Golden Knights vs. Ducks schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores for NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The second round of the NHL playoffs is underway, as eight teams remain to decide this year's Stanley Cup championship.

All year long, the Pacific division was the weakest in the NHL, but someone must advance to the Western Conference Finals from the group. That will come down to the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, two teams who have never met in the NHL playoffs.

The Golden Knights were able to take care of the Utah Mammoth in six games despite the latter's push. That included a couple overtime games, but head coach John Tortorella got the team through to the second round.

Meanwhile, the Ducks became the first Western Conference team to defeat the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs since 2023. Anaheim hadn't made the playoffs since 2018, and hadn't won a playoff series since 2017, but ended both those droughts this year.

Vegas won the division so the Golden Knights will have home ice advantage in this series.

Here's what you need to know to watch Golden Knights vs. Ducks, including broadcast information and start times.

Golden Knights vs. Ducks schedule

Vegas leads series 2-1

* If necessary

Where to watch  Golden Knights vs. Ducks: TV channel, live stream

• TV channels: ESPN, TNT
• Live streams: DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app

Games in the Golden Knights vs. Ducks series will air on multiple channels. 

Fans can stream every playoff game live on DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users. Games on ABC and ESPN networks can also be streamed on the ESPN app or fubo, which also has a free trial. 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule, key dates for 2026

Here are the key dates to know for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and offseason. Some series start dates could move up depending on when previous series end. 

Related Links

• Latest NHL news and rumors
• Full NHL schedule, scores for 2025-26
• NHL playoffs bracket 2026

As the Washington Commanders gear up for rookie minicamp today, the sports media world is busy analyzing rosters and trying to gauge how well each team did during the offseason and the NFL draft. Adam Peters made several beneficial moves during free agency, and now it's time to look closer at the draft.

ESPN's Matt Bowen recently named 15 players who seem to be a perfect fit for the team that selected them. Commanders' Day 2, round 3 selection of Antonio Williams made the list.

Antonio Williams, WR, Washington CommandersDrafted: Round 3, No. 71

Why he fits: Williams will fill a slot role for Washington under new coordinator David Blough. He has the coverage awareness to find soft spots, and he uses his strong vision to slither past defenders after the catch.

Williams, who caught 207 passes over four seasons at Clemson, can make himself available to the quarterback at a high rate. He should be viewed as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels when the Commanders need to move the sticks.

Williams isn't a big name like Carnell Tate or Brandon Aiyuk. He didn't get a ton of hype ahead of the draft, and some were surprised at Peters' third-round selection. However, Williams has a 74% catch rate throughout his time at Clemson, which is incredible. One of the big things about Tate was that he didn't drop a single pass in 2025. Guess what? Williams only dropped one.

Washington is excited about Williams. While many projected him as a slot receiver in the NFL, Peters also believes he can play outside. By the time the season starts, as long as Williams goes through the summer with minimal setbacks, he could be the exact player the Commanders need to line up alongside Terry McLaurin.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders' Antonio Williams named a 'best fit' draft pick

Spurs vs. Timberwolves schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores for 2026 NBA Playoffs series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves face off in the second round of the NBA Playoffs to decide who will move on to the Western Conference Finals.

The Timberwolves are heading into this series a bit light, with guard Donte DiVincenzo missing the entirety of the series with a torn Achilles and star Anthony Edwards potentially slated to miss time with a hyperextended knee.

In his third season of NBA play, Victor Wembanyama has finally gotten a taste of playoff basketball. It's evident that he enjoys these games, after leading the Spurs to a 4-1 series win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round. In the final two games against Portland, he averaged 6.5 blocks, along with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. 

Minnesota needs Edwards to return as soon as possible to have a real shot of winning four games against the team with the league's second-best regular-season record. The emergence of Ayo Dosunmu has been a welcome sight to see for Timberwolves fans, but their X-factor this series will be Rudy Gobert. The 7-foot-1 Frenchman will be tasked with guarding his countryman Wembanyama. If he can limit his damage, the Timberwolves may be able to tread water for a bit.

During the season, the Timberwolves won two of their three matchups against the Spurs. San Antonio won the most recent meeting on January 17.

Here's what you need to know to watch San Antonio vs. Minnesota, including broadcast information and start times.

Spurs vs. Timberwolves schedule

San Antonio leads series 2-1

* If necessary

Where to watch Spurs vs. Timberwolves: TV channel, live stream

• TV channels: ESPN, NBC
• Live streams: DIRECTV | ESPN app | Peacock | Prime Video

The Spurs vs. Timberwolves series will air across multiple platforms thanks to the NBA's expanded broadcast deal, which will see games split among the ESPN networks, NBC and Peacock, and Prime Video. 

Games on ABC, ESPN networks and NBC can be streamed live on DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users. 

Fans can also turn to the streaming homes for each broadcast partner — Prime Video, Peacock or the ESPN app — for games on those platforms.

NBA Playoffs bracket 2026

Click here for the updated 2026 NBA Playoffs bracket from The Sporting News.

NBA Playoffs schedule, key dates for 2025

Here are the key dates to know for the NBA Playoffs and offseason. 

* Can move up depending on earlier series

Related Links

• Latest NBA news and rumors
• Full 2025-26 NBA schedule and scores
• How to bet on the NBA
• The GOAT Debate: Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James

WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley will face off against former WBA and IBF titleholder, Daniel Dubois, TODAY (May 9, 2026) inside Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England in what is sure-to-be a hard hitting championship bout between two of the heaviest hitters in the game.

Wardley (20-0-1) will make his first official defense of the title after he was elevated to champion and shed the interim tag following Oleksandr Usyk’sdecision to vacate the strap last year. With 19 knockouts on his resume, Wardley has proven to be must-see T.V. As for Dubois, he lost the IBF heavyweight title to Usyk via fifth-round knockout — his second such loss to “The Cat” — in July 2025 (see it again here).

Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action, as the main card kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on DAZN PPV. Feel free to leave a comment (or several) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!

WARDLEY VS. DUBOIS DAZN QUICK RESULTS:

Heavyweight.: Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois
140 lbs.: Jack Rafferty vs. Ekow Essuman
175 lbs.: Bradley Rea vs. Liam Cameron
Catchweight.: David Morrell vs. Zak Chelli
140 lbs.: Khaleel Majid vs. Gavin Gwynne
Heavyweight.: Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Agron Smakici
154 lbs.: Bobbi Flood vs Nathan Darby
154 lbs.: Issiah Hamilton-Allen vs. Connor Goulding
200 lbs.: Mike Perez vs. Franklin Arinze
168 lbs.: Javokhir Ummataliev vs. Damian Drabik
140 lbs.: Fawaz Aborode vs. Garth Noot

WARDLEY VS. DUBOIS DAZN PLAY-BY-PLAY:

Coming soon…

WARDLEY VS. DUBOIS DAZN HIGHLIGHTS:

Coming soon…

For more boxing news and notes click here.

Max Verstappenracing a Ford at Le Mans isn’t a pipe dream someone floated on a podcast. It’s a conversation Ford is actively having with the man himself, and Mark Rushbrook isn’t hiding it. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ford Performance‘s global director confirmed the discussions are real and ongoing.

When asked if talks had taken place, Rushbrook didn’t hide his enthusiasm to have an ally in the Dutchman: “Yes, of course.

“We love Max. We love what he does in the Formula 1 car, on the track. We love him off the track. He’s a great person, as much as he’s a great driver. We love his passion to be racing GT3, like he is, and what he does with developing drivers through sim racing and getting them on the track. So, of course, we have regular discussions with him about what are the opportunities to do more in sportscar, including Hypercar. He’s a racer. He wants to race,” Rushbrook said.

Verstappen’s name keeps coming up in the endurance world, given his appetite for long-distance racing and his existing ties to Ford through Red Bull Powertrains. The four-time champion has made clear in recent years that he wants to do more outside of Formula 1, and he will compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, his next step in GT racing.

A Le Mans outright bid is the obvious target, and Ford is the obvious partner – except for when the calendar gets in the way.

The Schedule Is the Problem, Not the Will

Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, keeping his schedule locked up for the foreseeable future with 24-race seasons.

“He wants to go race Le Mans and race for the overall win, but most years the schedule doesn’t allow it, right? While he’s a committed Formula 1 driver, most years now it’s a conflict. I think we’re just talking about what the opportunity is and if and when it makes sense, and everybody wants to do it, then great.”

Rushbrook also confirmed this wouldn’t happen in 2027, Ford’s debut year in the Hypercar class, and that any potential third-car entry at Le Mans would have to come after the programme’s first season.

Ford’s Hypercar will use an ORECA chassis powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.4-litre V8 built entirely in-house with support from Red Bull Ford Powertrains, making it one of only three non-turbocharged cars in the WEC Hypercar field.

The first three confirmed drivers are Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller, and Logan Sargeant.

What makes the Verstappen conversation something more than flattery is what Rushbrook said about his value as a development asset. He watched Verstappen work at the Red Bull F1 shakedown in Barcelona earlier this year, and came away with a good idea of what he brings to the table in terms of feedback:

“One of the great things about Max, is drivers like him don’t come along that often, in terms of what he accomplishes on track, right? But it’s how he accomplishes it. Especially this year when we were in Barcelona [for the F1 shakedown]. Hearing his feedback on the radio while he’s out on track, testing his brandnew car, and then he would come back in after doing, depending on the stint, 30, 40, 50 laps.

“The amount of detail that he’s able to give feedback to the engineers that is so much more valuable than all the data that the engineers have. It’s complimentary, it’s got to go together. Just the mental capacity and the bandwidth that he has for developing a car, for racing a car, for tuning a car. To have a driver like that in your programme, at some point, even if it’s only for one race, is pretty meaningful.”

The fact he specifies ‘only for one race’, meant they’re not shopping for a full-season Hypercar programme driver. They’re thinking about Le Mans, specifically, with arguably the best active racing driver on the planet.

Ford won four consecutive Le Mans outright victories from 1966 to 1969 with the GT40 and has been building back toward that kind of relevance ever since. Verstappen in a Ford at La Sarthe, fighting for the overall, would be exactly that kind of statement. Both sides know it. The calendar just needs to cooperate.

What a rough night for Joel Embiid all around on Friday. Sure, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar returned from injury to play in Game 3 against the New York Knicks.

But he only hit 41.2 percent from the field including 0-for-4 in a loss to the Knicks that puts the Sixers on the brink in the seven-game series, with Philly now down 3-0.

And there's more: Mitchell Robinson posterized him with a dunk, and Getty's Jesse D. Garrabrant captured a photo in which Embiid's face was hilarious. Fans everywhere were laughing so hard at it, so here's a roundup of some posts on X (formerly Twitter):

LOOK OUT BELOW 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/DyLv07OqSm

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2026

THIS POSTER 😳

MITCH ROB ON EMBIID'S HEAD 😱

📸: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images pic.twitter.com/oQH5BF3CD3

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 9, 2026

Imagine being Embid and hearing the fans chanting from the locker room, and a reporter simultaneously shows you this image. 😭 pic.twitter.com/7dLaRfUzeg

— Rod (@RodneyJThomas) May 9, 2026

Hang that in a museum.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Joel Embiid face during Mitchell Robinson dunk belongs in a museum

Liverpool vs. Chelsea live score, stats, highlights, result from Premier League clash originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

JUMP TO:

• Liverpool vs. Chelsea live score
• Kickoff time where you are
• Pre-match stats
• Highlights, key moments
• Team news
• Upcoming games for both sides

Liverpool host Chelsea in Saturday's early Premier League kickoff.

The Reds still have Champions League qualification firmly in their own hands, but last weekend's loss to Manchester United means they have work to do to ensure a top-five finish.

Chelsea's six-game losing streak has ended their hopes of qualifying for Europe's top competition, but a top-six finish is still possible this season. They also have next Saturday's FA Cup final for which to prepare.

MORE:Latest Chelsea injuries | Where Mohamed Salah ranks among Liverpool record goal-scorers

Liverpool vs. Chelsea live score

Location: Anfield (Liverpool, UK)
Referee: Craig Pawson

Starting lineups:

Liverpool (4-2-3-1, right to left): 25. Mamarsdashvili (GK) — 17. Jones, 5. Konate, 4. Van Dijk, 6. Kerkez — 38. Gravenberch, 10. Mac Allister — 30. Frimpong, 8. Szoboszlai, 73. Ngumoha — 18. Gakpo

Liverpool subs: 2. Gomez, 9. Isak, 14. Chiesa, 26. Robertson, 28. Woodman, 42. Nyoni, 68. Morrison, 75. Mor Talla Ndiaye, 79. Wright

Chelsea (3-4-2-1 right to left): 12. Jorgensen (GK) — 6. Colwill, 29. Fofana, 21. Hato —27. Gusto, 17. Andrey Santos, 25. Caicedo, 3. Cucurella — 10. Palmer, 8. Fernandez — 20. Joao Pedro

Chelsea subs: 4. Adarabioyo, 9. Delap, 23. Chalobah, 24. James, 34. Acheampong, 44. Slonina, 45. Lavia, 72. Eboue, 76. Kavuma-McQueen

Liverpool vs. Chelseakick off time

The match kicks off at Anfield in Liverpool, UK at 12:30 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Liverpool vs. Chelsea pre-match stats

Via Opta Analyst

• There have been three or more goals scored in Chelsea's past eight away matches.
• Liverpool have lost the past two meetings with Chelsea in the Premier League, as many as in the 20 matches before then. The Blues could do the league double over them for the first time since 2013/14.
• The Reds are one defeat away from equalling their tally of 12 league losses under Brendan Rodgers in 2014/15, when they finished sixth. They have not lost this many games in a season in all competitions (18) since 2009/10, when they lost 19.
• Chelsea could suffer a seventh straight league loss for the first time since 1952.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea team news

Liverpool team news

• Alexander Isak is on the bench. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili returns to the first XI.
• Alisson and Mohamed Salah are still sidelined and not expected back until at least next week.
• Florian Wirtz was ill earlier this week and is not in the squad.

Chelsea team news

• Levi Colwill starts at Anfield but Reece James is on the bench.
• Robert Sanchez is still out after an awful clash of heads with Morgan Gibbs-White in the loss to Nottingham Forest.
• Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho miss out, along with Estevao and Jamie Gittens, leaivng Chelsea short in wide attackers.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea highlights, key incidents

This section will be updated as highlights become available.

Race for European places: Latest permutations, scenarios

This section will be updated after the match.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea upcoming schedules

Liverpool upcoming fixtures

Chelsea upcoming fixtures

Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans are set to lock horns in IPL 2026 season on Saturday evening at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Both teams are placed in the top half of the league table, and a win tonight will help them to further solidify their position in the IPL 2026 playoff race. 

Live Scorecard

RR vs GT IPL 2026: Win probability and toss result

Toss: The toss is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. IST.

Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source

RR vs GT IPL 2026: Predicted Playing XI

RR predicted playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (C), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma

GT predicted playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar

MORE: Visit Cricket News for all the latest cricket coverage and opinion

RR vs GT IPL 2026: Win percentage

RR vs GT: Betting odds

According to Dafa:

Dafabet

BEST ODDS AND OFFERS

CLICK TO BET

The most important news pre-game is the start time being moved up due to inclement weather.

