Former Indianapolis Colts kicker Michael Badgley has landed with a new team.

According to Tom Pelissero, Badgley is signing with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad.

Bills' kicker Matthew Prater is out this week due to a quad injury, Pelissero added. Meaning that Badgley could be in line to be elevated against Cleveland on Sunday and start.

The Coltsreleased Badgley following the team's Week 13 loss to Houston. In that game, Badgley missed what ended up being a critical extra point attempt.

The Bills are signing veteran kicker Michael Badgley to the practice squad, per source.

With Matthew Prater out this week because of a quad injury, Badgley is now in line to be elevated and kick Sunday at Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/TqqnzJlic5

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 16, 2025

That also wasn't the first kick that he had missed either, with Badgley missing three others on the season.

During a three-game stretch prior to being cut, Badgley had missed two extra-point attempts and a field goal.

The Colts signed Badgley early in the season after Spencer Shrader was placed on injured reserve.

In place of Badgley, the Colts signed Blake Grupe, who has been perfect in his first two appearances, which includes hittinga 60-yarder late against Seattle this past Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Bills sign former Indianapolis Colts' kicker Michael Badgley

What hits you most in Cairo, after the noise, is the sheer number of people.

Egypt has a population of around 120 million. Its capital city is home to 23 million people.

For context, the population of Liverpool is just under one million.

Come to appreciate that and only then do you begin to understand the scale of national fury that followed when Mohamed Salah gave his incendiary interview on 6 December, claiming that Liverpool had "thrown him under the bus".

"This interview was like a revolution in Egypt," says Diaa El-Sayed, the former Egypt assistant coach, who has known Salah since he was 16.

"Ninety-nine per cent of Egypt supports Salah, and you can see from the reaction at Anfield that the Liverpool fans support him too."

Across British media, Salah was criticised heavily for his actions.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher branded the interview a "disgrace" and accused the 33-year-old of throwing the club under the bus. Others insisted Salah was in the wrong for airing his grievances in public. Yet in Cairo, the 'Egyptian King' can do no wrong.

"Before Salah, no-one supported Liverpool here," says Noura Essam, a Cairo local. "Before Salah, we didn't have a global figure, so we will always support him."

During the 2018 presidential election, more than one million Egyptians crossed out the names of the listed candidates and cast their vote for Salah.

He is an unofficial leader. In these parts, he is known as the 'Fourth Pyramid'.

Around Ramses Square, the Cairo transport hub where Salah would change buses to reach training during his nine-hour round commute as a teenager, the cafe-goers describe their disbelief when he was named on the bench for three games in a row by Arne Slot and then left out of the squad for the Champions League trip to Inter Milan.

"When Liverpool played in Milan, all of Egypt supported Inter Milan," says Osama Ismail, a former Egyptian FA spokesman.

Ismail, who worked with Salah, describes him as "not arrogant but confident" and is adamant that the forward wants to continue playing for Liverpool.

At the Cairo International Stadium, where Egypt beat Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the mood is one of getting behind their "son" and lifting his morale as the Pharaohs look to win their first title since 2010.

"We say he is our son, so we were emotionally taken aback because it felt like a humiliation for one of our family," says Ahmed Gamal Ali, a Cairo-based journalist.

"To see one of our own hurting was shocking and the spontaneous national response was basically autopilot.

"It would be judgmental to say if he was right or wrong to do the interview, as we didn't live through his feelings, but this is the mindset of players like him and Ronaldo."

At the Egypt team hotel on the outskirts of Cairo, those who have shared the dressing room with Salah aren't concerned about their captain's actions, insisting that he is a model professional.

"Working with Mo is the best part of my job," says one staff member. Another jokes that they all have him in their Fantasy Premier League team. The majority have all posted on social media in support of Salah over the past week and shared his content.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, their all-time record goalscorer, had a lengthy discussion with Salah last week. The coach conducted it with the belief that Egypt will need Salah at his best - regardless of his situation at Liverpool - to have a chance in Morocco.

So what about the situation at Liverpool? At Anfield last Saturday, was Salah saying farewell forever or goodbye for now?

"Take this from me that it's just goodbye for now," insists El-Sayed.

Before Salah left Merseyside for Afcon, Slot insisted "there was no issue to resolve" when it came to picking the Egyptian, whie his club-mates said they wanted him to stay.

Importantly, Salah still considers himself as one of the first names on the Liverpool teamsheet. While he is away, his agent Ramy Abbas will engage in talks with the club.

In recent years, Salah has usually got what he wants for both club and country.

This is a man who was sitting on a throne inside Anfield in April to celebrate his new contract - having previously indicated that he might leave, that he was "more out than in". In 2018, he got his way after a high-level dispute with the Egyptian FA over his image rights that led to government intervention.

Yet for the first time in a long time, it seems as if the end of the love affair between Salah and Liverpool is on the horizon.

The understanding is that neither Liverpool nor Salah want to cut ties in January, though a move at the end of the season may suit both parties.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are interested in signing a player whose current deal at Anfield, worth £400,000 a week, expires in 2027.

There is belief that even if he moves away, Salah could return to live in Liverpool with his wife and two daughters once he retires because they love the British way of life.

On the road heading out of Cairo and towards the airport, a journey Salah has made countless times, the billboards are filled with his image. In Egypt, all roads lead to Salah.

On TV, a new Pepsi advert is doing the rounds, with Salah asked by his daughters why he's still training when he's won everything with Liverpool. His response: "No, not yet, this is Egypt."

Salah wants to win with Egypt. Until April 2018, his social media handle was @MoSalah22 as a mark of respect to Mohamed Aboutrika, who wore the number 22 at Al-Ahly and won Afcon twice.

Aboutrika was Salah's football hero. but the '22' was taken out after Aboutrika, widely regarded as one of the greatest African and Arab players, was placed on Egypt's terror list in 2017. Aboutrika was added to the list because of alleged links with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt considers a terrorist organisation. He was removed from the list in 2024.

Unlike Aboutrika, Salah has never won Afcon, losing the final in 2017 and 2021. Triumph at the tournament remains a major ambition. He believes that playing in the Premier League gives him the best chance of achieving it.

Succeeding with his country would mean a lot. Salah has played at only one World Cup so far - in 2018, where he wasn't fully fit, having damaged his shoulder in that year's Champions League final as Liverpool lost to Real Madrid. Egypt went out at the group stage in Russia, losing all three matches.

Next year's World Cup - where Egypt have been drawn in a group with Belgium, Iran and New Zealand - offers another chance on the biggest stage. But for now, the focus is on succeeding with the Pharaohs in Morocco. His agent Abbas will deal with the situation at Liverpool, where it increasingly looks as if Salah will no longer be the focal point.

Saturday's reaction at Anfield, where Salah appeared as a first-half substitute in a 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton, suggested that he will always be adored in Liverpool. Judging by the mood in Cairo, they will always support their son.

"Salah always wants to win but there is double motivation now to prove that he is still one of the best. We already know he is the best," says Mohamed Mamoun, a fan at the stadium.

Egypt are not the favourites for the Afcon title. But with Salah, they will believe.

Kilmarnock have confirmed the signing of left-back Michael Schjonning-Larsen from Estonian club Levadia Tallinn.

The 24-year-old Estonia international, who is eligible to play from 1 January after the expiry of his contract, has signed a deal until May 2027 with the Scottish Premiership club.

Schjonning-Larsen, who joined Levadia from Flora two years ago, has 17 caps for his country.

He was a key player this season as they finished second in the Meistriliiga, three points behind his former club.

Kilmarnock said of the Denmark-born defender on their website: "Michael is known for his pace, versatility and ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch."

He joins a club sitting second bottom of the Scottish top flight and without a manager after this week's sacking of Stuart Kettlewell.

Jordan Ott’s first year as the Suns lead man has brought about more success than initially expected, and much of it is due to how he’s rebuilt the offense. While there have been highs and lows, Ott’s approach has inspired confidence in what the Suns will do at full strength.

How Jordan Ott Built the Phoenix Suns’ OFfense

PHNX Suns talked through those highs and lows of the team’s offense before widening the lens to take stock of some league-wide storylines, including the Suns place in the Western Conference standings and the NBA Cup final between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

Follow the show @PHNX_Suns, @ErikRuby, @GilMcGregor_, @StephenPG3 & @Espo!

0:00 – Intro

3:30 – Today’s Practice Updates

20:00 – Breaking Down The Phoenix Suns Revamped Ott-fense

42:48 – The Offense is GOOD, But Not PERFECT. Yet…

53:00 – Checking In On The Current Western Conference Standings

57:13 – The NBA Cup Wraps Up Today

Tennessee lost a signee from its 2026 football recruiting class.

Four-star athlete Legend Bey was granted a release from his national letter of intent, according to Sam Spiegelman of On3.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound prospect is from North Forney High School in Forney, Texas. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 7 athlete in the class and No. 21 player in Texas.

Tennessee offered Bey a scholarship on April 6. He officially visited Tennessee on June 6 and June 13 before committing to the Vols on June 28.

Bey officially visited Ohio State for the Buckeyes' football game versus Penn State on Nov. 1. He flipped his commitment to the Buckeyes on Nov. 10.

Tennessee flipped Bey's commitment on Dec. 3 during the early signing period. He signed his national letter of intent with the Vols on the same day.

Tennessee now has 26 commitments in its 2026 football recruiting class: quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver Tyreek King, offensive tackle  Gabriel Osenda, defensive lineman CJ Edwards, defensive lineman Zach Groves, safety KJ McClain, safety Luke Thompson, defensive end Kedric Golston II, offensive lineman Edward Baker, wide receiver Zaydyn Anderson, defensive lineman Dereon Albert, linebacker TJ White, cornerback Jamyan Theodore, defensive lineman Darryl Rivers, wide receiver Javonte Smith, linebacker Brayden Rouse, safety Jowell Combay, athlete Joel Wyatt, offensive tackle Kamari Blair, wide receiver Tristen Keys, defensive end Hezekiah Harris, tight end Luca Wolf, defensive lineman Nic’Quayvion Simmons, defensive end Carter Gooden, defensive end Jordan Carter and defensive lineman JJ Finch.

Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 signee released from NLI with Tennessee football

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweights are headed to “Sin City” this spring.

Two major Middleweight bouts have been booked for UFC 326, which takes place on Sat., March 7, 2026, inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The numbered event is headlined by Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira for the symbolic “BMF” title.

The matchups were first reported by Leo Guimarães.

No. 8-ranked Middleweight Reinier de Ridder will return to action against No. 7-ranked contender Caio Borralho in a bout that could turn into a grappling-heavy chess match.

Seems like the “Dutch Knight” won’t be taking a lot of “time off.”

Nevertheless, De Ridder (21-3) suffered an upset main event loss to Brendan Allen in his last outing, when he was unable to continue after the fourth round. Despite the setback — his first defeat inside the Octagon — the “Dutch Knight” enjoyed a standout 2025 campaign, highlighted by a stunning knockout win over Bo Nickal (watch highlights) and a razor-close victory against former champion, Robert Whittaker.

Borralho (17-2) also suffered the first UFC loss of his career in his most recent outing, dropping a unanimous decision to current No. 1 contender Nassourdine Imavov. Before that defeat, “The Natural” rattled off seven straight wins, defeating the likes of Jared Cannonier, Paul Craig, and Abus Magomedov.

In another high-profile Middleweight clash, former title challenger Paulo Costa will square off against fellow Brazilian Brunno Ferreira.

Costa (15-4) returned to the win column in his last appearance, earning a hard-fought victory over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318. The win snapped a two-fight skid that included losses to Sean Strickland and Whittaker.

Ferreira (15-2) asked for a ranked opponent — and got one. He enters the matchup riding a three-fight win streak after a dominant victory over Marvin Vettori at UFC 323. “The Hulk” is currently 6-2 inside the Octagon.

Here is what UFC 326 looks like so far:

Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira

Paulo Costa vs. Brunno Ferreira

Reinier de Ridder vs. Caio Borralho

Brian Ortega vs. Renato Moicano

---

To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.

Enzo Maresca has been criticised a few times this season because of his rotation policy. But in reality, it’s essential that he rotates. He just needs his second string to play well when they’re in the team.

So far this season, they’ve struggled to do that. Tonight was the same story  – the players who started the game were outplayed by League One opposition in the first half, and only won the game having brought on multiple first teamers.

Maresca defends his struggling second string

Chelsea celebrate as a generic group. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

But Maresca, as you’d expect, defended his players, insisting that the lack of regular action they get makes it hard for them to perform.

“I just said that these are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players, because it’s very, very easy. You cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games,” the manager said.

“Every season, there are teams that they lost against League Two or League One teams. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things. Cardiff is very well organised, off the ball they were very intense, and we expect exactly the game that we face, knowing that Ty [George] is not playing a lot, [Marc] Guiu is not playing a lot, Facu [Buonanotte] is not playing a lot.

“We expected some difficulty in the first half, and then in the second half, with the change, we were quite a lot better.”

In other news…

Enzo Maresca was forced to speak a little about his tensions behind the scenes, and made a pretty amazing claim about his relationship with the sporting directors.

Maresca didn’t have Estevao Willian in his team tonight, but according to the coach it was because the winger has a muscle injury. We won’t see him at the weekend either.

The first place Chicago Bears control their own destiny (is a sentence I love to type), and this week they can clinch a playoff spot (another sweet collection of words), albeit they’d need a little help. But still, it’s mid-December, and the Bears are playing meaningful football!

On our latest Mac & Read Show, Evan McLean and Ross Read discuss the Bears’ big win over the Cleveland Browns, Caleb Williams’ nice game and how he continues to improve each week, plus it’s Bears vs Packers Round 2 on Saturday night. They also get into all the big picture NFL news, and sprinkle in some pop culture!

Check out the video version of The Mac & Read Show in the embed player here, or head over to YouTube to get in on the fun with the fellas every Tuesday at 6:00 pm CT!

Podcast version right here.

Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so be sure to hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

The 2nd City Gridiron team now has a merchandise store! Support your favorite content creators right here!

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Terence Crawford reached the top of the mountain in September with his dethroning of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. It seems that's where he's calling it a career.

The three-weight undisputed world champion appeared to announce his retirement from the sport of boxing on Tuesday via his social media channels.

Crawford said in a YouTube video:

"Every fighter knows this moment will come. You just never know when. I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you, but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong. This sport gave me everything. I fought for my family, I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breathe I had.

"I'm stepping away from competition. Not because I'm done fighting, but because I've won a different kind of battle. The one where you walk away on your own terms. This isn't goodbye, it's just the end of one fight and the beginning of another."

This article will be updated with more information.

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The League Cup is here!

Manchester City’s preferred competition resumes as they face a game Brentford. This quarter final is sure to excite!

Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

Time and Date: EFL Cup Wednesday 17 December 2025, Kickoff at 19:30 GMT, 2.30 pm (EST)

Head Referee: Samuel Barrott

TV Info: SKY Sports (UK), ESPN+ (USA), SPORTSNET (Canada)

LiveStream: ***ESPN+ SIGN UP HERE FOR 7 DAY FREE TRIAL (USA)

Preview

A fun match here as two new entrants fight for advancement. The match should be a lot of fun as both clubs are off to solid starts. City should win even with some rotation in the cards.

In this match, the questions are who will play in midfield for City as they suffer through injuries. For Brentford, it will be how they deal with City’s forwards.

Team News

Man City will have Rodri, Doku, Stones and Kovacic as questionable or out.

The Bees have Nelson, Carvalho and Dasilva out.

Prediction

Manchester City 2-0 Brentford

Australia batter Steve Smith was ruled out on the morning of the crucial third Ashes Test against England and replaced by Usman Khawaja.

Smith missed training on Monday because of illness, then was struck in the groin when he batted in the nets on Tuesday morning.

The 36-year-old was on the outfield at the Adelaide Oval before play began, only to leave the stadium before the toss took place.

"Steve has been feeling a little bit unwell over the past couple of days," said Australia captain Pat Cummins.

"He gave it a crack this morning, but didn't think he was going to get up for this one. He's headed off home.

"We're pretty lucky we've got someone like Usman who can step right in."

Khawaja, who was left out of the Australia XI when it was named on Tuesday, comes in to take Smith's place at number four.

Australia, 2-0 up after wins in the first two Tests, will retain the Ashes if they avoid defeat in Adelaide. The hosts won the toss and chose to bat first.

• Follow live coverage of the opening day of the third Test

Smith captained Australia to victory in the first two Tests in the absence of Cummins, who has returned to lead at the Adelaide Oval.

It is a significant loss to Australia - only the great Sir Donald Bradman has made more runs for Australia in Ashes Tests.

Smith missed Australia's first Test against West Indies in June because of a broken finger, but this is the first home Test he has sat out since serving a ban for his role in the 'Sandpapergate' scandal in 2019.

It is a shock return for Khawaja, whose Test career looked over when he was omitted from the Australia team on Tuesday.

The left-hander, who turns 39 on day two of the third Test, was unable to open in the first Test because of a back complaint - the same issue then ruled him out of the second Test.

In his absence, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald have formed a promising opening partnership.

Khawaja batted at number four in the first innings of the first Test in Perth, moving down the order following the back spasms.

The last time he was listed to bat in the middle order was the Sydney Ashes Test of 2022, when he made a century in each innings at number five.

'Smith would have been licking his lips' - analysis

Going on record to say the absence of a particular player is a boost to the opposition is fraught with danger.

Still, if England could choose one Australian obstacle to remove in such a crucial Test, Smith would come pretty high on the wishlist.

So often Smith has been the destroyer of English Ashes dreams. Run after run, hour after hour spent at the crease.

Conditions in Adelaide - a flat pitch, baking sun and Australia batting first - would have had Smith licking his lips.

His absence also means a rivalry with Jofra Archer is put on hold. Archer bowled with rapid pace to Smith at the end of the Brisbane Test.

Smith is always quick to point out that Archer has never dismissed him, even in that memorable spell on Archer's debut in 2019, when Smith was concussed by a blow to the head.

It is a remarkable return for Khawaja, who less than 24 hours ago looked to have come to the end of his Ashes career.

He has a history of being called into Ashes matches in Australia. This really is a last opportunity to make a mark.

• Get cricket news sent straight to your phone

Former Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo was waived by the New York Giants on Tuesday. Despite starting the last five games for the Giants, Koo missed both of his field-goal attempts during Sunday's 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders.

The Falcons released Koo earlier in the season after he missed a game-tying field goal attempt during their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former Pro Bowl kicker spent roughly six seasons in Atlanta (2019-2025) before losing his job back in Week 2.

Over 89 starts for the Falcons, Koo converted 178 of 205 field-goal attempts and 166 of 173 extra-point attempts. For the season, the 31-year-old has converted six out of nine field-goal attempts and 13 out of 14 extra points.

While he hasn't performed up to his normal standards in 2025, the fact that Koo lost two jobs over a total of three missed field goals shows just how tough it is to survive as an NFL kicker.

The #Giants have claimed former #Patriots LB Caleb Murphy, with No. 1 in the claiming order. They waived Younghoe Koo. pic.twitter.com/8XA3AoIL8P

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2025

After cutting Koo, the Falcons went with Parker Romo for the next few weeks. Once Romo began to struggle, the team made another change and signed kicker Zane Gonzalez in Week 10.

Gonzalez has stabilized the position for the most part, making 11 out of 13 field goals and all 11 of his extra point attempts. We'll have to wait and see if another team attempts to claim Koo off of waivers.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Former Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo waived by Giants

The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 120-117 on Sunday in a tough finish on the road. The Sixers received a big effort from Paul George who delivered 35 points and knocked down seven triples on nine attempts, but it wasn't enough.

The finish on Sunday had some controversy as the Hawks inbounded the ball. It appeared Nickeil Alexander-Walker had committed a backcourt violation with Philadelphia trailing 118-117 before VJ Edgecombe committed the foul to extend the game. Alexander-Walker then stepped up and made two free throws for the final tally.

The broadcast team of Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby on NBC Sports Philadelphia was confused as to why there wasn't a backcourt violation called. The official Twitter account of the NBA's referees then called out Abdelnaby in explanation of the ruling on the floor.

This was not a backcourt violation and has never been a backcourt violation.

For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans @alaatweets

See the below thread for more examples: https://t.co/UOWQ9qrTwd

— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) December 15, 2025

On Monday, when the league's L2M report was released, they confirmed the call on the floor was a correct one. It explained that Alexander-Walker's momentum carried him into the backcourt which is allowed in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Per the L2M, the no call involving Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the correct no call #Sixerspic.twitter.com/zqOESecPso

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) December 15, 2025

Either way, the Sixers took a tough loss and are sitting at 14-11 as they now turn their attention to the New York Knicks on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Official NBA referee Twitter account explains no-call in Sixers-Hawks

AFC has new 'boogeyman' with Bills' Josh Allen claims analyst originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Buffalo Bills might have learned something incredible in the past two weeks, and it is something that might power their Super Bowl charge in 2025 -- let Josh Allen loose.

Granted, that sentence in years past would have been met with criticism, as turnovers and poor play often followed, but in the last two weeks, Allen has put on the Superman cape, hauled his team onto his back, and willed them to two impressive wins.

And as we turn for the playoffs, in which Patrick Mahomes is finally letting someone else play, for CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan, one AFC boogeyman is gone, but another is about to walk through the door.

"Allen and Co. found themselves in a 21-0 hole midway through the second quarter," Sullivan wrote. At that juncture, it felt like a blowout was imminent with the Patriots en route to locking up the AFC East crown, thus snapping Buffalo's five-season streak as division champions. 

"That was until Allen morphed into a role that he's grown quite accustomed to this season: the boogeyman."

More:Are Bills the best team in football after Week 15? Power rankings reveal all

If not now, when for Buffalo?

With three weeks left in the regular season, the Bills and Allen have almost the ideal scenario playing out.

Mahomes and Joe Burrow are already out of playoff contention, and Lamar Jackson is teetering on the edge. That means Allen will be the most senior quarterback in the conference in the postseason.

Does that count for something? Some think it should.

Given that the Bills' kryptonite, the Kansas City Chiefs, aren't in the tournament, there is now a clear path for Buffalo to not only reach the Super Bowl but also win it.

After years of having their season end at the hands of Mahomes, finally, a chance has come without that roadblock.

Can Allen take advantage? If he can't now, then many question whether he ever will.

More Bills news:

• Bills' Josh Allen reveals the key in monster second-half turnaround vs. Patriots
• Bills' Josh Allen doing his best Dak Prescott impression against Patriots 
• Why Bills keep punting from positive field position vs. Patriots
• Matt Prater injury update leaves Buffalo Bills in precarious spot at kicker

Sabrina Hiller, a Timberwolves fan in Minnesota, spends $20 a month to “maybe watch half of the games because of blackouts, buffering, and other broadcast issues.”

Patrick Simon, a Hornets fan in North Carolina, feels like he was forced to spend $100 a season to just watch the Hornets because there is no other way to watch local games. 

Yasmeen Hasan, an NBA fan in Chicago, said she was unable to watch Bulls games last season, even if she wanted to pay for them, because of a lack of a streaming option. 

Their stories are just three of many stemming from the rising cost and challenges associated with being a local basketball fan in an era of high cable costs, extensive streaming services and complex regional broadcast rights deals. 

When Did Watching the NBA Get So Expensive?

Back in 2015, the average cost of a cable subscription needed to watch professional sports was under $100 a month (adjusted for inflation), according to the FCC, and regional sports networks, or RSNs, came standard with most cable packages. RSNs served as the local broadcasters for pro teams, like MSG Network for the New York Knicks, or Fox Sports Southeast, which has since been bought and rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.

Now, YouTube TV, the most popular cable competitor, runs $82.99 a month and doesn’t include RSNs. Fans in Tennessee, for example, would have to tack on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast for another $19.99 monthly to watch the Hawks and Grizzlies. RSNs also only cover the non-nationally televised games.

The NBA’s new media rights deal added Amazon Prime and Peacock this season, which together cost around $26 per month, as national broadcasters. In total, that’s roughly $129 a month, or about $774 per season, to watch every game for a local NBA team.

In the cable era, cable subscribers helped pay for RSNs, even those who never watched sports. Once fans began cutting the cord, that shared cost disappeared. Cable companies started shifting RSNs to higher-tier packages in the early 2020s, with Xfinity moving them into its Ultimate package and DirecTV placing them in its Choice package. Now, only those who actually want to watch are footing the bill, making RSNs more expensive and less accessible.

Even die-hard fans, as Hasan described, who are willing to pay, face barriers. Most RSNs are run by team owners, giving them control over broadcasts, while leagues enforce blackout rules that block other broadcasts of the same game.

What is a Blackout?

A sports blackout is when a live sporting event is not available for broadcast in a specific geographic area. Typically, that area is the local market for the team, and the blackouts prevent broadcasts from other networks, except for the specific RSN that has purchased the local broadcast rights from the team.

Isaiah Gerard, an Atlanta Hawks fan in Tennessee, runs into blackouts frequently while trying to watch his team. 

“(Blackouts) are extremely frustrating,” he said. “It makes it harder to become a fan of local teams.”

The NBA’s League Pass costs $109.99 and offers every out-of-market, non-nationally televised game, which is perfect for non-local fans. Out-of-market fans pay the NBA directly to watch, rather than going through a network, but local fans are blacked out of this option.

“They (blackouts) go against it (accessibility) just by existing,” Gerard said.“ If you’re going to get something that’s meant to cover the entire league, why have stuff that excludes that?”

This isn’t just a complaint among fans; the issue has caught Congress’s attention. Representatives Jim Jordan and Scott Fitzgerald have requested that league commissioners testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on blackouts.

Why Do Blackouts Exist?

Blackouts began when the NFL used them to push fans to buy tickets instead of watching on TV. Some fans would tune into out-of-market broadcasts to watch before the FCC made it illegal in 1975 to help ticket sales and the local broadcasters. But in 2014, the FCC eliminated that ruling due to it being “unnecessary and outdated,” but leagues can, and still do, blackout games through private contracts with networks.

John Bergmayer, legal director at Public Knowledge, helped push for that change and has testified in congressional hearings against blackouts. But blackouts still exist today, just in a different form.

“The blackouts we see today are mostly the kind where you can’t watch a game on streaming if, in theory, it’s available on traditional TV in your local market,” Bergmayer told The Lead. “I have to explain that it doesn’t mean you, personally, can actually watch it on TV: just that the system assumes you can.”

Last season, Chicago Bulls fans learned that the hard way. The team’s new RSN, Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), couldn’t reach a deal with Comcast, Illinois’s largest cable provider. Jason Coyle, the former president of CHSN, toldThe Athletic that the network held out on having a streaming option initially because they believed it would encourage cord-cutting, ruining negotiations with cable providers.

Fans with Comcast had to buy antennas for over-the-air broadcasts or miss games entirely. CHSN now has a deal with Comcast and has removed the free over-the-air option in Illinois, which fans adjusted to last season. 

This wasn’t a problem just in Chicago; last season, about half of the NBA teams did not offer a streaming option for local games, meaning fans without cable were out of luck. 

IS an RSN’s Purpose to Be Accessible or to Make Money?

NBA commissioner Adam Silver isn’t naive to the current RSN landscape. He even acknowledged that the model has problems in a press conference last season. 

“When you look at the local markets, at least the way they are currently constituted, you really don’t have many bidders,” Silver said in a press conference. ”You have sort of a broken RSN model.”

The league has voiced support for an over-the-air broadcast model with a streaming option, even making its case to the federal government.

Bill Koenig, the NBA’s president of global content and media distribution,told Congress the league plans to air 75 regular-season games on free over-the-air networks: five times more than before. However, the league cannot force teams to adopt a specific model because each team owns its local broadcasting rights, leaving it up to the franchise to decide how its local games will be broadcast.

“They go to over-the-air broadcasts, which are free in those cities, and some kind of streaming option, and they lose out on maybe tens of millions of dollars every year in rights fees and revenues,” Mike Vorkunov, an NBA and basketball business reporter for The Athletic, told The Lead. “They’ll have more fans be able to watch them in the city, and that’s obviously a trade-off, but in terms of the money that it brings in, I think it’s definitely less.”

Bring Back the Antenna

Some teams have already switched to free over-the-air broadcasts or a paid streaming service for fans without an antenna. The Portland Trail Blazers, for example, saw local viewership jump 69%, from last in the league to first, after making the change, according to Sports Business Journal. Though they lost some revenue short term, higher visibility can attract new sponsors.

“When a team goes to sell its jersey patch, they could say, we’re on national TV this many times, this is our viewership for our local media rights, this is how many fans come to the arena,” Vorkunov said. “So I think there are ways that they are able to help monetize things, although it might not always be, you know, directly, kind of like, this leads to this much money.”

There are, of course, issues that are unique to over-the-air broadcasts and antennas. Hills, buildings and weather can obstruct the signal. Antenna placement could force viewers to watch games from only one spot in their house, and the quality of the antenna and the strength of the signal can cause visual distortions.

National Media Deals Can Finance Local Losses

New York Knicks Owner James Dolan has criticized the new NBA media rights deal in letters sent to the NBA’s board of governors, claiming that it ruins local broadcasts by stripping away games.

“The increased number of exclusive and non-exclusive games means that national partners would have the ability to air nearly half of the regular season and all postseason games. This reduction in available games for RSNs risks rendering the entire RSN model unviable,” Dolan said in his letter obtained by ESPN.

The NBA’s new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal will further reshape how fans watch. Each team will earn $140 million this year alone – nearly covering the league’s $154.65 million salary cap. By the end of the deal, teams will make around $290 million annually from national broadcasts.

“The money that they’ll make on national media rights fees every year will probably make up for and outweigh any potential losses in the local media rights fees,” Vorkunov said.

Still, teams continue selling local broadcast rights and enforcing blackouts to maximize short-term profits.

Local Fans Pay… Twice

Blackouts and RSNs are problems only local fans face. Out-of-market viewers can simply buy League Pass from the NBA with no restrictions. That raises the question: do teams owe more to their local fans than those watching from afar? Bergmayer said yes.

“It doesn’t really matter whether members of Congress are conservative or liberal; they look at this and say, ‘Why are we giving you this?’” Bergmayer said. “You’re billion-dollar industries. Why do you need special exemptions? And if we’re going to keep granting them, we might legally require you to do more for fans.”

Those exemptions include federal protections under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which allows leagues to negotiate TV contracts collectively, which would normally violate antitrust laws.

Money to the Memphis Grizzlies

In the 2023-24 budget, Tennessee, for example, allocated $350 million to Memphis for “Memphis Tourism Infrastructure” improvements, $230 million of which will go toward FedExForum renovations, the stadium where the Grizzlies play. Tennessee uses bond grants to fund the upgrades, meaning taxpayer money from across the state is being used. Because it’s a bond, the city of Memphis must repay it, also with taxpayer money.

The Tennessee General Assembly also passed House Bill 1085 and Senate Bill 0891, which extend the state’s tax revenue sharing with NBA franchises through 2059, according to the Tennessee General Assembly website.

This means Tennessee will reimburse the Grizzlies for sales tax revenue generated by ticket sales, parking, food, beverages and other related services, an estimated $5 million per year for the city of Memphis.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Shelby County are working on a lease agreement to keep the team at FedExForum in Memphis. While the county doesn’t pay the Grizzlies directly to stay, it offers incentives such as tax breaks and arena renovations. And who pays for those incentives? Taxpayers in Shelby County and across Tennessee, many of whom can’t even watch the games.

Part of the new agreement is a plan for even more FedExForum renovations, estimated to cost $550 million: more than double the $230 million provided by the state in 2023. Memphis plans to use sales tax reimbursements to cover the remaining costs and has also raised the hotel tax by 0.5%, to a total of 4%, to help repay the state bond and fund the renovations.

“They [the Grizzlies] made it clear that they want to stay here,” said state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, who proposed Senate Bill 0891, according to Action News 5. “I think we have to do what we need to do to make that happen.”

What Should Teams Do for Local Fans?

If taxpayers are helping fund teams, fans deserve free local broadcasts in return, Bergmayer said. That would expand viewership, boost sponsor value, and help the NBA grow long term.

“Teams should make their games available in their local markets,” Bergmayer said. “Free of charge, on ad-supported broadcasts, the way it traditionally worked, or perhaps on a streaming platform.”

Making local games free isn’t just fair to taxpayers, but it could mean better business for the NBA in the long term, even if they lose out in the short term.

“The challenge for many teams and leagues is that they recognize their revenue is declining,” Bergmayer said. “They may need to make short-term decisions that cost them even more money, giving up on old cash cows instead of milking them, and investing in the future.”

