hip-hop called "Magic City Monday" against the Orlando Magic on March 16.

“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor said in a news release.

Magic City Kitchen will serve two versions of their "world famous" lemon pepper wings, Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ, named after Atlanta-native and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year-winner Lou Williams.

More NBA: Suns owner willing to pay millions to get best NBA players in dunk, 3-point contests

What else is planned for 'Magic City Monday'?

The Hawks' celebration of "Magic City Monday" doesn't stop at wings. Atlanta rapper and entrepreneur T.I. is expected to perform at halftime.

Being that Tip is back home in Atlanta, at the State Farm Arena, it'll be interesting to see if he'll perform any recent cuts including diss tracks toward rapper and entrepreneur Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

Keeping it so ATL, the organization tabbed native DJ Esco to provide the pregame tunes.

Before the game, ticketed fans will have a chance to view a recording of the Hawks AF Podcast featuring a conversation with Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and T.I., hosted by comedian D.C. Young Fly, another Atlanta native.

“We doin’ this one for the city ... Magic City,” T.I. said in a news release.

Why is Magic City famous?

Magic City has become influential not only in Atlanta but as a tourist stop for those who visit the city. Ask NBA players who have a road game against the Hawks about the lore of Magic City wings.

Williams famously couldn't help but visit the spot for its wings in 2020 when he was excused from the NBA Bubble in Orlando to attend a funeral, while everyone was social distancing due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The moment went viral after a photo he snapped with rapper Jack Harlow during the visit that was posted to social media.

"We had our masks on, I thought we did it how we were supposed to do it," Williams said, explaining the incident during a June 2025 episode of Gil's Arena, a podcast hosted by former NBA player Gilbert Arenas with Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants and Josiah Johnson.

He continued: "I want to put this to bed. I didn't sneak out the bubble to go to Magic City. They excused me from the bubble to go to a funeral. ...The funeral home was a block away from Magic [City]. I've been staying in a hotel [in the NBA bubble in Orlando] eating hotel room service food. Magic got good food, this is my hometown and if you know ATL, we eat in our strip clubs. That's where you can find the best food."

Williams received a 10-day quarantine for violating safety protocols but maintains that the league's focus was on him going to a strip club rather than his real reason for going – the food.

The incident did two things: birthed the nickname "Lemon Pepper Lou" and also cemented Magic City's kitchen's place as the stuff of NBA and Atlanta legend.

But long before Williams's visit, the site was a landmark for Atlanta and its visitors, which is the focus of the documentary "Magic City: An American Fantasy" that discusses the impact of the club on Atlanta music, sports and culture through interviews with Atlanta rappers Big Boi, Killer Mike and T.I., along with other celebrities and artists who they discuss its role in hip-hop and Black culture.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Hawks to feature prominent strip club in upcoming promotion

He might not have been able to secure the win vs. the Denver Nuggets for the Boston Celtics by himself this past Wednesday (Feb. 25) night, but Celtics point guard Derrick White has been impressive for Boston this season, and even Nuggets coach David Adelman admitted as much ahead of the tilt his team would win 103-84.

"One thing he does is he plays the same way every night," said Adelman of White's consistency. "And there's a lot to be said for that. And I think, from the San Antonio (Spurs) days, it's incredible when he came in the league how much you just went under everything with him. He's going to drive the ball with his right hand – that's what he does."

"And he just turned himself into a confident 3-point shooter," he added. "That makes you have to make a decision nightly because if he does get downhill, he's so effective."

"I think he's over a block a game for a guard," continued the Denver coach. "Just a complete basketball player. That trade really worked out for them and he just compliments whoever he plays with so well."

"It's funny he used to be in our gym in the summers and he's back home playing pickup. And just to see where his career has gone, it's (made him) a very well-deserved, just a really good all-around basketball player."

Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:

Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp

iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47

YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Denver coach David Adelman lauds growth of Celtics guard Derrick White

Atalanta, Roma, Bologna and Fiorentina will discover their opponents in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League in Friday’s UEFA draws, as Italian football enters the Round of 16.

There are still four representatives of Serie A in the knockout phase of the UEFA tournaments.

Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to eliminate Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League play-off, and will learn on Friday if they are to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

UEFA could give us an Italian derby

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 22: Niccolo Pisilli #61 with his teammates of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between AS Roma and VfB Stuttgart at Stadio Olimpico on January 22, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

There is a good chance of an Italian derby in the Europa League Round of 16, because Roma already went through as one of the top eight in the league phase.

Bologna eliminated SK Brann 2-0 on aggregate and will be paired either with Roma or SC Freiburg in Friday’s draw.

Roma’s situation is a little more complicated, as they might also be drawn against Bologna, Genk or GNK Dinamo Zagreb.

FLORENCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Moise Kean of ACF Fiorentina celebrates after scoring a goal with Giovanni Fabbian of ACF Fiorentina during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between ACF Fiorentina and Jagiellonia Bialystok at Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 26, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Fiorentina are the sole Italian representatives in the Conference League, and squeezed past Jagiellonia in extra time, 5-4 on aggregate.

Their next test will be against either RC Strasbourg or Rakow in the last 16.

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini spoke to BBC Sport recently. He gave a sharp, thoughtful take on why captain Granit Xhaka’s return is such a big deal for the Black Cats. Currently, Sunderland are navigating a rough patch of inconsistent form. Gabbiadini admitted the team aren’t just a one-man show. Even so, he made it clear that the 33-year-old Swiss international has a level of presence that almost no one else in the squad can match.

Gabbiadini Backs Xhaka Return To Steady Sunderland’s Wobbling Premier League Campaign

The ex-striker pointed out how important Xhaka is as an anchor in the middle of the pitch. Xhaka is the type of player who is happy to sit back, dictate the play, and keep everyone else calm. A young Sunderland side have clearly felt his absence while he was out with that ankle injury. Looking past Xhaka’s own game, Gabbiadini also touched on the constant lineup changes Régis Le Bris has dealt with lately.

He suggested that never having a settled team has only made things harder. On top of that, he noted that new signings always need a bit of time to find their feet. For a squad full of players still learning the ropes in the Premier League, a dip in results was always likely. Still, his overall outlook was positive. Gabbiadini saw this slump as a temporary hurdle rather than a total breakdown.

“They’re not a one-man team, but he is very important, of course, he is. He brings so much experience to a team that is still pretty green.

“You’ve got to be careful not to get too despondent or carried away. To get the captain back in the middle of the park, somebody who’s a little bit more anchored and happy to just sit and control the game will make a difference.

“There’s been quite a lot of change in the team. It hasn’t been a particularly consistent team selection over the past few weeks – maybe that has been an issue as well. And new faces, as it always takes time when new faces come into the dressing room.

“We’ve lost some people and brought some new people in. They’ve got to hit the ground running, and it’s not easy to do that.

“Most of the players have not had long Premier League careers or played that many games in the Premier League at all. Some of them haven’t played many games, full stop. If there’s a little bit of a lull, that’s to be expected.”

— Marco Gabbiadini, as quoted by BBC Sport

Does Xhaka’s Return Prove Sunderland’s Real Problem Was Mental, Not Tactical?

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Granit Xhaka of Sunderland reacts during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Fulham at Stadium of Light on February 22, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The timing of this matters a lot. As of February 26, 2026, Sunderland are in a fantastic spot for a club just promoted to the top flight for the first time since 2017. Xhaka was back in the mix for the weekend game against Fulham.

What Gabbiadini is really getting at is that the team have a leadership gap, not just a tactical one. Sunderland’s other midfield options, Noah Sadiki, Enzo Le Fée, and Habib Diarra, have plenty of energy and skill. But none of them have the scar tissue and grit that Xhaka brings. He has earned over 120 caps for Switzerland, and you can’t buy that kind of know-how.

Le Bris himself has called Xhaka a leader that the rest of the group naturally follow. You just can’t expect a 22-year-old to provide that same sense of stability in the middle of a season. Gabbiadini also made a fair point about how much the summer overhaul affected the team. Sunderland brought in a lot of new faces, and that kind of chemistry takes months, not weeks, to build. In the end, what looks like a tactical breakdown on the pitch is often just a group of young players looking for a leader to steady the ship when things get chaotic. Now, they finally have that leader back.