Game time is now 12:00pm CST (1pm Eastern if you’re here in Maryland)

It appears the system has shifted and chances of rain reduced overnight, but last night’s forecast made it look like rain was likely literally starting around gametime and lasting a few hours. Better to kick off early and assure they get it in.

The game will still be broadcast on the Big 10 Network.

FINAL vs. UCLA – THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

• These two Top 10 squads met in Lincoln in late March with the Huskers taking two of three on a windy weekend. The wind blew in on Friday and out on Saturday and Sunday. Winds have not been much of a factor in College Park and are again only expected around 5-10mph.
• This game will likely have minimal effect on either team’s RPI and, by extension, their seedings for the NCAA tournament starting next weekend. Nevertheless, a tournament championship is always a big feather on the mantle – or something like that. UCLA fell short in last year’s final and Nebraska is trying for the season double title after winning the regular season crown. This will be an intense match-up.
• Jordy Frahm and Taylor Tinsley will assuredly get the starts. Advantage to Nebraska here – Frahm’s arm and legs got a rest yesterday while Alexis Jensen threw her best game and did it on a big stage. Tinsley has thrown 11 of UCLA’s 12 innings and was even left in after the Bruins took a 10-2 lead into the top of the 4th. Why? The remaining three UCLA hurlers have a horrific combined ERA of 6.29 and WHIP of 2.093. Regardless of performance Tinsley will pitch until the point of exhaustion and beyond as long as the game’s in doubt.
• Nebraska on the other hand can turn back to Jensen should Frahm find herself in trouble. However, no predictions on how things will go should Coaches Rhonda Revelle or Lori Sippel attempt to remove her mid-inning. I’ve only seen it once, I believe, and that was the 2025 Iowa game where evil spirits became involved.
• Tinsley can give the Huskers fits, but they got to her in Lincoln. The downside is they have done offensively what they needed to win so far, but have not been able to explosively score yet. They may not be able to count on 4 or 5 runs being enough today with UCLA’s ridiculous offense. The Bruins? If the Huskers can get to Tinsley, then a huge advantage swings their way. I say they take it in a mid-scoring game like 7-5 or so.
• By the way, sincere congrats to UCLA’s Megan Grant who yesterday tied the NCAA D1 single-season home run record at 37. Forgive me if I’m fine with her not breaking it until the NCAA tourney.

HUSKER GAME INFO

Schedule: (All times CST)

May 9 – UCLA – 12:00pm CST

Location: Maryland Softball Stadium, College Park, MD

Surface: Dirt Infield, Bermuda Grass outfield

TV/Streaming: All games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Radio: Huskers Radio Network. You can listen for free at Husker Audio – University of Nebraska – Official Athletics Website huskers.com – Nate Rohr is on the call for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Weather: Saturday’s game will be overcast and will again have light, variable winds of 5-10mph out of the SW and temps in the high 60’s.

THE OPPONENT

UCLA (47-7, 20-4 Big Ten – tied 2nd)

This will be short and sweet.

The UCLA offensive numbers are Playstation on Novice level ridiculous. The team hits .389 with 181 HR’s, an On-base% of .499 and and OPS of a staggering 1.344. Eight of their hitters are in double figures in home runs. If you saw Megan Grant’s record-tying 37 homers above, please note she’s only a few ahead of teammate Jordan Woolery with 33. Woolery also leads the team with 107 RBI’s.

In 54 games.

Tinsley tries to keep the opposition at bay as best she can and the team’s blowouts have kept her innings in check. She is 28-5 with a 2.77 ERA and a WHIP of 1.378. The WHIP is solid, but not spectacular and shows it’s possible to get runners on against her.

HUSKERS LINEUPS (Best Guess)

P/1B #98 JORDY FRAHM

CF #23 HANNAH COOR

LF/DP/P #9 HANNAH CAMENZIND

SS #7 AVA KUSZAK

C #25 JESSE FARRELL

3B #29 SAMANTHA BLAND

P/DP #99 ALEXIS JENSEN/EMMERSON COPE

RF #14 KACIE HOFFMANN

2B #2 LAURA CAMENZIND

1B #3 BELLA BACON (When Jordy pitches)

LF #27 NATALIA HILL (defensive only)

G3 Starter: JORDY FRAHM

I’m going to make a guess that Sammie moves up a spot as she is red-hot right now and wreaks havoc on the base-paths when she gets aboard. Other than that, I’m not expecting a big shuffle even with a couple quieter games.

And there’s a better chance of the game being cancelled due to asteroid strike than anyone other than Frahm starting this game.

• Enzo Fernandez levels for Chelsea at Liverpool from free-kick
• Ryan Gravenberch had put hosts in front
• Arne Slot's side looking to close in on Champions League qualification
• Three games at 15:00 BST - including Sunderland v Man Utd
• Man City v Brentford follows at 17:30 BST

Premier League: Fernandez levels for Chelsea at Liverpool from free-kick

With tensions continuing to grow around Real Madrid ahead of El Clasico, much of the attention during Hansi Flick’s latest press conference focused on the reported dressing room turmoil inside the Madrid camp.

Recent weeks have seen multiple reports emerge regarding conflicts involving players such as Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Carreras, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde, adding further pressure ahead of the title-defining showdown between Barcelona and Madrid.

Despite the growing noise surrounding their rivals, Flick insisted Barcelona’s focus remains unchanged heading into the match at Spotify Camp Nou.

When asked whether Madrid’s internal problems make Barcelona favourites, the German manager responded, 

“Our objective is clear. We want to win. We’re playing at home, we’ve got a good team and the fans will be behind us. 

“But for Real Madrid, it’s also a Clásico. It’s important for everyone. What we want is to win.”

More on Real Madrid dressing room

Flick also spoke about the importance of dressing room unity and the responsibility managers have when conflicts likes these arise between players.

“The most important thing in a dressing room and a club is to be pulling in the same direction. And that’s what I value most at Barça. 

“These things happen in life. If that ever happened here, I’d think about it then. You have to communicate the problems and manage them.”

The Barcelona manager admitted he was surprised by the reports coming out of Madrid, but said that he has no intention of becoming involved in matters outside his own club.

“It happens all over the world. Not just at Real. I was a bit surprised, but I don’t mind. It’s not my club. It’s not my team. I don’t think about it.”

Mbappe’s importance

Flick has nothing but praise for Mbappe. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Flick was also asked about Kylian Mbappe and suggestions from some observers that Madrid might function better without the French superstar in the lineup.

The German coach completely dismissed that idea while delivering huge praise for the forward’s quality.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, for goodness’ sake. He has incredible quality on the pitch. He’s dangerous in every situation. 

“In front of goal, he’s the best in the world. And he’s dangerous outside the box, inside the box.”

Egos kill success

Barcelona head into the Clasico full of confidence after a strong run of performances, but Flick rejected the idea that his players are becoming overconfident because of Madrid’s current situation.

“We don’t have to do anything different from what we normally do. 

“We’ve had a great season and in the last two or three weeks we’ve been playing very well, with confidence. 

“We have to give our best as a team and be ready to play a good match.”

Finally, Flick revisited his famous phrase about egos damaging success and was asked whether that could apply to what is currently happening at Real Madrid.

“I don’t want to talk about Madrid because it’s not my job. But the saying is true because it’s all about ‘us’, not ‘me’. 

“Everything we decide has to be good for the team, and that’s how we manage it. That’s my view,” he concluded.

Source: AS

The Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL finally know when they'll receive their schedules. Dallas already knows who they'll be facing in 2026; now, they'll know when and where the 17 weeks outside of their Week 3 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil will take place. Once the full schedule is released, fans can begin making travel plans in preparation.

Those full schedules will be officially officiated by the league's preferred referees, as an agreement with that union has finally come to fruition.

In other Cowboys' news, rookie Caleb Downs continues to impress those around him, this time a fellow rookie, Devin Moore. After working with him on the practice field and sitting in meetings, Moore has been amazed at Downs grasp of the playbook.

Dallas Cowboys Top Headlines

• NFL Schedule to be revealed May 14; Full list of Cowboys 2026 opponents :: DallasCowboys.com (Link)
• Caleb Downs wowing Cowboys teammates already: ‘He knows the whole defense’ :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Link)
• 2026 NFL draft: Best rookie team fits, perfect landing spots :: ESPN (Link)
• How the 2026 Cowboys are borrowing the Lions' 2023 blueprint :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
• Spagnola: No longer LB worrywarts for now :: DallasCowboys.com (Link)
• Cowboys expectations for Devin Moore: How rookie CBs perform :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
• Saints may trade Alvin Kamara, and Cowboys have shockingly been named a possible landing spot :: Sporting News (Link)
• Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue needs to earn the RB2 role this offseason :: Blogging The Boys (Link)
• The Dallas Cowboys are a part of an unprecedented scheduling problem the NFL is facing, amid other schedule release questions :: A to Z Sports (Link)
• Cowboys’ 1st-Round Pick Gets Concerning New Update :: Heavy.com (Link)

Rookie Headlines Around the NFL

• Which legendary linebackers inspired Sonny Styles’ Commanders number :: ClutchPoints (Link)
• Jacob Rodriguez aims to follow Zach Thomas's legacy with the Miami Dolphins :: The Washington Post (Link)
• Jeremiyah Love Addresses The Cardinals' Elephant in the Room :: Sports Illustrated (Link)
• Atlanta Falcons hold rookies Anterio Thompson and Avieon Terrell out of minicamp due to injuries :: The Sporting News (Link)

News & Headlines from Around the NFL

• Cardinals Coach Speaks Out on Jacoby Brissett Holdout With Clear Message :: The Charlotte Observer (Link)
• RB Breece Hall gets 3-year extension worth up to $45.75M :: ESPN (Link)
• NFL, referees association reach seven-year collective bargaining agreement :: NFL.com (Link)
• Report: No meeting scheduled or expected between Steelers, Aaron Rodgers :: ProFootballTalk (Link)

Terence is on X at @Watson703. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys Headlines: Schedules loading with real refs, Downs impressing

FOOTBALL
Five Bundesliga matches including VfB Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen at 1330 and Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich at 1630

- Five Premier League matches including Liverpool v Chelsea at 1130, Sunderland v Manchester United at 1400 and Manchester City v Brentford at 1630

- Four La Liga matches including Atlético Madrid v Celta Vigo at 1630

- Three Serie A matches including Lazio v Inter at 1600 and Lecce v Juventus at 1845

_______

TENNIS
Rome ATP Masters and WTA Italian Open second and third rounds, as available

_______

CYCLING
Giro d'Italia, stage two in Bulgaria over 221km from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo from 0900, as available

_______

BOXING
WBO world heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley from 2200

Thousands of teenagers are taking part in the Ten Tors Challenge.

Four-hundred-and-forty teams from Devon, Cornwall and further afield arrived at Okehampton Camp, on Dartmoor, on Friday where they pitched tents and finalised their routes.

Three challenges take place across the weekend, where teams of six self-navigate routes of either 35, 45 or 55 miles, depending on their age, over the northern half of the moor.

Teams left the camp early on Saturday, and director of Ten Tors, Col Jim Bird, wished all of the participants the best of luck and said kit preparation was key to their success.

Bird said many people hold the event "close to their heart" and stressed the importance of training months in advance.

Ten Tors organiser Lieutenant Col Tim Gilbert, who has been involved in the event for about seven years, said the challenge was all about teamwork and rising to the challenge.

He said it also offered a "really good lesson and experience" for the young participants as they do it on their own, on the moor and push themselves hour after hour.

"You can't develop that in the classroom or anywhere else," Gilbert said.

He said teams needed to be prepared for whatever the weather was going to be, which is unpredictable on Dartmoor.

Bodmin College student Alfred is taking part in the Jubilee Challenge, a trekking expedition designed specifically for young people with special needs, both physical and educational.

The orange team he is walking with are taking on the 7.8 mile trek and he said it would be the "third and final time" he took part.

"I've been having a lack of sleep this week because of it, so hopefully once I've reached the finish line, that will be my state of relief," he said.

Jen George, head of adventure and outdoor learning at Bodmin College, said the group had been training for eight months.

"Now they're out on the moor, this is the bit where we step back," she said.

"There will be 400 leaders of Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenge students now sat at the base camp looking at the maps, looking at the trackers and not being able to do anything at all.

"So, there's a lot of people, a lot of nervous people fidgeting around with the base camp," she added.

A team from Mill Ford School in Plymouth were the first to reach the Jubilee Challenge finish line.

Despite his feet hurting, team member Rio said he would take on the challenge again and urged others to "never give up".

Rio's dad, Jason, said the group "absolutely smashed it" and were 25-minutes quicker this year than the previous.

"The students have all done incredibly well, we're all very proud of what they've achieved," he said.

"It's very difficult for some of our students being in environments like this. They've done fantastically well," he added.

A family of three generations are also out on Dartmoor with Torpoint Community College.

David, who first took part in the challenge in 1967/68, said it had changed a lot over the years.

His grandson Dan is now taking on the challenge for the fourth time, after his first attempt got called off due to Covid.

"It's a lot more regulated now," David said.

"When I first did it you sort of just set off and you were completely on your own," he added.

His daughter Katrina, who is team manager, said the challenge taught young people to be "self sufficient".

"You see them change from when they start, not knowing how to navigate at all, to the end and they feel confident to be able to do it themselves," she said.

Erin and Ruby - both from Torpoint Community College - are taking on the 35-mile and 45-mile challenges respectively.

"I'm used to walking around on the moors," Erin said. "My cousins have done it in previous years and they're coming to watch me cross the finish line."

She said she was most looking forward to "taking the bag off, a weight off the shoulders".

Col Jon Penhale, event deputy director, said the challenge involved a lot of planning.

He said all participants had a tracker on their equipment, adding "we know at any time exactly where they are".

"To reassure parents, we've been doing this for a number of years and having just come from the ops room, I can see exactly where everybody is, we know exactly how they're getting on," he said.

"We're really well placed to look after all the young people on the moor today," he added.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story

• Thousands of teenagers prepare for Ten Tors 2026

Related internet links

• Ten Tors

Liverpool's season has largely not gone to plan, but the Women's Super League strugglers are potentially just two wins away from lifting a major trophy.

Gareth Taylor's team have a massive opportunity as they take on Brighton in Sunday's Women's FA Cup semi-finals (12:15 BST).

The Reds sit second bottom in the WSL with one game left, having won only four of their 21 league fixtures.

Taylor's late appointment in the summer, leading to issues with recruitment following the departure of star players, meant Liverpool had a poor start.

All four of their WSL wins have come in the new year, with players arriving in January and boosting their position, pulling them away from relegation danger.

It means the Reds are revitalised as they aim to reach a fourth Women's FA Cup final, having lost three successive trophy matches from 1994 to 1996 - the first of those in their previous guise as Knowsley United.

Manager Taylor says the club wants to give fans "the reward they deserve" by reaching the final at Wembley.

Top scorer Beata Olsson told BBC Sport: "It's an aspiration of the club. Playing for Liverpool, you always want to get titles.

"We've had a tough season in many ways, but this type of ending would be incredible. A lot of people talked about us as performing poorly and that we didn't really have what it takes.