The post Local NBA Fans Pay More to Watch Less Basketball appeared first on The Lead.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a Week 16 rematch against the Green Bay Packers on short rest, where Chicago is looking to build their third winning streak of the season as they inch closer to a playoff berth.

With this being a short week, the Bears conducted a walkthrough on Tuesday with estimated attendance. Wide receivers Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden III (ankle) would not have participated. Odunze re-aggravated his foot injury just before Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, while Burden left the contest early. Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (hamstring) also would not have participated after leaving Sunday's game early.

A couple of players were also dealing with illnesses. Andrew Billings was out, but quarterback Tyson Bagent returned after being sent home prior to Sunday's game.

Here's a look at Tuesday's estimated injury reports for the Bears and Packers:

Bears injury report

Player	Injury	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Status
DL Andrew Billings	illness	DNP
WR Luther Burden III	ankle	DNP
WR Rome Odunze	foot	DNP
LB Amen Ogbongbemiga	hamstring	DNP
LB Tremaine Edmunds*	groin	LP
RB Travis Homer	ankle	LP
TE Cole Kmet	ankle/knee	LP
QB Tyson Bagent	illness	FP

*Reserve/injured: Designated for return

Packers injury report

Player	Injury	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Status
RB Chris Brooks	chest	LP
DL Brenton Cox Jr.*	groin	FP
WR Matthew Golden	wrist	FP
RB Josh Jacobs	knee/ankle	DNP
OL Darrian Kinnard	neck	LP
RB MarShawn Lloyd*	calf/hamstring	DNP
QB Jordan Love	left shoulder	FP
DL Collin Oliver*	hamstring	LP
DL Micah Parsons	knee	DNP
OL Zach Tom	back/knee	DNP
DL Lukas Van Ness	foot	DNP
WR Christian Watson	chest/shoulder	DNP
TE Josh Whyle	concussion	DNP
WR Dontayvion Wicks	ankle	DNP
S Evan Williams	knee	DNP
WR Savion Williams	foot	LP

*Reserve/injured: Designated for return

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Tuesday injury report: Latest on Rome Odunze, Luther Burden

• Australia's Smith ruled out with illness after arriving at ground - Khawaja replaces him
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• England trail 2-0 in five-Test series and must win to keep Ashes alive
• Third Test, day one, Adelaide
• Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Sport commentary at top of page
• READ MORE: 'England have been treated like adults - now they must play like adults'

The Ashes: Australia bat first in Adelaide as Smith ruled out

NEED TO KNOW

• Patrick Mahomes injured his knee during the Dec. 14 Kansas City Chiefs match against the Los Angeles Chargers 
• The quarterback underwent surgery the following day to repair a torn ACL and LCL
• Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Yair Kissin talks to PEOPLE about the quarterback's torn ACL and possible recovery timeline

In the final two minutes of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Dec. 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Patrick Mahomes went down in pain, clutching his left knee. Following an MRI, the team later confirmed that the quarterback, 30, suffered a torn ACL.

Just one day later, Mahomes underwent surgery to repair his ACL, and, according to multiple outlets, he also needed a repair for a torn LCL.

The ACL is the common abbreviation for the "anterior cruciate ligament" in the knee while LCL refers to the “lateral collateral ligament” in the knee.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Dr. Yair Kissin — vice chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center — broke down Mahomes’ injury and what can be expected with his recovery. 

After reviewing the game footage, Kissin explains that although Mahomes was tackled by Chargers defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, the quarterback’s injury was seemingly non-contact and occurred when his leg locked while trying to avoid the tackle.

“There was another player nearby but nobody contacted that knee,” he tells PEOPLE. “So it's probably classified as non-contact, which most ACL tears are, where his foot plants and the rest of him keeps going. And unfortunately that's the common way for tearing ACLs, especially in football — a quarterback changes directions quite a bit.”

“Also if you see how his knee kind of bows out, where it goes outward, then that would put stress on the LCL as well,” he says, adding that an ACL and LCL tear “makes 100% sense.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Kissin — who did not treat Mahomes — says that when he deals with his own athlete patients, he would typically perform an ACL repair surgery in a week or two after the injury occurred in order to allow swelling to subside. Performing the surgery with heavy swelling can be like a “second trauma” to the knee and result in a longer and more difficult recovery, he notes.

However, the surgeon explains that professional athletes are “on a different time schedule than every other human,” which is likely why Mahomes had the surgery just one day after the injury.

“They have a multimillion dollar contract, they have to get well as soon as possible. So it's definitely not considered malpractice or wrong to do early surgery,” he says. “But doing it as quickly as he had it done is actually pretty widely accepted because you don't really allow that initial inflammatory response to happen.” 

After surgery, recovery for a torn ACL takes nine to 12 months. Kissim says the timeline typically begins with athletes on crutches for four to six weeks and working on range of motion for the first two to three months.

He says patients will then start strengthening before beginning more sport-specific activities. According to Kissim, while nine months is the baseline, Mahomes’ LCL tear could extend his recovery.

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“Now add a second ligament or another injury like he had, sometimes you want to examine the patient's overall alignment and if their weightbearing is going to stress that LCL,” he explains. “And if he weight bears, he's going to put stress on that LCL repair and then that could stretch [the recovery] out. So, maybe he'll be on crutches for a little longer.” 

Kissim tells PEOPLE that with Mahomes having access to the equipment and resources that come with being a high-level professional athlete, he’s off to a better start than most.

But the surgeon stresses that the NFL star still has a long road to recovery, regardless of his athleticism.

“Nobody's super human,” Kissim says. “Yeah, we think that way when we see them on TV, but at the same time, just because a person is healthy and athletic doesn't necessarily mean they heal faster.” 

“I think that sometimes the misconception that we have about some of these super athletes is that they're super human. But they're human just like the rest of us,” he continues. “Yes, like I said, professional athletes have a different perhaps, motivation and intensity, but their timeline may not be different from most people.” 

Read the original article on People

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we've got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He's got all the answers.

At a PGA Tour event, I saw a pro with a lie too close to a tarp-covered fence to advance the ball forward, so he pitched backward. I thought he had a legitimate, if risky, play to bank a shot forward off the fence. Could he have thrown another ball against the fence to get an idea of how a ricochet might work? -Mike Rogers, via email

Mike, you've devised a query we don't believe the powers that be have yet considered. Nonetheless, because said powers have indeed considered the idea of test-dropping a ball to see how it would roll, we conclude that it's a good thing this pro didn't act upon your notion.

Re: test-dropping, Clarification 14.4/2 considers the action contrary to the spirit of the game such that disqualifying the player is justified under Rule 1.2a for serious misconduct. Had the pro done this test "throw," he likely would have been subjected to the same scrutiny and potential expulsion from the competition.

For more test-related guidance from our guru, read on …

Rules

At a recent tournament, the driving range was adjacent to the first tee. In his warm-up, a player who hadn't seen the course before was hitting balls from the range onto the first fairway to see if he could clear a pond hazard on his opening drive. Clearing the pond leaves a flip wedge; playing short or to the side of it requires a longer approach. Since he was gaining course knowledge, is he penalized for playing the course on the day of the tournament?-Andy Brown, via email

It feels like he should be penalized - that this should be treated differently from the guy who accidentally slices one onto the course from the range.

And yet, perhaps unsatisfyingly, it isn't.

Rule 5.2 indeed prohibits practicing on the course prior to the day's round. Despite where his practice shots ended up, however, this player is making them from the designated practice area, not from on the course in breach of Rule 5.2.

Even though he may have gained insight, it's not a breach. That said, if there are golfers on the course while he's doing this, it's dangerous and worth a pointed remark to the player - or finding the committee in charge and asking them to have a word with him.

Want to find the right gear for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won't throw the book at you.

The post Rules Guy: Can you test out a potential ricochet shot before actually hitting it? appeared first on Golf.

Chuck Neinas, the onetime Big Eight commissioner whose media savvy and dealmaking helped turn college football into the multibillion-dollar business it is today, died Tuesday. He was 93.

The National Football Foundation announced Neinas' death, with its president and CEO Steve Hatchell calling him “a visionary in every sense of the word.” A cause of death was not disclosed.

From 1980-97, Neinas was executive director of the College Football Association, an agency created by several big conferences that sought to wrest control of their TV rights from the NCAA.

Two key members, Georgia and Oklahoma, sued the NCAA over TV, and a 1984 Supreme Court ruling in their favor effectively made the CFA a separate business from the rest of college sports. It gave Neinas a key seat at the negotiating table.

He brought home deals worth billions in the 1980s and ’90s, and those huge contracts set the stage for today’s industry, currently highlighted by a TV deal worth $7.8 billion for the College Football Playoff.

After the CFA disbanded in 1997 — with conferences taking their TV rights into their own hands and the Bowl Championship Series, the precursor to today’s playoff, about to start — Neinas founded a consulting firm that helped schools create policies and hire athletic directors and coaches.

He was CEO of Ascent Entertainment Group, which owned the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and their arena when they sold to Liberty Media Group in 2000.

But his passion was college sports. He served as interim commissioner of the Big 12 from 2011-12, solidifying that conference during one of many surges of realignment by adding TCU and West Virginia.

In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, Neinas envisioned a future that looks much like today as he pondered lawsuits against the NCAA that would eventually lead to players being paid.

“There is a need for some changes,” Neinas said. “The auto industry is always trying to improve their model. College athletics should do the same. But the basics are still sound.”

Born in Wisconsin, Neinas was a longtime Colorado resident and was living in Boulder at the time of his death.

After working as a play-by-play man for Wisconsin football and basketball, Neinas got a job with the NCAA, where he served as an assistant executive director from 1961-71. He became commissioner of the Big Eight Conference in 1971 until moving to the CFA.

During his Big Eight tenure, Neinas chaired the committee that recommended the NCAA withdraw from the U.S. Olympic Committee. That led to a major reorganization and the passing of the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act that governs the Olympics in the U.S. today.

Gerwyn Price began his bid for a second PDC world title with a convincing straight-set victory over Adam Gawlas.

Price, 40, lost only two of the 11 legs that were played, averaged 96.44 and hit six 180s in a dominant first-round display.

Czech thrower Gawlas, a former UK Open semi-finalist, was heavily outscored by Price throughout and was restricted to just three darts at doubles in the entire contest.

Five years on from his world title win, Welshman Price is among the favourites to lift the trophy again this time around, at the end of a consistent year in which he has had several deep runs in majors.

"I played pretty decent apart from the two legs I gave away," the ninth seed, who enjoyed good support from the Alexandra Palace crowd, told Sky Sports.

"I'll need to improve to win this tournament but, for a first-round game, that was OK."

Sixth seed Danny Noppert also made it through to round two with a 3-1 win against fellow Dutchman Jurjen van der Velde, who tried to combat the Alexandra Palace wasps by using bug spray on stage before the match.

Noppert will next play another debutant, England's Justin Hood, who averaged 99.59 in a straight-set win over Nick Kenny of Wales during the afternoon session.

Chris Dobey's 3-1 win against China's Xiaochen Zong meant all three seeds in action on Tuesday progressed to the last 64.

The 35-year-old Englishman has reached at least the quarter-finals in each of the past three World Championships, including a run to the semi-finals last year, and will face former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding next.

• Darts player creates buzz with wasp spray on stage
• The Ally Pally wasps are back - but where are they coming from?

Soutar wins epic after missing 15 match darts

In the day's opening match, Scotland's Alan Soutar missed 15 match darts before finally defeating Finnish debutant Teemu Harju in a sudden-death leg.

In an epic that lasted almost an hour and a half, 33-year-old Harju missed four match darts of his own in the sixth leg of the deciding set.

Soutar, 47, had flown into a two-set lead without losing a leg, averaging 107.36 at that stage and hitting six of his first eight attempts at doubles.

But while Harju maintained a steady level, Soutar's overall three-dart average dropped closer to 90 and when opportunities arose, he was unable to put the match away.

Harju had the advantage of throwing first in the 11th and deciding leg of the fifth set at Alexandra Palace, but Soutar broke to win - landing his first dart at double 16 to complete a 45 checkout.

The record number of missed match darts in a major match is 18, by three-time world champion John Part.

Part was wearing glasses on stage for the first time and missed a succession of doubles in a defeat by Andy Hamilton in their Players Championship Finals contest in Minehead in 2013.

Soutar will face European Championship winner and 10th seed Gian van Veen of the Netherlands in round two.

England's Scott Williams, a semi-finalist at Alexandra Palace in 2024, hit nine of his 14 attempts at doubles in a fine display of finishing as he beat Paolo Nebrida of the Philippines 3-0.

There were mixed fortunes for two German players - Ricardo Pietreczko defeated Portugal's former Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa 3-1, but Niko Springer was on the wrong end of the 3-1 scoreline against Australia's Joe Comito.

• Menzies apologises for punching table after loss
• World Darts Championship - Draw, seeds, prize money
• World Darts Championship 2026 schedule and results

There is no afternoon session on Wednesday, meaning play will get under way at 19:00 GMT with four first-round ties scheduled.

Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and multiple major winner James Wade are among the players in action.

Tuesday's results

• Alan Soutar 3-2 Teemu Harju
• Nick Kenny 0-3 Justin Hood
• Scott Williams 3-0 Paolo Nebrida
• Chris Dobey 3-1 Xiaochen Zong
• Ricardo Pietreczko 3-1 Jose de Sousa
• Danny Noppert 3-1 Jurjen van der Velde
• Gerwyn Price 3-0 Adam Gawlas
• Niko Springer 1-3 Joe Comito

Wednesday's schedule

From 19:00 GMT:

• Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
• Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
• James Wade v Ryusei Azemoto
• Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton

Barcelona clashed heads with Guadalajara at the Pedro Escartin Stadium earlier tonight as they hoped to secure a good result in the Copa del Rey. The Catalan club made a good start to the game but were held to a scoreless draw at the half-time break.

Andreas Christensen scored the opener for Hansi Flick’s side in the 76th minute before Marcus Rashford killed the game off in the 90th minute. The contest finished with Barcelona securing a solid 2-0 win away from home.

Let’s take a look at how each Barcelona player fared during the clash against Guadalajara.

He made a few solid saves at the back and kept an important clean sheet on the road tonight.

LB: Jofre Torrents – 7.5/10

Torrents performed his defensive duties well and was substituted in the 63rd minute.

CB: Eric Garcia – 8/10

He didn’t do much wrong defensively and was a good presence on the ball.

CB: Andreas Christensen – 8.5/10

Christensen did enough to restrict the home side from scoring tonight and was responsible for scoring the opener in the 76th minute.

GUADALAJARA, SPAIN – DECEMBER 16: Andreas Christensen of FC Barcelona celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Copa del Rey match between CD Guadalajara and FC Barcelona at Estadio Pedro Escartin on December 16, 2025 in Guadalajara, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

RB: Marc Casado – 7/10

He was solid when defending inside his half and retained possession well for his team.

CM: Frenkie de Jong – 8/10

De Jong ran the show in the opponent’s half and picked up an assist for setting up Christensen’s opener.

CM: Fermin Lopez – 6.5/10

He was not shy of having a strike at goal but failed to get his name on the scoresheet.

CM: Marc Bernal – 7.5/10

Bernal distributed the ball well from midfield and offered decent protection for his teammates at the back.

LW: Roony Bardghji – 6/10

He managed to shine at times but struggled to influence the game in the final third.

RW: Lamine Yamal – 7/10

Yamal caught the eye at times in the final third but failed to find the back of the net.

ST: Marcus Rashford – 7.5/10

He got himself into some dangerous areas but struggled to take his chances. Rashford finally managed to get his name on the scoresheet in the 90th minute.

Substitutes:

CB: Pau Cubarsi – 7/10

He was solid when defending inside his half.

LB: Alejandro Balde – 6/10

He struggled to influence the game.

The Pulaski Lady Thunder seventh grade squad was able to defeat multiple AAU teams in the Richmond Heat Holiday Hoopfest tournament over the weekend, claiming the seventh grade title. Coached by Tony Bowling and Sean Ross, this team made up of mostly fifth and sixth graders playing up proved that the future of Pulaski basketball is very bright.

In the championship game against the Harlan Monarchs, the coaches drew up the perfect final play. Fifth grader Kambree Newton drilled a buzzer-beater for the win, set up by a great assist from seventh grader Lucy Gill. Layla Ross had 12 points in the win, with Newton adding seven, Gill adding four and Georgia Coleman scoring one.

Players on the team include Layla Ross, Kambree Newton, Georgia Coleman, Lucy Gill, Sophie Dunn, Kinley Bray, Hayden Wesley, Briley Burton, Kendall Constant, Scarlett Richardson, Hayden Likins, Campbell Coffey and Anslee Dalton.

Join us Tuesday Night at 8pm CST as bowl chatter continues and, oh by the way, the Huskers had a 3rd player enter the portal. That might be news? Have we perhaps known for a bit and have another QB in our crosshairs? How is TJ? Can Phil Snow repair a defense which dropped off hard in the final two games? Volleyball, what the hell?

These are only a few of the subjects on the table tonight for you guys as the comments will once again guide the show. Fire away as this has proven to be one of the most drama-filled seasons in a stretch full of them.

We will have a couple of guests as CN volleyball writer Mylie K. joins to close the early curtain on a 33-1 Husker season. And, just to double down on nepotism, her brother Drew, who you may know better as mustang6197, will hop in later as well. There may be others. Who knows who might drop in??

So pour your favorite beverage & pull up a stool – the Huskers Happy Hour is back tonight! Click the image above to join in.

After a disastrous day of injuries on Sunday in Denver, the Green Bay Packers released the team’s first injury report of Week 16 on Tuesday. The team will release two more injury reports, including a final injury report on Thursday with official playing status designations, before facing the Chicago Bears in Week 16 of the 2025 season on Saturday.

Here’s everything to know from the Packers' first injury report:

Participation report

• Did not participate: RB Josh Jacobs (knee), DE Micah Parsons (knee), RB MarShawn Lloyd (calf/hamstring), RT Zach Tom (knee/back), DE Lukas Van Ness (foot), WR Christian Watson (chest/shoulder), TE Josh Whyle (concussion), WR Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), S Evan Williams (knee)
• Limited participation: RB Chris Brooks (chest), OL Darian Kinnard (neck), DE Collin Oliver (hamstring), WR Savion Williams (foot)
• Full participation: DE Brenton Cox Jr. (groin), WR Matthew Golden (wrist), QB Jordan Love (left shoulder)
• Note: the Packers held a walkthrough practice on Tuesday.

Big things to know

-- The Packers listed 16 players on the first injury report. Eight have new injuries. Nine did not participate during Tuesday's walkthrough. This is a bruised and battered football team coming out of a physical battle in altitude in Denver on Sunday.

-- At least six preferred starters were DNPs, including Micah Parsons, who will go on injured reserve this week to open a roster spot up (possibly for Brenton Cox Jr., who practiced in full?).

-- The big injuries to monitor this week: Josh Jacobs, Zach Tom, Lukas Van Ness, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks and Evan Williams. They didn't practice on Tuesday, but all are assumed to have a chance to play Saturday. A lot of guys on the gameday 48-man roster are probably going to be playing at far lower than 100 percent against the Bears.

-- Receiver Jayden Reed hobbled off the field late in the fourth quarter on Sunday but is NOT listed on the first injury report.

-- A chest injury for Chris Brooks really complicates the running back position. Pierre Strong Jr. no longer has any practice squad elevations, so the Packers may need to make an addition at running back to protect themselves for Saturday, especially with Jacobs still battling his knee injury.

-- The same goes at tight end, where Josh Whyle is in concussion protocol. Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick are the only healthy tight ends.

-- Expect many roster moves this week. The guess here is both the active roster and practice squad will need be adjusted over the course of the week to make sure the Packers have 48 semi-healthy players to go in Chicago on Saturday.

-- The Bears also held a walk through on Tuesday. Receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden II and defensive tackle Andrew Billings did not practice, while linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was limited as he opened up his 21-day practice window.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers first injury report of Week 16: 9 DNPs for Tuesday walkthrough

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans placed a trio of safeties on injured reserve Tuesday, effectively ending the seasons of Xavier Woods, rookie Kevin Winston Jr. and Mike Brown with only three games remaining.

All three were hurt early in Sunday's 37-24 loss at San Francisco. Brown hurt an ankle, while both Woods and Winston hurt hamstrings.

A nine-year veteran, Woods started 10 of 11 games he played and had two interceptions. Winston, a third-round pick out of Penn State, started six of 10 games played. Brown played nine games in his third season with the Titans and recovered a blocked punt on Dec. 7 in Tennessee's win over Cleveland.

The Titans signed a pair of safeties off practice squads, adding Erick Hallett from Detroit and Sanoussi Kane from Baltimore. They also claimed rookie guard Garrett Dellinger off waivers from Cleveland.

Hallett started a game with the Lions in October and was undrafted out of college at Pittsburgh. He started with the Jaguars in 2023 before signing with Detroit in 2024 with stints on the roster and practice squad. A seventh-round pick out of Purdue by Baltimore in 2024, Kane has played in 22 games, mostly on special teams.

___

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Dec. 16—IRONTON — The Christmas season is indeed upon us, but based on the reactions — and real time comments — from the crowd at Monday's regular monthly meeting of the Ironton City Schools Board of Education, fans of Ironton football for sure were not in a receiving mood.

As the Monday meeting moved in location to inside Ironton's high school cafeteria, the major storyline from the meeting remained the same — centering on the Ironton Fighting Tigers football program, and the widespread speculation on the fate of Ironton head coach and athletic director Trevon Pendleton.

In short, following a lengthy presentation by Bradley Frick of Bradley Frick and Associates — and an even longer nearly three-hour executive session — Pendleton remains, as of Tuesday morning, both head coach of the Fighting Tigers and as Ironton's athletic director.

Frick presented to the BOE, Ironton City Schools Superintendent Sommer McCorkle and to the passionate Ironton football community on Monday his decision review — based on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's punishment of the football program for alleged recruiting violations.

The Fighting Tiger program, which captured the 2024 Division V state championship and its third all-time state football title, did not have an opportunity to defend last season's state championship — because the OHSAA on Oct. 24 removed Ironton from the 2025 state playoffs.

That Friday night ultimately marked the season and home finale for the Fighting Tigers, which learned earlier that day that their season would be over — after their annual rivalry game with Portsmouth.

Upon learning of the sanctions against the program, the Fighting Tigers played one or more ineligible players that night against the Trojans — and were forced to forfeit the contest despite winning on the field 55-13.

Playing an ineligible player(s) is a violation of the OHSAA bylaw 10-2-1.

Ironton's administration accepted the negotiated sanctions between itself and the OHSAA — as the result of the OHSAA's investigation into the football program for "ongoing and coordinated recruiting efforts, including communications with parents and students regarding methods to influence other prospective athletes' enrollment."

According to the OHSAA, "records show deliberate efforts to conceal recruiting activity, including direction on how to avoid leaving evidence of infractions, which demonstrates an awareness of wrongdoing and an intentional effort to circumvent compliance. The scope and coordination of these activities, as well as the number of impermissible contacts, represents a serious and pervasive violation."

Besides this year's postseason ban — after Ironton's 9-1 regular season in which the Fighting Tigers' lone loss was at Division V state runner-up Wheelersburg — the Fighting Tigers were put on three years probation (2025, 2026 and 2027), levied a $7,500 fine, and some members of the coaching staff were served a postseason suspension for next year (if they are coaching at an OHSAA school).

Frick's presentation focused on how, in his professional opinion, that Ironton City Schools was "correct" to accept the sanctions as negotiated between the OHSAA and the district — and to not fight the sanctions through litigation.

The OHSAA only offered Ironton a 24-hour period of Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24 "to make a decision" — one of those options being to challenge the sanctions through the court system.

He said the district "theoretically" could have filed suit against the OHSAA, but "practically, you can't do a case of this enormity in 24 hours. You can't do it right anyways. For myself, had I been hired to do this, to find eligibility and to try and adjoin these sanctions, I would have wanted at least two weeks, preferably three. The OHSAA gave your superintendent (McCorkle) 24 hours."

Frick emphasized that his services were not retained by Ironton City Schools, nor were they retained by any Ironton student-athlete.

The cost, he said, to litigate this particular case "would have been somewhere in the $50,000 to $150,000" range.

Frick's six stated reasons "why the right decision was to not fight" included:

1. Not enough time to properly prepare the case

2. The district would have entered the court with "unclean hands"

3. Not enough information known at the time

4. Suspension of membership.

5. Virtual certainty that the OHSAA would have appealed

6. Suing regulators is never good idea

Among the more demonstrative remarks Frick phrased were "you don't sue this organization half-cocked" and "for those of you who are in businesses that are regulated, you do not want to piss off the regulator. Unless you're right."

Had Ironton filed for and been granted an injunction, and "then that injunction been reversed, dismissed or overturned", Frick said among the penalties the program was facing included forfeiture of victories, vacating of team and individual records, public censure, payment of expensive legal fees, and even forfeiture of championships including the 2024 Division V state title.

However, he didn't stop when he mentioned forfeiture of that championship.

When discussing "suspension of membership", which Frick said he believed "wasn't on the table but it could have been", he simply said "that's the death penalty."

"If a school district has enough violations and a bad enough record and a deep enough history, it's theoretically possible that OHSAA could eject you from membership," he said. "If that ever happened, your athletic program is done. Because no non-OHSAA member can compete against an OHSAA member. In other words, you have nobody to play."

"I think it was a very wise decision to resolve this case based on the sanctions that were negotiated by the superintendent," opined Frick.

After offering his six reasons, Frick said that — since 2018 — there have been 31 transfers into Ironton City Schools which required approval from the OHSAA, with 23 of those for football.

"That's way out of whack," he explained. "You don't find that anywhere unless you go to Massillon (Washington High School)."

Following Frick's formal presentation, he concluded by saying "when the day comes when you have a case in which the evidence is different, I'm happy to help,"

But that comment immediately provoked vocal outrage from the public, some who believe Frick deliberately misrepresented the facts — or even flat-out lied about what he told his audience.

Four individuals publicly addressed the Board and McCorkle — Hugh Scott, Scott Schmidt, J.T. Holt, and former football player Mason Wheeler.

Holt and Schmidt spoke on behalf of the 33-year-old Pendleton, especially Schmidt, who transferred his grandson Gavin Hart to Ironton from Notre Dame a few years ago.

"I didn't transfer my grandson here to Ironton to play football for him (Pendleton)," said Schmidt. "I transferred him here to make him a better young man. Coach Pendleton did that and continues to do that. Makes these young men better young men. There's more here than just playing football at this school."

Schmidt then listed Pendleton's head coaching accomplishments, as he was the 2024 Ohio Division V Coach of the Year — and Ironton's players have received "$35 million in scholarship money" during Pendleton's eight-year tenure.

"Facts. All you have received is facts. You can have facts, but sometimes you don't have details of the facts," said Schmidt. "Until we know the details, until Mr. Trevon Pendleton has his time in court, until he has his chance to be heard on this, until he has his chance to tell his side of the story, he shouldn't be burned at the cross. Trevon is a hell of a coach, but he's a better man and a great role model to our kids. Bring your army if you want to beat him up."

Naturally, with the pro-Pendleton crowd in attendance, Schmidt's remarks were met with applause.

Then Wheeler went to the podium, and the senior captain was highly critical of McCorkle.

He made two requests of the first-year ICS Superintendent: "an official apology" from her and "on behalf of the entire senior class and football team, we are requesting that Ms. McCorkle not be involved in our graduation so that it can be a positive memory and that we can move on with our lives and from this situation."

Wheeler's words too earned applause, before Holt spoke — and then the Board recessed into executive session for almost three hours.

At first, Frick and Mike "Red" Burcham were requested to accompany the Board and McCorkle into the executive session, before Pendleton was eventually called back.

Pendleton emerged first, and sat down with Schmidt upon his return to the cafeteria.

The entire Board and McCorkle came back out exactly two hours and 50 minutes later, and five minutes later at 9:30 p.m., the meeting was declared adjourned — without any action taken on the "consideration of employment, dismissal, and/or demotion of a public employee or official."

A few members of the public shouted at the BOE and McCorkle as they prepared to leave, as McCorkle met momentarily with media members — before leaving Ironton High School under the escort of law enforcement.

McCorkle made a statement to The Ironton Tribune via text message late on Monday night.

"Now that final sanctions from the Ohio High School Athletic Association have been received, the Board of Education and district administration are taking deliberate and responsible steps to ensure accountability and to prevent this from ever happening again. This will not be a surface-level response. We are implementing systemic changes to strengthen oversight, reinforce compliance, and put safeguards in place to protect our student-athletes, coaches, and the district. We are committed to honoring the proud tradition of Ironton and moving our athletic programs forward with integrity and trust."

It's highly likely the situation will be discussed again on Thursday, Jan. 8 — when the ICS BOE meets for its 2026 Organizational meeting, which is set for 5 p.m. at the Ironton High School cafeteria.

Jerry Jones is at a crossroads. The longtime Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager is desperate for better defensive play, but he also understands the importance of continuity at the defensive coordinator position. 

Even though Matt Eberflus has struggled mightily in his first season on the job — the Cowboys are allowing 30 points per game, the second most in the league at the moment — moving on from him would mean a fourth DC in four seasons. Dan Quinn left to become the Washington Commanders' head coach after the 2023 season. Mike Zimmer didn't return when the Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy following the 2024 season. Then Eberflus joined Brian Schottenheimer's staff. 

Jones was asked Tuesday on Dallas' 105.3 The FAN if Eberflus' job status is going to be determined by how the 6-7-1 Cowboys perform defensively over the final three games of the regular season.

"I think that should be a big criteria because these three games are vital to us," Jones said. "We don't play a game that's not important to us. ... But yes, how we play over these next few weeks will be a big criteria because I think, really, we're at one of the peaks of our healthiness right now. ... If we can step out there and have three good games, then I think that should go into the decision making."

Dallas rounds out its schedule with games against the 10-4 Chargers, the 4-10 Commanders and the 2-12 Giants. The final two of those matchups are road games for the Cowboys, who now have less than a 1% chance to make the postseason, according to both NFL.com and The Athletic's playoff simulator. 

Dallas' postseason odds took another hit on Sunday night when the Minnesota Vikings came into AT&T Stadium and dealt the Cowboys a sobering, 34-26 defeat.

"In the case of Minnesota, we let their quarterback have a big day on us. That wasn't the plan," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The FAN. "Could have used more pressure without a question at different times, and the result was that we let him make some pretty significant plays out there. Plus, he played pretty well. 

"But seemed like we're always saying that about these quarterbacks, some of 'em that hadn't played as well, but when they play us, they play better. I think that's telling, too." 

J.J. McCarthy bounced back from an interception on his first throw of the night to string together his second straight impressive outing during what's been a turbulent sophomore season.

McCarthy completed 15-of-24 passes for 250 yards, 2 touchdowns and that 1 interception. He also "griddied" into the end zone while rushing for an additional score. 

He was pressured on only nine of his 26 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, which notably lists his season completion percentage under duress at just 47%.

Blitzing helped the Cowboys cause McCarthy's game-opening pick, however, Dallas once again appeared to drift away from its pressure packages as the night wore on.

To Jones' point, McCarthy is the latest quarterback to enjoy head-scratching success against the Cowboys. Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against Dallas before his benching earlier this season. Justin Fields was sat down this year as well, except not before he sliced and diced Dallas for 283 yards and a pair of scores through the air. Jacoby Brissett, replacing the injured Kyler Murray, lit the Cowboys up with 261 yards and two touchdowns passing during a "Monday Night Football" win — the Cardinals' lone victory since Week 2.

No team has given up more passing yards per game (254.8) or passing touchdowns per game (2.21) than the Cowboys this season.

"So candidly, to just be very upfront about it," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The FAN, "I think if we could have gotten this defense in better shape earlier, we could be sitting here with the kind of wins that would've not had us in this tight spot."

What Jones described as a "hodgepodge" of injury-related issues has certainly made Eberflus life harder. Even so, Jones expected more from a group he's made over with a pair of high-profile trades, the first of which sent away star edge rusher Micah Parsons and brought in three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The next added fellow three-time Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams before the deadline.

Still, slowing opponents on the ground has remained difficult for Dallas on occasion. Against the Vikings this past Sunday, the Cowboys didn't generate the pressure they needed.

With a potent offense, Dallas has been held back by its deficiencies on the other side of the ball. Jones is well aware and trying to fix the issue — a solution could come at the expense of the staff continuity he desires.