Colorado Buffaloes defensive pass rush coordinator Warren Sapp will not return for the 2026 season, Brandon Krisztal reports. He coached with the Buffaloes for three seasons beginning in 2023 under head coach Deion Sanders.

Sapp had a decorated career in the NFL spanning 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. He registered 578 tackles, 96.5 sacks and 91 tackles for loss from his defensive tackle position, earning him four first-team All-Pro selections. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, the first player in Buccaneers history to do so.

Multiple reports suggest that Sapp didn't see a coaching career after playing, but was hired by Sanders in 2023 to lead the defensive line and pass rush unit.

During his tenure, the Buffaloes finished 63rd (2023), 16th (2024) and 129th (2025) in total sacks, with production making a clear downturn last season as Colorado struggled through a 3-9 campaign and a 15th place finish in the Big 12.

Sapp's departure comes just days after Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was hired away by the Denver Broncos and Chris Marve, who was formerly the linebackers coach, was promoted to replace Livingston.

Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Pass rush coordinator Warren Sapp won't return for 4th season

2026 Premier League Darts Night 4 Belfast live results, scores and schedule: Josh Rock nails epic 9-darter in front of home crowd originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Gian van Veen survives a match dart in a last-leg decider against Gerwyn Price, winning 6-5, and setting up a clash between himself and Stephen Bunting in the final.

Night 4 of the 2026 Premier League of Darts takes place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Josh Rock's reunion as the major storyline heading into the night.

For the quarterfinal round, Luke Littler and Jonny Clayton kick off the evening in what could be a high-scoring clash.

Next, Stephen Bunting will look to try and win his first PL match of 2026, as he faces 2025 PL champion Luke Humphries.

Michael van Gerwen will return after an absence on Night 3, taking on Gerwyn Price, who is fresh off a PC event title on Wednesday.

Lastly, Gian van Veen will return after a thrilling final run in Poland, which included a nine-darter, to play Josh Rock.

2026 Premier League Darts Night 4 results, scores and schedule

Here is the schedule and the results from Night 4 of the 2026 PL.

MORE: 2026 Premier League Darts Night 4 draw, match predictions and 3 storylines to watch in Belfast

Quarterfinals

MORE: 2026 Premier League Darts schedule, scores, results and updated table

Semifinals

MORE: Watch Beau Greaves become the first woman to hit 9-darter on PDC circuit

Final

More darts articles:

• Luke Littler contract details: Teenage phenom signs richest endorsement deal in darts history
• PDC announces darts schedule for 2026: World Championship, Premier League and more
• Ranking the best PDC Darts moments from 2025: 9-darters to shocking upsets
• 2026 Premier League Darts prize money explained
• 2026 Premier League of Darts: Get to know the 8 participants
• 2026 Poland Darts Open: Draw, schedule, prize money and format explained

Nick Caserio might be in the market for a quarterback one day soon, but could simply just take on over as QB1 for 2026?

One would argue that his accuracy is better than C.J. Stroud's with just a single throw.

Caserio appeared on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show" live from the Lucas Oil Stadium at the NFL Scouting Combine and was tasked his throwing a ball through a hole for the charity of his choosing. The only caveat? It had to be a sprial.

Well Caserio, a former quarterback at John Carroll University, had to show the crew that not only does his team own McAfee's Indianapolis Colts twice a season, but he also still has enough left in the tank to drop jaws and look the part of competent signal-caller.

Here's a clip of Caserio drilling the target on live televison.

FOR A $100,000 DONATION 😂😂

NICK CASERIO WITH A STRIKE #PMSLivehttps://t.co/W8CU5O26GWpic.twitter.com/RZ8DydxlIu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 26, 2026

No, the Texans aren't trading Stroud entering Year 4. No, there's no plan for Houston to find a new quarterback in the future.

But if the offensive line could be fixed and the run game is stable, could the GM get a few passes in a live game? It's not out of the question.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans GM Nick Caserio looks like QB1 after interview on Pat McAfee

Bears GM reveals why he's excited for Caleb Williams' future originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For years, the Chicago Bears suffered in quarterback purgatory, but with Caleb Williams, the franchise finally feels like it might have their guy.