"I can agree with that in parts, but now I don't hear so many people saying that. We really trusted ourselves and this would be a way to prove it even more."

How have they turned it around?

Liverpool made a dire start to the season by taking just two points from their opening 10 WSL matches.

They had sold key player Olivia Smith to Arsenal for a record £1m in the summer and vice-captain Taylor Hinds went in the same direction.

By the time manager Taylor was appointed - just four weeks before the start of the season - Liverpool were already behind in their recruitment and scrambled to bring in players, including three signings on deadline day.

Their thin squad was hit by anterior cruciate ligament knee injuries to striker Sophie Roman Haug and playmaker Marie Hobinger.

Liverpool also had to deal with tragedy following the sudden deaths of former manager Matt Beard and kit man Jonathan Humble, while men's team forward Diogo Jota died in the summer.

"It was difficult in the first part of the season. There's no doubts we encountered a lot on and off the pitch," Taylor told BBC Sport.

"The FA Cup, and how far we've gone, is something that's really inspiring for everyone because you don't always get rewards in football.

"Football's not fair, life's not fair - it doesn't work that way. But this group of players have behaved exceptionally well in the difficult moments.

"They have really stood together as a team and that is what has got us to this point."

Taylor points to the new arrivals in January as one of the major reasons for Liverpool's turnaround.

Midfielder Denise O'Sullivan has impressed, making 11 appearances since January, while Alice Bergstrom scored three goals in her first three matches.

On-loan Swedish goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, already a fan favourite, was the only winter signing who started Liverpool's memorable 3-2 win over Everton in March, but Taylor believes competition for places in training has also lifted everyone's levels.

The players sense a change for the better.

"The club has been through a rollercoaster season, with some tough times," said O'Sullivan.

"I think bringing players in to add depth and strengthen the team has made an impact. Everyone's contributing to the success.

"The mentality of the team has changed. Every game we're going into now, we're looking to win and we're settling for nothing less."

What impact would FA Cup win have?

Having laid down foundations for next season, Liverpool hope a trip to Wembley can be the catalyst for a better campaign in 2026-27.

It has been four years since Liverpool won a trophy - the Women's Championship title in 2022 - and they have never won the Women's FA Cup.

For a club that won back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014, the drop-off has been significant, but O'Sullivan believes they are still capable of success.

"It would mean a lot. It's an amazing club with a lot of history and I think Liverpool should be up there, winning trophies," said O'Sullivan.

"That's what we want to do, so to be in a semi-final of the FA Cup is a credit to everyone who has got us there. We will give it everything."

Olsson, who joined from Swedish club Kristianstads DFF last year, believes playing in cup finals at Wembley is where Liverpool "should be".

"Looking at our season right now, and if we could end it in that way, it sends a really good signal for next year," said Olsson.

"We already have a good feeling that we can do so much more next year. But ending it like that would be a really cool thing."

On the other side of the draw, WSL powerhouses Chelsea face recently crowned league champions Manchester City.

Liverpool boss Taylor says his team cannot underestimate an in-form Brighton side who have gone six games unbeaten and are full of momentum.

Brighton picked up impressive WSL draws with Manchester United and Arsenal, a 3-2 win against Manchester City, and a 2-0 victory over the Gunners in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

"There's three teams alongside us who are all dreaming the same thing," said Taylor.

"Our form has been really good and our games against Brighton have been tight. We know we're really close. We are two games away from lifting a trophy."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

• Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

On Friday morning, the Golden State Warriors shared a post on X wishing the Golden State Valkyries good luck in the 2026 season. Later in the evening, the Valkyries opened up their new WNBA campaign with a contest against the Seattle Storm in the Pacific Northwest.

Via @warriors on X:

Wishing our friends at Golden State Valkyries good luck this season 💜#BayAreaUnitepic.twitter.com/jIloVgTALV

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 8, 2026

Led by Janelle Salaun, the Valkyries cruised to a 91-80 victory over the Storm in their season opener. Salaun tallied a team-high 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field to go along with two rebounds and an assist in 27 minutes off the bench. Salaun heated up from long distance, drilling five 3-pointers on 11 attempts from deep.

Janelle Salaün was cookin' in the @valkyries' win over SEA, 91-80 🙌

She dropped 20 PTS, 2 REB & 5 3PM to help her team become 1-0 in the regular season!

WNBA Tip-Off 2026 | @CarMaxpic.twitter.com/rNOkX8O10E

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 9, 2026

Three other members of the Valkyries recorded double figures in scoring with Kaitlyn Chen scoring 14 points off the bench, while starters Veronica Burton notched 16 points and Kayla Thornton added 13 points in Golden State's first win of the new WNBA campaign.

New Valkyrie forward Gabby Williams scored seven points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field while grabbing six boards and dishing out four assists in her debut against her former squad.

After opening the season on the road, the Valkyries will head back to Chase Center for their home opener on Sunday in the Bay Area against the Phoenix Mercury.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Golden State Valkyries open new season with win over Storm

A Bunch of Links

The Trump Administration is killing wind energy and no one is talking about it

Virginia’s Dem-friendly gerrymander has been blocked by the state Supreme Court

There’s been a sharp increase in newborn deaths due to parents refusing a vitamin K shot that used to be standard procedure

I don’t know what exactly this article is about, but the title references “rogue hippos” so I’m including it

Tickets to one first round World Cup match cost more than Super Bowl tickets

Shocking I know, but actual psychiatrists disagree with RFK’s take on antidepressants

Take a look at the musical artists scheduled to perform at the various World Cup ceremonies

Through the Phog says KU’s backcourt is now “deep with talent.” Do you agree?

USA Today has this opinion piece on Brendan Sorsby and the repercussions for his actions in his gambling scandal

Here’s the latest on KU’s new transfer center and his upcoming surgery

Weekend Discussion Topic

Gas prices. How do they affect your day to day driving activity?

One former Lady Vol competed on opening day in the WNBA on Friday, tipping off the 2026 regular season.

Golden State (1-0) defeated Seattle (0-1), 91-80, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

Former Lady Vol Jordan Horston, who missed the entire 2025 season due to injury, started and played 15 minutes for the Storm. She totaled four rebounds and one block. Horston did not convert four field goal attempts or two three-point attempts.

She was named to the 2023 WNBA All-Rookie Team and was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2023 WNBA draft.

Horston played for the Lady Vols from 2019-23. She was a two-time All-SEC First-team selection and a two-time Associated Press and WBCA All-America honorable mention.

Horston appeared in 114 games, including 91 starts, for the Lady Vols, recording 1,145 points, 731 rebounds, 455 assists, 109 blocks and 163 steals.

Horston went to Tennessee from Columbus Africentric Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio.

More: Former Lady Vols on 2026 WNBA rosters

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

This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Jordan Horston starts for Seattle on WNBA opening day

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston is brimming with optimism following the team's hiring of veteran coach John Harbaugh this offseason and the promising development of young signal-caller Jaxson Dart.

The Giants have endured more than a decade of mediocrity since their last Super Bowl victory in 2011, posting just two winning seasons and a dismal 13-38 record since their 2022 playoff appearance. However, the organization appears poised for a turnaround after parting ways with former head coach Brian Daboll and securing Harbaugh, who spent 18 seasons leading the Baltimore Ravens.

"I’ve always admired Coach Harbaugh. When you look at the New York Giants’ history, they’ve won with head coaches who facilitated great coaches around them — strong leaders with an old-school mentality. Bill Parcells is old school of the old school — he created a mold for NFL head coaches. Tom Coughlin is as old school as it gets, the epitome of a great leader. That’s what I wanted," Winston told FOX News Digital.

"I was so happy when we hired John Harbaugh. I was excited because I felt like he gets it. He understands empowering players and coaches. Having someone who understands the importance of building the best possible team — coaching staff, players, personnel — is exciting. I’m happy that John brought his mojo to the New York Giants. We’re going to rock with him, fight for him, and win some football games — that’s the most important thing."

Winston, serving primarily as a backup to the dynamic Dart, praised his young teammate's fearless style and electric playmaking ability. He drew parallels to his own early career, noting that Dart's dual-threat skills reflect the modern evolution of the quarterback position.

"It’s exciting, man. Every time I’m in the meeting room with him and watching some of his clips from last year, it kind of reminds me of myself, because he’s tough, he’s fearless, and he has this aura about him that allows everybody on our team to get behind him and support him. It’s pretty cool," Winston said.

"When I was coming into the league young, everything was more traditional. To see him running the way that he runs and being as decisive in the passing game as he is, it really shows how the evolution of football has changed. ... Jaxson is just electric, and that’s what fans want to see. Fans are tired of seeing boring quarterback play. Even though some of that correlates to winning, when you’re able to do both, it really elevates the organization and your football team."

Ultimately, Wilson believes, a combination of Harbaugh and Dart could lead the Giants back to the promised land.

"We can win the Super Bowl," Winston declared. "We can be in L.A. playing for Super Bowl LXI. That’s the minimum."

Winston emphasized that sustained success will require daily dedication, preparation, and patience.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Jameis Winston: John Harbaugh-led Giants 'can win the Super Bowl'

With 10:34 left in the third quarter of Game 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, the Lakers held a 66-61 lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just been hit with a flagrant 1 foul, which was his fourth personal foul, and he headed to the bench for the rest of the game. The Lakers were hitting from the perimeter at a high rate, and it looked like they had a golden opportunity to take control of the game and even the series.

Instead, the Thunder gradually snatched control of the game. They ended the period ahead 93-80, and Los Angeles was unable to make any sustained runs the rest of the way. The result was a 125-107 loss for L.A. and a lot of hard feelings, especially toward the referees working the game.

Ironically, L.A. held Gilgeous-Alexander down, just as it did in Game 1, as he had a modest 22 points, but it lost the game when he was off the floor. Coach JJ Redick talked about that decisive run that occurred when Oklahoma City's franchise player was on the bench.

“I talked about it a little bit yesterday, them being plus-nine in the non-Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) minutes and then in the second half, we just got blitzed — 32-14 [run], seven turnovers, they shot 14 free throws during that stretch,” Redick said. “We’ll look at lineups, we’ll look at everything. Try to figure out how to be better in those minutes.”

It can be demoralizing to do a great job of containing the player who can do damage more than anyone else, only to still get blitzed when he isn't on the court. Six players scored in double figures for Oklahoma City, including Chet Holmgren (22 points), Ajay Mitchell (20 points) and reserve guard Jared McCain (18 points).

Redick had already let it be known publicly that his team needed to thwart the big runs the Thunder tend to go on that are fueled by their defense. That is just one of several issues the Lakers need to solve when the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick on Lakers getting 'blitzed' without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

WWE SmackDown on May 8, 2026, took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and featured a funeral for the Gingerbread Man.

The go-home show for Backlash saw Danhausen search for his tag team partner for his match against The Miz and Kit Wilson. He even went as far as trying to clone himself. Talla Tonga picked up a win over Damian Priest, Ricky Saints pinned Matt Cardona, Royce Keys defeated Tama Tonga, and Fatal Influence got a six-woman tag win over Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley, thanks to an attack from Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin.

Here’s the top takeaways from this week’s show:

Jacob Fatu threatens to burn the whole family tree down

Kicking off the show was Jacob Fatu, who delivered his final remarks about Roman Reigns before Backlash. The Usos joined him in the ring, where Jimmy and Jey attempted to warn Fatu one last time.

.@WWEUsos with a STERN warning for @jacobfatu_wwe ahead of #WWEBacklash! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/AjQTNhyEi3

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

Jey told Fatu straight up that Reigns is going to "beat that ass" at Backlash, and beyond that, break him down emotionally and physically. Oh, and all of that will happen in front of his family, who will then have to acknowledge Reigns.

Fatu, of course, said none of that would happen. He went on to say that if either of The Usos interferes in the match, he’ll burn the whole family tree down.

"This is for MY FAMILY" 😤@jacobfatu_wwe is willing to do WHATEVER it takes to walk out of #WWEBacklash with the World Heavyweight Title! pic.twitter.com/zno77aoNlG

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

It was good to see this lead off the show after Fatu-Reigns segments ended multiple episodes in the lead-up to Backlash. Fatu was intense as always, and his final statement really drove home how serious he is about wanting to beat Reigns without anybody else affecting the match. WWE has the chance to give Fatu a huge moment with a win, but this current creative team doesn’t seem like the group to do it, unfortunately.

Tiffany Stratton defends US title vs. Kiana James

The first match of the night was for the Women’s United States Championship with Tiffany Stratton taking on Kiana James. This match came to be when Stratton overlooked Giulia’s rematch in favor of James, which apparently didn’t sit well with the former champ.

James worked the leg early and often as the match got going. The first sign of Giulia not being on the same page was when James sent Stratton to the outside, but Giulia didn’t cause any damage when the ref wasn’t looking. A moment later, Giulia hopped on the apron to distract Stratton, but kept the ref occupied, which caused James’ rollup pin to be missed. Stratton recovered and hit her moonsault finisher a moment later to keep the title.

Tiffy RETAINS 🏆@tiffstrattonwwe fights off @kianajames_wwe and the distraction from @giulia0221g to retain her title! pic.twitter.com/H5knJrnt7T

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

While this was a title match, the real story was the rift between Giulia and James. Stratton sold the leg damage, but the match wasn’t long enough to let that have a real effect on how things unfolded. We’ll see if Giulia and James can get back as a solid unit.

Massive foreshadowing for Cody Rhodes?

Cody Rhodes and Gunther look to be a thing at Clash in Italy, although it’s not signed just yet.

Rhodes entered the ring and called out Gunther. Instead, he was joined by Paul Heyman. Rhodes asked him straight up if he was acting as an "advocate" for Gunther, which Heyman denied. Heyman simply delivered the contract to Rhodes, but also dropped a line that could foreshadow what’s to come. Rhodes said that Heyman appears to be running out of options with Brock Lesnar retired, plus Roman Reigns and CM Punk want nothing to do with him. Heyman said from his perspective, he’s not the one running out of options.

"Sooner or later, they all need the Wise Man," Heyman told Rhodes.

"Sooner or later they all need the Wise Man" 👀@HeymanHustle warns @CodyRhodes but the Undisputed WWE Champion was READY for @Gunther_AUT! pic.twitter.com/H28ZZmnNfZ

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

Then Gunther attacked from behind, but this time, Rhodes was able to fight him off. He's easy to find, hard to beat, after all.

So we know Gunther is next for Rhodes now, but the potential teaser of an alliance between Heyman and Rhodes was super interesting. Imagine if WWE finally pulls the trigger on a Rhodes heel turn and he has Heyman by his side? That would be incredible. It all seems very unlikely, but just imagine the possibility for a moment.

Gingerbread Man funeral comes with a surprise

The final segment of this week’s show was the funeral for the Gingerbread Man. Trick Williams entered wearing all black gear and his US title. GBM lay in a casket in the ring, with a choir standing close by.

Williams sang "Why did Gingerbread have to die," with assistance from the choir in the ring. Then a ridiculous photo montage of GBM and Williams’ time together, with scenes ranging from GBM's "birth," to a trip to outer space, to a strip club.