The Oregon Ducks have been off for a couple of weeks, using the time since the end of November's victory over the Washington Huskies to rest and recuperate before the College Football Playoff run begins. Now that we're back in game week, though, it's time to dive back into the schematics and matchups that we might see in the coming contest against the James Madison Dukes.

It also means we get to dive back into uniform talk.

While the Ducks have not released what they are wearing for Saturday's game just yet — that likely will come on Wednesday night at 5 p.m. PT, if they are keeping their normal schedule — the Dukes did unveil their threads for the CFP game, and they're keeping it clean on the road in a big spot.

James Madison announced on Tuesday that they will be rocking white helmets, white jerseys, and purple pants for this game, a great combo that shines under the lights and will contrast well with whatever Oregon decides to wear.

Saturday's combo.

⚪️⚪️🟣#GoDukes | #CFBPlayoffpic.twitter.com/44rzgmtH3t

— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) December 16, 2025

As far as what the Ducks decide to do, it's a bit speculative at this point. You could guess that they want to showcase the school colors for the first-ever CFP game in Autzen Stadium, breaking out a green and yellow combo that would go well against the white backdrop of the JMU uniforms. However, it will also be a night game, so nobody would be surprised to see a black uniform combo as well.

We will just have to wait and see what they decide to do, but for now, it's at least clear that JMU will be doing its part in the uniform matchup.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: James Madison Dukes announce uniform combo for CFP vs. Oregon Ducks

Where to watch Buford vs. Carrollton: Channel, live stream, time, TV schedule for Georgia 6A HS football final originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Buford vs. Carrollton isn't just for the Georgia 6A state championship; it could decided the 2025 national title as well. 

The Wolves and Trojans are ranked first and second, respectively, in the latest Sporting News High School Football Top 25 — giving the winner Tuesday night a clear claim to be considered the top team in the country this season. 

Both teams are 14-0 and boast numerous Division I prospects throughout their rosters. Though Buford is a run-first offense, the man in the middle of it is QB Dayton Raiola, brother of former Nebraska QB Dylan. The younger Raiola decommitted from the Huskers last month. 

Carrollton has used a two-QB attack all season, pairing senior three-star Mason Holtzclaw with dynamic freshman CJ Cypher, who has been the more productive of the pair. 

It should be an epic showdown Tuesday in Atlanta. Here's how to watch all the action. 

Where to watch Buford vs. Carrollton

• TV channel: Georgia Public Broadcasting
• Live stream: NFHS Network

The 2025 GHSA 6A state championship game will air on local Georgia Public Broadcasting channels across the state. Fans everywhere can stream the game live on the NFHS Network. 

The NFHS Network offers two basic plans: an Annual Pass ($6.67 per month) or a Monthly Pass ($13.99 per month). These plans give subscribers the ability to watch live sporting events and create clips of their favorite moments from games.

What time is Buford vs. Carrollton tonight?

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 16
• Time: Approx. 8 p.m. ET

Buford vs. Carrollton was scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday but likely will be delayed due to prior games running behind. 

Georgia HS football championship games schedule, scores

All finals will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

Monday, Dec. 15

Class	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
A Div. II	Bowdon 35, Lincoln County 31	—	—
4A	Creekside 42, Benedictine 39	—	—

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Class	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
A Div. I	Worth County 17, Toombs County 13	—	—
2A	Carver, Columbus vs. Hapeville	5:50 p.m.	NFHS Network, GPB
6A	Buford vs. Carrollton	8 p.m.	NFHS Network, GPB

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Class	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Private	Hebron Christian vs. Calvary Day	1 p.m.	NFHS Network, GPB
3A	Jefferson vs. Sandy Creek	4:15 p.m.	NFHS Network, GPB
5A	Thomas Co. Central vs. Gainesville	7:30 p.m.	NFHS Network, GPB

Georgia high school football 6A playoffs results, scores

Semifinals - Dec. 5

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Carrollton 48, North Gwinnett 21	—	—
Buford 39, Valdosta 7	—	—

Quarterfinals - Nov. 28

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Carrollton 34, Grayson 14	—	—
North Gwinnett 25, West Forsyth 15	—	—
Valdosta 45, Walton 42	—	—
Buford 30, Douglas County 15	—	—

Second round - Nov. 21

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Grayson 31, Colquitt County 10	—	—
Carrollton 51, Harrison 6	—	—
Walton 49, East Coweta 14	—	—
North Gwinnett 29, Lowndes 17	—	—
West Forsyth 20, Hillgrove 17	—	—
Douglas County 30, North Cobb 24	—	—
Buford 31, Newton 14	—	—
Valdosta 49, Brookwood 26	—	—

First round - Nov. 14

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Colquitt County 35, Mill Creek 17	—	—
Grayson 44, Norcross 7	—	—
Harrison 45, Marietta 35	—	—
Carrollton 58, North Forsyth 17	—	—
Lowndes 37, Collins Hill 16	—	—
North Gwinnett 49, South Gwinnett	—	—
Hillgrove 28, North Paulding 25	—	—
West Forsyth 49, Westlake 28	—	—
East Coweta 28, Denmark 14	—	—
Walton 28, McEachern 24	—	—
Brookwood 42, Archer 21	—	—
Valdosta 56, Dacula 28	—	—
Douglas County 37, Lambert 14	—	—
North Cobb 64, Paulding County 20	—	—
Newton 33, Peachtree Ridge 14	—	—
Buford 45, Richmond Hill 0	—	—

Despite widespread scrutiny aimed at Jake Paul, at least one major figure in the fighting community believes Paul could be heading toward a title shot.

Key Takeaways

• Georges St-Pierre believes a win over Anthony Joshua could push Jake Paul into legitimate title contention.
  
  
• While Joshua is the clear favorite, St-Pierre says Paul’s momentum and the unpredictability of boxing give him a shot.
  
  
• St-Pierre added that despite match-fixing speculation, he expects a great, and legitimate, bout between the two superstars.

Georges St-Pierre told Covers betting analyst Joe Osborne that beating Anthony Joshua, the betting favorite, on Friday night could put Paul in serious title contention for the first time.

“He’s taking a big risk, but that’s where he’s at in his career right now,” the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion said Monday. “If he (wins), we might see him going for a title.”

St-Pierre was quite laudatory of the 28-year-old influencer-turned-pro fighter, applauding Paul’s smarts and business acumen in the entertainment world. The Canadian fighter also expressed, however, that this rise wasn’t merely based on those credentials.

​“It’s an incredible story. You look at his journey, I’m not a Jake Paul hater, I actually admire him,” St-Pierre added.

Could Paul pull off upset?

​Asked by Osborne whether Paul could do the unthinkable and defeat Joshua - who is 5 inches taller with a reach and weight advantage - St-Pierre indicated that while improbable, a Paul win is by no means out of the cards.

“You just need to make one mistake, you zig when you should have zagged, you got caught, and that’s it,” the 44-year-old said. “Of course, on paper the odds favor Joshua, if you look at the experience and (his) accomplishments.

“There’s one thing that favors Jake Paul ... momentum.”

Paul comes into the fight having won his last six fights and enters the match 12-1 all time with seven knockouts. Joshua, meanwhile, enters having lost his last bout, knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois.

“If I were to (play) the devil's advocate, that favors Jake Paul,” St-Pierre explained. “Of course, if you look at the size, the skills, the accomplishments, it favors Joshua.”

​Any funny business?​

While Paul’s fights have continued to capture the public consciousness in ways other boxing matches have failed, their high-profile nature and Paul’s increasingly stunning rise have given rise to conspiracy theories and speculation about potential match-fixing.

As far as St-Pierre is concerned, that talk is overblown.

“I think it’s going to be a real fight. I think we’re here for a treat,” the retired UFC champ said. “I think there are going to be two kinds of people that watch this fight: the people curious to see what’s going to happen ... and the people that despise Jake Paul.

“I think it’s going to be a great night.”

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Kicking continues to be a problem for both the New York Giants and a North Jersey native.

The team announced on Dec. 16 that it waived Younghoe Koo after a tumultuous, and viral, tenure in East Rutherford. The next kicker will be the fourth one used by the Giants this season following Graham Gano, Koo and Jude McAtamney.

Koo, 31, struggled in his five games with the Giants in 2025 after starting the season with the Atlanta Falcons. He went 4-for-6 on field goals and 11-for-12 on extra points, but his most famous moment came on Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots.

While attempting a 46-yard field goal, Koo botched the kick by ramming his foot into the ground before making contact with the ball. Koo remained stuck as his momentum stopped, and holder Jamie Gillan was left holding the ball and was swarmed by Patriots.

Younghoe Koo with the faulty kick attempt 😅

(via @nfl) pic.twitter.com/YTOy6yeFxj

— ESPN (@espn) December 2, 2025

Over eight NFL seasons, Koo has made 85.3 percent of his field goals. He played high school football at Ridgewood High School.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Giants waive Younghoe Koo, of NJ, as kicker woes continue

The Buffalo Bills announced the signing of kicker Michael Badgley to their practice squad, and he will undoubtedly be elevated to the 53-man roster to kick in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

To make room, the Bills cut cornerback M.J. Devonshire who they had just signed to the practice squad last week.

The Bills’ incredible injury list gained another visitor during the victory over the New England Patriots when Matt Prater suffered a quad injury, and coach Sean McDermott said Monday that he would definitely miss the upcoming game, and termed his status as week-to-week, meaning Prater will probably miss several games.

The 30-year-old Badgley has been an NFL vagabond since first entering the league in 2018 with the Chargers.

He kicked three seasons for Los Angeles through 2020, and since then has bounced around to the Titans to the Colts to the Bears to the Lions and then back to the Colts.

He sat out the 2024 season, and during his second stint with the Colts this year he appeared in seven games and made 10 of 11 field goals with the lone miss from outside 50 yards, but he did miss three of the 21 extra points he attempted.

On kickoffs, he did a good job of keeping the ball in play as he produced just one touchback on his 36 kickoffs.

For his career he has an 83.1% success rate on field goals and a 94.9% rate on extra points.

Badgley will have to prove he can kick in the elements because he has played his entire career either in warm-weather climates or domes.

Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 36 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills sign kicker Michael Badgley to practice squad; will kick vs Browns

Are Bills the best team in football after Week 15? Power rankings reveal all originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For all of their inconsistencies this season, in Week 15, the Buffalo Bills, in beating the New England Patriots 35-31, showed that they are still more than capable of winning it all.

Yes, each side of the ball has had its down moments, but when it all comes together as it did in the second half, with the offense scoring touchdowns on four straight possessions, and the defense only allowing one score on five drives, it is superb to watch.

As such, the Bills are now only one game behind the Patriots for the AFC East lead; Buffalo is beginning to look ominous. 

And for Eric Edholm, in his latest power rankings, the Bills move up two spots to No. 4.

"Josh Allen had just 35 pass yards at halftime, and Buffalo trailed, 24-7, with its division-title dreams seemingly up in smoke," Edholm wrote. "But the Bills rallied with incredible fury, reminding the NFL world just how dangerous they are, especially in a post-Patrick Mahomes playoff environment.

"It's been a strange path, but the Bills are nearly as desperate and dangerous as they've recently been."

More: Bills offer positive message to Keon Coleman amid tough second season

Bills hitting form at right time

With impressive wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Patriots in consecutive weeks, the Bills are starting to hit their straps at the right time.

With three games left in the regular season, the Bills will face the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles before closing out with a home game against the New York Jets.

There is a case to be made that the Bills can win all three of those, and if that happens, they will enter the playoffs off a six-game winning streak.

Having been inconsistent for a three-week stretch that saw Buffalo go 1-2, it appears to be hitting its stride, and with Josh Allen playing the best he has all year, the Bills are lurking with serious Super Bowl intent.

More Bills news:

• Bills' Josh Allen reveals the key in monster second-half turnaround vs. Patriots
• Bills' Josh Allen doing his best Dak Prescott impression against Patriots 
• Why Bills keep punting from positive field position vs. Patriots
• Matt Prater injury update leaves Buffalo Bills in precarious spot at kicker

The Dallas Cowboys had 10 days to prepare for the Minnesota Vikings, a team that has already been eliminated from the playoffs and has one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Dallas allowed over 30 points for the seventh time this season as they played like the already-eliminated team, lacking aggressiveness and urgency in all aspects of the game.

None of the three phases played well enough. The defense remains the main weakness, but the offense was held to field goals too often, and even Brandon Aubrey missed two attempts. The overall takeaway from this loss is that the Cowboys weren’t good enough to make the playoffs, but here are some more refined details.

Matt Eberflus hasn’t been good enough

The team is tied for the most 30-point games allowed this season with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders. Each time Dallas plays a struggling team, or a team with a quarterback who has been playing poorly, the Cowboys have been the “get right game”.

In Week 2, Russell Wilson had his best game in multiple years and was benched two weeks later, and it continued from there. Going into the game against the Vikings, J.J. McCarthy was the worst quarterback in the league in completion percentage, including to wide-open targets. Against Matt Eberflus’ scheme, McCarthy threw for 250 yards for the first time since college. He had two touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 108. Jerry Jones says he wants continuity on the coaching staff, but Eberflus might not have earned that privilege with his performance this season.

Dallas couldn’t get stops on fourth down

The Cowboys were actually good on third down defensively against the Vikings. Minnesota had only two conversions on nine third-down attempts, a 22% conversion rate. Unfortunately, they were a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts. This led them to kick only two field goals while scoring four touchdowns. Two of the conversions were on touchdown drives, while the last took Minnesota into field goal range to seal the victory.

A poor redzone performance plagued Dallas again

Dallas ended up settling for six Aubrey field goal attempts on their drives, scoring touchdowns on only their first two red zone attempts.

The Cowboys didn’t convert for a touchdown the rest of the game, scoring only nine second-half points. The offense has been poor all year in the red zone, and it hit them again in the final three quarters. On the flip side, the Vikings scored three touchdowns on four red zone attempts. It’s hard to win a game when one team is scoring touchdowns at a 75% rate in the red zone and the other scores at a 40% rate. The red zone woes are one of the significant reasons the Cowboys aren’t making the playoffs in 2025.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Schottenheimer's red-zone woes among 3 key takeaways from Cowboys loss

The Detroit Lions lost another safety. This time, at least, it wasn't to injury.

The Tennessee Titans signed safety Erick Hallett off the Lions' practice squad on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Hallett made a career-high 10 tackles while starting in place of the injured Brian Branch in the Lions' 41-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week.

LIONS MAILBAG: Assessing 2026 offseason plans, 2025 playoff prediction

Branch is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and fellow starting safety Kerby Joseph hasn't played in more than two months because of a knee injury.

Avonte Maddox joined Hallett in the starting lineup last week. The Lions are expected to get top backup Thomas Harper back from concussion protocol for their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS).

To take Hallett's place, the Lions signed defensive back Keenan Garber.

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions lose S Erick Hallett to Tennessee Titans

The Mets made the Jorge Polanco signing official on Tuesday evening.

Days after New York signed Polanco to a reported two-year, $40 million deal, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns talked up his acquisition in a press release, and gave some insight into how he anticipates the team to use the 32-year-old.

“We are excited to add Jorge to our organization and expect him to be a big part of our team over the next two years,” Stearns said in a press release. “Jorge’s athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball make him a perfect fit as we continue to build out our team.  As we stand now, we would anticipate Jorge playing first base, DH, and bouncing around to other positions as needed.”

After Pete Alonso signed with the Orioles last week, the Mets signed Polanco to give the team more versatility and to play first base. Interestingly enough, Polanco has appeared in just one game at the position in his 12-year career. 

Polanco slashed .265/.326/.495 with 30 doubles, 26 homers, 78 RBI in 138 games last year with the Mariners, and while he's not expected to deliver the offensive production of Alonso, it gives Stearns and the Mets options to fill out the rest of the roster. 

There are currently still other viable first base options in the free agent market, including veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Luis Arraez. There is also Cody Bellinger, who plays both outfield and first base, who is still available and the Mets are currently "very in" on. 

But the Mets do have other areas of need this offseason, including in the outfield, starting rotation and bullpen.

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Australia star Steve Smith was ruled out of the third Ashes cricket test against England just before the toss of the coin on Wednesday because of a lingering illness.

Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins. He hit the winning runs in Brisbane as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Veteran opener Usman Khawaja was recalled to the starting lineup as a last-minute replacement for Smith. Khawaja missed the second test with a back injury.

Fast bowler Cummins won the toss and elected to bat in his first test since sustaining a back injury in July. England needs a victory in the third test to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes.

Players wore wearing black armbands to honor the 15 people killed and dozens injured in an antisemitic attack at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday that targeted the Jewish community celebrating the start of Hannukah.

Police described the mass shooting as a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State.

Flags were flown at half-mast at the Adelaide Oval on Day 1 of the third test.

Folk singer John Williamson performed his fabled song “True Blue” in a pre-match program that included a moment’s silence, the Indigenous “Welcome to Country” and the Australian and England anthems.

The late absence of Smith meant there were three changes to Australia's XI from the second test, with Cummins and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon returning at the expense of pace bowlers Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser and Khawaja switching back into the batting lineup at No. 4.

England made one change, with Josh Tongue replacing fellow fast bowler Gus Atkinson.

__

Lineups:

Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

___

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

Tom Aspinall unleashed on Ciryl Gane after the former interim UFC heavyweight champion claimed he was still awaiting word on when he might be scheduled to compete again.

Of course the first encounter between these two ended in disappointing fashion after Gane poked Aspinall in the eyes during the opening round in the UFC 321 main event. The foul was deemed unintentional by the referee but the eye poke left Aspinall unable to see and the fight was declared a no-contest after the stoppage.

On Tuesday, Gane posted a photo showing him back in training alongside fellow UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa with the caption “Still no date or opponent yet… but we keep grinding and training hard before the holidays.”

View this post on Instagram

That drew a fiery response from Aspinall, who has stated publicly that he’s still dealing with the aftermath of the eye pokes, which is now leading him to surgery to repair the damage done.

“No shit there’s not a date yet,” Aspinall wrote in Gane’s comments on Instagram. “I’m not medically cleared to fight and about to have surgery thanks to your disgusting fingernails.

“I’ll be back to smash your face in soon you cheat.”

Obviously there’s no love lost between these two as Aspinall continues to deal with vision problems after the eye pokes ended his first title defense as undisputed heavyweight champion.

It was a long road back to action for Aspinall after he was supposed to unify the titles with Jon Jones, which kept him sidelined for the better part of a year waiting for that matchup to get finalized.

Eventually, Jones decided he wasn’t interested and he relinquished his title before announcing his retirement from the sport.

Aspinall was then elevated to undisputed champion and booked for the fight against Gane in October but after an action-packed few minutes to open the heavyweight clash, the eye pokes ended the night early.

Now Aspinall is headed for surgery with no timeline given on when he might be able to compete again but he clearly sounds motivated to go back and settle the score with Gane once he’s cleared to fight.

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild (19-9-5) return to the ice tonight to face the Washington Capitals (18-10-4). 

The Wild are 4-1-0 in their last five games and 7-2-1 in their last ten. The Caps are 2-1-2 in their last five and 7-1-2 in their last ten games.

Washington lost their last road game and is 8-5-2 on the road this season. Minnesota has won three straight at home and 11-3-4 at home this year.

Filip Gustavsson will start again for the Wild. He is 10-8-3 on the year with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage with two shutouts in 21 starts. He started the Wild's previous game against the Boston Bruins.

The Capitals beat the Wild 5-1 in October but prior to that meeting the Wild were 7-0-1 in their last eight games.

Alex Ovechkin has had some serious success against the Wild in his career. He leads the Caps with 21 goals, 19 assists and 40 points in 26 career games against Minnesota.

In 2017, he scored three power-play goals in the same game which is the mist ever by a Wild opponent in single game.

The Wild will have to attempt to slow down the best goal-scorer in the league tonight.

Wild Projected Lines

Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy

Yakov Trenin - Danila Yurov - Vladimir Tarasenko

Marcus Foligno - Ryan Hartman - Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Ben Jones - Nico Sturm - Tyler Pitlick

Defense:

Quinn Hughes - Brock Faber

Daemon Hunt - Jared Spurgeon

Matt Kiersted - David Jiricek

Starting Goaltender: Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: None.

Injured: Jake Middleton (upper-body), Jonas Brodin (upper-body), Mats Zuccarello (upper-body), Marcus Johansson (lower-body), Vinnie Hinostroza (lower-body), Zach Bogosian (lower-body).

Capitals Projected Lines

Anthony Beauvillier - Dylan Strome - Alex Ovechkin

Aliaksei Protas - Justin Sourdif - Tom Wilson

Connor McMichael - Hendrix Lapierre - Ethen Frank

Sonny Milano - Nic Dowd - Brandon Duhaime

Defense:

Martin Fehervary - John Carlson

Jakob Chychrun - Matt Roy

Rasmus Sandin - Trevor van Riemsdyk

Starting Goaltender: Charlie Lindgren

Scratched: Bogdan Trineyev, Dylan McIlrath, Declan Chisholm.

Injured: Ryan Leonard (upper-body), Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower-body).

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on Fanduel Sports Network North. Anthony LaPanta will be on the play-by-play with Ryan Carter as the color analyst and Kevin Gorg the reporter. The radio broadcast will be on KFAN FM 100.3 with Joe O'Donnell behind the mic doing the play-by-play. Tom Reid as the color analyst and Kevin Falness as the Studio Host.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Bones Hyland played 36 minutes in Minnesota’s victory over Sacramento on Sunday night, after not being in the rotation a week prior.

But circumstances change. Wolves coach Chris Finch noted Hyland had done everything that was asked of him and performed well in practice to earn an opportunity a third of the way into the season. Then ailments to Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley left Minnesota needing more out of the guard position.

Hyland was ready for the opportunity and played well enough that Finch trusted him on the floor at the start and finish of the Timberwolves’ victory Sunday. It was a similar situation to Terrence Shannon Jr.’s night Friday in Golden State. Hyland suffered a knee bruise fewer than five minutes into that affair, leaving Minnesota even more short-handed.

The Wolves’ second-year wing played well – tallying nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while serving as a useful cog in Minnesota’s up-tempo, ball-moving system – and saw 30 minutes of action because of it.

“He earned all 30 minutes,” Finch said.

Earned, not given.

That’s the way it is in Minnesota. Because the Wolves are too good of a team to run the style of developmental program that gifts extended minutes to young players simply because … they’re young players.

There’s been consternation over the small slices of the playing time pie to Shannon Jr and, more notably, Rob Dillingham this season. The point guard – who Minnesota traded a future first-round pick to select No. 8 overall in 2024 – has logged more than 12 minutes just six times this season. Shannon Jr. played fewer than 10 minutes in four straight games in early December.

“Much has been said about the 10 minute roles that these guys have, but with the way that we’re constructed … we have a deep six, seven guys who can all play upwards of the high 20s and low 30s or mid 30s,” Finch said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t leave like this 20-minute role for these guys.”

Finch frequently deployed a 10-minute rotation when the Wolves were at full health. The minutes of Dillingham, Shannon Jr. and Clark fluctuate within that rotation. The young guys haven’t earned the same grace as the established veterans – who’ve proven they can and will contribute to winning.

Generally, whether any of those young guys get a second-half shift depends on how they performed in their first run.

“What if the role is only 10 minutes?” Finch asked. “Shouldn’t you go out and crush those 10 minutes and then be ready to go back if we need you more? Or maybe we run with you a little bit longer?”

Finch has shown the propensity to do that with Hyland and Shannon Jr.’s performances over Minnesota’s last two games. If you play well, you’ll probably pay more.

“The reality is that’s the role right now, and they got to nail it,” Finch said.

The problem for Minnesota’s younger players is they haven’t consistently performed this season. That’s to be expected, Finch noted.

“We expect that there’s going to be good days and bad days, because (Dillingham and Shannon Jr. are) second year players, and that’s what second-year players do. They have inconsistencies,” he said. “If you play three games, you hope that you get one good, one not so good, and one maybe stinker. And you got to turn that into two positives and maybe one negative. Once we get there, then things start to go.”

Until then, the roles will shrink and grow on a nightly basis. Which way the pendulum swings will be determined by health and performance. That’s the works for top-tier teams in the NBA. The idea you can’t or won’t develop while playing inconsistent minutes flies in the face of many successful developmental stories of guys who’ve risen the ranks via hours in the practice facility. Sometimes, that’s what’s required. It was Hyland’s path back into the current rotation.

Those who don’t like it can go watch the Wizards.

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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- It certainly hasn’t been the start to a season that the St. Louis Blues envisioned, their coaches envisioned, their fans envisioned and certainly the management team envisioned.

Most notably general manager Doug Armstrong, who spoke about the team’s 12-15-7 start on Tuesday at Centene Community Ice Center.

And with an array of questions fielded, one of the most notable ones is with the reality of the season as it is, has Armstrong, in his final year as Blues GM before taking reigns with the sold responsibility of being president of hockey operations, brought himself to the thought of perhaps trading off some of his veteran players who have expiring contracts within the next couple of seasons?

Unless there’s some sort of drastic turnaround with the group the Blues have right now, this team is nowhere to being the playoff team it was less than a year ago, nowhere near the team it was post 4 Nations Face-Off, so it has to be brought forward that veterans with shorter-term contracts (Jordan Binnington through 2027, Brayden Schenn through 2028, Justin Faulk through 2027, Oskar Sundqvist through 2026) who can see that the path to winning here may not be in the short term considering the ages and experience in the league, would it be in the best interests to gauge if said players would prefer to move on to more immediate contending teams?

“I’ve done that in the past,” Armstrong said of trading veterans, most recently Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko in 2023. “You want a shared vision. I hope it doesn’t get to that. But I’m hoping they hope I don’t call them and say ‘This is what we want, are you OK with it?’ I would want to do what’s right for them, by them because whatever success I’ve had, big or small, it’s off their backs. But I also want to make sure everyone is aware, too, that my loyalty is to the St. Louis Blues more than anything else. It’s to the organization, it’s to the fanbase. More than the owners or anyone else, my loyalty is to the Blues. I’m going to do whatever I think is right for Blues.”

There would most certainly be an appetite for some of these Blues veterans should this conversation take place. But until then/if that even happens, they are Blues, including Binnington, who could certainly draw interest as a Stanley Cup champion, like Schenn and Sundqvist.

“Like I view them all, we need to them to play their best right now for us,” Armstrong said. “And all that stuff takes care of itself. If (Binnington) gets to a point where he’s playing his best and we’re not there and he comes to me, or we go to him, I understand. That’s part of the business. But I don’t view Binnington any different than I view other guys that I’ve worked with for a long time. Quite honestly, my singular focus is to get better. But my job responsibility is different. They can only control getting better at what they do on the ice. I can’t control that. Our job is to listen to how other people view us and view them, and respond to that. I don’t know if that helped at all.”

Last season when there was doom and gloom, Armstrong went with his instincts and stayed pat with the group at hand, and it went on a tear, including a franchise-best 12-game winning streak to get into the Western Conference playoffs as the second wild card before losing to the Winnipeg Jets in seven games in the first round.

This team, currently crushed at the forward position with a plethora of injuries, has shown little to no inclination that it could make a push for the playoffs, despite only being four points out of a very mediocre West.

So how much patience can Armstrong show? Can he afford to see if this team can put together a run?

“Yeah, I hope they go on a run,” Armstrong said. “I hope a lot of things, but hope is a bad strategy. The reality of our industry is, as a group, they’ve got to go on a run, so when the phone rings I say ‘No.’ Historically you look when trades happen, they don’t happen right now. The meat of what teams do is closer to the deadline. Now anything can happen — (Quinn) Hughes happened last week – but the majority of the guys, especially in Olympic years, the teams that are close to the cap, they want to make that deal the day after the Olympics because they don’t want that cap eating away at their cap for three weeks when they’re not playing them. When they’re not playing, they don’t want to pay. It’s not the money, it’s the cap space. So our job is to prepare for anything on any given day, but our job is to also understand the natural flow of the NHL and when things happen. Now saying that, Hughes got traded and goalies got traded (Tristan Jarry to Edmonton for Stuart Skinner). I’m just going on the actuary table, but there are situations that could just take one phone call for something. With that being said, we’re not considering trading players less than the value we think that they’re worth.”

In other words, Armstrong won’t be trading players for the sake of trading them, and teams must understand that they can’t come and try to robbing the cradle in St. Louis. But at this point, all options are on the table.

“Yeah and again I’m not doing this to threaten anybody,” Armstrong said. “But as Bill Parcells said, ‘You are what you are,’ and right now we’re 29th in win percentage, so everything has to be considered and addressed. The way the league operates and I haven’t spent a lot of time in this area – more times in the other area where you’re calling. When we were a highly functioning team, you would call teams that weren’t highly functioning and say ‘What are you going to do?’ I’d say, ‘I know this guy is going to help me, what are your thoughts?’ Now we’re starting to field those calls that we don’t want to field. But I can’t stop people from calling and we’re not doing our due-diligence if we’re not listening.”

It doesn’t mean Armstrong wants to trade players; he simply may not have a choice unless this train gets back on the rails and quickly.

“Again, I don’t want to come across like … when you’re in this position, like Wayne Gretzky got traded,” Armstrong said. “There’s really no untouchables – not on the St. Louis Blues – there’s really few untouchables in the league … Sid (Crosby), Connor (McDavid), Nate (MacKinnon). But there’s a lot of other guys that, when things aren’t going well, that list grows, I would say. Things aren’t going well, so the list couldn’t be where, ‘No, we could never ever consider that.’ What I want to make sure you guys know, we’re not selling $.50 cents on the dollar out of anger.”

All options on the table could include the core group that’s signed to long-term contracts, but it’s more tricky there since those players hold full no-trade clauses and lengthy term.

“Yeah, well, obviously there’s expectations for every different level, whether it’s your mid-age or older,” Armstrong said. “Starting with management, no one has reached their expectations this year. So, again, I’m not trying to threaten anyone, but there’s really nothing we can’t say, ‘We can’t consider that.’ There hasn’t been enough over an extended period of time that says (the Blues are trending upward), but again, not at $.50 cents on the dollar.”

But with the position the Blues are in, teams are naturally calling, and as Armstrong said, they’d be nuts to not listen.

“Yeah, like the NHL as we know it, we work on deadline and artificial deadlines,” Armstrong said. “We have an artificial deadline Dec. 19, the trade freeze. Again, I’m just using my own experiences, when you’re a high-functioning team, this gives you a reason to call a low-functioning team to set the table for when you’re actually going to do it. So yeah, teams are starting to kick tires and starting to ask where we’re at, and we’re saying, ‘We’re certainly not pleased with where we’re at. What are your ideas?’ If it made sense today, we would do it today, but a lot of it is, ‘Well, I’m not there yet, but keep me in the loop.’ That artificial deadline will go away on Dec. 19 and we’ll put the next artificial deadline, which will likely be a little bit before the Olympics, and then the real deadline will come in in March.”

And a lot of that will be predicated on who the Blues currently are, and they are the team that’s allowed the most goals in the league (123), has worst goal differential (minus-37) and has lost 12 of its 15 regulation games by three goals or more.

Not ideal.

“Yeah, but those are facts, and I live in the fact world, and those are facts and that’s that stabilization thing I was talking about not letting one turn into three, keeping it … not looking for offense when it’s not there to create bad opportunities for our goaltenders and let the scores get out of whack,” Armstrong said. “It’s very humbling when I look at the standings now and look at what collectively I thought we were going to be at and where we’re at. In cold hard facts, it’s extremely humbling.”

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

John Cena did media rounds ahead of his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event, but so did his opponent, GUNTHER, before the fateful day. "The Ring General" appeared on ESPN's "First Take" with Stephen A. Smith and Shae Cornette and spoke about playing the villain ahead of tapping out Cena with his sleeper in the middle of the ring in Washington, DC. Smith asked if GUNTHER enjoyed ruining everyone's moments, and "The Ring General" replied that he did.

"I enjoy getting under people's skin and riling them up," he said. "I'm not a very big peoples' guy. I like to rile them up a little bit and that's when I thrive."

GUNTHER was days away from really getting under fans' skin when he made the 17-time champion tap out. The crowd booed "The Ring General" relentlessly, and he reportedly even required a security escort to get from the building. Incensed fans continued to chant "you f***** up" and "AEW" to Paul "Triple H" Levesque, seemingly because the COO likely made the booking decision, during the post-show. On ESPN, however upset fans may still be now, GUNTHER said that traditionally, there is a "passing of the torch" moment when someone really established retires.