Year 1 wasn't too good, but under Ben Johnson in Year 2, yeah, the differences were noticeable. So much so that the Bears, as we look towards Caleb's third season, will be seen as a genuine playoff contender, if not more.

And with Williams in line to get a new contract in the next few seasons, the Bears will have a decision to make.

But for general manager Ryan Poles, if Williams shows consistency, it's an open-and-shut case.

"I want to be clear: Anyone that's watched the league long enough knows that for quarterback play, it's consistency," Poles said via the Chicago Sun-Times. "Can you stack years on top of each other? We still have steps to go. I don't want to make it like he's already [there]. He knows he's got work to do.

"But if all of that falls into place, we have to understand how that changes our formula as we move forward. That's a great thing to be on that path. I feel like we have a long-term quarterback solution. It makes me excited."

More:Mike Evans' agent drops huge update over Buccaneers future

Bears finally have their guy

The performance jump we saw from Williams in Year 2 was superb. He threw seven more TDs (27 total), to just seven interceptions, while having more passing yards, and 42 fewer sacks. 

Not to mention going from five wins to 11.

So, the path forward is clear, especially under Johnson, and as we enter Year 2 with Williams and Johnson as a quarterback/play-caller tandem, the expectation is that Williams will continue to ascend.

Of course, Poles wants consistency, and that is the next thing Williams has to get into his arsenal of weapons, but that is tough for everyone.

But if the gap between his worst game and his best game can shrink, then when it is Williams' turn at the negotiation table, he'll be set. And so too will the Bears.

More NFL news:

• Analyst offers horror 4-word prediction for Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs
• Analyst claims Ravens out of Super Bowl bubble, but rationale is wrong
• Bengals give stunning Trey Hendrickson future quote that fans will love
• Bills fans will love Joe Brady's latest quote as franchise hits reset
• Ravens make incredible contract offer to free agent star 
• Dolphins the biggest loser of scouting combine press conference
• Buccaneers make Mike Evans stance perfectly clear

Dustin Dopirak: Rick Carlisle: "Toppin will play tonight. He will be on a minutes restriction and it's safe to assume he'll be a minutes restriction the rest of the season."

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Obi Toppin cleared for first game since October

Jamal Collier: CavsDonovan Mitchell is listed as OUT for tomorrow’s game against the Pistons with a strained right groin. James Harden (thumb) is once again listed as questionable. He had his thumb wrapped heavily as he exited the locker room Wednesday night in Milwaukee

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Donovan Mitchell is listed as OUT for tomorrow’s game …

James Ham: Keegan Murray is officially listed as out with a left ankle sprain. Russell Westbrook is also out with a right thigh contusion. Malik Monk is questionable with right ankle soreness. Sabonis, Hunter, Cardwell and LaVine remain OUT.

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Keegan Murray is officially listed as out with a left …

Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello never all called a game together when they were teammates at NBC a quarter-century ago. That'll change on Tuesday — in a throwback night for the network's NBA coverage. NBC has announced plans for Costas, Collins and Fratello to handle the courtside duties Tuesday when Victor Wembanyama — who wasn't even born when that trio was involved in NBC's NBA coverage in the early 2000s — and the San Antonio Spurs take on Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Houston Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBC has announced plans for Costas, Collins and …

Jim Gray will be the sideline reporter for that game, and NBC said it plans to incorporate “reminiscent and familiar components” from how games aired in the 1995-96 season, including the graphics package.

Houston Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jim Gray will be the sideline reporter for that game, …

Also coming back from the past: the studio team. Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo will handle a throwback version of “NBA Showtime” starting at 7 p.m. Eastern, an hour before the game broadcast.

Houston Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo will …

President Donald Trump is inviting multiple college sports figures to a roundtable at the White House next week, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. The group includes former Alabama coach Nick Saban, former Florida star Tim Tebow and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell.