A song for The Gingerbread Man 🎶 @_trickwilliamspic.twitter.com/hAgKd7n5Q9

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

Williams asked for a moment of silence, and then a frustrated Sami Zayn made his way to the ring, asking if he was losing his mind that the funeral was allowed to go on.

"Closing out an episode of SmackDown used to mean something," Zayn said. Preach.

Zayn, who didn’t appreciate all of this being a joke directed at him, questioned Williams’ budget for the funeral and criticized the choir for being off-key, which they were. Continuing his rant, Zayn promised to get Williams back tenfold before taking a cheap shot and beating down Williams.

Then GMB sat up in the casket. Turns out it was Lil Yachty inside the costume. Yachty beat down Zayn with the candy cane, and then Williams hit a Trick Shot knee, laying out Zayn.

THE GINGERBREAD MAN IS ALIVE!! 🙌@lilyachty |@_trickwilliamspic.twitter.com/O3nfgz8V1F

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2026

This was the most ridiculous ending to SmackDown, maybe ever?

Zayn was spot on with the aforementioned quote. However, the surprise of Lil Yachty being inside the costume helped it all make sense, as this whole thing was to set up a surprise attack on Zayn, proving that Williams thinks a few steps ahead. Zayn’s impassioned rant was solid, but the crowd didn’t care. We’ll see what happens at Backlash, but surely there’s no way Williams gives the title back to Zayn, right?

This article originally appeared on Wrestling Junkie: WWE SmackDown: Gingerbread Man funeral, Stratton defends title

Victor Wembanyama is already used to rewriting NBA history, and his latest playoff statement only pushed that reputation further.

The Spurs star became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year this season, adding another landmark to a career still in its early stages.

Now, after San Antonio beat Minnesota 115-108 in Game 3, Wembanyama has produced another line no NBA playoff player had ever reached.

Victor Wembanyama makes NBA playoff history again

According to StatMuse, Wembanyama became the first player in NBA playoff history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks while shooting 70% or better.

He finished with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, shooting 13-of-18 from the field, as San Antonio moved 2-1 ahead in the series.

Besides being the game’s top scorer, Wembanyama also controlled the paint and forced Minnesota into difficult late possessions.

In the fourth quarter, with the Spurs needing their franchise player to close, the Frenchman scored 16 points and turned a tight game into a historic statement.

Victor Wembanyama credits Hakeem Olajuwon lessons

Wembanyama later explained that some of his late-game work came from lessons learned with Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest big men in NBA history.

“I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in this 4th quarter. Many things, but especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy,” he said in the post-match press conference.

That detail made the performance feel even more complete. Wembanyama did not rely only on size, timing or touch. He also used footwork, patience and memory under pressure.

Read more:

The Atlanta Falcons kicked off their rookie minicamp on Friday, allowing the team's 2026 draft class and 14 undrafted free agent signings to get their first taste of NFL action. Plus, 23 other players showed up to try out for the team.

The Falcons coaching staff got their first look at this year's batch of rookies. Second-round pick Avieon Terrell was limited due to an injury, but he still took the field with his teammates. All eyes were on third-round pick Zachariah Branch. The former Georgia wide receiver made a good first impression on and off the field.

Thanks to the Falcons' social media team, along with various NFL reporters, we can show you a few clips from Atlanta's first day of rookie minicamp. Watch as Branch and others take the field below.

Zachariah Branch Day 1 minicamp highlights

Route up, @zachariahbranchpic.twitter.com/UElUO4SpBN

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 8, 2026

More of former UGA WR Zachariah Branch at camp pic.twitter.com/xOHmMDJ9eC

— Lexi Bowden (@lexibowden_) May 8, 2026

Fast flow 💨 pic.twitter.com/1Cgbca6gvc

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 8, 2026

Falcons CB Avieon Terrell takes the field

🤝 @nationwide_avpic.twitter.com/PYH6kRDLoc

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 8, 2026

Falcons UDFA QB Jack Strand gets throws in

UDFA quarterback Jack Strand getting some throws in. You can see the whip of an arm that people talk about pic.twitter.com/EIVrlAFdAD

— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) May 8, 2026

Falcons UDFA RB Cash Jones makes debut

Former UGA RB Cash Jones (#32) at #Falcons rookie camp pic.twitter.com/SEPIQbKUcY

— Lexi Bowden (@lexibowden_) May 8, 2026

Falcons head coach Kevin Sefanski

ROOKIE MINICAMP #DirtyBirds

Seeing head coach Kevin Stefanski in action for the first time as he checks in with the rookie wide receivers that includes former Dawg and 3rd round pick Zachariah Branch.

Falcons also signed UGA running back Cash Jones as an undrafted free agent.… pic.twitter.com/aR5rKS15uQ

— Kinsey Lee (@kinseyleetv) May 8, 2026

Zachariah Branch introduces himself

Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch made a point to introduce himself to everyone in the media scrum before getting started. pic.twitter.com/OGIocmY4ab

— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) May 8, 2026

The Falcons will wrap up their rookie minicamp on Sunday, May 8. We'll have to wait and see if any of the team's 23 tryout players end up securing a roster spot before the weekend is over.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Zachariah Branch rookie minicamp highlights

We're set for quite a slate of fights on Saturday night at UFC 328 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Headlining the event is a championship bout in the middleweight division as former champion Sean Strickland looks to retake his crown against Khamzat Chimaev, the reigning champion. Chimaev holds a perfect 15-0 record, but the veteran Strickland will look to give him his first blemish as a pro fighter.

That won't be the only championship on the line Saturday as the main card also features a flyweight championship between reigning belt-holder Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira, which was originally scheduled for UFC 327.

Here's the full main card for Saturday night's UFC 328.

UFC 328 full fight card

• Middleweight: Khamzat Chimaev (c) vs. Sean Strickland
• Flyweight: Joshua Van (c) vs. Tatsuro Taira
• Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
• Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley
• Lightweight: King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens

What time do the fights start on Saturday?

The early preliminary card is set to begin on Saturday night at 5 p.m. ET, with the main card expected to start at 9 p.m.

How to watch UFC 328?

The entire event, including the early preliminary and preliminary cards, will be streamed exclusively on Paramount+. A subscription for an ad-supported plan costs $8.99 for one month, while an ad-free plan costs $13.99 per month.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: UFC 328 undercard with fights Saturday ahead of Chimaev vs. Strickland

After having to move a game up a day due to potential inclement weather, the Washington Huskies split a doubleheader with the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday, dropping the second game 6-4.

Coach Eddie Smith's team couldn't capitalize on a stellar day at the plate for left fielder Jackson Hotchkiss, who went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, his 18th of the year, as he continues to rise up early 2027 MLB draft buzz and establish himself as one of the best hitters in the Big Ten.

Right fielder Braeden Terry added a 1-for-3 day with a walk, a run batted in, and 2 runs scored, while shortstop Sam DeCarlo went 2-for-4, but Noah Kenney struggled on the mound. Washington's typical Friday starter lasted just 4 innings and surrendered 5 runs on 7 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts as he dropped to 4-6 on the season.

The 7th most home runs in a season in Husky history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jpnoAKsVYn

— Washington Baseball (@UW_Baseball) May 8, 2026

The Huskies struggled with Jayden Davis at the top of the order, as the left fielder went 3-for-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and an RBI, which came on a sixth-inning single off of Liam Lierman to give the Nittany Lions a two-run lead. Second baseman Bryce Molinaro drove in a pair of runs, while right fielder Jesse Jaconski went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the fourth inning and a pair of runs scored.

Ben Hudson earned the win for the Nittany Lions and improved to 2-9 on the year after he worked 5 innings and let up 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Mason Horwat earned the save after a perfect ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts.

With the loss, the Huskies dropped to 22-28 on the year and 11-15 against Big Ten opponents. They'll look to take the rubber match of the series on Saturday, May 9, at 12:00 p.m. PT.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies split double header at Penn State with 6-4 loss

The UFC is back on the East Coast this week with two titles on the line at the top of the card in New Jersey.

UFC 328 takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark (Paramount+).

Get pick results from our 10 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens

• Records: Green (34-17-1 MMA, 15-12-1 UFC), Stephens (29-22 MMA, 15-19 UFC)
• Division: Lightweight
• Rankings: None
• Odds (as of 05.08.26): Green -420, Stephens +310
• Junkie pick results: Green 9, Stephens 1

Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley

• Records: Brady (18-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC)
• Division: Welterweight
• Rankings: Brady No. 7, Buckley No. 10
• Odds (as of 05.08.26): Brady -160, Buckley +135
• Junkie pick results: Buckley 6, Brady 4

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Alexander Volkov

• Records: Cortes-Acosta (17-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), Volkov (39-11 MMA, 13-5 UFC)
• Division: Heavyweight
• Rankings: Volkov No. 3, Cortes-Acosta No. 5
• Odds (as of 05.08.26): Cortes-Acosta +120, Volkov -150
• Junkie pick results: Cortes-Acosta 10, Volkov 0

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira

• Records: Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC)
• Division: Flyweight
• Rankings: Van No. 1, Taira No. 5
• Odds (as of 05.08.26): Van +135, Taira -160
• Junkie pick results: Van 7, Taira 3

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland

• Records: Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC)
• Division: Middleweight
• Rankings: Chimaev No. 1, No. 3 pound-for-pound; Strickland No. 3, honorable mention pound-for-pound 
• Odds (as of 05.08.26): Chimaev -650, Strickland +460
• Junkie pick results: Chimaev 9, Strickland 1

Individual staff member picks, main card

Readers 69-36: Chimaev (70%), Taira (53%), Volkov (53%), Brady (59%), Green (78%)

• Danny Segura 77-28: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Brady, Green
• Mike Bohn 69-36: Chimaev, Taira, Cortes-Acosta, Brady, Green
• Simon Samano 69-36: Chimaev, Taira, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Stephens
• Matt Erickson 69-36: Chimaev, Taira, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Green
• Nolan King 67-38: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Brady, Green
• Ken Hathaway 66-39: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Brady, Green
• Matthew Wells 65-40: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Green
• Brian Garcia 63-42: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Green
• Farah Hannoun 62-43: Chimaev, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Green
• George Garcia 61-44: Strickland, Van, Cortes-Acosta, Buckley, Green

Preliminary card picks

Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results: 

• Ozzy Diaz vs. Ateba Gautier: Gautier 10, Diaz 0
• Joel Alvarez vs. Yaroslav Amosov: Amosov 8, Alvarez 2
• Grant Dawson vs. Mateusz Rebecki: Dawson 7, Rebecki 3
• Jared Gordon vs. Jim Miller: Miller 6, Gordon 4
• Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio: Kopylov 9, Tulio 1
• William Gomis vs. Pat Sabatini: Sabatini 9, Gomis 1
• Djorden Santos vs. Baisangur Susurkaev: Susurkaev 10, Santos 0
• Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa: Carpenter 8, Ochoa 2

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 328 predictions: Chimaev-Strickland, Van-Taira title fights

Race direction has proposed to MotoGP teams banning the use of ride-height devices at the start at Le Mans, Silverstone and Phillip Island following concerns raised by riders, Motorsport has learned, though it won't happen at the French Grand Prix.

The initiative emerged after discussions between riders and race direction officials in Friday’s Safety Commission meeting in Le Mans. During that meeting, several riders warned about the potential safety risks posed by the use of front and rear ride-height devices at the start on certain types of circuits.

The layouts of Le Mans, Silverstone and Phillip Island were specifically mentioned. At all three venues, riders arrive at Turn 1 at a very high speed, with the added factor that the opening corner is fast and flowing rather than tight, something that could lead to particularly dangerous situations because of the bikes' trajectories.

That concern prompted race direction to ask teams to vote on a potential ban on the use of these devices at the start of both the sprint and grand prix races at the three circuits.

“It has been identified that the use of these devices at these particular circuits represents a significant safety risk for riders, specifically in relation to rider trajectory into Turn 1 during starts,” read the note sent to teams, which Motorsport has seen.

Race start.

Teams were asked to provide feedback on whether they support this special measure.

In a subsequent communication, race direction informed teams that, after evaluating the different opinions received, no changes would be introduced for this weekend’s French Grand Prix.

Had the proposal been approved, Saturday’s schedule would have been modified to include an additional practice start session for riders without the ride-height systems.

Motorsport understands that the possibility of banning the devices at the rounds scheduled for Silverstone in August and Phillip Island in October remains on the table and will be discussed again in the near future.

Should the special measure eventually be approved, it would serve as a first glimpse of the type of starts that will become standard from next year onwards, when the new technical regulations explicitly banning ride-height devices come into force.

MotoGP French GP: Francesco Bagnaia takes surprise pole in Ducati 1-2

Marc Marquez: 'It's not that the others are going faster, it's that I'm going slower'

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Ian Cundall at Baseball America recently watched Dodgers prospect Emil Morales with Ontario as well as San Francisco Giants prospect Jhonny Level, then compared and contrasted the two 19-year-old California League shortstops ranked in the top 100.

“Morales has the makings of a power-over-hit player and is likely a corner infielder. There’s considerable variance in his profile but also a very high ceiling if he can make enough contact to tap into his raw power,” Cundall wrote. “That’s why he’s ranked slightly higher at this point. He’s the type of player you can envision developing into a bat-first impact regular if everything breaks right.”

In Baseball America’s updated top-100 prospect rankings unveiled on Wednesday, Morales was ranked 67th, after not making the top 120 in January.

Morales spoke with Tower Buzzers broadcaster Jeff Woolson on Friday:

With Mookie Betts, Kiké Hernández, and Brusdar Graterol rehabbing with Oklahoma City, and Blake Snell having just completed his rehab assignment before rejoining the Dodgers today, this next story feels especially relevant.

Old friend Josh Suchon, a longtime host of Dodger Talk who is in his 14th season calling games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, dug into the history of minor league rehab assignments, and found that St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Silvio Martínez was very first player to appear in a minor league game on a rehab assignment, 46 years ago.

From Suchon at Baseball America:

On May 23, 1980 … a new four-year agreement was reached between the MLB Players Association and the 26 clubs.

The two sides agreed to set aside the issue of free agent compensation for further study and negotiation. Ultimately, the two sides could not reach an agreement, which led to the two-month strike in 1981. Buried in the new agreement was a provision known as the “medical rehabilitation program.”

The city of Torrance is trying out a new shuttle service two and from Dodger Stadium, beginning this weekend, with trips costing $2 each way: “The pilot service will operate on Sunday, May 10; Sunday, May 31; Sunday, June 7; and Sunday July 5, 2026, offering direct service to and from the stadium.”

Nathalie Alonso wrote a children’s book about Fernando Valenzuela called ¡Viva Valenzuela!, which focuses on Fernandomania and his bursting onto the scene with the Dodgers in 1981. Illustrator John Parra shared some details on his process illustrating a portion of the book.

The Chicago Bears will enter the 2026 season looking to build off their success last year, led by second-year head coach Ben Johnson and third-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Pairing Johnson with Williams was key to the season that the Bears had last year, winning the NFC North division for the first time since 2018, and beating the Green Bay Packers twice last year, including eliminating them from the playoffs.

Chicago understands the urgency to strike big while in the early stages of Williams' career, looking to build the most competitive and talented roster around him while he is still on his rookie deal. Teams that have young quarterbacks have a small window to find the most success before they have to pay the face of their franchise big money, which is where the Bears are approaching in 2026, the last year season for Williams before he's eligible for a lucrative contract extension.

Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked the Top 15 quarterbacks on their rookie contracts, placing Williams at No. 2, just behind Drake Maye who took the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl last season.

Even those who held the highest expectations for Ben Johnson probably didn't foresee his partnership with Williams going as well as it did in Year 1," Shook wrote. "Johnson's arrival worked wonderfully for Caleb, who appeared to overcome his tendency to freeze while trying to make the perfect play. In his second NFL season, the former Heisman Trophy winner operated instinctively, showing off a fantastic clutch gene that powered a collection of heart-stopping, season-defining wins for Chicago. Under Johnson, Williams was able to display his natural talents and begin to justify his No. 1 overall selection. By season's end, he was one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch. I expect him to meet that description again in 2026, the last year before he is eligible for an extension that should make his paycheck exponentially bigger.

With a cap hit of $10.8 million this season, Williams did not cost Chicago much on their books and allowed them to chase down resources for their defense, including their two biggest signings of safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. Williams is certainly in line for a massive payday, but for financial reasons, the Bears would most certainly love to capitalize the highest level of success, winning a Super Bowl sooner rather than later.

Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Caleb Williams ranked near top of QBs on rookie contracts

The Kansas City Chiefs and the other 31 teams around the league received some much-needed news on Friday. The NFL and the NFL Referees Association announced they reached a seven-year collective bargaining agreement that will run through the 2032 NFL season.

The current deal was scheduled to expire on May 31, with the risk of potential replacement referees in 2026.

"This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating," said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent in a statement. "It also speaks to the game officials' relentless pursuit of improvement and officiating excellence. We look forward to working together for the betterment of the game."

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have reached a seven-year collective bargaining agreement that will run through the 2032 NFL season. The current deal was scheduled to expire on May 31. pic.twitter.com/goAXAxEB4Y

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2026

The agreement was approved by the NFL Referees Association Board of Directors and ratified by the NFLRA membership.

"It was a mutual and determined effort, and the outcome is seven years of certainty for the league and the officials," said NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green in a statement. "We appreciate Troy Vincent and Larry Ferazani and their staff for recognizing that working together to find solutions is the best course of action to reach a long-term agreement."

Before the new CBA's ratification, the league had been preparing for the possibility of using replacement officials with a recruitment process and rule modifications for the 2026 season. The plans could have allowed the league office in New York to watch games remotely and use instant replay more than is commonly permitted.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: NFL Referees Association agrees to a multi-year CBA ahead of deadline

After being picked by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the NFL draft, rookie running back Jonah Coleman is walking into a crowded running back room in the NFL.

Coleman will join J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in Denver's backfield, and he's poised to begin his pro career as RB3. He's eager to join the three-back rotation this summer.

“Well, obviously, just playing my role and doing what I do," Coleman said when asked about his potential role. "The leadership that I bring to the locker room, the culture, how I can ultimately add to that culture that they have… Just being able to come in and be with guys like RJ Harvey, J.K. Dobbins and stuff like that. You ultimately have a three-headed monster in the run game. I believe that’s where it starts, in the trenches.”

One big element that Coleman brings to the backfield rotation is reliable pass-blocking. The 22-year-old rookie was one of the best blocking backs in college football, and that could help him win playing time early with the Broncos.

“It’s really important," Coleman said of pass protection. "Now I get to go protect Bo Nix, and I take pride in that. I may not have all the exciting plays and all of that, but I do the dirty work. I do those things that not a lot of people pay attention to. Just being able to be well-rounded."

That willingness to do the "dirty work" will serve Coleman well as he competes for rotational playing time. He might be the third-choice option going into the season, but Coleman figures to have a promising long-term outlook in Denver.

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: Fantasy Football: Jonah Coleman will do 'the dirty work' with Broncos

In what is a crucial match for both sides, Champions League final-bound Arsenal continue their bid for a first top-flight title for 22 years against a West Ham United side who dropped into the bottom three after last weekend's results. BBC Sport takes a look at the key themes ahead of Sunday's game (16:30 BST).

Title chances in Arsenal's hands

The equation for Arsenal is simple on paper; win all four of their remaining matches and it will be the greatest season in the club's 139-year history.

Thierry Henry, part of the unbeaten "Invincibles" side, who were the last Arsenal team to win a league title in 2003-04, said that Mikel Arteta's squad would be known as the "Unforgettables" if they were to pull off a Premier League and Champions League double.

The Gunners travel to West Ham still on cloud nine after Tuesday's win over Atletico Madrid, but that euphoria must be put on hold as they get back to the business of trying to end their painful wait for a 14th top-flight title.

After consecutive league defeats last month their mettle and bottle was called into question but successive home wins – allied to Manchester City's draw at Everton on Monday - has handed the initiative firmly back to the Gunners.

If recent history is anything to go by, struggling West Ham are the ideal opposition for Arteta's side to face. The Gunners have only picked up more Premier League wins against Everton (40) than the 38 they have against the Hammers.

They have scored 11 goals across their last two visits to the London Stadium courtesy of a 6-0 thrashing in 2023-24 and a 5-2 victory last season. The only side in English league history to score five or more in three successive away games against the same opponent is West Brom at Birmingham between 1957 and 1960.

If Arsenal do secure a crucial win it will also set a new club record of 42 victories in all competitions within the same season, breaking a tie with their famous Double-winning side from 1970-71.

Their victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday also saw them record a 30th clean sheet of the campaign, which is their most since 1993-94.

Hammers endure horror weekend

While Arsenal are on a high, West Ham endured a morale-sapping weekend which ended with Nuno Espirito Santo's side slipping into the bottom three. Their heavy defeat at Brentford, coupled with Tottenham's win at Aston Villa, means with three games to go they are a point adrift of their bitter rivals with an inferior goal difference.

The Gunners are the last team the Hammers will want to meet given their recent record in home league matches against the north Londoners. Mikel Arteta's side have scored a whopping 21 goals across their last six top-flight visits to Stratford.

London derbies on home soil have also been a real Achilles heel for West Ham this season and they will be desperate to avoid making a very unwanted piece of history.

Having already lost at the London Stadium to Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Fulham they could become the first side in English league history to lose six home games against fellow London teams within a season.

They are at least unbeaten in their last six home league matches, which is their best run since their final season at Upton Park in 2015-16 (15 games)

Nuno has named the same starting XI for four consecutive Premier League games but will surely be tempted to mix things up after saying his side "lost composure" after conceding the second goal against the Bees.

They did strike the woodwork four times in that match - a joint record in a Premier League game this season – but hard luck stories count for nothing at this stage of the campaign.

After the disappointment of losing in the Europa League semi-finals, Nottingham Forest return to action looking to taking a step closer to securing their Premier League status, against Newcastle on Sunday (14:00 BST). BBC Sport looks at the key themes ahead of the fixture.

Forest must now concentrate on survival

Having had their dreams of European glory ruthlessly dashed by Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest must now pick themselves up and secure the points they need to secure their Premier League status for next season.

Six points clear of West Ham with three games to go, four points would definitely see them stay up, but a win should also prove to be enough given their vastly superior goal difference over the Hammers.

The manner of Thursday's 4-0 defeat at Villa Park was surprising given what a rich vein of form they have been in.

The improvement by Vitor Pereira's side in front of goal in recent weeks has been astonishing. Having managed a paltry 28 goals in their first 30 league games of the season they have banged in a remarkable 16 in their last five.

Those 16 goals - from only 49 shots - have come from an xG of just 6.8, meaning they have overperformed it by an incredible 9.2.

Pereira's sharpshooters have scored three or more goals in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March to April 1995 having trounced Sunderland 5-0, Burnley 4-1 and Chelsea 3-1.

Newcastle desperate to end challenging season on a high

After a damaging run of nine defeats in 12 league games, Newcastle stopped the rot last Saturday with a morale-boosting win over Brighton.

It lifted some of the pressure that has been mounting on head coach Eddie Howe, with media reports following the match asserting that he will still be in charge next season.

However, the win over Brighton does not paper over the cracks of what has been an extremely disappointing league campaign and Howe will be desperate to finish strongly, going into what will be a key summer of squad rebuilding.

"It's been a big learning season for us," reflected defender Dan Burn after the win over the Seagulls. "We've struggled mentally, attacking on all four fronts the way that we did. It was tough going into games when you were just recovering and going again."

They will be hoping to address their awful away form that has seen them pick up just 16 points from 17 games. Wolves (seven) and Sunderland (14) are the only sides than have scored fewer than the 16 goals the Geordies have on the road.

TNT Sports’ Jackie Redmond interviewed Rob Gronkowski during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs series between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, and Gronkowski didn’t hold back when talking about TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette.

Gronkowski, a former NFL star tight end and current Fox Sports NFL analyst, told Redmond about Bissonnette, “Biz Nasty, I’ve got a little bone to pick with you. He’s matching with our high school friends on dating apps right now.”

Redmond laughed before saying, “Oh my god!”

“Yeah, I know. I know what you’re up to,” Gronkowski continued with his message for Bissonnette. “You’re swiping left all over the place, and you’re matching with our friends. We’re going to have a problem.”

Gronk told @Jackie_Redmond he has a bone to pick with @BizNasty2point0

“He’s matching with our high school friends on dating apps right now.” pic.twitter.com/sE0Dn2Fifi

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) May 9, 2026

Bissonnette made numerous posts in response on X, and he even referenced the saga involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in an attempt to mock Gronkowski, a Patriots legend.

Gronk from the top ropes

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

You sandbagging son of a bitch @RobGronkowski.

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

Let’s throw it over to @RobGronkowski for an in period report…

Montreal scored right after. No code in the football world. Treating me like I’m Vrabel. pic.twitter.com/BaA1rBrrUb

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

This guy’s got former teammates pounding guys wives with a bun in the oven on a boat cruise and me being on dating app is a problem??? Give it a rest @RobGronkowski. It’s @roughnrowdy time. https://t.co/plk6aKnx0j

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

I guess they never played together. The Patriot way. https://t.co/pjI8FdiItR

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

https://t.co/nYfCbfTjEfpic.twitter.com/iTVOUMOGHq

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

Gronk deep in thot plotting to throw me under the bus pre game during his in game hit with @Jackie_Redmond. https://t.co/plk6aKnx0jpic.twitter.com/euU23ZyFHg

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 9, 2026

During the game’s second intermission on the NHL on TNT studio show, Bissonnette addressed Gronkowski’s comments.

Biz was NOT HAPPY with Gronk and even challenged him to a fight @BizNasty2point0https://t.co/nMOdQdBklIpic.twitter.com/bdPIOQyIWV

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) May 9, 2026

“Right in the junk,” Bissonnette said. “Right in the junk. You worry about your old Patriot crew there, Rob. You want to talk about game, I’m gonna bring it in the ring. I’ll see you at Rough N’ Rowdy, pal. You keep your mouth shut! A little bro code in there! Holy cow! My god! I’m gonna bring all the skeletons out of your closet, Rob! Wait and see, buddy!”

The post Rob Gronkowski, Paul Bissonnette trade barbs over dating apps, ‘bro code’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

At Coors Field, innings can become dangerous in a hurry.

A walk. A hit. A bloop. Suddenly, the inning is fraught with peril.

That is why a clean double play can feel like an escape hatch: one ground ball, two outs, crisis averted.

I love double plays.

Double plays have their own little language. 6-4-3. 4-6-3. 5-4-3. To the uninitiated, they just look like more numbers. To the converted, they are something closer to cheat codes. Every number is a position. Every dash is a throw.

The first number tells you where the trouble began. The last tells you where it ended.

The classic 6-4-3 is not the same as a 4-6-3. The 3-6-1 asks the pitcher to finish the job. The 1-2-3 is panic turned into process. The 7-6-3 is basically a practical joke. 

The double play is not one play, really. It is a family of escape routes. And for years, the Rockies used them more than almost anyone. 

A Rockies habit starts to wobble 

So where did the double plays go?

The Rockies still have the main ingredient: ground balls. As of May 9th, they ranked 12th in MLB in ground-ball rate at 42.3%.

But grounders need the right setup. A ground ball with nobody on is just an out.

The easy explanation is actually good news: the Rockies are walking fewer hitters. Fewer walks can mean fewer double-play chances — a trade I would make every day.

That explains part of the drop. But not all of it.

The pivot stat 

To be clear, the total double-play number includes more than the common infield turns. A strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out counts. So does a weird outfield double play.

rGDP is narrower. It is the pivot stat, aimed at shortstops and second basemen. It does not just count double plays; it asks whether a middle infielder completed the turn more or less often than an average fielder would, given the runner, batter, and batted ball.

For years, Colorado was good at this. Earlier this season, the Rockies dipped to -2 rGDP, which stood out against their recent history. They have since climbed back to league average, so the usual small-sample warnings apply. Still, that early dip suggested the issue was not only fewer opportunities. For a stretch, there was some efficiency wobble in the turn itself.

The counting stats help frame the question, too. FanGraphs splits double-play involvement into starts, turns, and finishes, and those buckets show how different the second-base profiles can be. Edouard Julien has started 10 double plays at second, but has been credited with only one turn. Willi Castro, in fewer innings at second, has been credited with four turns.

This is not a playing-time argument. Castro has been good at second, and he will still get reps there, but his value comes from moving around the infield. Julien is the bigger second-base question because the Rockies are giving him regular time there.

The second-base question 

Julien’s bat explains his opportunity in the field. Through 113 plate appearances, he has a .363 OBP and a .741 OPS, and the underlying profile backs it up: strong expected production, hard contact, good swing decisions.

The glove is the question.

His defensive numbers at second have been uneven, including -2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in a small sample, and a few recent plays show why. Communication, the challenge of truly learning the position, and trouble on the turn have all worked against Julien — and against the double play.

One recent example against Atlanta stuck with me because the Rockies still got two outs. Julien fielded a grounder near second, started to take the bag himself, then hesitated as Ezequiel Tovar arrived expecting a feed. The throw to first was close enough for Atlanta to challenge, but the call stood. In the box score, it is just a 4-3 double play. The miscommunication does not show up.

These Mets clips show the other side of that coin: plays where not getting two outs becomes the story.

The first Mets clip shows the position-learning side of it. Julien fields the ball near second with Tovar moving to the bag, but instead of flipping to start the double play, he elects to chase the runner. 

Maybe that was the read he trusted. Maybe the timing made the choice harder than it looked. Either way, it shows how much decision-making lives inside a play that seems simple.

The second Mets clip shows the turn itself. Tovar starts the play, but Julien loses his footwork on the pivot and spikes the throw well in front of T.J. Rumfield at first.

That is the margin: An unclear exchange, a forced rundown, a throw in the dirt, and the double play can break. 

The turn can still come

While Julien is clearly still learning on the job in Colorado, that does not mean he is new to the position. Some of this is also physical — arm strength won’t drastically improve with more reps.

But the communication, timing, footwork on the pivot, and flow with Tovar can.

That is the part worth watching as the season moves along.

The Rockies still have ground balls. They still have Tovar. And Julien is getting real time at second. If the reps continue, if the rhythm sharpens, the double plays may return.