"I think that John Cena represents a certain generation of WWE superstars and I represent the newer generation," he explained. "A lot has changed in WWE. It's a very international roster now, very diverse, and I think I represent that very well and in that sense, it is a passing of the torch for the future."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "First Take" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Read more: AJ Styles' Biggest Heat With Wrestling Personalities

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The Carolina Panthers may still control their own postseason destiny, but the path to their first division title in a decade got a little longer this past weekend.

Sunday's 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints was a mistake-riddled affair. Headlined by their 11 penalties, the Panthers looked far from sharp in their golden opportunity to capture sole possession of the NFC South.

What may have been most frustrating, even more so than the infractions, was the team's defensive performance to close out the game. The unit, despite being given a 10-point lead, was unable to stave off the Saints and left the door open for the disappointing defeat.

So, as we look into the All-22 film, let's try to figure out what went wrong defensively in Week 15—starting with the scheme.

Within the confines of a 3-4 front, outside linebackers are still “off-ball” in a sense. That requires the task of dropping into coverage on occasion, which may not always be an operable strategy.

This is why we see outside linebackers dropping into hook-curl, spot-drop or curl-flat shells to help mess with the eyes of the quarterback. But those looks can create a disadvantage at times, especially when some interior defensive linemen are asked to spot-drop as well.

We saw that on Sunday with the 320-pound Derrick Brown. (Not exactly optimal in a general sense.)

There were mental errors throughout the outing, some that weren’t obvious to the naked eye, that you’ll only see on tape. On a 15-yard scamper in the second quarter from running back Devin Neal, rookie edge rusher Nic Scourton went low on the pulling left guard instead of taking him head-on to break the rush lane.

While inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom secured his run fit, Trevin Wallace was out of position and became a block magnet. There is an argument that Scourton made the mistake of not setting the edge as a result.

Rookie mistake from Nic Scourton. With Wallace and Rozeboom in their run fits, NS11 has to set the edge against the pulling left guard.

Instead, he goes low w/ a feeble attempt at nagging the legs of Devin Neal, putting the secondary at a disadvantage. 15-yard run. #Pantherspic.twitter.com/QCDjLP8GhD

— Jared Feinberg (new account :)) (@Jared_NFLDraft) December 15, 2025

Missed opportunities were a habit for the Panthers defense as well on Sunday.

There was the hot-potato ball on the long second-quarter drive, when cornerback Mike Jackson had an initial pass breakup before tight end Juwan Johnson corralled the rock. There was also a fumble caused by Jackson early in the second half, which Rozeboom failed to recover.

Those are plays that, if they go in a different direction, change the complexion of the game.

Mike Jackson was a lead player in the missed opportunities for the #Panthers defense yesterday—the PBU corral from Juwan Johnson and the forced fumble he created that the defense couldn't recover. There was also coverage reps where the throw/catch was just better. pic.twitter.com/0MeLgE0z7f

— Jared Feinberg (new account :)) (@Jared_NFLDraft) December 15, 2025

We must, in addition, credit the game plan from New Orleans and head coach Kellen Moore—who had an impressive approach at the voids in Carolina’s defensive coverages and player tendencies.

For example, Rozeboom is an aggressive downhill linebacker who is a “see ball, get ball” player, and the Saints attacked that aggression with rollouts and trickery from quarterback Tyler Shough.

The Saints leaned on the quick motion and quick game underneath to chip away on long drives. They countered with middle-field attacks using the size of Johnson (6-foot-4, 231 pounds) and wideouts Devaughn Vele (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and Kevin Austin Jr. (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) on two- or three-man concepts off under-center play action to counter defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s exotic blitzes and pressures out of condensed formations.

Given how much the Panthers play off-coverage, it was a great plan of attack from Moore.

In the next-to-final series for New Orleans, the Panthers' linebackers needed to play with better depth in their hook-curl drops. But their ineffectiveness caused the Saints to have success on deep in-breaking patterns.

On this first down at the Panthers' 32-yard line, the defense is in Cover 3 cloud, and we see Rozeboom playing his hook-curl shell like he is supposed to. But the stick on this stick-skinny post draws him away from the middle of the field, clearing the way for a 16-yard gain on this scoring drive.

Saints had a better gameplan offensively in the second half to counter a lot of what Evero was doing in coverage, plus countering w/ tempo.

More in a film review this week, but I think this stick pattern is an example of that. Rozeboom gets drawn to the stick, leaves MOF open. pic.twitter.com/ZhFrYn2R4z

— Jared Feinberg (new account :)) (@Jared_NFLDraft) December 15, 2025

Overall, the Panthers defense underwhelmed in a crucial game. Their performance is even more disappointing when you consider the late-season circumstances.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: What went wrong with the Panthers defense in their Week 15 loss?

Liverpool defensive depth under scrutiny as January questions grow

Liverpool’s injury problems at centre back have reopened an uncomfortable discussion about squad planning, timing and intent. Arne Slot’s debut season ended in Premier League glory, but the title defence has unravelled badly, with Liverpool now sitting seventh. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton offered some respite, yet it also delivered another blow, with Joe Gomez picking up yet another injury.

That leaves Slot with only Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as senior options. Giovanni Leoni’s situation has already removed any safety net, after the teenager suffered an ACL injury on his Liverpool debut back in September and was ruled out for the season. In that context, January feels less like an opportunity and more like a necessity, but history suggests Liverpool will not panic.

Speaking to Dave Davis for Anfield Index, David Lynch offered a measured and revealing assessment of how Liverpool are likely to approach the window, and why supporters should temper expectations.

Evidence from previous windows shapes expectations

Lynch was clear that Liverpool’s track record matters more than the noise surrounding the current injury list. He said, “I just think that we’ve seem too much evidence over a long period of time that the club aren’t too bothered about things like that.”

That comment speaks to a long standing policy at Anfield, one rooted in resisting short term fixes unless a deal aligns perfectly with the club’s broader recruitment strategy. Liverpool have consistently avoided overpaying in January, even when circumstances appear to demand it.

There is also the unresolved business from last summer. Liverpool had agreed a £35m deal for Marc Guehi, only for the move to collapse in the final hours of the window. That failure continues to loom large, especially now that defensive numbers are so thin.

As Lynch explained, “If they can move forward a deal that they were looking to do in the summer, then potentially they can do it, but I’m not so sure.” It is a line that captures both possibility and doubt, a familiar theme for Liverpool followers.

Guehi complications and World Cup context

Any January revival of the Guehi deal appears unlikely. Lynch outlined the broader context, saying, “I can’t really see the sense in Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace in January either when it’s a world cup year and he has a chance of winning a European trophy with them.”

Photo: IMAGO

From Palace’s perspective, selling a key defender mid season makes little sense unless it is for mega-money. From Guehi’s viewpoint, stability and exposure ahead of a World Cup year are powerful incentives to stay put. Lynch reinforced that view, adding, “I don’t see Guehi moving in January. It would be so helpful if Liverpool could get him, but whether it’s actually on the cards, it’s difficult to say.”

Alternative targets and January reality

Liverpool’s scouting department has not stood still. Lynch confirmed, “Jeremy Jacquet and Joel Ordonez are definitely two players that they have looked at, but it would still surprise me if they make a move in January.”

Both defenders fit Liverpool’s profile, young, high ceiling, and capable of development. Yet the timing remains problematic. January deals often come with inflated fees and limited negotiation leverage, conditions Liverpool traditionally avoid.

That leads to Lynch’s most sobering conclusion, “I wouldn’t get too excited about the idea that Liverpool will sign someone in January.”

For Slot, the challenge is immediate. For the club, the calculation is longer term. The tension between those two realities defines Liverpool’s current predicament, and unless something shifts dramatically, it may be van Dijk and Konate carrying an enormous burden for the months ahead.

CLEMSON — Twelve ACC teams will play nine conference opponents starting in 2026, but Clemson football will not be one of them.

The Tigers are among five teams in the ACC that will play eight conference games next season "due to contractual obligations and scheduling balance," according to the league.

Clemson will face Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home and Cal, Duke, Florida State and Syracuse on the road in 2026. The nonconference games include the season opener at LSU (SEC) and home games against Georgia Southern (Group of Five), Charleston Southern (FCS) and annual rival South Carolina (SEC).

The ACC said the league will reveal the full 2026 schedule, including all game dates, in late January.

Why ACC's new schedule format could end Clemson future nonconference games

Still, future Clemson nonconference games are in jeopardy as soon as 2027. The ACC also announced "16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule annually, with one team each season playing eight league games and scheduling two Power Four opponents outside the conference to accommodate the 10 Power Four games requirement."

If Clemson isn't that one team with eight league games in 2027, the Tigers will likely cut one of the following nonconference games: Notre Dame, Wofford or South Carolina.

Clemson and South Carolina are committed to facing each other as both the ACC and SEC are moving to nine conference games. Still, the Tigers will have to decide what they will do for their other nonconference games.

Clemson and Notre Dame agreed in May to play each other for 12 years starting in 2027, which would make the Tigers face 11 Power Four teams out of the 12 scheduled games.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said earlier this season that he isn't a fan of playing 11 Power Four teams in a season.

"I think that's stupid. I think that's a problem," Swinney said on his radio show on Sept. 22. "Somewhere along the line, you have to have some common sense . . . We've always played 10, but if other people are playing nine, and we're playing 11, it's not very advantageous for your program."

This will force Clemson to keep the Wofford game and cancel one of its Power Four opponent games with South Carolina or Notre Dame instead of playing an unprecedented 11 Power Four opponents in 2027.

The same issue arises in 2028 and the coming years, too. In that season, Clemson is scheduled to face Notre Dame, South Carolina, Troy and The Citadel.

The Tigers will likely have to end their game contract agreements with multiple schools, like other programs have done, to adjust to the ACC's new scheduling model.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Clemson may have to end nonconference games with Notre Dame

AFC:

Clinched: Denver Broncos (12-2) - Playoff Berth

Denver Broncos (12-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4); Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX)

Denver clinches the AFC West division title and the AFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye, and home-field advantage with: 1. Denver win + Los Angeles loss or tie + New England loss + Buffalo loss or tie

Denver clinches AFC West division title with:

1. Denver win + Los Angeles loss or tie OR Denver tie + Los Angeles loss

Buffalo Bills (10-4) at Cleveland Browns (3-11); Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Buffalo clinches playoff berth with:

1. BUF win + IND loss or tie OR
2. BUF win + HOU loss or tie OR
3. BUF tie + IND loss OR
4. BUF tie + HOU loss

New England Patriots (11-3) at Baltimore Ravens (7-7); Sunday NightFootball

New England clinches playoff berth with:

1. NE win or tie OR
2. IND loss or tie OR
3. HOU loss or tie

Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) at Denver Broncos (12-2); Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX)

Jacksonville clinches playoff berth with:

1. JAX win + IND loss or tie OR
2. JAX win + HOU loss or tie OR
3. JAX tie + IND loss OR
4. JAX tie + IND tie + HOU loss

Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) at Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1); Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX)

Los Angeles Chargers clinch playoff berth with:

1. LAC win + IND loss or tie OR
2. LAC win + HOU loss or tie OR
3. LAC tie + IND loss OR
4. LAC tie + IND tie + HOU loss

NFC

CLINCHED: Los Angeles Rams (11-3) - Playoff Berth

Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) at Washington Commanders (4-10); Saturday afternoon

Philadelphia clinches the NFC East division title with:

1. PHI win OR
2. DAL loss OR
3. PHI tie + DAL tie

Chicago Bears (10-4) vs. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1); Saturday night

Chicago clinches playoff berth with:

1. CHI win + DET loss or tie OR
2. CHI tie + DET loss

Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) at Chicago Bears (10-4); Saturday night

Green Bay clinches playoff berth with:

1. GB win + DET loss or tie OR
2. GB tie + DET loss

San Francisco 49ers (10-4) at Indianapolis Colts (8-6); Monday Night Football

San Francisco clinches playoff berth with:

1. SF win OR
2. DET loss OR
3. SF tie + DET tie

Seattle Seahawks (11-3) vs. Los Angeles Rams (11-3); Thursday night Football

Seattle clinches playoff berth with:

1. SEA win or tie OR
2. DET loss or tie

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Here are the critical Week 16 NFL Playoff scenarios for each team

Wasps have been causing a buzz at the PDC World Darts Championship - and one player has taken direct action.

Dutchman Jurjen van der Velde brought big spray on stage before his first-round tie against Danny Noppert at Alexandra Palace in London.

But there was a sting in the tale as Van der Velde was beaten 3-1 by his compatriot.

And despite liberally spraying the inspect repellant around beforehand, TV replays showed him attempting to swat a wasp away from near his face in the second set.

• Ask Me Anything - Where are Ally Pally wasps coming from?

At one stage, the 23-year-old used a flannel to wipe tears from his eyes - but it seems this was down to making his tournament debut rather than the bug killer.

The Professional Darts Corporation, the tournament organisers, posted on social media: "Unconfirmed whether Jurjen Van der Velde is emotional or has sprayed bug spray in his eyes."

The 'Ally Pally wasp' has become a running theme at this year's tournament with the insects spotted on players, disrupting throws, and even gatecrashing post-match interviews.

Earlier on Tuesday, a wasp landed in Harju's Teemu Harju's shirt collar before the Finn managed to flick it away during his defeat by Alan Soutar.

World-leading wasp expert Professor Seirian Sumner of University College London told the BBC earlier this week that he believes the insects are queen wasps, who could be nesting in the lofts, outbuildings or the grounds around the park.

Alexandra Palace is surrounded by nature, positioned inside 196 acres of land in north London, and home to a range of different wildlife.

• World Darts Championship 2026 schedule and results
• World Darts Championship - Draw, seeds, prize money

In the first half of the game on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans saw three safeties go down to injuries. Today, all three of those safeties, Kevin Winston Jr., Xavier Woods, and Mike Brown, were placed on injured reserve. It’s really unfortunate to see Winston down for the rest of the year. He’s a guy who has played pretty well in limited time this season.

To replace those guys, the Titans signed Erick Hallett from the Detroit Lions practice squad and Sanoussi Kane from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. Those guys will probably see some pretty extensive playing time on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. At least they won’t have to face Patrick Mahomes.

You know, Dennard Wilson has really done a remarkable job this year, considering the personnel he has had to work with. Every week, it seems like they are having to bring guys in and put them on the field right away. It’s tough to have a lot of success doing that.

The Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Caleb Ferguson have agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the free agent reliever, pending a physical, sources confirm.

Terms were not immediately available.

Reds Hall of Fame Redsfest Brandon Phillips, Lou Piniella head Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame class

Reds free agents signings Where do Cincinnati Reds go after failing to land Kyle Schwarber?

Reds free agency signings Here's what Reds pitched Kyle Schwarber before he chose Phillies

The Columbus-area native, who brings a much needed lefty presence to the Reds bullpen, spent last season with the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates, going 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 70 appearances. He has a 3.66 ERA and six saves in 333 career games the past seven seasons with five teams, including the Dodgers, Yankees and Astros.

He also has 12 postseason appearances.

Ferguson, 29, has a fastball-slider-curveball mix, with an 8-10-mph separation between each (fastball range in the low 90s).

He made $3 million in 2025.

Ferguson is the third reliever the Reds have signed since the end of the season, joining former Cubs righty Keegan Thompson (one year, $1.3 million) and closer Emilio Pagán (returns on a two-year, $20 million deal).

He joins Sam Moll as one of only two lefty relievers on the big-league roster.

The Reds remain in the hunt for their most significant need: a reliable veteran hitter with pop.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds, LHP reliever Caleb Ferguson agree to 1-year deal

In anticipation of the upcoming rematch between Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn both fighters appeared for their opening press conference today, where they both showed immense respect for one another while talking to the public about their impending battle. Shields and Crews-Dezurn have fought before both on the professional and amateur levels, and still expect to deliver a show for the fans in this one. Here’s some excerpts from both fighters.

Crews-Dezurn on her upcoming fight with Shields

“I had a lot of history with Claressa and I’ve seen her grow and do things amazing things. Myself, I’ve done amazing things in boxing, too. And this is a fight a lot of people don’t feel is going to be as great as I know it’s going to be. I’m one of the last Mohicans, one of the last dying breeds and I fight everyday and everything I do is to preserve women’s boxing, to be competitive just like the men, and to have one of my favorite dance partners in Claressa Shields because she’s passionate about putting on good fights…

“My journey hasn’t been easy…It drove me and it motivated me to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in history. It pushed me to stand back up even when I got knocked down…I would like to clarify there’s a lot of respect between her and I. We’ve been through some good times, we’ve been through some bad times with her journey and my journey as well. And for me to be great, you have to surround yourself with greatness, and I believe she always pulls the best out of me.”

Shields on her thoughts on the fight

“When I met Franchon she was ranked #1 in the country for Team USA…We fought a lot. We fought two or three times in the amateurs, we fought our pro debuts, and now this is the Laila Ali vs Ann Wolfe fight that the world never got…I want to show you guys why the Greatest Woman of All Time got signed for $8M…And now that I’ve got this opponent in front of me in Franhcon Crews-Dezurn, I’m excited”

As the Fantasy Premier League season reaches a crucial stage, making the right differential picks can be the difference between a green arrow and another frustrating week.

With fixtures tightening and form becoming clearer, low-owned players with strong upside are increasingly valuable. 

Below are four differentials worth considering ahead of Gameweek 17, each capable of delivering significant returns if you’re willing to take the risk.

---

Rayan Cherki (£6.5m, 4.9% owned) – Manchester City vs. West Ham United (H)

Owned by just 4.9% of managers and priced at only £6.5m, Cherki has proven to be a real force in Pep Guardiola’s midfield.

He has recorded eight attacking returns in 16 Premier League appearances, totalling 49 FPL points over that stretch.

As a key attacking presence, he has picked up 30 points in his last five league matches, an impressive return for a midfielder.

In GW 17, City host West Ham at the Etihad, a fixture that looks favorable on paper given their current form. Despite his low ownership, Cherki could reward managers who take the punt on him.

---

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.6m, 3.5% owned) – Leeds United vs Crystal Palace (H)

Calvert-Lewin is currently in outstanding form. Since joining Leeds in the summer, he has featured in 14 league matches and scored five goals.

Notably, he has found the net in each of his last four consecutive league appearances, bringing his total attacking returns to six. He has also collected 10 bonus points, taking his overall FPL tally to 57.

Crystal Palace travel to Elland Road this weekend following a heavy home defeat to Manchester City. Leeds will be looking to extend their three-match unbeaten run, and Calvert-Lewin is the player to watch.

---

Ryan Gravenberch (£5.6m, 4.4% owned) – Tottenham vs Liverpool (A)

Gravenberch has been a key figure in Liverpool’s midfield since Arne Slot arrived at the start of last season. Week after week, he has shown his quality and reliability, which makes his 4.4% ownership even more surprising.

While Liverpool have struggled for consistency in recent weeks, Gravenberch has continued to deliver strong performances.

Heading into Gameweek 17, he is a player worth considering. He has amassed 71 FPL points from 14 appearances, with involvement in five goals during that period.

---

Daniel Ballard (£4.6m, 3.2% owned) – Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sunderland (A)

Despite playing for newly promoted Sunderland, Ballard has firmly caught the attention of Premier League fans.

With 31 points in his last seven league appearances and 66 points overall, along with three goal involvements, he has been a consistent and reliable option at the back.

He is a solid budget defender if you’re looking for returns from your defense.

Sunderland travel to Brighton in Gameweek 17, and the Black Cats will look to build on the momentum from their 1–0 victory over arch-rivals Newcastle in Gameweek 16.

---

Will you back any of them this week, or do you have another under-the-radar pick in mind?

The FIFA Best Awards may lack the lustre of the more historic Ballon d’Or, but nobody could accuse them of lacking transparency.

The prizes for the best women’s and men’s players in 2025 were awarded after a vote of the coach, captain and a media representative from each of the international federations, and the results — published here — offered some intriguing insights.

We analysed the best of them.

Dembele wins the crowd (including Messi)

If there was ever any doubt over Dembele collecting the main prize of the evening, the voting breakdown suggests it was misplaced. The PSG winger cleaned up among the polling of national captains, coaches and media representatives, collecting more first place votes than the rest of the field combined. Dembele was top pick for 325 of the 584 voters, in fact.

Some of football’s biggest names were Team Dembele. Former winner Lionel Messi was among them — the Argentine placed him first, with Kylian Mbappe second and Lamine Yamal third — along with Harry Kane, Granit Xhaka, Youri Tielemans, Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino.

The value of a Champions League final victory was made clear across the event. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, now with Manchester City, was named the best goalkeeper, making it six of last season’s PSG team in the FIFA Best XI of 2024-25.

England coaches back their own

There was nothing to stop allegiances dictating how anyone should vote and Thomas Tuchel placed two Englishmen in his three picks. Harry Kane was Tuchel’s top choice, followed by Cole Palmer and then, in third, Dembele.

Curious picks from Tuchel but he was hardly alone. Kane’s name cropped up repeatedly in the voting, with the head coaches of Bosnia, Colombia, Poland, Romania and South Africa all believing he had been the top footballer of 2024-25 after plundering 48 goals for club and country last season..

Palmer also won recognition, perhaps with his heroics in the Club World Cup final win over PSG fresh in minds over the summer. Captains of the Cook Islands, Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago all voted for Palmer to lead the way, as did the coaches of Grenada and Vietnam.

Tuchel’s approach was shared by Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman, who won the women’s coach of the year and backed her trusted defender Lucy Bronze as player of the year. In fact, Wiegman backed a trio of her own players for the main prize, with Alessia Russo and her Euro 2025 trophy-lifting captain, Leah Williamson, getting her her other picks.

Hayes has left Chelsea behind

If you needed a sign that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes is no longer wearing her Chelsea cap full-time, then here it is.

She chose Arsenal duo Mariona Caldentey and Russo followed by Temwa Chawinga, the Kansas City Current and Malawi forward. Chawinga was once again the winner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) MVP award for 2025, having also won it in 2024.

In a show of true sisterhood, the NWSL’s top scorer with 15 goals in 23 regular-season appearances also received a first place vote from the captain of Malawi, also known as her older sister, Tabitha Chawinga who plays for Lyon.

Salah’s popularity is undimmed

There was a point of last season when Mohamed Salah appeared on course for the highest individual honours before Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League but he retained favouritism in little pockets around the globe.

Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo, his Liverpool team-mates, all gave Salah their vote before life recently became unsettled at Anfield, acknowledging the efforts of last season’s PFA Player of the Year.

Salah also got the nod from his head coach with Egypt, Hossam Hassan, along with those from Kenya, Libya, Papa New Guinea, Palestine and Trinidad and Tobago.

Some Spanish awkwardness

In the women’s award, things may have gotten a little tense in Spain.

They have dominated the player award for the past five years and are never short of standout nominees. This gave national team captain Irene Paredes quite a lot of team-mates to pick from. But guess who missed out in her top three? Eventual winner, Aitana Bonmati.

Paredes instead went for Guijarro, Alexia Putellas, who finished in the top three having claimed the award in 2021 and 2022, and Caldentey.

Meanwhile, Spain coach Sonia Bermudez had a similarly tricky task whittling down her squad of incredible footballers. For Bermudez, it was Caldentey who edged it over Bonmati and Putellas respectively.

Martinez the shock coaching pick

There was only ever going to be one winner in the Coach of the Year category.

The affable Luis Enrique worked wonders with Paris Saint-Germain last season and justifiably won recognition from the vast majority of his peers. Arne Slot, Hansi Flick and Mikel Arteta also picked up a good few votes but it was the name of Roberto Martinez that surprised.

Across a judging period that saw him take charge of just 10 games as Portugal’s head coach, he attracted eight top picks after winning the Nations League final against Spain on penalties. As good an achievement as that was, perhaps not one to rival a Champions League triumph.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

US Women's national team, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, England, Inter Miami CF, Argentina, Premier League, Champions League, Soccer, International Football, La Liga, NWSL, Bundesliga, Sports Business, FIFA Club World Cup

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A former Spartan found the end zone on the ground of an NFL game for the first time in his career on Monday night.

Former Michigan State tight end and running back Connor Heyward scored a one-yard touchdown for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The touchdown helped the Steelers pick up an important win over the Miami Dolphins.

Heyward is in his fourth year in the NFL now with the Steelers, with Monday night's score being the fourth of his career. His other three touchdowns, though, came through receiving.

Check out the highlight play from Heyward in the social media post below:

.@ConnorHeyward1 runs it in for the tuddy! #ProBowlVote

📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdrpic.twitter.com/6r3f9UbA1i

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 16, 2025

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former MSU star Connor Heyward scores first career NFL rushing touchdown

In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Arsenal are among the clubs hoping to recruit Real Madrid prospect Víctor Valdepeñas. It has been stated that the Gunners would face competition from Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the race to land the gifted full-back next year.

Valdepenas’ Impressive Rise In Spanish Football

Valdepenas has come through the youth ranks of the Madrid club and deserves credit for breaking into their first XI last weekend. The 19-year-old has made one senior appearance for Los Blancos so far in La Liga.

The Spanish defender is currently among the best young full-backs in European football. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Gunners are showing interest in recruiting him next year.

His current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will run out in the summer of 2029. Thus, it won’t be easy for Arsenal to get a deal done for him on the cheap next year.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts after conceding to Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on December 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Arsenal Are Among The Clubs Hoping To Recruit Valdepenas: Is He A Prospect For The Future?

Valdepenas is a good tackler of the ball and can read the danger well to secure the ball back for his side inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive.

The Spanish prospect is a good dribbler with the ball as well. Standing at 1.88m, he is a strong presence in the air as well. Valdepenas is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a left-back if asked to do so. However, it remains to be seen whether he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League.

Valdepenas would no doubt enhance the quality of Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s frontline. He has what it takes to serve as a good, rotational piece in the Madrid club’s squad.

At 19, Valdepenas has got the potential to be a future star in English football. He is undoubtedly a prospect to watch out for in the long run, so Arteta should focus on stepping up his efforts to bring him to the Emirates Stadium this January or at the end of this campaign. However, Arteta has to give him some time to settle into life in North London.

Iowa State University in Ames. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

A world-champion Cuban wrestler, Reineri Andreu Ortega, is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association over rules that he says have unfairly barred him from wrestling for Iowa State University.

The lawsuit was filed this week by lawyers for Ortega, a student and prospective college wrestler at ISU, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s so-called “Five-Year Eligibility Clock” and the manner in which the NCAA decides when that clock begins running and thus when a student’s eligibility to compete expires.

Attorneys for Ortega argue that the NCAA’s application of the rule violates antitrust laws and unjustifiably restrains the ability of Ortega and other college athletes to “earn meaningful compensation that is now available to (other) NCAA Division I athletes.”

The lawsuit has its origins in a 2021 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that paved the way for college athletes to receive compensation for use of their names, images, and likenesses. Since then, the market for name, image and likeness compensation opportunities available to NCAA Division I athletes has “exploded into a multi-million dollar industry,” the lawsuit claims.

However, the lawsuit adds, that form of compensation is largely available only to NCAA Division I athletes. Athletes who compete outside of what the lawsuit calls “the NCAA monopoly” have no meaningful opportunity to collect revenue-sharing income or profit from their name, image or likeness.

Under NCAA bylaws, an athlete has five years of eligibility to play four seasons of “intercollegiate competition” in his or her chosen sport. This five-year window is known as as the “eligibility clock” and begins to run from the date on which an athlete registers as a full-time student at any “collegiate institution” – regardless of whether the institution is a member of the NCAA and regardless of their participation in sports.

Lawyers for Ortega say this rule has had the effect of barring students from competing in NCAA sports even if they’ve never competed. They say students such as Ortega “can attend a non-NCAA college for three years without playing any sports, take two years off from school for personal reasons, transfer to a four-year NCAA school, and the student will have used all of their eligibility without ever having competed in a college sport for a non-NCAA or NCAA college.”

Ortega studied in Cuba before coming to ISU

The lawsuit claims Ortega completed high school in Cuba in the spring of 2016, and then, beginning in the fall of 2016, he began taking courses at Manuel Fajardo University in Cuba. In 2017, Ortega began training and wrestling for the Cuban National Team, which has no affiliation to a college or university, while continuing to study at Manuel Fajardo University until the spring of 2019.

Ortega is a two-time U23 world champion and two-time Pan American gold medalist, according to USA Wrestling.

In December 2022, Ortega left the Cuban National Team and came to America as a refugee. In the spring of 2023, Ortega enrolled at ISU where he earned a spot on the wrestling team but without competing during the 2022-23 season.

According to the lawsuit, the NCAA has denied Ortega’s request for eligibility beyond the 2022-23 season due to the five-year rule, indicating Ortega’s eligibility clock started while he was attending Manuel Fajardo University, not when he enrolled at ISU.

Counting the years that a student attends a non-NCAA institution as years on their NCAA eligibility clock is arbitrary and capricious, the lawsuit alleges. “Ortega, and other wrestlers or prospective athletes in other sports who are harmed by this illegal restraint have a small window of time to compete in Division I sports and earn the permissible compensation now available to them,” the lawsuit claims.

Ortega claims that the NCAA has effectively excluded him from an NCAA Division I college career, and because, as a 130-pound athlete, he has very limited pro-wresting opportunities open to him after college, a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction barring the continued application of the eligibility rule is necessary.

Lawsuit cites pro athletes’ eligibility 

According to the NCAA, the purpose of the five- year rule is to “move student-athletes toward graduation in a timely manner” – eliminating any incentive to remain in school simply to compete. Lawyers for Ortega, however, contend the rule doesn’t exist “for reasons of competitive balance or it would preclude other older athletes from competing” in Division I NCAA sports.

The lawsuit notes that students who graduate high school and become a professional athlete in one sport can play that other sport for years, then go to college and still have five years of eligibility to play four seasons of some other sport.

“The NCAA rules, therefore, do not limit the ability of the former professional athlete to earn permissible compensation while competing in Division I athletics, even though they have had a chance to physically mature well beyond a typical 18-year-old college freshman,” the lawsuit alleges. “For instance, Chris Weinke entered Florida State University as a freshman following a six-year professional baseball career and ended up winning the Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football, at 28 years of age.”

The lawsuit claims the NCAA’s application of the five-year rule violates the Sherman Act by restraining the market for NCAA Division I college athletes by barring Ortega and similarly situated athletes from having an opportunity to earn money through revenue sharing and the use of their name, image and likeness.

As part of the lawsuit, lawyers for Ortega also argue that should the court grant their requested injunction against the NCAA, it must also address a separate NCAA rule. That rule says if a student-athlete who is deemed ineligible by the NCAA is permitted to participate in sports in accordance with the terms of a court order that is later vacated or reversed, the NCAA can take punitive action against the school – such as vacating wins or imposing postseason-competition bans and financial penalties.

The lawsuit seeks an immediate temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, and then a permanent injunction that will block the NCAA from applying the five-year rule to students such as Ortega.

The NCAA, which is an association of post-secondary institutions that functions as the governing body of college sports, has yet to file a response to the lawsuit.

The NCAA includes more than 1,100 member colleges and universities organized into three divisions, with 350 of them in Division I.

The Denver Broncos aren't done making roster moves this week.

After placing safety Brandon Jones on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, the Broncos filled his former roster spot by claiming running back Cody Schrader off waivers. After bringing in Schrader to add more depth to the backfield, Denver released fellow running back Sincere McCormick from the practice squad, according to KUSA-TV's Mike Klis.

The Broncos now have four running backs on the active roster -- R.J. Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Schrader -- plus Deuce Vaughn on the practice squad. The team lost safety Keidron Smith to the New York Jets on Monday, so there are now two open spot on the practice squad going into Week 16.

Broncos practice squad

1. QB Sam Ehlinger
2. RB Deuce Vaughn
3. WR Michael Bandy
4. WR A.T. Perry
5. WR Elijah Moore
6. WR Kyrese Rowan
7. TE Marcedes Lewis
8. TE Caleb Lohner
9. TE Patrick Murtagh (international)
10. OL Joe Michalski
11. DL Jordan Miller
12. OLB Garrett Nelson
13. ILB Levelle Bailey
14. CB Jaden Robinson
15. S Delarrin Turner-Yell

Meanwhile, the team's 53-man roster is full. Denver's first practice of the week is scheduled for Wednesday. The Broncos will host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL news: Broncos cut ex-Raiders running back from practice squad

The undefeated Arizona State Sun Devils (12-0), out of the Big 12 Conference, have a tough non-conference challenge in the Kennel against the West Coast Conference’s Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-4).

The Sun Devils have taken out four WCC opponents already (at San Diego Toreros, at Santa Clara Broncos, vs. San Francisco Dons, at Oregon State Beavers).