Trump has been vocal about his willingness to play a role in settling the college athletics landscape in the NIL and transfer portal era. Saban and Campbell were previously expected to spearhead a presidential commission on college sports, though those plans were later paused. The roundtable is expected to take place March 6, Dellenger reported.

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The list of invitees also includes former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua and Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman. Bevacqua’s predecessor, Jack Swarbrick, was also invited, along with at least one athletics director from each Power Four conference. ADs from Wake Forest, Indiana, Iowa State and Oklahoma are part of the group.

Other prominent figures from outside college sports were also invited, according to Dellenger. Golf legend Tiger Woods, LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also received invitations to the roundtable. Trump is expected to serve as chair alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees president Randy Levine as vice chairs.

This story will be updated.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The latest season of “Drive to Survive” will also be available to U.S. viewers on Apple TV as part of a collaboration with Netflix.

The eighth season of the popular Formula 1 series launches Friday. “Drive to Survive” has been credited with helping to increase the popularity of the global motorsports series.

The show will recap the 2025 season, which included the firing of Christian Horner as Red Bull's team principal, Lewis Hamilton's first year at Ferrari and McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri vying for the championship. Norris won his first F1 title by two points over Max Verstappen.

Apple TV has a new five-year deal as F1's U.S. broadcast partner. The season begins with next week's Australian Grand Prix.

Netflix will also carry Apple TV's feed of the Canadian Grand Prix for U.S. viewers from May 22-24.

“I've known (Netflix co-CEO) Ted (Sarandos) for a long time. We've worked together before and we had this idea,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said Thursday during a briefing about Apple's coverage plans. “Netflix has done an amazing job with ‘Drive to Survive’ and we thought it would be great if we could offer it to our customers and at the same time we’d like Netflix customers that have been watching ‘Drive to Survive’ to be able to see a race on Netflix, and that’s what we’re doing with the Canadian Grand Prix.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The NBA has fined Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves $25,000 after he threw a ball into the stands during the team's 124-121 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

Edwards played 38:20 and scored 34 points during the T'Wolves victory.

This story will be updated.

Yorba Linda High head coach Jeff Bailey oversaw one of the winning programs in California high school football over the past three decades, so his decision to move on came as quite a shock. Especially when the new team he was taking over hadn’t logged a winning season in the past 15 years.

But at a Beverly Hills High School board meeting earlier this week, he was approved to become the next head football coach at Beverly Hills (Calif.).

“When a student puts on a jersey, its more than a uniform. It’s a responsibility. You’re not just representing yourself. You’re representing your teammates, your family, your school and most of all, your community,” Bailey said in a video presented at the board meeting. “I know how that feels like. I grew up loving the game. I earned a chance to play football at UCLA. Football taught me lessons that carried me far beyond the field. How to prepare. How to lead. How to respond when things get hard. Those lessons shaped the way I coach.”

On Thursday, more details came out about his decision to change programs, including the salary he’ll earn in one of California’s richest zip codes. According to SI High School’s Tarek Fattal, Bailey will earn over $205,000 and was listed as the strength and conditioning coach for the district.

A separate report from the Orange County Register says that Bailey cited the move as a “family decision” with financial benefits for his retirement.

His new salary puts Bailey in line with some of the highest-paid coaches not only in the Golden State, but in the country. A report last summer from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that highly successful Southlake Carroll coach Riley Dodge was making $175,000.

Meanwhile in Georgia, Carrollton head coach Joey King earned more than $219,000 last season, according to Brooks Carter of NextRoundLive. He was the only coach to make more than $200K.

Bailey will have a big rebuild on his hands

The 56-year-old has been coaching for nearly 30 years, winning 179 games along the way with 18 postseason appearances and 11 CIF league titles. He developed Yorba Linda into a powerhouse during that time, finishing No. 40 in last year’s California High School Football Massey Rankings.

Meanwhile, the Beverly Hills program just completed its fifth winless season in the past 15 years, and the last time they finished above the .500 mark was in 2010 with a 6-5 record.

“It’s now a new challenge and I’m going to go 100 percent into it,” Bailey told the Register. “I take pride in anything I’m doing and I’m not ever going to be lazy.”

How to Follow California High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Golden State, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the country.