I hope they do. At Coors, this team could use more escape hatches. More clean turns. More innings that end before they become something worse.

Just don’t bring the walks back.

So, is this just an early-season wobble, or has one of the Rockies’ strangest little strengths actually changed?

On the Farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 2, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 1

Albuquerque improved to 22-15 with a 2-1 win over Sugar Land, which fell to 17-20. Keegan Thompson gave the Isotopes a strong but short start, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings with three hits allowed and one strikeout. Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) used his speed to score the first run in the sixth, coming home from third on a soft groundout by Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP). Vimael Machín added what would prove to be the deciding run with his third home run of the season in the top of the ninth. The Isotopes managed only six hits, but the pitching staff held Sugar Land to 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Overall, Thompson went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and his seventh stolen base, pushing his OPS to .984, and Carrigg finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored and is now hitting .366 with a .948 OPS.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 4, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 2

Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP) got the offense started late and turned a quiet night into a Hartford win. The Yard Goats beat Binghamton 4-2, moving to 14-16 while the Rumble Ponies dropped to 11-20. Riggio supplied most of the offense himself, hitting a solo homer in the seventh before adding a two-run shot in the eighth to put Hartford ahead for good. He finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, raising his OPS to .823. Jose Torres added the final run with his fourth homer of the season in the ninth and also finished 2-for-4. Jake Brooks was solid in a no-decision, allowing two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.

High-A: Spokane Indians 3, Tri-City Dust Devils 0

Spokane rode its pitching to a clean 3-0 win over Tri-City, moving to 12-19 while the Dust Devils fell to 17-14. Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) set the tone with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out six. Stu Flesland III did plenty of the heavy lifting from there, adding four scoreless innings with three hits allowed, one walk, and four strikeouts before Jack Mann finished the shutout. Alan Espinal supplied the big swing, hitting a three-run homer in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP) and Robert Calaz (No. 6 PuRP) each added two hits as Spokane finished with eight hits and no errors.

Single-A: San Jose Giants 4, Fresno Grizzlies 3

Fresno fought back, but San Jose had the final answer in a 4-3 Grizzlies loss. Fresno dropped to 17-14, while the Giants improved to 19-12. Riley Kelly gave the Grizzlies a strong start, allowing one run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Fresno trailed 3-0 before getting RBI singles from Derek Bernard and Matt Klein in the sixth. Cameron Nelson then tied it in the seventh with a bunt single that scored Luis Mendez, helped along by a throwing error. San Jose retook the lead in the bottom half on Isaiah Barkett’s RBI triple off Jhon Medina, who took the loss.

Why Rockies Face Early-Season Road Trip Test After Disappointing Homestand | SI.com

Scott Roche frames the Rockies’ Pennsylvania road trip as a useful early measuring stick after a rough 1-5 homestand. The Rockies are still trying to prove this start has some staying power, and six games against the Phillies and Pirates should give everyone a better read. For a team trying to move from “interesting” to “actually improving,” this is the kind of week that matters.

How the Schaeffers turned MLB life into a family adventure | MLB.com

Thomas Harding takes a softer turn with a look at Warren Schaeffer, his wife Callie, and the family life built around baseball. The piece makes clear that Schaeffer is more than happy to honor her, not just on Mother’s Day, as Callie has helped make the season work as a full-family adventure. It’s a sweet read about road trips, homeschooling, ballparks, and the people who keep things steady behind the scenes.

Antonio Senzatela Succeeding in New Full-Time Role for Rockies | SI.com

Tyler Miller checks in on Antonio Senzatela’s move into a full-time bulk relief role, where the early returns have been much better than last year’s rotation work. Senzatela picked up the save against the Mets with two strong innings and has a 1.11 ERA over 24 1/3 innings. For a Rockies pitching staff still trying to find functional roles, this is one of the cleaner success stories so far.

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The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.

Iraq ended a 40-year drought in March by qualifying for the World Cup. A 2-1 win over Bolivia during the inter-confederation playoffs secured the Lions of Mesopotamia's place in the 48-team field this summer.

Iraq will take on Norway, France and Senegal in Group I in hopes of making their second-ever World Cup appearance more memorable than the first at Mexico 1986. The players will also look to join Ahmed Radhi in a special club.

Iraq's time at the 1986 World Cup was short. It lost all three group games, two by shutout, and scored a single goal. That goal came from Radhi during a 2-1 defeat to Belgium and it remains the only one the country has scored in the tournament.

It was fitting that it was Radhi scoring the goal. He found the back of the net 62 times in 121 national team appearances during his career. Of those 62 goals, eight came during World Cup qualifying for 1986.

Radhi would later help Iraq win a pair of Arab Cups and be named 1988 Asian player of the year.

Despite a lack of World Cup appearances, Iraq has had success in its region. It won the AFC Asian Cup in 2007 and reached the Round of 16 the last two times the competition was held; made the quarterfinals at the 2025 Arab Cup; and won the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2023 after back-to-back semifinals appearances.

Iraq faces a tough group, but has gone undefeated over its past six matches and will have a roster with more players employed across Europe than in 1986. If they can’t earn a win, will Radhi have company in the goal-scorers club?

Caitlin Clark’s rise in the WNBA has come with immense pressure, but during one of the most difficult stretches of her young career, she revealed that support came from one of the biggest names in basketball.

The Indiana Fever star has spent much of her early professional journey under constant scrutiny, with expectations that few players have ever had to deal with at such a stage.

That spotlight only intensified during her injury-riddled 2025 season, when she was forced to step away from the court for extended periods.

It was during that time that a familiar figure reached out, and his message clearly stayed with her.

Caitlin Clark reveals LeBron James reached out during injury struggles

Speaking via Legion Hoops on X, Clark opened up about the support she received from LeBron James.

“He understands the microscope that I’m under and the spotlight that’s on me,” Clark said. “When I was hurt last year, he reached out and was like, ‘Is there any way I can help you? Is there anybody I can connect you with?’”

The message reflects a level of understanding that comes from shared experience, with LeBron having entered the NBA under similar levels of attention and expectation.

Over the past two years, he has consistently supported Clark publicly, often defending her against criticism and encouraging her to stay focused on her game.

For Clark, that outreach came at a time when she was dealing not only with physical setbacks, but also the mental challenge of stepping away from the court after such a strong start to her career.

Caitlin Clark’s injury struggles made support even more significant

The timing of that message becomes even more meaningful when viewed in the context of her 2025 season.

Clark was limited to just 13 games due to a series of injuries, including quad and groin issues that ultimately forced her to miss 31 regular-season games and the playoffs.

It marked the first time in her basketball career that she had faced extended time away from the game, after previously playing every game throughout high school, college and her rookie WNBA season.

Despite those setbacks, Clark still averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 assists in her limited appearances, showing flashes of the same impact that made her one of the most talked-about players in the league.

Now entering a fully healthy 2026 season, she is expected to return as the centerpiece of the Fever’s plans, carrying both the responsibility of performance and the continued spotlight that follows her every move.

Moments like the one she shared, however, offer a glimpse into how even the biggest stars rely on support behind the scenes. Especially when the pressure is at its highest.

Read more:

Is Bayern Munich experiencing a case of buyer’s remorse?

Just a year ago, the Bavarians inked Alphonso Davies to a new five-year contract that could potentially pay him upward of €20 million per season if he achieves all of his incentives. Now, there are internal grumblings at Bayern Munich about the Canadian’s injury history per Sport1 journalist Stefan Kumberger:

This latest setback comes at a bad time—for Davies, but also for FC Bayern. Even before the injury, club officials were already looking at his susceptibility to injury with concern. Given his princely salary of an estimated 15 million euros, which can reach up to 20 million with bonuses, the 25-year-old has become too expensive for some club officials. This grumbling could now grow louder.

While the club’s management doesn’t hold his cruciate ligament tear in March 2024 against him, the same can’t be said for his subsequent injuries—professional soccer is a tough and unforgiving business, especially at FC Bayern.

It’s no wonder, then, that Davies is no longer considered unsellable ( SPORT1 reported this in mid-April ). However, should a transfer actually materialize, it could lead both the club and the player into a dead end. Potential suitors are of course aware of the star’s proneness to injury. Furthermore, few clubs are likely to be able to offer a similar salary.

The bad news for the Canadian is that Bayern Munich are already looking for full-backs. This search could intensify if Davies doesn’t recover quickly – and stay fit.

While this report does not indicate that anything is imminent, if does signal at least some stress from the Bavarians about Davies’ long-term viability — if true.

BFW Analysis

If you were wondering if the numbers support the front office’s concern on Davies, they do.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season (and through May 8th), Davies has amassed 16 injuries (not including illnesses), which caused him to 93 games and 599 days of action for Bayern Munich.

However, when FC Bayern signed Davies to his new deal last season, the club was aware of his history. Yes, he tacked on an ACL tear and two other muscular injuries since that time, but there was a pattern that was easily identifiable — if the club was seeking to be more conservative.

During Davies’ contract negotiations, it was revealed that Real Madrid had bailed from the pursuit and Bayern Munich was essentially bidding against itself. Even with that, Davies received a long-term and lucrative deal.

Why? Because the club believed in him and were enamored with the kind of weapon he could be. Simply put, Bayern Munich felt that Davies was worth the gamble, even with a substantial injury history.

That…is life in the big leagues.

Even if Bayern Munich decided to sell Davies, it might be tough to find a trade partner given Davies’ massive salary for a non-premier position — and his injury history. Bayern Munich might have buyer’s remorse, but it was the club, who decided to make the deal with Davies. His torn ACL was extremely unfortunate and his subsequent injuries seem to be begging everyone to shut him down for an extended period once again until his body can get right. The World Cup is in North America, though, and the Canadian will surely want to represent his country. As we know, that will come with a risk.

It was always going to take until about January of 2027 to really see if Davies could come all the way back from his ACL tear, so there is plenty of time for him to get it all together. The 25-year-old is still an explosive and dynamic talent, but professional sports is a tough gig. Clearly, the Bavarians are — at least — going to explore finding a capable backup for the Canadian if his injury issues persist.

As for selling Davies, Bayern Munich would need to find someone willing to take a risk. In today’s financial age, that might not be so easy. For everyone’s sake — Davies, Bayern Munich, fans — let’s all hope this recent stretch of injuries is just a minor bump in the road for what will be a wildly successful career.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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Good morning, baseball fans!

We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.

For the ninth day of Mays-mas, I thought we’d continue with our Tim Lincecum love-fest, and take a look at Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, arguably Lincecum’s best playoff start. He pitched a complete game with 14 strikeouts and showed the rest of the baseball world exactly why he was San Francisco’s beloved superstar.

So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

What time do the Giants play today?

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at 6:05 p.m. PT.

The Las Vegas Aces have another opportunity to stamp themselves as the definitional dynasty of this era of the WNBA.

And, they don’t have to wait until the end of the season to do so.

The Aces arrive in the 2026 season riding a 16-game regular-season winning streak, which is tied for the second-longest in WNBA history. They’ll go for 17 in a row against the Phoenix Mercury, the franchise that just so happens to own the other 16-game regular-season winning streak, achieved in 2014.

The Aces and Mercury tip off in Vegas at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Las Vegas, of course, closed out the 2025 postseason by winning four-straight games against Phoenix, sweeping their way to the third title in franchise history. The Aces also won the final three 2025 regular-season matchups between the two teams.

So, recent history points to another, record-breaking Aces victory in the 2026 season opener. The current state of both rosters also lends more confidence in Vegas’ ability to extend their winning streak.

The Aces ran it back and reloaded, bolstering a bench that projects as superior to last season’s, largely due to the team’s gamble on the supremely-talented Chennedy Carter. The Mercury, in contrast, saw their Big 3 become a Big 2, with Satou Sabally leaving the desert for the New York Liberty. Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper are now surrounded by a shakier supporting cast, especially with key rotational pieces Sami Whitcomb (knee), Monique Akoa Makani (overseas) and Valériane Ayayi (return to play) out of the lineup on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see if this contest assumes a Game 5 of the Finals tone, with the Aces chasing the streak and the Mercury determined to snap it. Might A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Thomas and Copper approach 40 minutes if the Mercury can remain in contact with the Aces?

Considering they’re beginning the season on a back-to-back with another afternoon game on Sunday in LA, Vegas, surely, wants to secure the streak-extending win without much stress.

What do you expect to happen in this one? Will the Aces coast to their 17th regular-season win in a row behind an M’VP performance from A’ja? Will Chennedy provide some key buckets for the defending champs? Or, will AT and Kah help Phoenix conjure a surprisingly competitive effort?

Here’s a look Saturday’s other three contests. Let us know your pre-game analysis of these three matchups, in addition to Aces-Mercury, in the comments.

Will the Wings or Fever offense be more impressive?

The day’s action begins with the Dallas Wings visiting the Indiana Fever at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.

The storylines abound in this one, headlined by the last four No. 1 draft picks—Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark for the Fever and Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd for the Wings—taking the court.

However, I’m most interested in evaluating both teams’ offenses, something Josh Felton discussed in his preseason takeaways.

How will the Wings’ more sophisticated offense function, especially with Arike Ogunbowale, who missed all of Dallas’s preseason games, in action? For the Fever, will Caitlin Clark become even more activated off the ball with Aliyah Boston, also sidelined for preseason, in the lineup?

What are your thoughts on this one? Are you confident that the Wings’ seemingly swift improvement is real? Or, will the Fever show that they’re a level (or two) above Dallas?

Will Angel dominate in her Dream debut against the Lynx?

Angel Reese should have the opportunity to show off her difference-making potential for the Atlanta Dream in their opener against the Minnesota Lynx.

Available on WNBA League Pass, the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

With both Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhász out with injuries, Natasha Howard is the Lynx’s lone experienced big. And the 34-year-old Howard no longer has Defensive Player of the Year-winning impact on that end of the floor. Reese should feast with her physicality inside, earning tons of trips to the foul line. Howard, however, can still get after it on the glass, suggesting she’ll will be game to challenge Angel for boards.

With the high expectations in Atlanta and the transitional state of the Minnesota roster, it will be a bit concerning if this is not a somewhat comfortable win for the Dream.

Do you agree? Do the Dream need to dominate? Are you expecting the Lynx, despite all the changes, to still find a way to overachieve?

Fire vs. Sky is a contrast of offseason approaches

Saturday closes with Portland hosting a WNBA game for the first time since 2002, with the Fire re-debuting against the Chicago Sky at 9 p.m. ET on NBATV.

These two organizations present team-building contrasts.

The Fire are opting for a slow burn, eschewing a win-now approach in favor of finding undervalued players who can thrive in head coach Alex Sarama’s system.

The Sky initiated an offseason roster overhaul that leaned heavily into acquiring veterans who can help stabilize the franchise and, hopefully, steer a return to the playoffs. They capped off this approach by essentially jettisonning Hailey Van Lith for Natasha Cloud, who is not expected to play in the opener.

Certainly, a referendum on either approach cannot be adjudicated on Saturday night. Portland, in particular, should not be subject to immediate judgement. Anything less that a win for Chicago, however, will raise some eyebrows, even with Azurá Stevens (knee), DiJonai Carrington (foot) and Courtney Vandersloot (knee) all still absent, in addition to Cloud.