This is a game that can change coach Lisa Fortier and her ladies’ season completely around. As she continues her case for the National Freshman of the Year honor, redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker must assert her dominant size inside the paint against a physical and feisty Arizona State group. True freshman forward Jaiden Haile can help her give an intimidating presence near the basket off the bench.

Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+/SWX

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

Former Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Maurizio Arrivabene believes that there could be a sign that Lewis Hamilton's relationship with the Maranello outfit could be "over".

The seven-time champion joined Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season and struggled to adapt to the new squad. In July, the Briton revealed that he had sent several documents to the team following the British Grand Prix in a push to help bring the team forward.

"I held a lot of meetings. So I've called on lots of lots of meetings with the heads of the team, so I've sat with John, Benedetto, and Fred [Vasseur] in several meetings," he said at the time.

"I've sat with the head of our car development, with Loic [Serra], also the heads of different departments talking about engine for next year, talking about front suspension for next year, talking about rear suspension for next year, things that you want, issues that I have with this car.

"I've sent documents, so I've done through the year. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in, so then I come in and want to address those."

Arrivabene discussed Hamilton's documents, drawing a comparison with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel's time at the squad between 2015 and 2020.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

“Sebastian Vettel also sent such dossiers. He wrote, spoke and shared everything," Arrivabene, who served as team chief at Ferrari from 2014 to 2019, told Sky Sports Italy.

Arrivabene added that Vettel's documents were "almost useless". 

"I don’t want to say anything bad about Sebastian, but everyone should mind their own business. When a driver starts playing engineer, that’s it. Then it’s really over.

"Drivers spend two or three days in the simulator and get a general impression, but the devil is in the details. When the car is on the track, the driver must provide relevant feedback so that the engineers can make targeted improvements – especially when there is potential."

Ferrari's head of track engineering, Matteo Togninalli, recently claimed that Hamilton's relationship with Ferrari is much less strained than it appears.

Read Also: Ferrari insists relationship with Lewis Hamilton isn't as bad as it seems

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Following an eight-day hiatus, the TCU Horned Frogs resumed play against the better-than-advertised Incarnate Word Cardinals. Despite entering the game with a .500 record, the Cardinals had dropped several close contests, including a 69–61 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. Incarnate Word quickly lived up to its scrappy billing against TCU, trading blows with the Frogs before Davio Bailey began to take over.

Bailey drilled his first three-pointer to put the Cardinals up 6–4 just under the 17-minute mark. Following two Esteban Mann layups, Bailey connected on two more triples to give Incarnate Word a 16–8 lead. A Jordan Pyke slam, a Bailey free throw, and another three-pointer ultimately gave the Cardinals a 14-point advantage—its largest of the game—with nine and a half minutes remaining.

What can we say 🤷‍♂️#TheWord | #ANYWAYpic.twitter.com/dr1qoYxfg0

— UIW Men's Basketball (@UIWMBB) December 16, 2025

Down 14, the Horned Frogs finally began to chip away at the deficit, scoring the next five points. However, Bailey and Incarnate Word didn’t slow down, as the Cardinals maintained a sizable lead for the remainder of the first half. Bailey, Mann, and Pyke kept Incarnate Word in front, while four different Frogs scored to keep the deficit within 10. The Cardinals ultimately took a 37–31 advantage into halftime behind 16 points from Bailey.

The second half opened with a barrage of scoring from both teams, as each squad eclipsed 10 points in the first four minutes of action. Bailey continued pouring in points, drilling three more triples during that span. Nonetheless, the Frogs kept chipping away, outmuscling the Cardinals on the interior. David Punch began to take over as the final frame wound down, eventually tying the game with under nine minutes remaining on a push shot.

block, rebound, bucket in 10 seconds#GoFrogs | @DavidPunch17pic.twitter.com/t9V4EEORXk

— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) December 16, 2025

Incarnate Word quickly regained the lead before another Punch bucket tied it once again. Both squads continued to trade baskets over the next few minutes. Staying true to the theme of the game, Bailey knocked down another three-pointer to tie the score at 65 with 1:11 remaining. On the ensuing possession, Jamie Dixon called Brock Harding’s number. Although the play didn’t go according to plan, Harding followed his own miss to give the Frogs a two-point lead with 38 seconds left.

brock for the lead!

TCU 67 – UIW 65 | 26.3 2H

UIW ball.#GoFrogspic.twitter.com/zBQFMnNrQr

— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) December 16, 2025

Upon getting the ball back, the Cardinals turned it over, airmailing a pass out of bounds. Incarnate Word then sent Harding to the free-throw line, where he drained both freebies to seal TCU’s 69–65 victory and give the Frogs their seventh win of the season.

After a porous shooting outing against North Texas, TCU once again struggled from beyond the arc, as the Frogs shot just 18.8 percent from long range. Overall, however, TCU shot 47.1 percent from the floor. The Horned Frogs did plenty of damage from the free-throw line, converting 18 of 25 attempts from the charity stripe.

Punch led the way, notching his second consecutive double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 big man also added five blocks. Alongside Punch, Brock Harding and Liutauras Lelevicius also reached double figures, scoring 13 points apiece.

Bailey led all scorers with 32 points, sinking nine three-pointers. Overall, the Cardinals shot 43.9 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc. Bailey accounted for all but one of Incarnate Word’s made three-pointers.

Next up, TCU hosts the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in Fort Worth on Thursday, December 18, at 7:00 p.m. CT.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference unveiled its 2026 football league opponents for all 17 teams on Tuesday, marking an exciting milestone as the league furthers its transition to a nine-game conference schedule and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents.

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

The move to a nine-game league slate was previously announced on September 22, when the athletic directors from all 17 football-playing institutions overwhelmingly supported a regular season schedule that includes nine conference games and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents. As specified in the Conference constitution, the model was then formally adopted by the Faculty Athletics Representatives.

Beginning in 2026, the ACC will introduce the new schedule structure through a transitional season designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing non-conference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint. Twelve teams will play a 9+1 schedule (nine ACC games plus at least one Power Four non-conference opponent) while five teams will play an 8+2 schedule (eight ACC games paired with at least two Power Four non-conference matchups).

The ACC Tiebreaker Policy will be updated and announced ahead of the 2026 season.

Starting in 2027, 16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule annually, with one team each season playing eight league games and scheduling two Power Four opponents outside the conference to accommodate the 10 Power Four games requirement.

Below are key points regarding the transition and scheduling model:

Below are key points regarding the transition and scheduling model:

Transition Year (2026)

• Serves as the bridge between the previous eight-game ACC slate and the new nine-game structure.
• Twelve teams will play nine ACC games, while five will play eight ACC games due to contractual obligations and scheduling balance.

Power Four Focus

• Each program must play a minimum of 10 Power Four opponents annually (9 ACC + 1 non-conference Power Four or 8 ACC + 2 non-conference Power Four).
• Aligns the ACC with all other Power Four conferences.

17-Team Scheduling Model

• With 17 football-playing members, rotating opponents ensures competitive balance over multi-year cycles.
• Not every team can play nine ACC opponents every season.

Clemson defensive back target Marquis Bryant commits to North Carolina https://t.co/WUlCiM0GdLpic.twitter.com/BtniKgsk2l

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) December 16, 2025

Comprehensive coverage and in-depth analysis of the ACC’s 2026 football league opponents will be featured on ACC PM on Tuesday, December 16, at 5 p.m. ET, with further insights on the ACC Network Football Podcast on Wednesday, December 17, at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network – and streaming on various platforms (Apple, Spotify, etc.).

Clemson is one of five ACC programs that will remain on an eight-game conference slate in 2026. Clemson’s slate of opponents is unchanged from what had been announced in 2023, as the Tigers will face Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home and face California, Duke, Florida State and Syracuse on the road. Dates for those contests will be announced at a later date.

- press release courtesy of the ACCand Clemson Athletic Communications

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ACC Releases the Official 2026 Football Schedule

Florida State football has finalized its 2026 schedule, with the ACC locking in eight conference opponents for the Seminoles next season.

The ACC will release all game dates next month.

FSU has also officially announced the addition of New Mexico State (August 29) to its non-conference slate, replacing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after that matchup was canceled.

The Seminoles will host the Clemson Tigers, NC State Wolfpack, SMU Mustangs and Virginia Cavaliers while traveling to face the Boston College Eagles, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers.

From FSU Sports Info:

Florida State is one of five schools that will play eight conference games while the ACC’s other 12 teams move to a nine-game conference schedule.

FSU leads the all-time series against Clemson, 21-17, with a 12-7 mark at Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU is 27-17 overall and 16-6 at home vs. NC State and boasts a 15-5 overall record and 9-1 home record against Virginia, which last played in Tallahassee in 2014.

SMU will be making its first trip to Tallahassee.

On the road, FSU is 16-6 all-time against Boston College, with an 8-2 record in Chestnut Hill since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005. The Noles are 18-6 all-time against Louisville, including a 16-6 win over the Cardinals in the 2023 ACC Championship Game, the most recent matchup between the teams.

Florida State has a 21-19 advantage against Miami on the road and is 3-3 against the Panthers in Pittsburgh, including a 2-0 mark in Pittsburgh since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2013.

The ACC has released 2026's home/away slate for conference opponents, with game dates set to be announced in late January.

In addition to our ACC opponents, we will host New Mexico State, Central Arkansas and Florida and play on the road at Alabama

🔗: https://t.co/BAZk753L65… pic.twitter.com/0iRQzUGvRy

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) December 16, 2025

In addition to New Mexico State, FSU will host Central Arkansas (September 26) and Florida (November 28), while finishing out a home-home series on the road vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide (September 19).

---

Florida State football: 2026 schedule

• Aug. 29: New Mexico State (Home)
• Sept. 19: Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
• Sept. 26: Central Arkansas (Home)
• Nov. 28: Florida (Home)
• TBD: Clemson (Home)
• TBD: NC State (Home)
• TBD: SMU (Home)
• TBD: Virginia (Home)
• TBD: Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
• TBD: Louisville (Louisville, Ky.)
• TBD: Miami (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
• TBD: Pitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels have made it a point to play a tough non-conference schedule the past few seasons. With UNC getting tested early, it could help benefit them in the long run including with their NCAA Tournament resume.

UNC completed a home-and-home with Kansas this season as the two iconic programs split the series with the Jayhawks winning last season and the Tar Heels this season. And as the non-conference schedule winds down here in 2025, Davis and the Tar Heels have added to their future schedule.

On Tuesday, North Carolina and Georgia announced a new home-and-home series for basketball. The two programs will meet twice over the span of three years from 2026 to 2028.

North Carolina will host the first meeting as the Bulldogs come to Chapel Hill next season on Friday, Nov. 13th. UNC will then head to Athens and face off against the Bulldogs in either November or December of 2028.

Coming soon to an arena near you👀

📝: https://t.co/c7hPbzZMMl#GoDawgspic.twitter.com/H4phreTtGC

— Georgia Basketball (@UGABasketball) December 16, 2025

The programs have met a total of 18 times, with UNC leading the series 13-5. However, they haven't met this century yet as the last meeting was in 1998 in the Dean Dome. Georgia also beat UNC in the East Regional Final of the 1983 NCAAA Tournament.

More matchups will be announced for UNC's schedule in the future.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels schedule home-and-home with Georgia

Liverpool are reportedly prepared to beat Chelsea to a €6m-a-year contract agreement. The latest addition to the Reds' squad?

Liverpool know that they'll need to rethink their squad even after spending over £400m in the summer. The signings just haven't had the effect they were planned to have.

Of course, it was always going to be difficult. Liverpool overhauled a title-winning squad - something you essentially never see in football.

But the idea was to give Arne Slot his team, rather than asking him to make Jurgen Klopp's squad work. The problem is that this new group doesn't really seem to click together. At least, not in the way Liverpool want them to.

That forces them back into the transfer market as they look to find something that does work. And really, every position on the pitch is up for grabs right now.

That'll be why Liverpool are refusing to give up on one of the best young attacking midfielders around.

Liverpool eye Kenan Yildiz

Tuttosport reports that Liverpool are firmly in the race for Kenan Yildiz. Teams are placing a lot of pressure on the situation at Juventus, hoping to stop the player agreeing a new deal.

Yildiz apparently earns around €1.5m per year. He's chasing €6m in new contract talks, however - and those talks have gone on for a while now. They don't appear to be going all that well, either.

Which brings Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid into the fray. Among others, too.

FC Basel shows interest in this Senegalese Barça player

FC Basel has reportedly set its sights on Mamadou Mbacke, the 23-year-old Senegalese defender who splits his time between FC Barcelona and Los Angeles FC, according to Africafoot.

Having joined Barcelona in the summer of 2024 for €2 million, Mbacke has mainly featured for the reserve side, making nine appearances in the Segunda División this season. Although he regularly trains with the first team, he has yet to make his debut in La Liga.

Hansi Flick brings in Mamadou Mbacke for the training session before the Elche clash!

The Barça Atlètic centre-back earns a first-team call-up due to Christensen’s absence and Pau Cubarsí’s reduced training earlier this week.

Mbacke has started all 4 of Barça Atlètic’s 8 games… pic.twitter.com/T1fhooptz7

— FC Barcelona News (@FCBarcelonaSpot) November 1, 2025

His contract expires at the end of the season, with an option for a two-year extension. Besides Basel, Slavia Prague and Malaga are also keeping tabs on the defender, and a transfer could be on the horizon.

Alabama draws ever closer to the matchup with Oklahoma in Coach Kalen DeBoer’s first playoff appearance with the Crimson Tide. Ahead of that, us here at RBR wanted to give you our collection of opinions on Alabama’s season and the playoffs as a whole.

1) How much hope are you holding out that Alabama can/will exorcise their Sooner woes in Norman next week? Who do you predict wins?

Josh: Considering the way the game in Tuscaloosa went down, I have confidence that Alabama can and likely will win the game if they can protect the football. That, of course, will be the million dollar question, but with several key players set to return, I think the Tide can get it done. 

CB969: I am not feeling very Gumpy. The Tide defense has been solid all season, but the Ty Simpson led offense has been going down the drain since the South Carolina game. Plus, special teams have been a mess. Now if the Simpson back issue rumors are true and Bama goes with Mack/Keelon at QB, that can change the mojo of a team. If Ty plays the whole game, I think it will be competitive but sad to say, I think Okie wins. [PROVE ME WRONG, TIDE!] If it is one or both of the other guys, I’d take the Crimson Tide. 

Brent: I have a good bit of hope. Not really because I think Alabama is going to turn things around, but because I have even less respect for the Oklahoma offense. It’s been even worse than the Tide’s lately. I suspect Alabama wins, but it’ll be gross.

2) I know we’re all pretty down on the Tide overall right now… But if they pull off the win over Oklahoma, will your attitude flip into thinking they belong with the Indianas, Georgias, and Ohio States of the playoffs?

Josh: We would get to find out since they’d see Indiana in the second round. If midseason Alabama can show back up, they can compete with anyone. 

CB969: If they beat Okie – and they absolutely can – it would have to be a dominating error-free effort to get me to believe they are Top 4 material. 

Brent: Not at all. I think the SEC Championship showed us all we needed to see. Alabama has a championship contender quality defense, but the offense is broken and special teams has been a detriment.

3) For your money, who wins it all?

Josh: Call it recency bias, but Georgia looked awfully good in the SEC Championship Game. Right now I’d probably lean toward Kirby getting another one.

CB969: Georgia. [Sad face emoticon]

Brent: Yeah it’s gotta be Georgia for me too. The Dogs have lost to only two non-Alabama teams in half a decade, and one of those was last year when their QB was hurt. I have a lot of respect for what Indiana has done and really like that team, but I can’t in good faith pick against UGA.

4) In years past, there’s usually a player or two that really take a step during December practices and get some playing time in the final game(s) that we hadn’t seen from them all year. With only 1 week off, that may not happen this year. But if it does, who is a player you have your eye on?

Josh: I don’t really see that kind of breakout on this roster, but if Ty Simpson plays the first half against Oklahoma like he played against Auburn and Georgia, then either Austin Mack or Keelon Russell could be that guy. 

CB969: Now that they burned his redshirt, running back AK Dear. 

Brent: I want it to be AK Dear. Alabama has to find some semblance of a run game to have a shot. Another guy I’ll be watching is Derek Meadows. The WR was starting to get some legitimate playing time before Missouri tried to decapitate him on the field (and it seemed like Grubb was using him for perimeter blocking). Do we start to see him back into the rotation with Alabama going for a more screen-heavy game plan?

5) In a purely pass/fail grade of your own metrics, how do you rate Kalen DeBoer’s second season (with the obvious caveat that the playoffs will change all kinds of perceptions in just a game or two). 

Josh: Given the landscape in college football, I’d give it a pass. Losing to FSU in the opener is forgivable in my view, as openers are going to be strange with so much roster turnover year to year. And, the Oklahoma game had some fluky elements to it. Now, being uncompetitive in Atlanta isn’t something that sits well. Hopefully getting healthier will get them back on track. 

CB969: It was a tougher schedule than last season, but the improvement seemed minimal in many areas. B-

Brent: Definitely a pass. Alabama improved from a year ago, beat Auburn/LSU/Tennessee, made the SEC Championship, and made the playoffs. The offensive slide at the end of the season is concerning… But the team is, overall, moving in the right direction. In particular, the defense is soooo much more physical and disciplined than it’s been – probably since 2017.

6) You have one shot to fix this whole playoff mess that college football has become. How do you organize it?

Josh: Scrap the playoff altogether, put the conference expansion genie back in the bottle, and return to bowl tie-ins where winning your conference means everything.  

CB969: Disband the Committee, drop auto-bids, and go with the top 12 based on a conglomerate of computer rankings.If I was the omnipotent ruler of College Football, I’d shrink the field down to 8 teams.

Brent: The biggest thing to me is that we have to get less insular between conferences. The arguing in circles about who has played tougher schedules has gotten nauseating. We break up conferences and then force multiple cross-play games (like 3+ of them) every year. Schools don’t get to pick…. It all gets assigned. And if we have to keep playoffs, we shrink to 6 or 8.

GREEN BAY - Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons won’t be with the team as he awaits surgery on his torn left ACL.

But it’s for a good reason.

“He’s about to have another child here pretty quick,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Dec. 16 in his press conference.

Parsons has a home in the Dallas area and has returned there for the birth of his third child. He has not had surgery on his knee and LaFleur said he did not have a timeline on when that might occur.

Typically, doctors allow swelling to go down before they operate to repair the ligament, and so it’s possible surgery hasn't been scheduled.

Parsons tore his ACL late in the third quarter of the Packers' 34-26 loss to the Broncos on Dec. 14. Tests confirmed the injury Dec. 15.

LaFleur said he didn’t know if Parsons would have the surgery in Dallas.

As for the rest of the season, LaFleur said he thought Parsons would be around to support his teammates once his child is born and his medical situation is settled.

“He’ll be around, for sure,” LaFleur said.

This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers star Micah Parsons heads to Dallas while awaiting ACL surgery

The hits keep on coming for the Arizona Cardinals as they have placed two more players on injured reserve.

Today, the team announced wide receiver Andre Baccellia, who took a scary hit in the game against the Houston Texans and had to be carted off, as well as running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight are going on injured reserve.

From the team:

Signed wide receiver Jalen Brooks to the active roster from the practice squad

–         Placed wide receiver Andre Baccellia and running back Zonovan Knight on injured reserve

–         Signed offensive lineman Marques Cox to the practice squad

–         Re-signed safety Patrick McMorris to the practice squad

–         Released offensive lineman Trey Wedig from the practice squad

The signings took place today at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe, AZ.

Cox (6-5, 305) is a rookie who entered the league with Denver as an undrafted free agent from Kentucky and spent time this season on the Broncos practice squad. He played 61 games (59 starts) in his collegiate career, including starting all 12 games in 2024 with the Wildcats. Cox began his college career at Northern Illinois (2018-22) before playing his final two seasons (2023-24) at Kentucky. 

Cox will wear jersey #61 and McMorris will wear #35.

They also made a number of moves on their practice squad, but the two big moves were placing two more players on the IR for the season.

Let’s hope Baccellia is going to be fine, and wishing a quick recovery to Knight.

With his shoulder and wrist injuries now in the rear-view-mirror and coming off an impressive outing on Sunday in Denver, Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Matthew Golden could finally be in line for more snaps and targets moving forward.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was impressed with how Golden -- the team's first-round pick -- took advantage of the opportunities he got to make impactful plays during Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos.

"Yeah, it was great to have him out there. He made a huge impact, talking about critical plays. Drawing a DPI," LaFleur said Tuesday. "It was great to have him back out there, in the fold, he showcased what he can do. I thought he maximized his opportunities and we need to keep trying to find ways to increase those."

Golden caught his first three targets, which gained 55 yards, and drew a 25-yard pass interference penalty. He was wide open on an in-breaking route gaining 18 yards, which set up a field goal in the first quarter. The penalty he drew on Broncos cornerback Riley Moss -- who was flagged for holding back Golden's arm -- converted a third down on a scoring drive. He also made a spinning adjustment while running a slot fade and caught a 27-yard pass on 3rd-and-4 and was open for a 10-yard catch on 3rd-and-9 in the fourth quarter.

The 55 yards represented Golden's third-most in a game this season. He also averaged 2.79 yards per route run, his second-best mark of the year.

Golden was on the field for 20 pass plays and received four targets, both his most in a game since Week 8. The first-round pick injured his shoulder in Week 9 and missed a game. He injured his wrist in Week 11 and missed two more games. Now healthy, Golden could help the Packers stay efficient and productive in the passing game despite a new injury for Christian Watson, who left Sunday's loss with a chest/shoulder injury.

In a deep receiver room, can LaFleur find new ways to put Golden in position to make more plays?

Stats to know: Golden has received at least 4 targets in 5 games this season. He's averaged 57.6 receiving yards per game, 15.1 yards per catch, 12.5 yards per target and 2.23 yards per route run in those 5 games.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers aim to increase opportunities for rookie WR Matthew Golden

With fixtures shifting and several teams moving into a strong run of matches, Gameweek 17 feels like a good point for Fantasy Premier League managers to consider activating their Wildcard.

Recent injuries, players set to leave for AFCON, and several popular picks who are no longer delivering have all made a squad refresh more appealing.

This article looks at Wildcard team ideas for Gameweek 17, focusing on balance, affordable options, and players who are well placed to deliver steady returns over the coming weeks.

Goalkeepers

David Raya (Arsenal)

David Raya is one of the most reliable goalkeepers in FPL right now. He plays behind Arsenal’s strong defence, which gives him a good chance of keeping clean sheets and earning points. In Gameweek 17, Arsenal face Everton away, a team that often struggles to score against the top sides. This makes Raya a great choice for your squad.

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

Henderson is a solid option for your Wildcard as a backup goalkeeper who actually plays. Despite Crystal Palace’s recent 3-0 loss to Manchester City, he has been performing well and earned 10 points in his last three matches. In Gameweek 17, Palace face Leeds away, which could be a busy game for him but also gives him a good chance to earn and save points.

Defenders

Jurrien Timber (Arsenal)

Timber is a strong option if you want a piece of Arsenal’s defence without spending too much. He has been solid at the back while also getting involved in attack, helping in build-ups and creating chances. He has played consistently well in recent matches and helped Arsenal keep clean sheets. Arsenal face Everton away this week, a team Timber and the defence should have a good chance of keeping from scoring, making him a reliable pick for your Wildcard.

Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace)

Guéhi is one of the key figures in Palace’s backline and has been giving good Fantasy points for about three gameweeks now. He didn’t deliver points in the recent match against Manchester City, but he remains a strong option because he plays almost every minute and is very reliable.

Palace travel to Leeds, who sit 17th on the table, and this should be a game where Guéhi can shine and help earn points for your squad.

Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)

Cucurella can be frustrating at times but adds value with his high positioning and attacking involvement. He has been involved in Chelsea’s play and helping create chances in recent matches. Chelsea face Newcastle away, a tough fixture, but if they score, Cucurella is likely to be part of the action, providing potential assists or bonus points, making him a useful pick for your Wildcard.

Nico O’Reilly (Man City)

O’Reilly offers a rare budget-friendly route into the Man City team at £5.3m, allowing you to spend more elsewhere. He has been playing occasionally and showing attacking potential from defence. City host West Ham at the Etihad, a fixture they usually dominate, which could make it a good week for O’Reilly to earn points while keeping your budget flexible.

Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)

Senesi brings both defensive strength and attacking potential. Even though he hasn’t been giving FPL points lately, he still remains a good option as Bournemouth face Burnley. He has played most minutes in recent matches and has a 75% chance of playing this week.

Bournemouth welcome Burnley at home, one of the best fixtures for a defender, giving Senesi a chance for a clean sheet or even a goal. Checking his fitness before the deadline is important due to his slight injury concern.

Midfielders

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Saka is one of Arsenal’s most important players. He takes penalties, corners, and is involved in almost every goal. In their recent 2-1 win over Wolves, he was the standout player, creating dangerous chances and helping Arsenal score.

Arsenal face Everton away next, a team that defends close to their goal. Saka will be the main player trying to unlock their defence, making him a key pick for your Wildcard.

Phil Foden (Man City)

Foden can score big points at any moment and has been doing so in recent matches. In City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, he scored and created chances, showing he is in great form. Next, City host West Ham at home, who will likely defend close to their goal, giving Foden the chance to find space, take shots from distance, and add points for your Wildcard.

Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)

Bruno is one of United’s main playmakers and is very involved in creating chances. With Mbeumo heading to the AFCON, Bruno will have more responsibility to lead attacks from gameweek 17 onwards, giving him a better chance to score or assist. United face Aston Villa away next, and Villa’s high defensive line could leave gaps for Bruno to exploit with passes behind the defence, making him a strong pick for your Wildcard.

Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

Semenyo is a very direct and attacking player. He always looks to shoot when he gets the chance and can take advantage of defensive errors. In one of his matches against Chelsea, he surprised many by breaking through their backline and creating dangerous chances, showing he can cause real trouble for strong teams. His recent form makes him a smart pick for your Wildcard.

Bournemouth host Burnley at home next, a match that suits him. With Burnley’s defence being vulnerable at times, Semenyo will look to attack and could score or assist.

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Rogers has settled well into the Villa team and is a valuable pick. He has been scoring in every match recently, including two goals in Villa’s last game against West Ham. Villa face Manchester United at home next, and it will be interesting to see if he can continue his scoring run against a stronger defence.

Forwards

Erling Haaland (Man City)

Haaland is one of the best goalscorers in the world and a must-have in Fantasy Premier League. He scored twice in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, showing his ability to find the net even in tight games. City host West Ham at home next, and Haaland will be the favourite for the captaincy this week. Given his form and the fixture, he can also be considered for the Triple Captain chip to maximise points potential.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Mateta is a big, physical striker who can bully defenders and score when you least expect it. He hasn’t been at his best recently, but Palace face Leeds away next, and with their defence showing weaknesses, Mateta could get back into form and give managers some good Fantasy points.

Igor Thiago (Brentford)

Thiago has been one of the standout forwards in the Premier League this season. He was recently named the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for November after scoring five goals in four games, becoming the first Brentford player to win the award.

Brentford face Wolves away next, who have struggled defensively at times, so Thiago should get plenty of chances to add to his goal tally and reward managers who include him in their Wildcard squads.

On a six-game win streak with victories over four potential playoff rosters, are the Houston Texans among the top five teams in the NFL entering their triumphant return to NRG Stadium to take on the Las Vegas Raiders?

Fresh off a 40-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans sit at 9-5 entering Week 16's battle against the Las Vegas Raiders. They're still a half-game out of first place, but bolstering a No. 1 defense in total yards and scoring has made the case for them as perhaps the most complete roster in the AFC South.

The Jacksonville Jaguars still own the AFC South division title and could clinch home-field advantage with a sweep to close out the season, but their defense has been an eye sore at times. As to where everyone ranks entering Sunday's showdown at NRG Stadium, ESPN believes Houston remains outside the top 10, coming in at No. 13, which is only one spot lower than the previous week.

As for players to re-sign this offseason, ESPN's D.J. Bien-Amie believes the Texans must extend a new deal with defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who, despite having a slow month of December, remains a fixture of the No. 1 total defense.

This season, Anderson has had the fifth-most tackles for loss (16) and ninth-most sacks (10.5) in the league. The No. 3 pick in 2023 is expected to get an extension, one year after Derek Stingley Jr. became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history on a three-year, $90 million deal. Quarterback C.J. Stroud -- the No. 2 pick in 2023 -- is also eligible for an extension this offseason. 

Anderson is on pace to total 31 sacks to close out his first three seasons in the league. Currently with 10.5 takedowns, he needs one more to surpass his season-high total and garner accolades back into the top five among pass-rushers.

As for the Raiders, another loss in blowout fashion behind a subpar offense has Las Vegas spiraling down the pecking order, remaining still in dead last after a 31-0 loss to the Eagles. As for the player asked to re-sign, ESPN has former first-round pick Eric Stokes as the name to remember.

"The Raiders' starting cornerback is one of the few players who made a strong case to get an extension this offseason," ESPN's Ryan McFaydden wrote. "Stokes has given up a completion rate of 58.1% and a passer rating of 93.6 -- the lowest of his career. Despite Las Vegas' struggles, Stokes told ESPN that he loves the organization and would be open to returning. "If the opportunity is there, heck yeah," he said. "If not, I can't be sad about it. It's business." 

Across the AFC South, the Colts took a jump forward behind 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers. Even in a loss, having stability at the most important position proved to be enough to move Indianapolis from No. 17 to No. 16. And the player to extend? Vertical target Alec Pierce, who could finish as the league leader in yards per reception at 20.1.

"It's not accurate to call this a sure thing because Pierce, who leads the NFL in yards per catch (20.1), is likely to get robust interest as an unrestricted free agent this spring," ESPN's Stephen Holder wrote. "But he loves playing for Indianapolis and has developed a bond with quarterback Daniel Jones, who is expected to be re-signed despite tearing his Achilles last week. Pierce has shown great development this season, expanding his game well beyond his renowned deep routes. Determining his value, however, will be challenging because of the high price of recent receiver deals

Surprisingly, ESPN seems to be the highest on Jacksonville, moving the first-place Jags up from No. 8 to No. 6 following a win over the New York Jets. With Jakobi Meyers serving as a No. 1 threat for Trevor Lawrence, offering him a deal before free agency might be best for all parties.

"Meyers has been the Jaguars' leader in catches (27) and receiving yards (355) since the team acquired him via trade from the Raiders on Nov. 4. He's in the last year of a three-year, $33 million contract, and the Jaguars want him back as he has become quarterback Trevor Lawrence's most trusted receiver, especially in the middle of the field," ESPN's Mike DiRicco wrote. "The 29-year-old had a career-high 1,027 receiving yards with Las Vegas in 2024."

As for the Titans, they moved up one spot, not because they won over the San Francisco 49ers, but rather because of an underwhelming performance from Las Vegas over the past two weeks. Jihad Ward was the name targeted to be extended for the Nashville franchise ahead of the offseason.

"Ward was a late addition to the Titans' roster during training camp, but he has become one of the veteran leaders in the locker room. "It's his work ethic, how he goes out and practices," interim coach Mike McCoy said. "The way he goes about his business helps everyone understand how to do things on a daily basis," ESPN's Turron Davemport wrote. "Ward, a 2016 second-round pick by the Raiders, offers versatility up front and has been a key part of Tennessee's pass rush with 4.5 sacks this season."

Elsewhere around the league, the Los Angeles Rams are ranked No. 1, with their top extension target serving as All-Pro wideout Puka Nacua. The Seattle Seahawks came in ranked No. 2, with franchise left tackle Charles Cross serving as the name worth offering a new deal to.

To view the complete NFL power rankings going into Week 16, visit ESPN.com.

Kickoff for Sunday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT on CBS.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL power rankings: ESPN far from sold on Texans as a top 10 roster

On Tuesday afternoon, the ACC announced its 2026 conference slate for the football season, and it’s a mess. Due to prior scheduling agreements and the unfortunate math of a 17-team conference, twelve teams will play a 9-game ACC schedule and five teams will play an 8-game ACC schedule.

Then starting in 2027, sixteen teams will play a 9-game ACC schedule annually, with one team each season playing 8 league games and scheduling two Power Four opponents outside the conference to accommodate the 10 Power Four games requirement.

The ACC also announced that it will update its tiebreaker policy ahead of the 2026 season, likely to avoid the situation that it found itself in this year, where ACC champion Duke missed the College Football Playoff and put the conference at risk of missing the CFP altogether.

Boston College is one of the five teams that will remain on an 8-game ACC schedule in 2026, alongside Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. BC’s 2026 conference opponents will be:

Home: Florida State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
Away: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU

The conference has constantly been on its back feet in this new era of college football, defending itself against lawsuits from its own members and adding new schools to stay relevant. We don’t really know how long the conference will stay afloat in its current form, but it’s expected that its most popular members like Florida State, Clemson, UNC, and others could receive invites from other conferences soon and make the decision to cut ties with the ACC within the next 3-5 years. Financial costs of a conference break-up will decrease significantly after the 2029-30 academic year.

It also seems possible that new members could be added before a big conference break-up happens, with schools like Tulane, Memphis, South Florida, and others having been speculated as potential additions to offset losses. An addition of new members could help to fix the mess of a schedule that this football arrangement has turned into.

Most of us likely won't associate Cadillac with racing. But the luxury General Motors has had some success in endurance racing, especially in IMSA's GTP category and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it placed third in 2023. Cadillac has recently expanded its operations into Formula 1 as well, partnering with TWG Motorsports to form what looks to be a formidable racing team, at least on paper. We have the drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez. We have the facilities: Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Silverstone, U.K. (home of the racing circuit of the same name). But what we don't have is the car. Or, more specifically, what the car looks like.

Well, Cadillac has good news for those of us with a keen eye for liveries, because the company has announced (via a post on X) that it's debuting the official Cadillac F1 racing livery at the 2026 Super Bowl on February 8. The announcement came on December 3, 2025, a few days before the final race of the 2025 F1 season at Abu Dhabi, which saw Lando Norris take home his first Drivers' Championship and McLaren-Mercedes' second consecutive Constructors' Championship titles.

The livery is set. See you Super Bowl Sunday 👀

Mark your calendars 🔗 https://t.co/8AvMbPRebRpic.twitter.com/v4OhtpzG5k

— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) December 3, 2025

The fledgling team will undoubtedly be fighting an uphill battle against the likes of McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, but Cadillac remains hopeful for respectable finishing positions. As for the livery itself, we'll be over here impatiently biding our time as we wait for the grand reveal of what's hopefully a pretty car, indeed. And if this news has got you excited, here's a helpful introduction to the world of Formula 1.

Read more: The Top 5 Most Expensive Cars Owned By Steve McQueen

Cadillac's F1 team and ambitions

There's a common phrase in rally racing: "If you want to win, hire a Finn." Cadillac seem to have taken this lesson to heart, hiring Finn Valtteri Bottas to drive its first car. His record stands at a total of 10 Formula 1 victories and 67 podiums out of 246 starts since 2013. Sergio "Checo" Pérez, meanwhile, is a Mexican driver who won six Grands Prix out of 281 starts with 39 podium finishes. For comparison's sake, the current F1 Champion Lando Norris has a record of 152 Grands Prix entered with 11 wins and 44 podiums.

As for the car itself, Cadillac is initially entering using Ferrari powertrains, though the company has stated that it will switch over to American-made power before the end of the decade. Our first chance to see whether the Cadillac F1 car has pace will be at Bahrain between February 11 and 13, 2026, when official testing begins. However, preliminary testing behind closed doors will occur at Catalunya from January 26 to 30. The team's actual racing debut will be the season-opener in Melbourne.

New sports teams of any discipline will typically face teething issues, and we don't Cadillac Racing to be an exception. This will be the company's first foray into Formula 1, after all. However, its experience in other circuit racing disciplines will likely aid the development of its open-wheel racer. At any rate, if you want to watch Cadillac's debut live, here are your streaming options for the 2026 F1 season in the U.S.

What else is new in Formula 1 for 2026?

The main change for the upcoming season will be the powertrains. 2026 will bring brand-new engines that will look way different from their 2025 counterparts, relying more on electric propulsion than ever before for motive power. This has upsides and downsides, namely the emphasis it'll place upon energy recovery systems and strategic overtaking. Moreover, teams will use 100% renewable fuels, aiming to raise awareness amidst growing environmental concerns.

What this means for Cadillac is that the rookie team is actually on a fairly even playing field. If everyone has to reinvent the wheel, then a new team coming in and upsetting the usual top runners is theoretically possible. More good news for Cadillac is that GM Performance Power Units were approved for racing use by the FIA in April 2025, with Cadillac aiming to deploy American power units by 2029. Whether Cadillac will surprise us or not is a matter of pure speculation at this point. But with all the shake-ups happening in Formula 1 for 2026, including Audi's entry to the competition, there's every chance that the American team may well shake things up. We'll certainly have our fingers crossed.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.

The Bulldogs will return to the Kennel on Wednesday night for a matchup with the Campbell Fighting Camels. Tipoff is set for 6:00 PM PST at the McCarthy Athletic Center, with coverage on ESPN+. The Zags bring a 10-1 record back onto their home floor after their 10-point win over UCLA against a Campbell team sitting at 5-5 on the season. The Zags enter the week ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 2 on KenPom, while the Camels arrive out of the CAA well outside the national analytic picture, and fresh off a narrow 69-64 win over Ball State.

Gonzaga remains unbeaten at home this season and still looks like a group playing well below its eventual ceiling, with rotations, timing, and role clarity sharpening by the week. Campbell is organized and competitive enough to punish sloppiness, but this matchup functions primarily as a tune-up before a road trip to Oregon and the turn toward conference play, giving the Zags space to clean things up, stretch the bench, and reinforce habits that matter far more in March than they ever will on a December night at the Kennel.

Meet the Fighting Camels

Campbell comes to Spokane with a résumé that swings wildly from one extreme to the other, which honestly makes them a little more interesting than the average December visitor. They have some ugly losses including a 99-51 trip to Wake Forest, and they have games where the offense absolutely demolished the competition, like a 149-point (not a typo) outburst against DIII Virginia-Lynchburg, a game where Campbell racked up 41 combined assists and grabbed 70 total rebounds (22 of those for Chris Fields Jr. alone). 

The team is led by senior guard DJ Smith, who averages just under 20 points per game while taking on a heavy usage and carrying the offense for long stretches. Dovydas Butka, the 6’9” Lithuanian sophomore, provides the secondary punch and a real interior presence, putting up 16.4 ppg while pulling down nearly nine boards per night. The aforementioned Chris Fields Jr. cleans up everything else, leading the team in rebounding with 9.6 per game while doing a little bit of everything defensively. When Campbell plays well, it usually looks the same: Smith serves as the primary playmaker and looks to score or work it inside, Butka finishes possessions and tries to work around the rim, Chris Fields Jr. works the glass very aggressively, and the Camels hang around long enough to make teams uncomfortable for as long as they can.

The last time Gonzaga and Campbell shared a court was back in December of 2012, a 74-52 Zag win full of its own bizarre stats. In that game, Elias Harris somehow handed out six assists, Kevin Pangos swiped five steals, and Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to score 13 points and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Thirteen years later, the assignment for Campbell remains the same: survive the Kennel, weather the first wave, and hope the margin stays respectable.

Things to Look For:

There really aren’t “keys to victory” here in the traditional sense. Think of it as a chance to see who looks comfortable, who looks decisive, and who uses the minutes to sharpen rather than float. Instead, here are some things to look out for.

1. A get-right game for Tyon Grant-Foster

Grant-Foster’s night against UCLA summed up where he’s at right now. He played 18 minutes, scored seven points, missed both of his threes, and never quite found a rhythm. The effort is there every possession, the athleticism pops immediately, but the fit still feels unsettled, especially when he starts hunting shots instead of letting the game come to him.

This is the kind of matchup where the path forward can be simplified. Grant-Foster doesn’t need to space the floor with pull-up threes. He needs to rebound like a maniac, sprint the floor, cut hard, and attack the rim or get to his midrange game quickly, before the offense stalls. When he plays fast and vertical, Gonzaga gets something it doesn’t have from many other bench pieces. If those habits show up early and often on Wednesday, that’s a meaningful win regardless of the score.

2. Taking the right shots

This probably never turns into an elite three-point shooting team, which raises the importance of shot selection more than raw percentage. Gonzaga can live without volume shooting nights, but it needs to become more discerning about which threes it takes. Against UCLA, Steele Venters and Emmanuel Innocenti combined to go 0-for-4 from deep, and the misses felt more about context than confidence.

The good stuff remains obvious. Corner threes in transition work when they come in rhythm. Pull-ups can stretch a defense and keep perimeter defenses honest. The problem shows up when those shots replace the offense rather than emerge from it. Historically, Gonzaga basketball has looked best when it sets its spacing, moves defenders, and delivers the ball to shooters already set, squared, and ready. Think Nolan Hickman threes. Feet planted. Time to load. Space created through motion and movement.

When this team settles for quick pull-ups, above-the-break looks with a hand in the face, or threes for Ike/Huff, the possession can painfully stall out. A game like this offers room to slow things down, trust the sets, and make sure the right guys are taking the right shots from the right spots.

3. Lineup experimentation

Games like this exist precisely so Gonzaga can get weird with its rotations. I, for one, think it’s time to let Mario Saint Supery take a breather, to let Braeden Smith chill out for a bit, and to finally let Jalen Warley play the position he’s spent the vast majority of his college career playing: point guard. This game is the perfect opportunity to hand Warley the ball, let him cook, and just see what the offense looks like when a 6’7″ decision-maker is steering things instead of setting screens and working the ball inside from the wing.

Once you go there, the next step is obvious (if you’re deranged): with Warley at the 1, you could put Davis Fogle at the 2, Steele Venters at the 3, Tyon Grant-Foster at the 4, and Ismaila Diagne at the 5. That’s four guys at 6’7″ surrounding a true seven-footer in the low post. Switchable everywhere. Length in every passing lane. It would be pure chaos, a cursed circus of Slendermen all hunting their own shots and totally disregarding the flow of the scripted offense. I see nothing wrong with this lineup.

Would it be weird? Absolutely. Would it work for long stretches? Probably not. But in a game like this, the upside comes from finding out, and the floor remains hilariously high. Jalen Warley was a three-year starter playing point guard in the SEC. Someone please explain why a lineup of four 6’7″ dudes and a seven-footer wouldn’t at least kind of work, or at the very least be incredibly fun to watch.

Final Thoughts

This one sits firmly in the December utility category. The result will fade quickly, but the minutes still matter, especially for a Gonzaga team that continues to look very good while still feeling unfinished. 

The real takeaways here come down to who looks comfortable, who plays fast without forcing the issue, and which lineup combinations feel worth circling back to when the stakes rise. Gonzaga has already dragged itself through a nonconference gauntlet, so there’s room for this one to breathe a little. A loud night in the Kennel, some lineup tinkering, and a few players taking full advantage of expanded opportunity would make this more than enough reason to tune in.

FIFA announced an affordable admission pricing tier for every nation that’s qualified for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The supporter entry tier will make tickets available at a fixed price of $60 for every match, including the final, for each nation’s participating members associations.

The new tier comes after supporters’ groups from Europe called out FIFA on the dynamic pricing of tickets, which changes the value based on the popularity of the teams playing in each match.

“In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely supporter value tier (40%) and the supporter entry tier (10%),” FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday. “The remaining allocation is split evenly between the supporter standard tier and the supporter premier tier.”

FIFA will also waive the administrative fees for fans who secure participating member association tickets, but their teams do not advance and they seek refunds.

Read more:Why is FIFA President Gianni Infantino working so hard to court President Trump?

Tickets sales were rolled out by FIFA in phases, with a third of the tournament’s inventory claimed during the first two phases. The third phase started on Dec. 11 and will go through to Jan. 13. During this period, fans have the opportunity to allocate tickets for a match based on a random selection draw.

Before the new tier was introduced, the cheapest ticket for the World Cup final in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey would cost fans more than $4,000. The high prices raised concerns among European supporters.

“The prices set for the 2026 World Cup are scandalous, a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides at home and abroad,” the FSA, an organization of supporters for England and Wales, said in a statement posted on its website on Dec. 12. “Everything we feared about the direction in which FIFA wants to take the game was confirmed — Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.”

FIFA previously stated it adopted the variable pricing because it was common practice for major North America sporting events.

Read more:Here's how to buy tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

“What FIFA is doing is adapting to the domestic market,” a FIFA official said in the conference call. “It’s a reality in the U.S. and Canada that events are being priced as per the demand that is coming in for that event.”

A FIFA official told reporters before the first tickets went on sale that world soccer’s governing body expects to make more than $3 billion from hospitality and tickets sales and is confident the tournament will break the all-time World Cup attendance record set in 1994, the last time the competition was held in the U.S.

That 1994 World Cup featured just 24 teams and 52 matches. The 2026 tournament will be twice as large, with 48 teams and 104 games.

Read more:FIFA, White House announce expedited visa interviews for 2026 World Cup ticket holders

FIFA said it received 20 million requests during the random selection draw sales.

SoFi Stadium will host eight matches, beginning with the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12. The Americans will finish group play in Inglewood on June 25, playing the winner of a March playoff involving Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey and Romania. Two Group G matches — Iran vs. New Zealand on June 15 and Iran-Belgium on June 21 — also will be played in SoFi, sandwiched around a Group B match between Switzerland and the winner of another European playoff, this one featuring Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Northern Ireland.

The teams for the three knockout-stage games to be played at SoFi Stadium — round-of-32 games on June 28 and July 2 and a quarterfinal on July 10 — haven’t been determined, but the possibilities include Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Austria and Algeria.

Staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Steve Kerr isn’t worried about the frustrated email Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob sent to a fan earlier this week.

A Warriors fan sent Lacob an email after the team’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday with a quick plea, asking him to “please do something about this team.” The fan, according to SFGate, was 27-year-old Justin Dutari, who also asked rhetorically if Stephen Curry had to score 50 points each night for them to win, among other things. He also brought up the fact he thought the Warriors were playing Jimmy Butler out of position.

The email address that Dutari found for Lacob ended up being accurate, and Lacob replied within minutes.

“You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob replied. “I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy [Butler] is not the problem.”

Lacob signed the email simply, “Joe.”

Kerr was asked about the email Tuesday and said that “it’s not a big deal.” His relationship with Lacob, he insisted, is fine.

“I hate when people are gonna post private emails,” Kerr said, via ESPN's Anthony Slater. “Imagine if everyone’s emails were just posted publicly, how tough that would be to live our lives.

“Joe supports me 100%, I support him. We have a great connection, and we’ve had so much continuity here and our stable environment in our organization is one of our strengths.”

Though Kerr isn’t bothered by the email, at least publicly, it’s easy to understand why Dutari and other Warriors fans could be upset. The team has lost eight of their last 12 games and fell below .500 on the season after Sunday’s four-point loss in Portland. Curry dropped 48 points in that contest, too. They’ll enter Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns with a 13-14 record.

Kerr shares that sentiment.

“We’re all frustrated,” he said. “Joe is frustrated, I’m frustrated, Steph and Dray, everybody’s frustrated. And this is kind of how the league works.”

As for Dutari, he’s just happy to have gotten his anger about his favorite sports team off his chest.

“I’m not gonna bother him no more,” Dutari said, via SFGate. “My goal was to just get some frustration out of me.”

The Atlanta Falcons have released a new depth chart ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. After stunning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15, the Falcons will likely be favored against the 3-11 Cardinals on Sunday.

However, fans have seen this Atlanta team play its worst football against perceived inferior competition, so we wouldn't assume anything going into Week 16. In terms of the depth chart, the team made no major changes following Thursday's win over the Bucs.

The Falcons have added wide receiver Malik Heath as third-string behind Darnell Mooney and Casey Washington. However, Washington has been a healthy scratch the last few weeks as the team continues to search for depth at the wide receiver position.

Check out the Falcons' updated depth chart for their Week 16 game against the Cardinals below.

Quarterback

1. Kirk Cousins (18)
2. Easton Stick (12)

Running back

1. Bijan Robinson (7)
2. Tyler Allgeier (25)
3. Nathan Carter (38)

Wide Receiver 1

1. Drake London (5)
2. Dylan Drummond (81)
3. KhaDarel Hodge (4)

Wide Receiver 2

1. Darnell Mooney (1)
2. Casey Washington (82)
3. Malik Heath (81)

Wide Receiver 3

1. David Sills V (87)
2. Deven Thompkins (83)
3. Jamal Agnew (14)

Tight End 1

1. Kyle Pitts (8)
2. Feleipe Franks (15)

Tight End 2

1. Charlie Woerner (89)
2. Teagan Quitoriano (85)

Left Tackle

1. Jake Matthews (70)
2. Michael Jerrell (72)

Left Guard

1. Matthew Bergeron (65)
2. Kyle Hinton (68)

Center

1. Ryan Neuzil (64)
2. Jovaughn Gwyn (52)

Right Guard

1. Chris Lindstrom (63)

Right Tackle

1. Elijah Wilkinson (71)
2. Jack Nelson (69)

Defensive Line

1. Brandon Dorlus (54)
2. Ruke Orhorhoro (98)
3. Kentavius Street (93)

Defensive Line

1. David Onyemata (90)
2. LaCale London (94)
3. Elijah Garcia (91)

EDGE

1. Jalon Walker (11)
2. Arnold Ebiketie (17)

EDGE

1. Leonard Floyd (56)
2. James Pearce Jr. (27)

Inside Linebacker

1. Kaden Elliss (55)
2. Josh Woods (42)

Inside Linebacker

1. Divine Deablo (0)
2. Ronnie Harrison (36)
3. JD Bertrand (40)

CB1

1. A.J. Terrell (24)
2. Cobee Bryant (37)

CB2

1. Mike Hughes (21)

NB

1. Dee Alford (20)
2. Natrone Brooks (35)
3. Mike Ford (28)

Safety

1. Jessie Bates III (3)

Safety

1. Xavier Watts (31)

Specialists

• Kicker: Zane Gonzalez (45)
• Punter: Bradley Pinion (13)
• Long snapper: Liam McCullough (49)
• Kick returner: Jamal Agnew (14)
• Punt returner: Jamal Agnew (14)

The Falcons and the Cardinals will kick things off at 4:05 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Depth chart for Week 16 vs. Cardinals

Manchester United are angry with the Moroccan Football Association for rejecting their plea for Noussair Mazraoui to play in Monday's 4-4 draw with Bournemouth - six days before the country's opener at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

United head coach Ruben Amorim said on Friday negotiations with the relevant national bodies were continuing over the release of Mazraoui, Cameroon's Bryan Mbeumo and Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo to Afcon.

Fifa announced on 3 December that clubs only need to release players from 15 December, instead of 14 days before the tournament that runs from from 21 December to 18 January.

While Mbeumo and Amad were allowed to stay for Monday's match, Morocco - who host the tournament and play Comoros on 21 December - took a different view.

United had anticipated all three players would be available, given the rest of the Premier League matches were played before the revised release date announced by Fifa - which it said could be negotiated with the relevant countries.

Mazraoui trained with United all week thinking he would be involved.

BBC Sport understands United escalated the matter to world football's governing body, who did not force Morocco to back down.

This has led to considerable frustration at Old Trafford, with insiders saying United believe they have been unfairly treated.

While they felt Cameroon and Ivory Coast were sympathetic and collaborative in their discussions, the club feel Morocco prioritised a national team training session over an important league game.

Italian side Roma and La Liga outfit Real Betis experienced similar frustration in their dealings with Morocco.

Fifa had urged federations and clubs to "hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions".

It added: "In cases where there continues to be a dispute over the release of players subsequent to such bilateral discussions, Fifa will, in mediating between both parties, apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case, including factors related to the timing of matches of affected competitions, the stage of these competitions, the historical and planned involvement of the players in the matches in question, as well as any other pertinent factors."

Mbeumo and Amad have now joined up with their national squads and will miss Sunday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa.

In Mazraoui's absence, and with Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt both ruled out through injury, Amorim included 19-year-old Ayden Heaven and 20-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro - who joined for £52.18m - in his defence against the Cherries as United missed the chance to climb into fifth spot in the table.

BBC Sport has contacted Morocco and Fifa for comment.

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Now that Monday has passed and contracts signed during the offseason can be traded, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market should heat up. 

While Giannis himself hasn't demanded a trade yet, there has been plenty of smoke from offseason rumors about a conversation with the New York Knicks to an ESPN report a few weeks ago that Giannis and his agent were having discussions with Milwaukee Bucks management about his future.

Antetokounmpo strained his calf on Dec. 3 — the same day as the ESPN report — and is expected to be sidelined for 2-4 weeks. Ahead of the upcoming Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, there will be plenty of discussions over potential destinations for one of the league's best players.

After all, the Bucks aren't close to contending for a title — Antetokounmpo's stated goal — as they currently have 300-1 odds to win the championship at BetMGM.

If Giannis were actually traded, where could he realistically go? And what would the betting impact be on the 2025-26 NBA title odds for his next team?

To answer that question, I asked Jeff Sherman, vice president of risk and longtime NBA oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, to compare the current and hypothetical future NBA title odds for nine teams that could potentially acquire Giannis. 

Sherman believes one team — the San Antonio Spurs — stood out as the best destination for Giannis, both in terms of title odds impact and the potential package Milwaukee could receive in return.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Current odds: Even

Odds after a Giannis trade: -150

Sherman: "I don’t think they’re going to want to [make the deal]. I don’t think a team has ever been positioned like they have outside of a couple in history. They just locked up the big three. It feels like you can only go backwards from where you’re at, even adding Giannis to it. They do have that treasure trove of picks and flexibility. They could get anyone in the league they wanted. Have the picks and assets to do it, and can outbid anybody. Looking even better than last year's team, I think it’s an extreme long shot.

[Check out all of Yahoo's sports betting content here in our new betting hub]

"I went to even money for the first time this morning. They’ve weathered injuries, and it’s their system, their defense. If they added an MVP candidate in Giannis, I would go to -150. They’re already so low that we’re not overwhelmed with money at this point. They’re one of our better positions."

San Antonio Spurs

Current odds: 18-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: +550

"By far the best situation for both sides for me is San Antonio. The Spurs can give up pieces that are attractive to the Bucks, and there is no state income tax. Even after missing out on Kevin Durant, I thought they could pivot to looking at Giannis. They have so many young players. They’re good right now, even without Victor Wembanyama.

"I [was at 35-1 last week], down to 11-2 if San Antonio got Giannis. Slightly ahead of Denver, and I'd move Houston and the Lakers back. The Spurs would be No. 2 in the West. Probably Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, other young pieces and picks [to get it done]. So many pieces to keep or move."

New York Knicks

Current odds: 10-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: +600

"We’re sitting at 10-1 right now. They’re the starting point in the East. [Karl-Anthony] Towns, OG Anonouby, Josh Hart, and you'd probably have to get a third team involved because they’d need to supply some draft picks. This would be the scenario — he’s got this year and next year on his contract. If he’s told other teams he won’t sign an extension, he could force his way here. Could be like Anthony Davis forcing his way to the Lakers from New Orleans. It would leave you with Jalen Brunson, Miles Bridges, Giannis and scarcity after that. I would go 6-1 on New York."

Houston Rockets

Current odds: 12-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: +600

They’re another one behind San Antonio that has pieces and picks to give up. Could have Durant, Alperen Şengün and Giannis. They’d have to start with Amen Thompson and some other young pieces with him to make a deal. Market has 10-1, I’m at 12-1. They’d be close to Denver's number (6-1 to 7-1) with Giannis.

Detroit Pistons

Current odds: 20-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: +800

"Right now, to me, they’re an Eastern mini-path of Oklahoma City. They’re built with a leader in Cade Cunningham — it would be disruptive and they'd have to give up too much depth to do it. The fact that they’re doing well, they’re 20-1 to win the title and you look at the makeup of the East. Probably have to put them slightly ahead of the Knicks. I'd go 8-1 on Detroit."

Miami Heat

Current odds: 60-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: 12-1

"The one player they’ve tried to keep out of trade talks is Kel'el Ware, but if they gave up him, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and some picks, it might be enough. I think with Tyler Herro, Bam Adebadyo and Giannis and some pieces behind that, it would be similar to Atlanta. I’d have them at 12-1 with the coaching of Erik Spoelstra. Still slightly behind the Knicks. I’d go from 60-1 to 12-1 on them."

Atlanta Hawks

Current odds: 50-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: 14-1

"I don’t think this would happen in a trade unless it involved Jalen Johnson. The way that he’s thrust onto the scene this year, it wouldn’t be an option for Atlanta if they didn’t base a trade around him. They’d be left with Trae Young, Giannis, Kristaps Porziņģis. It would be the initial perception, after the dust settles, it might be a little higher than that. Just based on the East, I think 14-1."

Golden State Warriors

Current odds: 30-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: 14-1

"Could be Jimmy Butler, and Jonathan Kuminga is a guy they’re trying to move. Golden State has some OK depth. But they'd be left left with Steph Curry and an aging Draymond Green. You’d probably deplete some of that depth [to make the deal]. From a fan perspective, it seems like the last shot to go for it. They’re sitting at 30-1. It’s an upgrade, but I’d have them in the conversation of where the Lakers are (12-1 or 14-1), behind Houston, Denver and OKC. I don’t know how much sense that makes."

Toronto Raptors

Current odds: 100-1

Odds after a Giannis trade: 25-1

"They have some nice pieces there. We’re sitting at 100-1. They’ve been struggling lately and showing some weaknesses. I’d go down to like 25-1 initially [after the trade] and it wouldn’t surprise me if it floated back up to 30-1 or 40-1. I look at that team, it’s the closest to what Milwaukee has now. You’d be left with Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley. It wouldn’t be a title-contending team. They’d have to include [Scottie] Barnes in the trade."

When it was over, one fighter would remember only disappointment and heartbreak. Another would wonder if he might have just accidentally killed a man. Yet another would regard the night as one of the lowest and darkest moments of a long career, the point at which he’d just about concluded that he and professional fighting had nothing left to offer one another.

It was 15 years ago today — Dec. 16, 2010 — that World Extreme Cagefighting (better known as the WEC) held its final event. A bittersweet farewell, in many ways.

On one hand, WEC 53 would later be remembered as one of the promotion’s best and most-watched shows, drawing well over a half-million viewers on the Versus Network. Of the four fighters featured in the main and co-main event, three went on to be UFC champions. The headlining bout also produced an all-time great MMA highlight — known now simply as “The Showtime Kick” — that left the crowd of 6,300 simultaneously stunned and thrilled and confused.

On the other hand, it marked the end of the line for a fight promotion that was beloved by hardcores and largely ignored by almost everyone else.

WEC started in 2001 as a regional fight promotion in Northern California, running most of its early events out of the Tachi Palace in Lemoore, just outside Fresno. But in 2006, it was purchased by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, and change inevitably followed.

The most significant of those changes was to transform it into Zuffa’s exclusive home for smaller fighters. At the time, the lightest weight class featured in the UFC was the 155-pound lightweight division. The WEC, however, included featherweights (145 pounds) and bantamweights (135 pounds), in addition to lightweights. It served as a test case for Zuffa, which seemed skeptical that audiences would ever show up in profitable numbers to see the smallest fighters in the sport.

At times, they did. During his time as WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber was a genuine star for the organization. Other fighters like Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone would later become stars in the UFC. But as 2010 wound down, Zuffa was ready to consolidate. The WEC roster — some of it, anyway, though no one was entirely sure how much of it — would be absorbed into the UFC, creating two new weight classes with two new champions.

The final order of business before the WEC could roll up its blue canvas and disassemble its smaller, cozier cage once and for all? An event to end the year with a bang and send the organization itself out on a high note. WEC 53 accomplished that. But it also provided a glimpse of the future, in more ways than one.

Christian Petersen via Getty Images

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Of all the things to stick in his memory, it’s the online fan poll that sticks out for Benson Henderson. A quaint idea by today’s standards. The kind of thing your grandmother might post about on Facebook. But in 2010, these tools of the information superhighway were still novel enough to be interesting — especially for those with a stake in the outcome.

The pitch was that, for its final event, WEC would let fans choose the location. The initial list offered 30 different cities as options. Before long two frontrunners emerged: Phoenix, Arizona and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Henderson, the reigning WEC lightweight champion, had adopted Phoenix as his home. Anthony Pettis, the looming challenger for his belt, was a well-known Milwaukee guy. And since the contest allowed each user to vote as many as 10 times per day, things snowballed quickly.

“I remember every day for a month, or probably even longer than that, people were sending me these screenshots and pictures of how many times they voted for the card to come to Phoenix,” Henderson told Uncrowned. “I know a ton of Wisconsin people were voting to get it there, but I had friends, family, old college roommates — everybody I knew, basically — sending me screenshots of them voting for it over and over every single day until Phoenix won.”

It would be the first time in Zuffa history that the company promoted an event in Arizona, but the fan vote was just one of several things that made the final event feel different.

Dave Sholler, the WEC’s public relations manager at the time, remembers heading into Phoenix that week with the palpable sense that everyone involved had something to prove. The promotion had spent the past couple years trying, with mixed results, to get out of the UFC’s colossal shadow. Many fans still regarded it as a little brother organization, filled with fighters either not quite big enough or good enough for the UFC. It didn’t seem to matter how many memorable fights the organization put on. It was the perception that stuck.

“I remember that show just having a different energy in the building,” Sholler said. “We had a chip on our shoulders, and we took pride in that. The fighters, the staff, everybody on the team. I remember [WEC co-founder] Reed Harris and I would go to every city we visited with a WEC duffel bag full of VHS highlight reels and press kits. It was hard in 2009 to get people to cover us in local markets like Youngstown, Ohio, or San Antonio or Edmonton. We were grinders. We had this sense of satisfaction and pride at having built this challenger brand with a cult following, but now it was ending.”

Sholler was one of the lucky ones. He’d already been told that, when the WEC was absorbed by the UFC, he’d still have a job. In fact, he was getting something of a promotion. The end of the WEC meant getting called up to the big leagues, and just as the UFC was really taking off as a mainstream sports brand.

But not everyone had such job security as the fans filtered into Jobing.com Arena that night. Many of the fighters on the WEC roster had only been told that the UFC would be taking some of them. Outside of the reigning champions and a couple top draws, it wasn’t at all clear who would make the cut. For many, that final event offered one last chance to make a strong case for themselves.

That’s how it was for Danny Downes, a lightweight who came into that event on the heels of a submission loss earlier that year. He’d been matched up against Zhang Tiequan, “The Mongolian Wolf,” an undefeated Chinese fighter who the parent company Zuffa seemed to be hoping would aid future international expansion efforts.

“I’ll always remember standing there behind the curtain before that fight,” Downes said. “I know my career’s on the line. I know that if I go 0-2 I’m not getting brought over to the UFC, and that was my whole focus. I wanted to fight in the UFC. Then Reed Harris comes by and he’s like, ‘Man, all the fights have been good … so far.’ And he just looks at me.”

Christian Petersen via Getty Images

This was about the time when Downes started to get the distinct impression that perhaps he hadn’t been booked in this fight because the promoters thought he’d win. (Harris did not respond to requests for comment.) And the thing is, the fights had been good. Of the first six bouts at WEC 53, five ended with first-round finishes, some of them quite dramatically. Downes felt the pressure to keep that going, but also to keep his career viable in the process.

“The other thing [Harris] did was say something like, ‘Hey there’s 80 million people watching in China right now. Anyway, have fun.’ And then, boom — right after he said that my walkout music starts playing,” Downes said. “I was like, well, here we go.”

Downes proved up to the task, handing Zhang his first professional loss via unanimous decision. Both would go on to get their shots in the UFC. But others weren’t so lucky.

For former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner, the end of the WEC seemed like it might also be the end of his fighting career. At one point, he’d been a vocal proponent for the organization, hyping it up to anyone who’d listen. But a series of events had made him feel abandoned and discarded by the WEC. At the same time, he felt his own passion for the sport draining away.

“I had lost my heart, my will to fight,” Varner said. “Even my training was s***. My mind wasn’t in it. I hated fighting. Hated it. I was just doing it to get a paycheck. I was pretty banged up and injured, so I probably shouldn’t have even fought on that Phoenix card, but I hadn’t fought in Arizona in years. That was my backyard. Still I think I only trained for like three weeks for that fight. I was just lost and trying to find myself.”

That night Varner faced Shane Roller, a decorated wrestler who’d been essentially recruited into MMA by Team Takedown, a well-funded effort to turn collegiate wrestlers into top MMA fighters. Varner lost the fight via first-round submission, feeling the entire time like he was just going through the motions.

“I didn’t really want to fight, but I still ended up dropping him with a left hook, which is crazy,” Varner said. “Then I went for the finish and I slipped. He ended up taking my back and I got choked, which just felt like a sign from God that I was just f***ing done.”

Elsewhere on the undercard, bantamweight Eddie Wineland took on Ken Stone, a former college wrestler with a solid 9-1 record as a pro. Wineland, like many others, didn’t know for sure if he’d be picked up by the UFC once the night was over. He felt he needed to make an impression.