What are your expectations for the Sky? And what about the Fire? For both squads, who do you see stepping up and having a big game?

You could make the argument that Mike McGlinchey is coming off his best season with the Denver Broncos.

The nine-year right tackle is reliable and steady. He’s not on the level of Garett Bolles or the best tackles in the NFL, but McGlinchey doesn’t need to be. And that’s especially true on the Broncos offensive line and with Bo Nix at quarterback.

Player Profile

Age: 31 | Experience: 9th Year | College: Notre Dame | Height: 6’8” | Weight: 315 pounds

At this point, Sean Payton, George Paton, and Denver know what they’re going to get with McGlinchey at right tackle.

Given the black hole the Broncos had at right tackle prior to signing McGlinchey in 2023, that’s a positive at this point.

Mike McGlinchey’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos

If you were going to grade McGlinchey last season, Mile High Report offensive line expert Ross Allen would give him a B.

As Allen said in his review of McGlinchey:

“For the third year in a row, McGlinchey had a good season of play. There was nothing that noteworthy or remarkable, but he also didn’t make big mistakes often. He would give up a sack here or there, maybe a pressure or two, but was rarely assessed a penalty and didn’t give up many TFLs. The flip-side of this coin is that when there was a pressure, sack, or TFL given up, there was a good chance you could point the finger at McGlinchey, and his performances don’t elevate this offense much, but he is solidly in the category of ‘good to pretty good.’”

So nothing great, but not terrible either, and the Broncos don’t need anything else from McGlinchey. He’s also one of the key leaders along the offensive line and the team. That fact cannot be overlooked when talking about McGlinchey.

Yes, there are ongoing discussions about the value of McGlinchey and his contract. He has two years remaining on his deal, with a void option coming in 2028. His base salary is $16.9 million, with a cap hit in 2026 and ’27 of a whopping $23.775 million. That’s a lot of cheddar.

Here’s the rub: Who will replace McGlinchey? There’s currently not a viable replacement option on the roster, so McGlinchey is likely to finish out this deal. Could a restructure happen? Absolutely. It might be in both sides’ interests to do so. Since the Broncos are a contender, McGlinchey might not want to go anywhere else. He’s also 31.

Denver currently has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Broncos also seem to have all the pieces on offense.

McGlinchey will play a key role in ensuring expectations are met in 2026.

Final thoughts

Based on his contract and play, McGlinchey is one of the most scruitinized members of the Broncos.

However, he is coming off his best season in Denver and will look to build off that in 2026. He’s reliable and steady. He’s also a great leader in the huddle, along the offensive line, and in the locker room.

As Denver looks to take the next step as an offense and a team, McGlinchey will play a pivotal role at right tackle.

And as Allen said in his write-up of McGlinchey after the Green Bay Packers game, holds true for the 2026 season:

“I might be making a weird analogy, but Denver’s offensive tackles feel like their cornerbacks. There’s one who is just the best in the league at what he does, but the guy on the other side of the field would be the best player at that position if he was on another team. And that guy is almost always reliable and serves as a great tandem player.”

Today’s Reflections

Here we are, on May 9th, and the Chicago Cubs have been christened by the media as the most stunning, powerful, dominant team in baseball!!! If they were talking to the Mets’ fanbase, or those from St. Louis, Atlanta, Texas, Tampa, etc., those fans would be on TOP OF THE WORLD!!1!!

But. Let’s be real. We’re Cub fans. WE know what’s going on. The media can paint all the pretty pictures it wants — WE know that while we have a fun (for now), aggressive (for now) mix of hitters and defenders that (can) dominate games, that can change in a flash. We see the small holes for now, like Dansby Swanson’s hitting, the occasional flub ups in LF that still makes Ian Happ most likely the best off-season free-agent outfielder, the goofy flub ups in RF by Seiya Suzuki who’s bat makes us forget all that (unless it’s in crucial situations), the unknown whether PCA is going to be half of the player we saw in the first half last year, the mistakes that Nico Hoerner …… AAAAAH, I can’t do it — he’s a modern-day god.

It’s mostly the pitching staff that’s not only held together by band aids and rubber bands — it’s more like titanium and cement. And I’m pretty sure it’s tough pitching with all that material on you. I just want to say two particular things — 1) I recently wrote that Shota and Colin Rea need to be so careful that they need someone to brush their teeth for them. I want the Cubs to do the same for Ethan Roberts (and everyone else, and, Ethan, don’t catch metal falling from the ceiling. 2) And I want them to go a little further with Ben Brown, the Cubs most consistent (best?) reliever that getting thrown to the wolves again as a starter. 1) Ben, don’t change anything that you’ve been doing. If that means you only go once through the order, fine. And 2) Cubs, wrap Ben in bubble wrap anyway. Just to be safe.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Steve Drumwright (North Side Baseball): Cubs Activate Ethan Roberts Off Injured List. “The right-hander missed more than two weeks while recovering from a finger laceration. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell shipped back to Iowa.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): ‘This Week in Baseball’ is Loving on the Chicago Cubs. “It makes me happy to see that MLB has brought back a version of the program itself, and makes me even happier to see the Chicago Cubs featured so prominently this week.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune): 3 numbers that stand out in the Chicago Cubs’ 9-game winning streak: ‘It’s pretty special’. “yes, all things considered, you look at where our record is and how we’ve gotten there, I think we’ve played well,” Jed Hoyer said “But we have five more months to go and we’ve got to keep doing it.”
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Ian Happ’s Endless Consistency Is Going To Get Him Paid. “Happ is setting himself up to be one of the top free agents on next winter’s market. Will the Cubs pay up to keep him in Chicago?”
• Tyler O’Shea (Joker Mag): Riley Martin’s Road to the Big Leagues Began as a D2 Non-Prospect Already Enrolled in Pharmacy School ““I was thinking, I’m probably not gonna get drafted. This is probably my last season of baseball…I was like, ‘This is my last chance at it.’”“
• Steve Greenspan (MLB.com): Deep, balanced lineup a winning formula for Cubs. “Do the Cubs have the best lineup in baseball?”
• Ron Luce (SportsNetOnTap): Ben Brown’s Confidence Leads to New Chapter in 2026 as Starting Pitcher. “Ben Brown starts a new chapter in the 2026 season, getting the start in Texas as he builds back up into a starter for the Chicago Cubs.”

• Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Shota Imanaga, Cubs beat Reds 8-3 for 15th consecutive home victory. “This is what happens when the Cubs are off to their best start at Wrigley Field since 1923, nine years after its doors first opened for an outlaw team in an outlaw league that shortly went out of business.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Too soon? Cubs join elite company as home win streak hits 15. “Are the Cubs peaking too soon?”
• Mike Wadleigh (Larry Brown Sports): Cubs accomplish rare feat not seen since 1955 Dodgers. “The Cubs now have two nine-game win streaks this season, making them the first team since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers to have multiple nine-game win streaks in the first 38 games.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs strike trade with Athletics to address ailing pitching staff. “The team’s surprise acquisition of right-hander Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics Thursday afternoon gives a much better idea of the type of moves we can expect to see.”
• Mike Axisa (CBS Sports): Reds’ Tyler Stephenson’s mental error vs. Cubs is latest example of lack of fundamentals across baseball. “ Five years after Javier Báez broke the Pirates’ brains running to first base, Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson forgot to tag the Cubs’ runner coming home Thursday. He thought it was a force play. Nope. Stephenson had to apply the tag but just didn’t do it.“
• Jackson Stone (MLB.com): Cubs haven’t had a Wrigley winning streak like this one in 91 years. “The North Siders cruised to an 8-3 win over the Reds at Wrigley Field …..to mark Chicago’s 15th consecutive win at home.”
• Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs pitcher Ben Brown will start Friday’s game against Rangers. “Craig Counsell said he has made a point of giving Brown multiple innings. He went 3 innings in each of his first two appearances this season”
• Jared Bloom (Sporting News): Cubs’ Shota Imanaga finds his rookie form and a spot in the pitching power rankings “After a second-half swoon in ’25 and some offseason drama, Imanaga has carried the Cubs’ staff with a 2.40 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning through seven outings.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): “Booth is Literally Shaking” Pete Crow-Armstrong Stuns Cincinnati Reds’ Announcer. “Before Michael Busch walked to load the bases, PCA had Wrigley rocking (Video, Reds announcers):

• Ron Luce (SportsNetOnTap): Cubs Recall Gavin Hollowell, DFA Corbin Martin. “The Chicago Cubs designated Corbin Martin for assignment after a pair of rough outings and called up RHP Gavin Hollowell.“
• Evan Shuster (Chicago Cubs on SI): Cubs Share That Matthew Boyd’s Return Timeline is Better Than Expected.“Matthew Boyd has seemingly dodged a more severe meniscus injury, according to Cubs GM Carter Hawkins.”

Food For Thought:

JT Coldfire (James Thomas Uvalle, 1980–2015) was a highly regarded Texas blues-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter known as a staple of the Austin music scene. Renowned for his raw, energetic “Texas roadhouse” style and prolific live performances, he released albums including Crazy Sun and Always & Never before his untimely passing.

He was a self-taught guitarist who started his career at age 11, playing professionally for over 15 years. His music was a blend of jump blues, Texas blues, and outlaw country, often compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddie King but with a unique, gritty vocal style. Often cited as one of the hardest-working musicians in Austin, he was known for long, intense live sets. He traveled extensively, playing from Texas to Europe.

Athlete pulls 21,737-pound bus with his neck —  A 49-year-old athlete from Aruba earned his 10th Guinness World Records title by pulling a bus a distance of more than 65 feet using his neck. Egmond Molina used a rope around his neck to pull the 21,737-pound bus on Jan. 9, and Guinness World Records has now confirmed he officially broke the record for the heaviest vehicle pulled by the neck.

“With the rope compressing my airway, I must generate force while carefully controlling my breathing under intense strain. It becomes a psychological battle to remain composed while the body is under severe stress,” Molina told Guinness World Records. The strongman’s previous Guinness World Records titles include the fastest 20-meter bus pull with one finger, 33.32 seconds; the fastest 20-meter tram pull with teeth, 39.9 seconds; the fastest hot water bottle burst, 2.87 seconds; and the most crown cap bottles opened with both hands in 30 seconds, 6 bottles. (VIDEO)

“We live on such an incredible planet! Enjoy this travel guide featuring the most incredible places of our world. From the wildlife of Africa, to the enchanting landscapes of Europe, there’s something worth seeing in every corner of our world. This video is my favorite to date and is took many years of traveling and months of editing to make! I can’t wait to share it with you.

Top 100 Places To Visit in The World – Ultimate Travel Guide (VIDEO)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Khamzat Chimaev, Sean Strickland, the time for talk is (thankfully) over.

We all knew the buildup for Saturday’s UFC 328 main event would be ugly, but I’m not sure we expected the majority of the Chimaev-Strickland feud to revolve around them threatening to—putting it in family friendly terms—“pew pew” each other in the event of an out-of-the-cage altercation. It’s all been so unnecessary, especially since this matchup is compelling enough on its own from a competitive standpoint.

On one side you have Chimaev, the indomitable middleweight champion who has yet to taste defeat; on the other, Strickland, a former champion widely regarded as one of the most difficult matchups at 185 pounds whether you’re an all-time great like Israel Adesanya or a white-hot contender like Anthony Hernandez. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing for Chimaev’s aura of invincibility to be cracked by Strickland. He’s already annihilated the pound-for-pound rankings once.

Flying well under the radar is the co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira. After winning the title via a freak Alexandre Pantoja injury this past December, Van has been champing at the bit for his chance to prove he’s the legitimate No. 1 flyweight in the world. Now he has to face another Gen Z standout in Taira, who proved his championship mettle with a spectacular win over all-time great Brandon Moreno.

In other main card action, heavyweight contenders Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta throw down, Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley look to bounce back from losses to keep their spot in the busy welterweight contender line, and lightweight lifers King Green and Jeremy Stephens face off.

What: UFC 328

Where: Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

When: Saturday, May 9. The four-fight early preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET, followed by a four-fight preliminary card at 7 p.m. ET. The five-fight main card begins at 9 p.m. ET with the entire event streaming live on Paramount+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)

Khamzat Chimaev (1, P4P-4) vs. Sean Strickland (3)

Before we get to Sean Strickland’s chances of handing Khamzat Chimaev his first loss, let’s consider Chimaev’s two closest calls.

Gilbert Burns took Chimaev to a thrilling decision with a combination of takedown defense, decent boxing, and flat-out toughness. The since-retired welterweight veteran has always had elite grappling, so it wasn’t surprising to see him keep the fight upright and force the less experienced Chimaev to fight his fight. Chimaev’s coaches later said the plan was to take Burns down and Chimaev instead chose to brawl, but I think Burns had some say in the action staying on the feet.

Kamaru Usman fell prey to Chimaev’s wrestling early, but survived being stuck on his back and went on to make it a fight for the next two rounds. Again, Chimaev’s striking and cardio were put into question when he wasn’t able to implement Plan A.

So, can Strickland match Burns and Usman’s efforts to avoid a fast finish? More importantly for him, what can he do to surpass what they did and actually beat Chimaev?

Stuffing takedowns is key (duh), but if Strickland can generate offense off of those takedowns that will send Chimaev a message and also accelerate the rate at which Chimaev’s gas tank drains. Keeping Chimaev on the outside is also key, so it’s a good thing for Strickland that distance control is one of his strengths. All Strickland has to do is win three rounds and that’s well within the realm of possibility.

But I can’t pick against Chimaev, who is at the top of my “I don’t believe this guy can lose until he loses” list. He made it look easy against Dricus du Plessis and I’m not sold on Strickland effectively stopping Chimaev’s takedowns and avoiding ground-and-pound. His wrestling is just such an unstoppable weapon right now, all I can see is Chimaev pinning a fuming Strickland to the mat, wailing on him, and then choking him out to retain the title.

Pick: Chimaev

Joshua Van (2, P4P-16) vs. Tatsuro Taira (5)

I expect grappling to be the main talking point of the co-main event as well.

Tatsuro Taira has proven to be a brilliant ground fighter and his main focus will be to take Joshua Van to the mat and go to work. We’ve also seen Taira’s striking rapidly improve, to the point that if Van wants to stand and bang, Taira won’t hesitate to oblige.

Van is shockingly well-rounded at just 24 years old and, like Taira, seems to improve exponentially between UFC appearances. His standup style is high volume with plenty of precision and he won’t be timid in his first title defense. “The Fearless” has spent the past five months hearing about how he’s a paper champion, so expect him to let out his frustrations on Taira.

I confess, I’ve disrespected Van not having him ranked as my No. 1 flyweight and I’m disrespecting him again here. Taira is a little further along in his development at this point and I’m done calling him a “future” champion. The time is now. Taira is able to implement his ground game for as long as this one lasts before taking the title via submission or ground-and-pound TKO.

And New.

Pick: Taira

Alexander Volkov (4) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (6)

Can Alexander Volkov avoid the judges?

It’s been a screwy two-fight run for Volkov, who has seen both sides of a split decision after frustrating bouts against Jailton Almeida and Ciryl Gane. I’m curious to see if his team has put an added emphasis on finishing Waldo Cortes-Acosta to avoid the scorecards altogether or if they’re confident that Volkov doesn’t need to deviate from the game plan because he should be 3-0 anyway.