So when Stone jumped guard in search of a guillotine choke, Wineland calmly carried him over to the fence to rest his body weight against the chainlink. Once Stone made the mistake of releasing the choke without releasing the guard, Wineland snapped him down to the mat in a vicious slam.

The dull thud of Stone’s body and head hitting the mat reverberated through the entire arena, followed by the guttural groan of nearly 7,000 people who seemed to be questioning their decision to seek out sanctioned violence on this particular evening.

Wineland went directly into his celebration, jogging around the cage and basking in the victory. Stone didn’t move. He lay sprawled out on his back, arms out at his sides, entirely unresponsive. He stayed that way for a long time. Long enough, in fact, for Wineland to fear the worst.

“That one really left me unnerved,” Wineland said. “Because he just wasn’t moving at all. Yes, we're in a sport that’s violent, but you're not there maliciously to hurt somebody. You're there for the sport.”

By the time he got back to the locker room, the mood around Wineland had darkened. No one was celebrating the first-round knockout. Not really. They should have been high-fiving and hugging, looking ahead to the after-party and the UFC contract that would follow. But it was hard to work up the enthusiasm as they watched Stone’s limp body get loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled out of the arena.

“He was completely unconscious for the entire time they were taking him out of there,” Wineland said. “So it kind of sucked back in the locker room. I’m thinking, 'Did I really hurt this guy? Did I kill this guy? What then?' Finally, someone came in and told us that he was in the ambulance and he’d started moving again and he seemed like he was going to be OK. Then I could breathe again. But after that, it was hard to really get excited again. It was kind of like, 'Now what?'”

Josh Hedges via Getty Images

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The top two bouts of the evening were for big stakes. In the co-main event, WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defended his belt against Scott Jorgensen, a former Boise State wrestler on a five-fight win streak. The fight would determine more than just who went down in history as the last 135-pound champion in the WEC. Whoever won would also become the first UFC bantamweight champion, earning an instant promotion when the UFC adopted this new weight class.

All week, Cruz had been the picture of supreme confidence. Jorgensen had no chance against him, he told reporters at the pre-fight media day. The speed and the style, it would all be too much for him, Cruz said. When informed that Jorgensen’s friend and training partner Joe Warren had promised that a big surprise was in store for the champ, Cruz just smiled.

It turned out he had good reason to. Once the bout began, Jorgensen looked like a man trying to fight a swarm of bees. Cruz darted in and out, stinging with him lead rights and then baffling him with knee-tap takedowns. It all looked the same on the way in, like a skilled relief pitcher whose arm movement seems identical whether he’s throwing a curveball or straight gas.

As the one-sided fight wore on, it was Warren’s voice from Jorgensen’s corner that rang out in the building.

“Put your hands on him, Scotty!” Warren shouted over and over again. But Jorgensen couldn’t find Cruz, much less touch him. Watching Cruz pile up rounds with his mongoose-like attacks felt like watching an artist develop an entirely new style of painting. Jorgensen, like most of Cruz’s opponents back then, was still looking for his brush.

Yet all these years later, it’s the main event of WEC 53 people remember best, even if they also tend to remember one part of it incorrectly. In their minds, that incredible kick Pettis landed in the final minute of the final round — jumping off the chainlink cage with one foot, then swinging it around to land a kick to Henderson’s head, like something out of a Jackie Chan movie — was the finishing blow. They don’t always remember that, while he was dropped as much by the surprise of the move as the force of the strike, Henderson survived and made it to the scorecards.

When he thinks back on it now, Henderson can’t help but think about all the good moments he had in that fight before the Showtime kick put him in permanent highlight territory.

“The rest of the fight, all of those rounds could have went my way,” he said. “But that kick was such a dramatic moment. I could have won every moment up until then and that kick would probably still have won him the fight.”

The reaction in the arena when that kick landed was both baffled and awestruck. At first, people didn’t fully realize what they’d seen, in part because no one had ever seen it before. It all happened so fast. It was so different. Not until the replay aired in the arena while the judges’ scores were being tallied did people fully appreciate what Pettis had done.

As the decision victory was announced, Pettis glowed with a new aura. He’d go charging into the UFC as a somebody now, rather than just another lightweight folded into an already crowded division.

But for Henderson, it was a crushing loss. He showed up to the post-fight press conference, dutifully answering questions and playing the role of the good sportsman. But in between answers his face would change, grimacing in a mighty effort to fight off tears, at least while reporters were there to see them. It felt like you could almost see into his brain as he replayed those last couple minutes of the fight and processed all that it would mean for him.

“I just remember being so disappointed,” Henderson said. “Being home in Arizona, having my family and friends there. My teammates, their girlfriends and wives, everybody doing all that voting all day long to bring the show there. I felt like I let them all down.”

Also backstage, Varner was finding a strange silver lining in what had otherwise been one of the lowest moments of his professional life. He exited the fight with Roller with a cut on his eyelid, requiring stitches. The doctor offered him two choices: Have it closed at the hospital, which would likely require some waiting around, or tough it out right there and get it over with.

“He told me the cut was too close to my eye for him to really give me any lidocaine or numbing agent, so I’d just have to deal with the pain as he stitched it up,” Varner said. “I was like, f*** it, let’s do it. I was so defeated and just broken. But then the doctor, his name is Dr. Ara Feinstein, we got to talking and we became really good friends after that. He actually wrote me a letter of recommendation years later to help me get into medical sales. We stayed in touch, would hang out together. And all of that would have probably never happened without that fight.”

Josh Hedges via Getty Images

Though he thought his career was over, Varner later ended up fighting in the UFC. So did Downes, which at least gave him the satisfaction of being able to say that he got to the sport’s biggest stage. That was a point of pride for so many of the WEC fighters, but especially the lightweights. Theirs was a weight class the UFC already had, which made it all the more frustrating to explain to people how it was they came to fight for the UFC’s parent company but not the UFC itself.

“It was like when you were a kid and you needed an extra controller for your Super Nintendo or something, and you ended up with the off-brand stuff,” Downes said. “Like, why do I have to get stuck with the Mad Cats controller? It sucks. That’s how it felt trying to explain it to people. We were still good fighters even if we weren’t hanging out with Chuck Liddell or whatever. But people looked at it like the minor leagues.”

For Sholler, the ending left a bittersweet taste. He was moving on and moving up in his public relations career, eventually finding his way from the UFC to Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, where he represents teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. But there was just something about those early days, learning the ropes and pushing the gospel of the WEC to skeptical newspaper editors and local TV news directors.

“I think back to some of the coolest moments in my career, working in the NFL, the NBA, the NFL, but some of my fondest memories are still the WEC,” Sholler said. “That’s where I learned about marketing and promoting athletes. That’s where I learned to sell tickets. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear after that last press conference.”

He wouldn’t have been the only one. As they tore the WEC cage down and turned out the lights in Phoenix that night, there were many people who had only just begun to realize all that was truly going away. And it would never come again.

Raiders cut ties with 27-year old, 6-foot-5 contributor after another loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Las Vegas Raiders clearly don't have much to play for the rest of the season.

At 2-12, they're one of the worst teams in the NFL.

On Tuesday, they cut ties with one player as they try to figure out who to get looks at in the final three games before they head home.

The Raiders waived Leki Fotu, which was reported on the league's official transaction report at 4 p.m. ET.

MORE: ACL recovery timeline impacts when Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons will return

Fotu is a 6-foot-5, 27-year old defensive lineman originally from Oakland, California.

He played his college ball at Utah for the Utes before the Arizona Cardinals made him a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 114 overall.

Fotu played his first four NFL seasons for the Cardinals, starting 21 of the 56 games he played in and recording 89 tackles, including 3.5 sacks.

He joined the Jets for the 2024 season but was only active for two games, totaling three tackles.

MORE: Bills may not win the AFC East — but they sent a clear warning to the rest of the NFL

This season, Fotu came to the Raiders, and he has played in six games, four of them starts, while recording eight tackles, including 1.0 sack.

Fotu hasn't been active on the gameday roster since Nov. 30, when the Raiders lost 31-14 to the Chargers. He had two tackles that day but has been inactive each of the past two weeks.

Now, Fotu will look for another NFL home. It's not clear that a team would pick him up just for a few more games, but maybe that chance is there. Otherwise, he'll have to wait for the offseason to keep his career going.

More NFL news:

• Jaxson Dart has a 50% head injury problem
• Trevor Lawrence had a game never before done by an NFL quarterback
• A Travis Kelce retirement hint is coming
• Tua Tagovailoa's contract looks like a nightmare
• Patrick Mahomes' injury has fans asking Tom Brady ACL question
• This Mike Tomlin horrible streak is hard to believe

I asked for people to give me some ideas for articles that weren’t just game coverage yesterday and the overwhelming tenor of responses has fallen into a bucket I’ve titled “fun/uplifting” and I’ll get to those stories. Promise. Really quick, though, I want to look at the historical precedents of teams that have opened the season without a win through the first 15 Serie A games. So yeah, buckle up. It’s grim.

In the past 25 years, 8 teams have started a season winless through the first 15. As a reminder, Serie A was just 18 clubs until 2004-2005 (hello, Caso Catania), so Como finishing 17th place finish didn’t win the Lariani survival. Anyways, let’s take a brief stroll back through the greatest futility the league’s seen in the past quarter century. As you can see, every one of those teams dropped down to Serie B.

I remember a couple of these teams surprisingly well. Benevento produced a historically awful defense, which conceded 84 goals. I’m not going to check all the numbers but I think they conceded more goals per game than any side in Serie A history, although 2019-2020 Lecce shipped 85 (and still had a chance to stay up until the final 3 weeks). The reason I was so invested in the Stregoni was that Lorenzo Venuti was on loan with them and I had a hell of a time evaluating if he was a decent player being destroyed by a terrible team context or if he was also pants.

That Chievo Verona team left me with some wonderful memories, at least. It folded up like a newspaper in the 2nd game of the season against Fiorentina, highlighted by a Nikola Milenković missile (they say Emanuele Giaccherini’s desiccated corpse is still under the Franchi turf), losing 6-1. That Viola side, by the way, was coached by none other than Stefano Pioli. Circles within in circles.

What all these sides have in common, of course, is relegation. None of them made anything resembling a push for survival. Many of them never really recovered: Benevento crashed out of Serie B 2 years after going down from the top flight and but at least leads its Serie C group; Ascoli’s yo-yoed between the 2nd and 3rd tiers; and Ancona declared bankruptcy in 2004, restarted in Serie C2, clawed back to Serie B, declared bankruptcy again in 2010, and now plays in Serie D.

The biggest success stories of this ignominious group of 8 are Atalanta and Como. La Dea remains Europe’s most impressive club, a miracle that defies rational explanation, and deserves everyone’s respect. Como hasn’t reached that level yet but has rich ownership and an intelligent vision, even if the implementation is a little gross. That pair ought to serve as models for Fiorentina going forward.

What do they have in common? Well, this isn’t what Rocco Commisso or any of his people want to hear, but both got new ownership that cleaned house, instilling an identity that allowed them to consolidate, stabilize, and grow. It’d be reductive to say that new ownership is Fiorentina’s only hope of shaking off the impending relegation, but recent historical precedent indicates it’s the only way out.

Layering onto a scheduling model adopted two years ago, the ACC on Tuesday announced conference opponents for next football season, its first with a nine-game league docket.

The complete schedule, with dates, is expected in late January, after further collaboration with television partner ESPN.

Virginia Tech is central to the changes from the eight-game rotation for 2024-30 that the ACC released in October 2023 to reflect the additions of Stanford, Cal and SMU. The Hokies’ home date with NC State has been replaced by a visit from Stanford, and their ninth conference game will be a trip to SMU.

Tech and SMU have met only three times, from 1972-74. The Mustangs are 8-0 at home versus ACC rivals since joining the league in 2024.

Wake Forest and Virginia Tech are the only teams that will play each newcomer — Cal, Stanford and SMU — next year.

The lone adjustment for Virginia is its previously scheduled nonconference home game against NC State becomes a league contest and moves to Rio de Janeiro. That event, the first Bowl Subdivision game staged in South America, was announced two weeks ago and is set for Aug. 29.

It’s official: UVA and NC State to open 2026 football season in Brazil

Virginia and Virginia Tech are among the dozen ACC teams that will play nine conference games next year. Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Boston College remain at eight, but only for 2026 as the ACC bridges to 2027 and beyond.

In subsequent seasons, all but one ACC squad, on a rotation, will play nine league contests. How that rotation works, and how best to enhance teams’ College Football Playoff credentials via the schedule, are issues that will consume much of the offseason.

Seeking an encore to its ACC championship game appearance this year, Virginia in 2026 will face — no surprises here — Cal, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse at home, NC State in Rio, plus Florida State, SMU, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech on the road.

Virginia Tech’s conference foes in James Franklin’s first season as coach are Georgia Tech, Stanford, Pitt and UVA at home, plus Boston College, Cal, Miami, SMU and Clemson on the road. That latter game marks the Hokies’ first trip to Death Valley since 2012.

The league’s odd number of football schools (17) prevents everyone from playing an odd number of conference games (nine) annually, as the math doesn’t math. Leagues with an even number of teams such as the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 can have each play nine conference games.

How the league would differentiate between, say, ACC championship game contenders with conference records of 8-1 and 7-1 will be determined during an offseason review of tiebreakers.

The ACC pivoted to nine league games in September to align with the other Power Four conferences. The Big Ten and Big 12 have long played nine, and the SEC is shifting to nine next season.

Moreover, with the College Football Playoff placing a greater emphasis on schedule strength, the ACC is requiring each of its programs to play at least 10 games every year against Power Four opponents. For example, in addition to their nine conference dates in 2026, UVA and Virginia Tech will face West Virginia (in Charlotte) and Maryland (on the road), respectively.

The Cavaliers’ other nonconference games will be at home, against Norfolk State and Delaware. The Hokies’ also will be at home, likely versus VMI and Old Dominion, with a previously contracted contest against James Madison probably to be moved or canceled.

Similarly, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina and Boston College next season are slated for eight league games, plus multiple nonconference dates with Power Four opponents.

Marquee ACC matchups with Power Four peers in 2026 include Clemson visiting LSU in Lane Kiffin’s Tigers debut, Louisville opening against Ole Miss in Nashville, Georgia Tech hosting Tennessee in Week 2, and Florida State heading to Alabama in Week 3.

“Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. “This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

David Teel, david.teel@virginiamedia.com

Mikaela Shiffrin's winning streak goes on.

Shiffrin won the night slalom in Courchevel, France, on Dec. 16, her fourth win in as many slalom races this season. Add in her win at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, in March, and she's won five consecutive races in her specialty discipline.

It was the 105th World Cup win of her career, extending her own record. The win increases her leads in both the overall and slalom season standings.

"I'm just pushing. I don't know (and) I'm not asking questions," Shiffrin said when asked to explain her win streak. "Sometimes you've just got to take it and roll with it because these women are pushing. They're pushing like hell. So I have to push, too."

Paula Moltzan is one of those pushing, skiing the fastest second run to move up four spots to fifth place. It's her third top-five finish this season; she was eighth at Copper Mountain 2½ weeks ago.

Shiffrin isn't just winning. She's winning by massive margins

Impressive as Shiffrin's win streak is, it's the dominance of those wins that's so remarkable. Including Tuesday, when she beat Switzerland's Camille Rast by 1.55 seconds, Shiffrin has won each slalom race by 1.23 seconds or more.

In a sport often determined by tenths and hundredths of seconds, those are massive margins. Put another way: There was a greater margin between Shiffrin and Rast on Tuesday than between Rast and Wendy Holdener, who was seventh.

If Shiffrin keeps this up, it won't be enough for her competitors simply to ski well. They'll need Shiffrin to make mistakes, and that's something she's just not doing.

The track in Courchevel was nasty, rutted and icy beneath a thin covering of snow. There were 17 DNFs in the first run, including three of the first six skiers, and another six in the second run. They included Albania's Lara Colturi, who was second to Shiffrin in the first to slaloms and third in the third, and contenders Lena Duerr and Sara Hector.

But Shiffrin used the conditions to her advantage, rather than letting them jostle her about. Even when she did make mistakes, she was able to quickly recover rather than allowing the error to take her out of her rhythm.

Ahead of the first run, Shiffrin's team warned her that the course was picking up speed and told her to stick to her plan. She fought through the first few gates, and was just 0.06 seconds ahead of then-leader Rast after the first sector.

But Shiffrin settled in, looking more and more fluid the further down the course she got. By the time she crossed the finish line, Shiffrin was 0.83 seconds ahead of Rast, who raised her hands in a "What can you do?" gesture.

"Everybody on the first run made some kind of mistakes. It was just really important to be moving and very dynamic," Shiffrin said. "I executed that very well. That was the big separator."

With such a big lead going into the second run, Shiffrin just had to stay aggressive. She was slow out of the gate, but was able to find speed after the first sector. She was flying during the second half of the course, her winning streak secure.

"Some of it is lock in this feel," Shiffrin said when asked what she'll do with the break she now has before her next race.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mikaela Shiffrin has now won all four slalom races this season

Clemson will have to look elsewhere at safety in the 2027 cycle after one of its limited targets came off the board.

Marquis Bryant, a four-star defensive back out of Rolesville, North Carolina, announced Tuesday that he’s committing to North Carolina. The Tar Heels won out over a large finalist group that featured several national programs, including Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others.

Bryant had been on the Tigers’ radar since early summer, earning an offer after a camp workout in June. He later made it back to Death Valley for the season opener against LSU, but North Carolina steadily gained traction throughout the fall and ultimately separated itself late in the process.

The 6-foot safety put together a strong senior season, finishing with six interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. In the Rivals Industry Rankings, Bryant is listed as the No. 169 overall prospect in the class, the No. 17 safety nationally and one of the top defenders in the state of North Carolina.

Clemson QB Cade Klubnik accepts his invitation to the Senior Bowl https://t.co/2FVbOS2O8Npic.twitter.com/Fm9QqheC5u

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) December 16, 2025

While missing on Bryant narrows the board, Clemson is not empty-handed at the position. The Tigers already hold a commitment from three-star safety Harrison Luke, who pledged earlier this year, leaving the staff with flexibility as the 2027 cycle continues to take shape.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson loses out on a key safety target to North Carolina

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham seems like a man who is contemplating staying at his alma mater.

Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported that the search firm leading Michigan’s hiring process for a new head coach reached out to representatives of Dillingham. Before, and especially after that report came out, the noise surrounding Dillingham becoming Michigan’s next head coach has only heightened.

On Tuesday, a reporter told Dillingham there’s “panic” from the Arizona State fanbase as to whether he’ll remain with the program. Dillingham was asked if he wanted to put the rumors to bed, and his response was far from definitive.

“I think my job is to try to do whatever I can for the people who are with me, right. The people that are in the foxhole, the coaches that are in the foxhole with me,” Dillingham. “I gotta do whatever I can to fight for those people, for my family, for everything from that perspective. I love it here, I’ve said it since day one. That’s absolutely never changing, absolutely never changing.”

Sounds like a man who would take the Michigan job if offered https://t.co/XxcgzNHlkf

— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) December 16, 2025

While some may view this as a way for Dillingham to leverage a pay raise and more funds being pumped into the program, it could also mean he’s interested in the Michigan job and the resources it’d bring. Dillingham currently has a $5.8 million base salary at Arizona State, which Michigan could greatly increase. And from an NIL perspective, Arizona State is unfortunately still archaic and is losing top talent to the transfer portal on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Sam Leavitt.

If ASU is to return to the College Football Playoff, which they made last season, a monumental shift will have to take place in the form of a cash infusion to the program to bolster player and staff retention and recruiting as a whole. Dillingham, an ASU alum, has called Arizona State his “dream job,” but if he dreams of winning a national championship, a new job at the University of Michigan might be his best bet.

An intriguing report surfaced recently suggesting that Joshua Zirkzee is keen to remain at Manchester United.

The Dutch striker is said to believe he can still fight for his place and cement his role in United head coach Ruben Amorim’s project at Old Trafford.

A tough start

The opening three months of the campaign proved difficult for Zirkzee, as he was largely overlooked and struggled to make an impact.

Change in fortunes

However, fortunes shifted after the November international break. Zirkzee went on to start three consecutive fixtures and featured in two more of the five games played since the restart.

One could argue that he now appears primed to seize his opportunities, giving him a chance to turn his fortunes around at M16.

Yet, despite his determination to succeed at United, speculation over his future persists.

Transfer links continue

AS Roma have been strongly linked with his signature, while West Ham United and Leeds United are also reported to be keen.

With the January window fast approaching, anything could happen. Zirkzee, whom United signed for £36.5 million in 2024, may yet receive an irresistible offer, and one of his suitors could push hard to secure his services.

What it would take for Zirkzee to leave

According to Dean Jones via Teamtalk, if a club is serious about prising the ex‑Bologna forward away from United, INEOS will insist it happens on their terms.

First, Zirkzee would have to request a move himself. Should that happen, Jones reveals:

“We understand that United rate Zirkzee in the €35‑40m (£30.6‑£35m, $40.7‑$46.5m) bracket – and the club would, ideally, prefer a cash sale.”

Jones adds that if a buying club is unwilling to meet those demands, INEOS could compromise by accepting a loan with an obligation to buy.

Such revelations make the Zirkzee situation particularly compelling. His future may ultimately rest in his own hands.

Will he ask to leave or not? And if he does, which club will win the race and what deal will be struck?

Chance to sort his Old Trafford fate

For now, all eyes are on whether Zirkzee can secure the key role many predicted for him this period when Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo depart for AFCON. Their absence will deplete United’s attacking options, and Zirkzee’s versatility should prove invaluable. Amorim may have little choice but to use him more regularly.

That decision could have a decisive impact on where Zirkzee plays for the remainder of the 2025‑26 season.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

online polls

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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

It’s the most wonderful time of the year as the holidays approach. If your calendar is anything like mine the time from Thanksgiving through New Years is filled with opportunities to catch up with loved ones, holiday parties with old friends, and more. This Saturday, Dec. 20, the Bleacher Bunch podcast including some of your favorite bleacher bums, writers and podcasters will be Cubsmas caroling in and around Wrigleyville and you are invited!

This is one of the most festive and fun events for Cubs fans outside of the baseball season. As a bonafide introvert I can attest it’s well worth leaving the comfort and warmth of your home to brave whatever weather the universe has thrown at Chicago to join your friends caroling around the best baseball neighborhood in the country.

There are a couple of different ways you can participate, and while we hope you’ll be able to join the caroling crew in person, you can even participate from afar. If you have a conflict on the 20th you can still submit your carols to be sung by the crew. The process is easy, for example, you can get a sample of my submitted carol below:

Cubs ain’t getting Tucker for Christmas
Jed & Carter said “nah”
Cubs ain’t getting Tucker for Christmas
Fans in the bleachers are sad

Packed Wrigley for October Games
Ricketts still won’t spend
Even showed up ‘gainst the Marlins
Ricketts still won’t spend

We bought the beer bats for high fees
Sit in seats with cramped knees
Tickets make bank accounts bleed
Ricketts still won’t spend, OH

Cubs ain’t getting Tucker for Christmas
Jed & Carter just shrugged
Cubs ain’t getting Tucker for Christmas
Hope pre-arb players can shove

Submitting a carol is easy, you just record a video of yourself singing your parody and upload it to this Google Drive with your name and the name of your Cubsmas Carol. Submit your Cubsmas carol by Thursday, Dec. 18.RSVP via Partiful, and join the Bleacher Bunch caroling in Wrigleyville on Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.

Chelsea have the lead against Cardiff! The Blues were really poor in the first half but they made two changes at half time and had to go up a gear in this second period.

They already have their reward. It didn’t take long for the introduction of some first team quality to raise the team’s level.

Garnacho scores Chelsea goal after Blues nick ball in midfield

Alejandro Garnacho celebrates scoring. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Cardiff have been unbelievably impressive in this game, but their approach was always going to come with risks against a team from two divisions above.

Finally they made a mistake and they were ruthlessly punished by Chelsea. Dylan Lawlor’s pass was cut out by Facundo Buonanotte, who was lucky to not be hauled off at half time. He played in the newly arrived Alejandro Garnacho, who was racing down the left as Chelsea suddenly found themselves with a 3 on 2 in attack.

Garnacho had two choices to square to, but took the shot on himself and scored with a nice finish.

You can see the goal in the clips embedded here:

"This is a gift, an absolute present"

Alejandro Garnacho scores after Dylan Lawlor's misplaced pass 🫣 pic.twitter.com/INpkhA1jwq

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 16, 2025

[Footage from Sky Sports]

This game is far from over – Cardiff have been the better side, bar this one mistake, and even with new players on Chelsea don’t look comfortable. The home team are going to have to push out more and leave space behind, and we need a second goal to make sure we win this game.

In other news…

Chelsea’s team selection tonight was bound to create some questions as it saw full rotation from Enzo Maresca once again. However, it doesn’t seem to be hurting them too much.

Enzo Maresca’s outburst over the weekend was extraordinary, and one of the big conclusions from it is that the manager may be pushing to leave next year.

There will be NFL football on Christmas Day for the sixth straight season and the late afternoon game this year will see rap legend Snoop Dogg perform during halftime, Netflix announced on Tuesday.

"Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party" will take place on Dec. 25 following the second quarter of the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.

The game will be the second of a Netflix doubleheader, which will begin at 1 p.m. ET when the Washington Commanders host the Dallas Cowboys. The third game of the day — Denver at Kansas City — will stream on Amazon Prime.

This is the second straight year that Netflix will broadcast an NFL doubleheader on Christmas that features a halftime show during one of the games. Last season, the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans met with Beyoncé handling halftime show duties at NRG Stadium. 

"American Idol "winner Kelly Clarkson will open the NFL on Christmas Day with a performance of her holiday song “Underneath the Tree."

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart said he and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt “weren’t on the same page” on a costly interception right before halftime in Sunday’s 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders.

in watching the play, highly-respected NFL analyst Brian Baldinger was far less politically correct. Baldinger, whose ’Baldy’s Breakdowns’ are a popular online feature, on Tuesday destroyed Hyatt, an under-performing and rarely-used third-year receiver, for causing the interception

“Can Jaxson Dart get just a little bit of help? … Jalin Hyatt here is going to run this dig route, this box cut right here. And, it’s a horrible route. That’s not how you run a route. You don’t round it off. You don’t slow down. You drop your weight and YOU RUN A BOX CUT is what you do! You go sharp to separate from that corner … You don’t run a route like this. He lets the corner jump right in front of him. It’s a terrible route. He slows down, he’s not sharp.

“Can we get the quarterback some help here? Please!”

.@Commanders@Giants@JaxsonDart if I was Dart I would be "LIVID" This is not how you run a route. Can't wait to watch Dart with some real playmakers. #BaldysBreakdownspic.twitter.com/FxGZPUYAQM

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 16, 2025

Hyatt was a third-round pick by the Giants in 2023, when GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll engineered a trade up with the Los Angeles Rams to select him 73rd overall.

Hyatt has just 13 catches over the past two seasons, and 36 in 41 games with the Giants. The four snaps he played Sunday were his first since Week 11 vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Ousmane Dembele has been named the men’s player of the year at Fifa’s The Best Awards, while Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman won big as women’s coach of the year after back-to-back Euro titles.

Dembele was instrumental in PSG’s first Champions League triumph when they beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the final and scored 35 goals last season across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as top scorer.

The 28-year-old, who claimed this year’s Ballon d’Or in September, was part of the PSG team which also swept all before them on the domestic front last season and reached the final of the Club World Cup. They were coached by Luis Enrique, who also triumphed at the awards as men’s coach of the year.

Barcelona Aitana Bonmati, who similarly won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time in a row this year, was also crowned as the women’s player of the year by Fifa.

The Champions League player of the season, Bonmati helped Barcelona win the domestic treble along with reaching the Champions League final.

The 27-year-old also reached the Euro 2025 final with Spain, with Bonmati named the player of the tournament.

Her side were pipped to the Euros title by England in Switzerland, with Lionesses head coach Wiegman also victorious in the awards as she was was named the female coach of the year for the fifth time.

Wiegman wasn’t in attendance to accept the award in person but appeared on screen with a pre-recorded speech.

"It’s an absolute honour to receive this award again,” she said. “I’d like to thank Fifa and everyone who voted.

"Thank you to the FA for their continued support for me and the team. This award is actually for players and staff. We’ve showed so much conviction, belief and togetherness that led us to our second Euro win.

“Moving into 2026, let’s keep pushing the women’s game forward together and. create an environment for every play, so they can reach their full potential."

The best women’s goalkeeper award went to England and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton who played a major role in the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win with her penalty shootout saves and also won the domestic treble with her club.

Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, won the men’s keeper award for his role in PSG’s treble win.

Mexico’s Lizbeth Ovalle won the Marta Award, for the best goal in women’s football, for her scorpion kick for Tigres against Guadalajara in March.

Santiago Montiel won the Puskas Award for the best men’s goal for his overhead strike for Independiente against Independiente Rivadavia during an Argentine Primera match in May.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer and Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk were among the Premier League contingent in the men’s team of the year, while Lionesses stars Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo were in a women’s team of the year dominated by Spanish and English players.

It’s that time of the year. Teams are trying to punch in their cards for the postseason. As of now, only two teams are promised a spot in the playoffs: the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams (11-3) and the AFC’s Denver Broncos (12-2).

Nine other teams have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in Week 16, though, which just goes to show you how big the splits are for teams on the right or wrong side of the playoff race right now. One of those nine is the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s how the Packers can get in. There are two scenarios.

• First, if the Packers win against the Chicago Bears, they need the Detroit Lions to lose or tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.
• The alternative is the Packers tying against the Bears, with the Lions losing to the Steelers.

So for Green Bay to clinch this week, they’ll need their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, to get the job done (or at least tie) against the Lions. All-time, Rodgers is 18-8 versus Detroit in his NFL career.

Below is the NFC playoff percentage, per the New York Times/The Athletic simulations:

• Clinched: Los Angeles Rams
• >99%: Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks
• 99%: San Francisco 49ers
• 90%: Green Bay Packers
• 84%: Chicago Bears
• 76%: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 27%: Detroit Lions
• 24%: Carolina Panthers
• <1%: Dallas Cowboys

Here are the NFC North title percentages:

• 52%: Chicago Bears
• 43%: Green Bay Packers
• 5%: Detroit Lions

And finally, this is what the Wild Card race looks like in the NFC:

• 86%: San Francisco 49ers
• 69%: Seattle Seahawks
• 47%: Green Bay Packers
• 43%: Los Angeles Rams
• 32%: Chicago Bears
• 22%: Detroit Lions

As a reminder, three teams will make the playoffs as a wild-card team. Functionally, the NFC East and NFC South have been eliminated from wild-card contention, as those divisions will more than likely just get one team in via the division winner process.

Basically, the wild-card race is coming down to six teams, two of which will win the NFC North and NFC West, meaning that there are four contestants fighting for three seats at the table.

Here’s how the NYT/The Athletic simulation projects the NFC standings by the end of the year:

1. Los Angeles Rams: 13-4
2. Green Bay Packers: 11-5-1 (NFC North)
3. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6 (NFC East winner)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8 (NFC South winner)
5. Seattle Seahawks: 13-4
6. San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
7. Chicago Bears: 11-6
8. Detroit Lions: 10-7 (first team out)
9. Dallas Cowboys: 8-8-1
10. Carolina Panthers: 8-9

If that’s how it plays out, the Packers will be the only team in the NFC that will be hosting a game on wild-card weekend that has a better record than the road team. It’s been a weird NFL season, to say the very least.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers don't play a particularly aesthetically pleasing brand of football. It's been that way for a while.

The offense can lack explosion for long stretches. The defense can get pushed around with alarming ease against quality opponents. The coaching decisions sometimes randomly flip-flop between aggressive and overly cautious.

The Steelers almost need a specific set of circumstances to succeed. They need to run the ball. They need to take it away. They need to avoid mistakes. It's a formula as old as the game itself, and at times in recent years, it has felt more stale than steady.

Yet occasionally, there are stretches when Pittsburgh finds a way to thread the needle well enough that what is old feels new again.

One of those stretches arrived late in the first half of what became a 28-15 dismantling of Miami on Monday night that kept the Steelers (8-6) one game ahead of Baltimore for the top spot in the AFC North.

Four offensive drives, all of them at least 60 yards in length, produced touchdowns that turned a 3-0 deficit into a 25-point lead, their biggest advantage at any point in a game since 2020.

While 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers was channeling his prime at wintry Acrisure Stadium by completing 23 of 27 passes for 224 yards and two scores, a defense playing without superstar outside linebacker T.J. Watt overwhelmed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during a third quarter in which Miami ran six plays and lost 20 yards in the process.

Though the Dolphins managed a pair of meaningless touchdowns late to make the final score more respectable, the outcome was never in doubt in the second half and offered tangible proof that Pittsburgh's hope of playing its best football in December wasn't just an empty promise.

Stringing together performances like the one the Steelers enjoyed on Monday night has been a challenge — and what has made the Steelers so confounding for much of the last decade.

Yet for the first time in a while, Pittsburgh looked like a first-place team capable of doing more than squeaking into the playoffs before meekly exiting. As rocky as it was during a 2-5 stretch in which their comfortable AFC North lead vanished, they'll take it.

“We hold ourselves to a higher standard here,” longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward said. “You know, when you play for a team like this that’s had a lot of success, and, you know, we’re not responsible for that, those guys before (did that). We are trying to grasp what they did. The expectations are high, and we like it that way.”

What's working

Finding experienced players looking for an opportunity midseason and having them make an impact.

The list of what Rodgers described as “cast-offs” includes wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., all of whom made plays that contributed to perhaps Pittsburgh's most complete performance since beating Minnesota in Ireland at the end of September.

Valdes-Scantling caught his first touchdown pass from Rodgers since 2021 when they were both in Green Bay. Samuel collected his first pick since 2023 and Thielen had his first reception and added a perfect kick-out block that opened up a lane for a Jonnu Smith touchdown run.

What needs help

The weather wasn't conducive to a hot start and it took the offense a while to get going. While Pittsburgh did eventually score touchdowns on four straight possessions for the first time since 2018, the Steelers have been slow to warm up for most of the season, something they'll likely need to avoid on Sunday in Detroit if they want to keep pace with the Lions.

Stock up

Tight ends Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth had virtually disappeared from the offense entirely in recent weeks as Darnell Washington took on an increasingly larger role in the passing game.

That changed against Miami. Smith had three touches for 26 yards, including the second rushing touchdown of his nine-year career on a cleverly designed pitch early in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach.

Freiermuth had more yards receiving (45) than he had in the previous four games combined, nimbly adjusting his routes against Miami's zone.

Stock down

The “Fire Tomlin!” chants that popped up in the waning stages of a blowout loss at home to Buffalo on Nov. 30. Winning two straight and looking pretty good in the process will do that.

For all of the vitriol aimed at the NFL's longest-tenured head coach by a portion of the fan base, the Steelers are where they have always been during Tomlin's 19-year run: in the mix as Christmas approaches.

Even Ben Roethlisberger, who suggested recently it might be time for the team to “clean house,” said on Monday night before being inducted into the club's Hall of Honor that he'd be fine if Tomlin coached in Pittsburgh for 10 more years.

Injuries

Watt's status remains uncertain as he recovers from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung suffered following a dry-needling treatment last week. ... Veteran LG Isaac Seumalo sustained a triceps injury in the second half against Miami. ... OLB Nick Herbig left late with a hamstring injury. It's unclear whether it's an aggravation of the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the season opener. ... LT Andrus Peat remains in the concussion protocol. ... CB James Pierre could return from a calf injury that forced him to sit out on Monday night.

Key number

23 — Consecutive home wins on Monday night for the Steelers.

Next steps

Try to keep it going in Detroit, no easy task against an explosive Lions team that will be playing with its season on the line.

___

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

Manchester City will entertain Brentford at the Etihad Stadium this Wednesday night as they look to earn a positive result at home in the EFL Cup. The Mancunian giants managed to secure an impressive 3-0 win away at Crystal Palace recently, which should keep them in good spirits ahead of this game.

Pep Guardiola will set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a lot of changes to his first XI for this clash. James Trafford, Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake could all play from the start of this game.

4-3-2-1 Manchester City Predicted Lineup To Face Brentford

Defence

James Trafford will feature in between the sticks for Man City as he looks to keep a clean sheet at the Etihad. Abdukodir Khusanov will function alongside Nathan Ake at the centre of the Man City backline as they hope to keep a solid shape on the defensive end of the field.

Rico Lewis will fill in as the right-back, while Nico O’Reilly hopes to give a good account of himself on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the freedom to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent’s half.

Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias will provide cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Erling Haaland of Mancheater City applauds fans during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Selhurst Park on December 14, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Midfield

Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Oscar Bobb will play as the central midfielders for Man City. Their main focus would be to establish their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park.

Both Savinho and Rayan Cherki will get a chance to impress as Guardiola’s attacking midfielders as they look to create some inviting chances in and around the opponent’s penalty area.

Phil Foden and Divine Mukasa will have to settle for a place on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the second 45 minutes if required.

Attack

Erling Haaland will lead the charge for the Mancunian giants up top. He managed to score a brace against Crystal Palace last weekend, so he would be full of confidence heading into this cup game.

Omar Marmoush is unavailable for this game due to his involvement in the African Cup of Nations. Furthermore, Jeremy Doku will be sidelined for this clash due to a leg injury.

Watch and listen to the latest news updates from the world of Calcio courtesy of Football Italia expert Alfredo Pedullà.

Today, Pedullà discusses Roma’s fiery 1-0 victory over Como and how this affects the Giallorossi’s transfer strategy going forward for Joshua Zirkzee and Giacomo Raspadori.

Niclas Fullkrug of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and West Ham United FC at The King Power Stadium on December 03, 2024 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Elsewhere, AC Milan are considering Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United, with their eye still on Dusan Vlahovic for the summer.

Khephren Thuram is the last player Juventus should consider selling, while Pedullà outlines which clubs most need to take action in January.

Watch: Pedullà on Roma progress and plans for January

Urban Meyer is still owed for putting his money where his mouth is.

The ex-Ohio State football coach on Dec. 15 stated that Barstool Sports owner and avid Michigan fan Dave Portnoy still owes him $1,000 to donate to the Buckeyes' NIL fund, as per the terms of the bet the FOX Sports "Big Noon Kickoff" personalities agreed to on the day of the Ohio State-Michigan game.

"Portnoy still owes me a thousand bucks, I know that," Meyer said during an episode of "The Triple Option" podcast.

When the two made the bet on Nov. 29 gameday, fellow FOX Sports commentator Rob Gronkowski told the two to "make sure the loser follows up as well."

$1,000 to the other team's NIL fund 🤝@stoolpresidente and @CoachUrbanMeyer make a bet on The Game 💰 pic.twitter.com/JBkE8CeAsl

— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 29, 2025

"Yeah, a hundred percent," Portnoy said in response.

Now 17 days since the bet was placed and Ohio State beat Michigan 27-9, "The Triple Option" X account posted a message to Portnoy after the video clip of the bet, reading, "Please pay your debts, Dave. Respectfully, Coach Meyer."

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dave Portnoy has not paid Ohio State–Michigan bet, Urban Meyer says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban has purchased a minority stake in the NHL's Nashville Predators.

Predators chairman and majority owner Bill Haslam announced Tuesday the purchase made by Dream Sports Ventures LLC, an entity controlled by Saban and business partner Joe Agresti.

“Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports,” Saban said in a statement released by the Predators. “Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise.”

Saban and Agresti are partners in the Dream Motor Group that features 10 car dealerships, including two in Nashville. They’re partners in several other business ventures as well.

Saban stepped down as Alabama’s coach after the 2023 season. He posted a 297-71-1 record in 28 years as a coach and won seven national titles – one at LSU and six at Alabama.

Haslam was governor of Tennessee from 2011-19. He became chairman of the Predators on July 1, 2024 and took over as majority owner of the franchise on July 3 of this year.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Florida State is set to lose another blue-chip player from its 2024 signing class.

Running back Kam Davis, who signed with the Seminoles as the No. 3 running back in the country, will hit the transfer portal when the window opens in January. The news was reported by multiple outlets, including ESPN’s Pete Thamel who confirmed the news with his management company, Just Win:

FSU tailback Kam Davis intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per @JustWinMGMT. He’s a former Top 100 recruit in ESPN’s rankings who’ll have three years of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/0k0P84BvMf

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 16, 2025

Davis had just eight carries for 51 yards and a touchdown in 2025, struggling to see the field due to injury and a deep running back room.

From his FSU bio:

2025 (Sophomore): Ran eight times for 51 yards and one touchdown over four games to maintain redshirt…East Texas A&M: returned from 2024 injury with two rushes for 13 yards…Kent State: part of FSU-record 498-yard rushing game with four carries for 30 yards, including a season-long 24-yard run…scored one-yard touchdown, first of his career…added three catches for 46 yards and a long of 32 yards against the Golden Flashes, all career highs…Virginia Tech: two carries for eight yards…also played at Clemson.

2024 (Freshman): Played in nine games, rushing 52 times for 173 yards, second on the team…added two receptions for 21 yards…season-high 14 rushes for 63 yards at Duke…season-long 16-yard run also came against the Blue Devils…caught passes against Boston College and Florida…led FSU’s balanced rushing attack with 39 rushing yards against Charleston Southern as Noles ran for season-high 165 yards…game vs. CSU followed three-game absence due to injury…rushed seven times for 25 yards against California…ran six times for 13 yards against Clemson…made collegiate debut in season opener against Georgia Tech in Dublin.

BEFORE FSU: Consensus four-star prospect…ranked as No. 3 running back prospect in America and No. 8 overall prospect from Georgia by Rivals…rated No. 3 nationally at his position, No. 12 in Georgia and No. 68 overall nationally on 247Sports Composite…ranked as nation’s No. 3 running back prospect and Georgia’s No. 9 overall prospect by ESPN…No. 52 in ESPN300…selected to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-America game…played quarterback at Dougherty where he accounted for 8,762 yards of total offense and 75 touchdowns during his prep career…limited to three games in senior season and averaged 8.9 yards per carry and 14.9 yards per completion with five total touchdowns…named 2022 Georgia AAA Player of the Year after leading Trojans to 9-3 record and second round of state playoffs…passed for 2,736 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 1,115 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing…also topped 3,000 total offense yards his sophomore season, passing for 1,787 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushing for 1,363 yards and 16 scores while leading Dougherty to quarterfinal round of AAAA state playoffs…played in five varsity games as freshman, averaging 110.8 rushing yards per game with five touchdowns and passing for 649 yards and three touchdowns…two-time Albany Herald Fantastic Fifteen honoree for outstanding achievement in athletics and carrying 4.0 GPA…named to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 list…voted best player in Class AAA by Georgia High School Football Daily twice…also ran track and played baseball for Trojans.

The Denver Broncos lost a key member of their defense on Monday when safety Brandon Jones was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, ruling him out for at least four weeks.

After losing Jones, the team's next man up to start across from Talanoa Hufanga is P.J. Locke, who was a 15-game starter last season. The team's "unofficial" depth chart lists Locke as Hufanga's backup and Devon Key as Jones' backup, but it was Locke who replaced an injured Jones on Sunday.

Behind Hufanga and Locke, Key figures to serve as the third safety with JL Skinner providing additional depth. One wild card to watch for is cornerback Jahdae Barron, who has some experience at safety and has played rotational snaps at the position this season.

Broncos safety depth chart (projected)

• SS: Talanoa Hufanga, JL Skinner
• FS: P.J. Locke, Devon Key
• Wild card: Jahdae Barron

After the New York Jets poached safety Keidron Smith off the Broncos' practice squad on Monday, Delarrin Turner-Yell is the only safety remaining on Denver's practice squad.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Updated safety depth chart without Brandon Jones

On the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast, the crew looks back at some of the most memorable moments of 2025. 

From massive tournament debuts like the FIFA Club World Cup to an outlandish amount of new kit releases, 2025 was filled with action in the soccer universe. But what were some of our favorite moments?

Ramsey, Julio, and Brigitte break down some of their best memories from the year, in addition to their Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay statistics.

You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube, or listen to the audio on streaming services including Apple and Spotify.

The Miami Dolphins are crumbling. With three weeks left in the regular season, the Dolphins have nothing to play for, and that could lead to a major change at quarterback.

Tua Tagovailoa's days as the team's starter might be numbered following his poor performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. When asked about the position Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at a possible benching for Tagovailoa moving forward.

Tagovailoa wound up posting a pretty solid game statistically, but an early interception mired the start. Tagovailoa finished the contest 22-of-28 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception and was sacked four times in the 28-15 loss to the Steelers.

With that interception, Tagovailoa now leads the NFL with 15 picks. He and Geno Smith were tied coming into Week 14, but an injury to Smith opened the door for Tagovailoa to take back the lead in the category.

While Tagovailoa's overall numbers looked OK coming out of Week 15's game, the decision to bench him wouldn't be based on a single-game performance. As Tagovailoa's 15 interceptions suggest, the 27-year-old has struggled to put together strong performances this season. 

In fact, this isn't the first time McDaniel has mentioned the possibility of benching Tagovailoa. Following the Dolphins' 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, McDaniel initially refused to commit to Tagovailoa starting the next week. McDaniel even used the same phrase at the time, saying, "Everything is on the table."

McDaniel quickly changed his tune following his first threat to bench Tagovailoa. But with the Dolphins' season essentially over and McDaniel likely coaching to keep his job, it could be time for a desperation play at quarterback.

Those desperations plays include former New York Jets first-round pick Zach Wilson and 2025 seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. It will be up to McDaniel to decide which one deserves to start if Tagovailoa is benched. McDaniel has moved the two around on the depth chart at times during the regular season. 

Given the circumstances, it's unlikely either player saves McDaniel as the season winds down. While the Dolphins have stuck with the coach thus far, the vibes in Miami haven't been strong since before the start of the regular season. 

McDaniel almost certainly knows the odds are stacked against him, but probably feels he needs to make at least one last-ditch effort to try and save his job.

Federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. District Court Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall saying they have concerns about indicted Miami Heat star Terry Rozier paying the lawyer of another defendant in a wide-reaching sports betting scandal.

Rozier, according to the letter, is paying attorney Evan Corcoran, who is representing Deniro Laster, Rozier’s childhood friend. The key issue, write federal prosecutors, is not who is paying the bills, but that Rozier’s lawyers have publicly indicated that “Rozier’s defense strategy at trial will be to inculpate Laster,” which in layman’s terms could mean that prosecutors believe Rozier’s lawyers may attempt to use Laster as a scapegoat.

Rozier conflict letterDownload

In the letter, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella requests an inquiry to determine if there is a conflict and ensure that Laster understands the situation should he be asked to waive his rights and allow Rozier to continue to pay. Nocella also suggests Laster be appointed an attorney to help him negotiate the issue.

Federal prosecutors outline ways in which Rozier and his lawyers already appear to be laying the groundwork to argue that Rozier was used and did not intentionally share insider information for bettors’ use. Rozier is accused of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy after leaving a March 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans early. Rozier was playing for the Hornets at that time, and his actions allowed bettors to make and cash on “under” bets. Rozier played 9 minutes, 36 seconds in the game. He averaged 35.3 minutes per game that season.

‘Whatever that friend did is not on Terry’

In his letter, Nocella wrote that since Rozier’s indictment was unsealed on Oct. 23, his lawyers have said Rozier was not involved with a “conspiracy” and instead pointed to a “friend,” who may be Laster.

“For example, on October 29, 2025, Rozier’s counsel stated during an interview with Fox News, ‘Confiding in a friend, a childhood friend and saying man it’s the end of the season, we are out of the playoffs, I’ll sit early in this game, that’s not a crime … that is confiding in a friend. … But he told a friend, and whatever that friend did is not on Terry. … This is a situation where a friend took information, ran with it, Terry didn’t do anything.’ On October 30, 2025, Rozier’s counsel stated during an interview with CNN, ‘At best, [Rozier] relied on a bad friend and made a comment about being banged up at the end of an 82-game season.’ The ‘friend’ referenced in all of these comments appears to be Laster.”

Four weeks after Terry Rozier was indicted on federal gambling charges an aspect of his NBA status remains unsettled when it comes to his place on the Miami Heat’s salary cap. https://t.co/iZzpdYytA3

— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) November 21, 2025

Per court documents, Rozier and Laster have been friends since childhood, and Rozier’s company, GMB Chronicles LLC, paid Laster $165,000 over 2½ years between December 2022 and May 2025. Like Rozier, Laster is charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. In the indictment, Laster and Rozier and four others are accused of selling insider information to co-conspirators “to place fraudulent sports wagers for profit and to launder the proceeds thereof.”

Conflict could affect how Laster pleads

With regard to the Hornets-Pelicans game, federal prosecutors wrote in the indictment that “ROZIER informed the defendant DENIRO LASTER that ROZIER was going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury and not return to play further. ROZIER provided this information to LASTER for the purpose of enabling LASTER to place wagers based on this information. ROZIER was not on the Hornets’ injury report prior to the March 23 Game and Hornets officials were not aware of ROZIER’s plan to exit the game prematurely.”

While the allegations must still be proven, Nocella is raising concerns that Rozier’s lawyers may be walking back this scenario, and planning to lay blame on Laster. Nocella cites case law, describes when or if a conflict exists, and points out that payment of legal fees by a third party can potentially lead to a conflict of interest.

Federal prosecutors aren’t currently asking DeArcy Hall to declare that there is a conflict. Rather, they are pointing to the possibility. Nocella notes that a conflict could affect how Laster pleads, if he is aware that he could seek leniency for cooperating with authorities, and whether or not he ultimately testifies. Nocella also writes that it is unclear how Laster would pay for counsel if Rozier wasn’t paying.

The San Francisco 49ers were back after a week off on Sunday, as they hosted the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium and earned a 37-24 victory to make it four wins in a row.

Despite winning by double digits, San Francisco didn't have their best game. There were plenty of opportunities that they failed to capitalize on, which should give Kyle Shanahan a lot to work with in the team's dissection.

As we continue to review this game, let's take a look at the Pro Football Focus grades to see who they believe were the best and worst 49ers on the field against the Titans.

Overall PFF grades: Offense (min. 10 snaps)

Top 5

• LT Trent Williams - 95.6
• QB Brock Purdy - 91.0
• TE George Kittle - 89.8
• WR Ricky Pearsall - 88.0
• WR Demarcus Robinson - 87.6

Bottom 5

• RG Dominick Puni - 58.7
• RB Christian McCaffrey - 58.4
• LG Spencer Burford - 52.2
• C Jake Brendel - 50.7
• RB Brian Robinson Jr. - 41.9

Overall PFF grades: Defense (min. 10 snaps)

Top 5

• DE Clelin Ferrell - 73.0
• S Jason Pinnock - 71.1
• CB Upton Stout - 69.3
• LB Dee Winters - 65.5
• DL C.J. West - 58.4

Bottom 5

• CB Renardo Green - 46.7
• DE Robert Beal Jr. - 46.2
• DL Kevin Givens - 32.6
• DL Alfred Collins - 29.9
• DL Kalia Davis - 29.1

Pass protection grades (OL only)

• LT Trent Williams - 87.5
• LG Connor Colby - 77.4
• C Jake Brendel - 71.9
• RT Colton McKivitz - 67.5
• RG Dominick Puni - 59.1
• LG Spencer Burford - 40.6

Run-blocking grades (OL only)

• LT Trent Williams - 95.1
• RT Colton McKivitz - 70.3
• LG Connor Colby - 65.2
• LG Spencer Burford - 62.5
• RG Dominick Puni - 57.0
• C Jake Brendel - 50.8

Pass-rush grades (front-seven only, min. 10 pass-rush snaps)

• DE Keion White - 72.5
• DE Clelin Ferrell - 61.1
• DE Bryce Huff - 56.4
• DL Alfred Collins - 55.3
• DL Kalia Davis - 53.9

Coverage grades (min. 10 coverage snaps)

• CB Upton Stout - 70.7
• CB Deommodore Lenoir - 60.6
• S Malik Mustapha - 58.8
• LB Dee Winters - 56.4
• CB Renardo Green - 51.8
• LB Curtis Robinson - 48.9
• S Ji'Ayir Brown - 47.3

More 49ers: 49ers plan to bring speedy WR off IR after long injury absence

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers PFF grades: Best and worst grades from Week 15 win vs. Titans

Forget just spreads, totals, and parlays. Week 15 in the NFL changed and ended several popular picks in the futures markets and gave sportsbooks an early Christmas present.

Key Takeaways

• The Chiefs’ playoff elimination in Week 15 was an early win for the books.
  
  
• Patrick Mahomes held the most money in the MVP market at BetMGM.
  
  
• The Cowboys have just a 1% chance of reaching the postseason. 

The Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention with three games remaining after a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL, ending his 2025 campaign. 

Just that event alone killed off a lot of Chiefs championship and Mahomes MVP tickets. Heading into last Sunday’s slate, the Chiefs had the third-highest handle percentage (11.7%)  at theScore Bet - behind the Eagles and Bills - since the Super Bowl winner market opened. 

For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs were taken off the board before Christmas, and the biggest liability at BetMGM already out is a win for the book. 

Mahomes entered the season listed fourth on BetMGM’s MVP market. He finished the year with 5.5% of the tickets and 14% of the money, the most of any player in the market. 

Door closes

Kansas City was a bit of a long shot at this point in the season, anyway, moving from +1,700 after Week 13 to +5,000 after Week 14’s loss to the Houston Texans. The Chargers handed the Chiefs their fifth loss in the last six weeks, ending the postseason streak that included trips to the Super Bowl in five of the last six years. 

Kansas City opened the season as the +600 favorite to win the Super Bowl last January at theScore Bet and was +800 when the season began. The Chiefs were also tied with the Ravens as co-favorites to win the AFC championship in January. Before Week 1, Kansas City had over 60% of the bets and handle to win the AFC West. 

Before that November and December swoon, the Chiefs were -1,000 to make the playoffs and +600 to miss the postseason. TheScore Bet reported that 64% of the tickets were on the Chiefs to miss the playoffs, but 60% of the money backed them to reach the postseason. 

The Chiefs were even the favorites at BetMGM to win it all heading into Week 9 and remained there until Week 12. They’re tied for third-most tickets and fifth in money at BetMGM.

Slim chance remains

Another of the most popular teams in sports betting is on the verge of collapse as well. Following a Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings that dropped them to 6-7-1, the Dallas Cowboys have just a 1% chance to make the playoffs.

The NFC East squad is listed at +5,000 to reach the postseason at BetMGM, and its odds to win the Super Bowl have moved from as low as +4,500 in the preseason to +50,000 after Week 15. 

Dallas is also BetMGM’s biggest liability to win the NFC, but the Cowboys, listed at +2,000 over the summer, plummeted to +25,000. They need to win out and the Eagles to lose their final three games for Dallas to win the division and clinch a playoff spot. 

The Cowboys had 2.3% of the tickets and 1.6% of the money to win it all at BetMGM.

Packers lose Parsons

Linebacker Micah Parsons, whom the Cowboys traded to the Green Bay Packers in August, tore his ACL and is out for the season. The Packers saw their odds slip from +800 after Week 14 to +1,400 after Week 15’s loss to the Broncos and the injury to one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. 

Parsons was also the second most-bet player in the Defensive Player of the Year market, with 10.6% of the tickets and 12.7% of the money at BetMGM. However, he had fallen so far behind favorite Myles Garrett, who’s closing in on the single-season sack record, Parsons wasn’t going to win the award anyway.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Buffalo Bills came away with a road win on Sunday, defeating the New England Patriots 35-31 at Gillette Stadium.

Sometimes the stats can tell the story of who performed well and who did not, but Pro Football Focus is there to provide a little bit more context.

The football analytics outlet has released their final grades for players who competed in this week's game based on their metrics. How did Bills players fare?

PFF's five-lowest grades for players on the Bills (10-4) offense against the Patriots (11-3) can be found below (minimum 10 snaps played):

5. O'Cyrus Torrence

PFF grade: 61.7.

4. Keon Coleman

PFF grade: 54.3.

3. Tyrell Shavers

PFF grade: 51.7.

2. Josh Palmer

PFF grade: 50.9.

1. Brandin Cooks

PFF grade: 47.7.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: PFF: 5 lowest-graded Bills players on offense in Week 15 vs. Patriots

Jim Oczwarski: Giannis Antetokounmpo is about two weeks removed from his calf strain. He's doing some stationary shooting, but that's it. The long end of the initial recovery window was four weeks, which Doc Rivers said at the beginning was the more likely timeframe of a potential return for Giannis Antetokounmpo #NBASky

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Giannis Antetokounmpo still not back to full practice from calf injury

Jim Oczwarski: #Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said AJ Green was a limited participant in practice and would be considered day-to-day with the AC joint sprain in his left shoulder.

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jim Oczwarski: #Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said AJ …

Atlanta Hawks PR: The Atlanta Hawks announced today that two-way forward Caleb Houstan has been transferred to the College Park Skyhawks from the Hawks.

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Atlanta Hawks PR: The Atlanta Hawks announced today …

K.C. Johnson: Ayo Dosunmu: “We need to play harder.” Said the effort has stemmed from mental issues, meaning the missed shots and/or losing has impacted effort. Said team’s 5-0 start featured better effort.

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: K.C. Johnson: Ayo Dosunmu: “We need to play harder.” …

British sports streaming giant DAZN is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Main Street Sports Group, the big regional sports broadcaster in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. A deal could be announced as soon as January, if the talks don’t hit any snags, the people said.

Wall Street Journal

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: British sports streaming giant DAZN is in advanced …

Coming out of bankruptcy with a much lighter debt load, Main Street Sports has struck partnerships with companies such as Amazon and FanDuel, including rebranding its TV channels and direct-to-consumer offering as FanDuel Sports Network. Today, Main Street Sports has the local rights to 29 major league teams in the U.S., across the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.

Wall Street Journal

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Coming out of bankruptcy with a much lighter debt …

Premier League clubs have paid out more than £1bn in salaries to players while injured during the last five years, according to Howden’s Men’s European Football Injury Index 2024/25.

The report has calculated that 22,596 injuries occurred across Europe’s top five men’s leagues (England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy) over the past five seasons, costing clubs £2.97bn.

Premier League clubs accounted for nearly a quarter of those injuries at 24%, with over £1bn paid out in salaries to injured players at an average of £237.78m per season.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all recorded above-average injury costs in each of the last five seasons, with Manchester United incurring the highest cost figure of the four with £154.51m.

The number of injuries recorded in the 2024/25 season across the top five men’s European leagues increased compared with the previous campaign, however there is a greater than proportionate decrease in costs incurred by top clubs, £138.34m less.

Young players are being particularly impacted by injuries, the report adds. The five most ‘injury-prone’ scenarios, where players were involved in a minimum of 300 minutes of football, all involved U21 players.

Premier League forwards under the age of 21 sustained an injury every 120 minutes of competitive domestic football, meanwhile.

“This year’s report underscores the ever-increasing physical demands on elite players,” James Burrows, head of sport at Howden, said.

“We’ve seen an evolution in this year’s report in injury count and associated cost, which echoes current debates around enhancing player protection within the game.

“We hope the report can serve as a valuable resource for players, clubs and governing bodies to navigate these debates and make informed decisions about the future of the game.”

There’s no bigger game on the NFL slate this week than the one kicking things off on Thursday. The Los Angeles Rams are visiting the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West showdown at Lumen Field, with the winner taking over sole possession of first place in the division.

Neither the Rams nor the Seahawks can clinch the division title by winning Thursday’s game, but Los Angeles can nearly lock it up by taking down Seattle on the road.

According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, the Rams currently have a 60% chance to win the West. The Seahawks’ odds sit at 30%, so Los Angeles has a significant edge despite both teams being 11-3. That’s because the Rams already won the first meeting with Seattle and can complete the sweep by winning again on Thursday. That would force the Seahawks to finish a game ahead of the Rams in order to win the division.

A loss to Seattle would be devastating for the Rams but it won’t end their hopes of winning the West or the No. 1 seed. They’d still have a shot at both if the Seahawks slip up against the Panthers and the 49ers don't win out.

Here’s how Thursday’s game will impact each team’s odds to win the NFC West.

• Rams’ odds with a win: 95%
• Rams’ odds with a loss: 26%
• Seahawks’ odds with a win: 55%
• Seahawks’ odds with a loss: 2%

If the Rams were to lose on Thursday, their easiest path back to a division title involves some help from the Panthers. They would need to win their final two games against the Falcons and Cardinals, and the Seahawks would need to lose to the Panthers before beating the 49ers in Week 18. That would put the Rams and Seahawks at 13-4, with San Francisco being 12-5, but the Rams would win the tiebreaker based on their record in common games.

If the Rams beat the Seahawks this week, they could potentially clinch the West as early as Week 17. They would need to beat the Falcons and have the 49ers lose one of their next two games. That would put the Rams at 13-3 entering the final week, with the 49ers 11-5 and the Seahawks 12-4. But because the Rams will have swept the Seahawks, they’ll own the head-to-head tiebreaker entering Week 18 with no chance of Seattle overtaking them.

The Rams’ main focus is on beating the Seahawks this week before worrying about any other clinching scenarios in Week 17, but it’s good to know that even if they lose on Thursday, they won’t be out of contention for the division title. They’ll just need some help instead of controlling their own fate.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL playoff picture: How Rams vs. Seahawks will impact NFC West odds

Fifa have started a climbdown on the scandal of 2026 World Cup ticket prices, as 10 percent of all allocations for qualified nations will involve tickets fixed for every game at just $60. The announcement was nevertheless made without any consultation with fan groups, who didn’t know it was coming, and feel the numbers are still divisively low.

England, for example, have 610 supporters with “top caps” - the fans who have hit a certain number of appearances to warrant priority treatment, but such a number is unlikely be fully covered by Fifa’s “newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier” at any individual match. It could mean one fan pays $480 if England go all the way to the final, and another - with identical caps - pays around $7,000.

What’s more, over 98 percent of tickets for the tournament remain unchanged.

Football Supporters Europe say: “Following significant pressure from supporters, Fifa has partially relented on its ticket price structuring.

“This shows that Fifa’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation - including with Fifa’s own member associations.

“While we welcome Fifa’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough to reconcile.

“Based on the allocations publicly available, this would mean that at best a few hundred fans per match and team would be lucky enough to take advantage of the $60 prices, while the vast majority would still have to pay extortionate prices, way higher than at any tournament before.”

The climbdown comes after meetings over the weekend and early this week with senior officials in Doha, Qatar, where initial feedback on pricing was discussed. Some associations had indicated they would share supporter concerns. One Fifa official close to discussions insisted “feedback had been listened to” and said “no organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup.”

Other sources were nevertheless talk of just paying for “PR spin” and a negligible loss of income that could be made back in ads for water breaks.

There are already plans from fan groups to push for more, amid a belief that the proportion of the $60 tickets should be pushed up to 50 percent, and they should come out of the most expensive Category 1 tickets, not Category 2 or 3.

At the least, the announcement displays an opening for Fifa to climb down after almost a week of intense criticism over ticket prices.

It is understood the Football Association were to “relay concerns” to Fifa, but they have as of yet issued no public statement.

Controversial administration fees will also be waived for refunds when teams are eliminated - although fans will still have to pay for the entirety of a World Cup run up front.

The announcement notably came shortly after another ticketing controversy, where Accessibility tickets appeared on Fifa’s own resale site at more than six times the original face value, and the Disability and Inclusion Fan Network of Football Supporters Europe wrote a letter to Gianni Infantino expressing “profound concern” over the issue. Fifa were also accused of contradiction their own statutes and public sentiments on disability, amid reference to Infantino’s notorious “I feel” press conference in Qatar in 2022.

FSE similarly stressed such concerns, saying: "There’s also still the question of supporters with disabilities, as no new pricing structure has been announced for them and complementary companion tickets still seem to be absent.

“For the moment we are looking at the FIFA announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash. We call upon FIFA to engage in a proper dialogue to arrive at a solution that respects the contribution of fans and the dignity of fans with disabilities."

A Fifa announcement spoke of a newly designed supporter tier “to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable”.

It went on: “The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of USD 60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.

The entry tier tickets will be allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the Participating Member Associations (PMAs). Each PMA will define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams.

In total, 50 percent of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Supporter Value Tier (40 percent) and the Supporter Entry Tier (10 percent). The remaining allocation is split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier.

In addition, fans applying through the PMA allocation whose teams do not advance to the knockout phase will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed for unsuccessful applications.”

A Fifa source added: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20m requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.

“Making $60 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.

“Associations will need to work out who best should receive them.

“It’s a unique tournament and a unique market in the USA, in particular, which allows resales on secondary platforms. The demand is sky high.”