Cortes-Acosta’s approach should be the same as usual: Stay loose on the feet, wait for openings to land big punches, and maybe even mix in some wrestling. It’s likely Volkov will shoot first to shut down Cortes-Acosta’s offense, but we know “Salsa Boy” can grapple a little so it might behoove him to surprise Volkov and act as the initiator. As far as heavyweight fights go, this will be more on the chess side of things than a brawl.

In that case, I’m picking Volkov, even if his three-round results have been unpredictable as of late. He has the experience edge, a slight size advantage, and hey, maybe he’s figured out how to convincingly win over the judges again. Or not.

Pick: Volkov

Sean Brady (8) vs. Joaquin Buckley (11)

I haven’t given up on Sean Brady as a legitimate welterweight title challenger, though I agree with the popular sentiment that this is a do-or-die situation for both him and Buckley as far as their championship hopes go.

The contender picture at 170 pounds is so tight right now that one loss can set you way back, which Brady and Buckley know all too well after having winning streaks dashed by Michael Morales and Kamaru Usman, respectively. Two straight losses? In this economy? Ruinous.

Buckley trained with Usman for this fight, which adds an intriguing wrinkle to the mix as wrestling remains one of Buckley’s weaknesses and spending time with one of the best welterweights ever can only help. It better, because Brady won’t hesitate to make this one ugly if Buckley’s striking is sharp early.

Brady has always shined when it comes to properly mixing the martial arts and it’s his versatility that has me picking him to stifle Buckley’s offense while doing plenty of damage of his own. He doesn’t have to be flashy or force a finish. He just needs to win and outside of his stumbles against Morales and Belal Muhammad, he knows how to do that as well as anyone in the division.

Watch for Brady to put on a show for the rowdy Philadelphians making the trip to Jersey to support their boy.

Pick: Brady

King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens

Jeremy Stephens hasn’t won a UFC fight since 2018 and I don’t expect that to change tonight.

Kudos to the matchmakers for the age-appropriate pairing, but King Green has shown he can do more than just compete with the current crops of lightweights, while Stephens’ last UFC win came at 145 pounds. Yes, Green’s cavalier fighting style means he can lose on any given night especially against a guy with Stephens’ punching power; no, I don’t expect Green to suffer a classic self-inflicted loss this time around.

In our live chats this week, I’ve seen a lot of fans asking “Why is Jeremy Stephens back in the UFC” and, related, “Why does Jeremy Stephens want to be back in the UFC?” Harsh as it sounds, the 21-year (!) veteran is giving off a just-happy-to-be-here vibe and that’s not going to cut it against someone with Green’s supreme confidence. As goofy as Green can get on fight night, you always get the sense he genuinely believes he’s one of the 10 best lightweights in the world. There’s a real mentality difference there.

Green’s speed and craftiness give him the clear edge and as long as he doesn’t play around and eat a Stephens haymaker, he should cruise to a decision win.

Pick: Green

Preliminaries

Ateba Gautier def. Ozzy Diaz

Joel Alvarez def. Yaroslav Amosov (14)

Grant Dawson def. Mateusz Rebecki

Jim Miller def. Jared Gordon

Marco Tulio def. Roman Kopylov

Pat Sabatini def. William Gomis

Baisangur Susurkaev def. Djorden Santos

Clayton Carpenter def. Jose Ochoa

PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.

The P/PTSD Perspective: May 9th, 2026

1) Ex-Viking a Trade Candidate After 2 Months with New Team: Garrett Bradbury has been shuffled around recently. The spring of 2025 involved going from Minnesota to New England. More recently, there was the trade moving him to Chicago. Is he going to be sent elsewhere after the draft effort from the Bears?

2) A New WR Option Emerges for the Vikings: Clearly, there’s some desire to ensure the WR3 spot sees improvement. Bringing Jauan Jennings to town proves as much. Where are things going with Tai Felton?

3) Vikings Earn Praise for Controversial Pick: Quite evidently, the Vikings aren’t too concerned about the outside perception. Minnesota had preferences and then made the call. To be sure, that’s how a team ought to operate, and yet there’s going to be a ton of criticism if things flop.

4) Jonathan Greenard Isn’t Done Helping the Vikings: On the field, Greenard is a very promising option. Off the field, Greenard is even better. He’s a great leader who works very hard. So, too, is he well-liked by teammates. The Eagles got a good one.

5) There’s Growing Buzz Around one Name for Vikings GM: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t yet been replaced. Not on a full-time basis, at least. The competition is ongoing. Plenty continue to see a future where Rob Brzezinski becomes the full-time GM, but there’s now a full list of candidates.

Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.

Brian Rolapp has already made sweeping changes to the PGA Tour since taking over as CEO last year.

Rolapp has overseen schedule adjustments already, and plans to make some big changes when it comes to field sizes and no-cut events from 2027 onwards.

However, many PGA Tour players are said to be very concerned about one rule which will be coming into play soon.

Brian Rolapp took over as the PGA Tour‘s new CEO in 2025, and he opened up on his commitment to make sweeping changes without disrespecting the game’s traditions.

Rolapp has a six-point plan to change the PGA Tour for the better, one which includes increased fields, bringing halfway cuts back to Signature Events and operating with a more condensed schedule.

He certainly isn’t afraid to make tough decisions.

And one decision in particular that he will have to make very soon will be the toughest of the lot.

PGA Tour players pushing back against incoming new rule

The professional game is set to change beyond all recognition in 2028, and the same will be the case for amateur events from 2030 onwards.

The golf ball rollback rule will be coming into play at the start of the 2028 season, and there is some serious pushback already.

According to Golfweek, ‘several player directors on the Tour board and PAC (PlayerAdvisory Council), there still is little support on PGA Tour for the golf ball rollback’.

Justin Thomas was perhaps the most outspoken of the players who Golfweek spoke to.

“I feel a majority of guys out here are under the same opinion I am that there isn’t a problem with the golf ball,” he said.

“So, if that’s the case, I don’t know why we’d let a group of amateur golfers decide how we play the game.”

Meanwhile, Maverick McNealy is equally disillusioned about the proposed changes.

“I think that is a debate we have skipped over,” McNealy said.

“Golf is in the best place it’s ever been. I don’t know why we’re trying to complicate things for such a small fraction of the golf-playing community.

“But assuming that we do hit it too far and we need to fix that, the way we’ve gone about changing the testing of the golf ball doesn’t actually accomplish what they want it to do.”

Jordan Spieth said: “They should be finding a way for it to be the same for everybody. Some players will be affected 2 yards and others 20.

“I hit Titleist (rollback) prototypes one time straight into the wind and I hit a couple that were the same ball speed, hit a little different on the face and the difference in carry was crazy. The dispersion was massive.”

Brian Harman also chimed in on the matter.

“I don’t disagree with Fred Ridley’s comments that distance means a little too much right now,“ he said.

“And if there was a solution out there to where you could snap your fingers, and every single person lost 20 yards, well, everyone would be in favor of it.

“But that’s not the solution that’s been provided. I think the answer is a lot more nuanced. I don’t disagree that there is perhaps a problem, but the solution that they’ve come up with is not it.”

What some PGA Tour players think the answer is

Brian Harman thinks the driver is the real problem, rather than the golf ball.

“It’s the trampoline effect in these hollow golf clubs, these clubs are just so forgiving now that the golf ball doesn’t have to spin at all,“ he said.

“So, guys just swing as hard as they can. I would love to see some sort of experiment where we had to use a non-hollow driver.”

According to Golfweek, ‘multiple players recounted how Scott shared that when he was younger, and his game was off-kilter, he’d hit something less than a driver to keep the ball in play. Now, when his swing goes haywire, he hits his driver because it’s the straightest and most forgiving club in his bag’.

Harman is also firmly against golf courses being lengthened.

“We complain about that all the time because there’s no thought to just make a course longer,” he said.

Justin Thomas took aim at modern-day golf course design as well.

“It’s more an issue of how the golf courses are nowadays, where architects will come in and take out 500 trees. I think that is a much bigger problem of strategy and how you play a golf course,” Thomas said.

Quite what the solution to golf courses being overpowered is remains to be seen.

However, with so many players pushing back against the implementation of the golf ball rollback, there is a chance that the PGA Tour events will be played under different rules than three of the four major championships.

The PGA Championship would be the only major where the golf ball rollback will not be implemented, with the PGA of America strongly opposed to the idea.

The 2026 NBA Draft lottery feels like one of the most important in the recent history of the sport, and not necessarily because there’s a no-brainer future MVP candidate available at the top of the order. This draft is special because the top-four prospects all have the potential to be a franchise player down the line. Cameron Boozer is the No. 1 player in the class in our eyes, but A.J. Dybantsa feels like the favorite to be drafted with the first-pick, while Darryn Peterson will have plenty of fans as well. North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson has the potential to be as good as any of them.

The available talent is just one reason why this lottery is so important. The NBA is rushing through anti-tanking reform for next year’s draft that flattens the odds to such a degree that it will essentially randomize the draft order. The floor has also been taken out of the new rules, so while the worst team in the league can only fall to the No. 5 pick this year, next season they could fall as far as No. 12 overall.

The stakes are so high. Check out our most recent mock draft, and read our take on who deserves lottery luck. Now, let’s rank every lottery team by how desperate they are to move into the top-4.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder

No. Just no. If the Thunder cash in on their seven percent chance to move into the top-4, the rest of the league is in deep, deep trouble.

13. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets already look like the Team of the Future in the East to me after posting the league’s best net-rating after Jan. 1. The Hornets are going to be good either way next year, and they’ll have a chance to add two solid long-term pieces to the draft in this draft with multiple picks in the teens.

12. Indiana Pacers

The stakes are higher for the Pacers than any other team. If their pick drops out of the top-4, it goes to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. It’s hard to see the Pacers as “desperate” for lottery luck though because they were just in the NBA Finals last time they had a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. Let’s hope the star point guard recovers quickly from his shingles, but he should be ready to go coming off the Achilles tear.

11. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks took two games off the Knicks in the first-round this year, and they already have a nice young core in place led by Jalen Johnson. Atlanta is still searching for a true No. 1 option in this draft, but they have a bright future even if their pick remains in its expected range around No. 8.

10. Miami Heat

The Heat feel like they’re stuck in no-man’s land. The current team is just good enough to make the play-in tournament but not the playoffs, and they’ll never be bad enough to have decent odds for a top pick. Next year’s lottery changes really helps a team like Miami who is always in the middle. Lottery reform is basically a bailout package for the Heat, so they don’t need luck as badly this year as some other teams.

9. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs needed a miracle to land Cooper Flagg last year, and now they really need to make this year’s pick count to find him a co-star. Dallas doesn’t control its pick from 2027-2030, so this chance is precious. Flagg is going to be an A1 star starting next season, so they already have a bright future just with him plus a top-10 pick this year even if they don’t move into the top-4.

8. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies appear ready to trade Ja Morant after already trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis has a decent young core in place with Zach Edey and Cedric Coward, and I fully trust this franchise to keep uncovering hidden gems in the draft. They would love lottery luck, but they don’t need it.

7. Utah Jazz

The Jazz should be pretty good next season even if their pick doesn’t falls out of the top-4. Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George are a solid core, and Ace Bailey could also take a leap in his second season. Landing Dybantsa or Peterson would be the perfect final piece, and give Utah a real chance to be contenders in the future.

6. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are staring down the reality that they’re just not going to be good enough to contend in Steph Curry’s golden years. Moving into the top-4 wouldn’t necessarily get the Warriors back on top, but it would at least give them a plausible exit strategy after Curry retires. I could see a big fall from Golden State coming soon if they don’t get lottery luck and/or nail this pick.

5. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls’ roster feels bottom-3 in the league for next year before the offseason gets started. Chicago does a lot of cap space and two top-15 picks in this draft, and best of all Arturas Karnisovas isn’t calling the shots anymore. New EVP Bryson Graham seems prepared to take a long-term view of the franchise’s recent struggles, but the best way to turn things around is a little lottery luck. Chicago hasn’t picked in the top-3 since it moved up to No. 1 for Derrick Rose despite being one of the league’s worst teams over the last decade.

4. Washington Wizards

The Wizards traded for Anthony Davis and Trae Young to accelerate their rebuild, but AD doesn’t seem thrilled to be there. Washington has a decent young core led by Alex Sarr after a few years of tanking, but they still don’t have a young franchise player. If the Wizards fall in the draft lottery again and can’t get Davis to buy-in, they could be in danger of falling off the deep end when the new lottery odds begin.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga continues to hold the Bucks hostage. It feels like we’re finally going to get some finality to the situation this summer as Milwaukee has the ability to offer their superstar a max extension. If Giannis turns it down, Bucks ownership has already said it will trade him. Getting lottery luck would change everything for the future of this franchise — whether that involved Giannis or not. The Bucks can pick as high as No. 2 — but only if the Hawks land No. 1.

2. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets had five first-round picks in last year’s draft, but none of them are likely to turn into the franchise player this organization desperately needs. Brooklyn has a bottom tier roster right now and really needs a young star to build around. The Nets also owe a pick swap to Houston next year, so this is their last chance to add a premium young talent until 2028.

1. Sacramento Kings

The Kings didn’t want to tank — they just built a terrible team on accident. Sacramento’s core is old and expensive, and somehow none of the main pieces on expiring contracts. How are the Kings ever going to compete in the West if they don’t get lottery luck this year? The new odds are going to hurt them, and the roster probably has less young talent on it than any team in the league currently. I’d love to see more top picks land in the East to address conference imbalance, but the Kings are the most desperate team in the league for a little bit of luck.

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Some were surprised when the Washington Commanders selected Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis in the 2026 NFL Draft. It was sort of silly for anyone to be surprised, given that it was a seventh-round pick and quarterback is the most important position on the field.

Sam Hartman hasn't exactly panned out as a potential long-term backup to Jayden Daniels, so Washington, like any good organization, is taking a flier on a young quarterback who has played a lot of football. Kaliakmanis will battle for the No. 3 spot in training camp, unless the Commanders bring in another veteran, like Jeff Driskel to play behind Daniels and Marcus Mariota.

Washington also has a new offensive coordinator, David Blough, who undoubtedly had some say in the Kaliakmanis pick.

On Friday, Kaliakmanis took the field for the first time as a Commander on the opening day of the team's rookie minicamp. After practice, he revealed that he received a text from Daniels shortly after being drafted.

"Jayden texted me, actually, after I got drafted, which was pretty cool," Kaliakmanis told reporters. "And I just got put in a group chat with all of the other QBs, so I can't wait to meet them. Big resumes on every single one of them. Grew up watching some of them, too. Really, really excited to meet them."

Athan Kaliakmanis says Jayden Daniels texted him after Washington picked the Rutgers QB to congratulate him pic.twitter.com/ylA0FMNC8o

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 8, 2026

He's right, all of Washington's current QBs, including the OC Blough, have impressive resumes. Daniels and Mariota are former Heisman Trophy winners and No. 2 overall picks in the NFL draft, while Hartman started 57 college games between his time at Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

Kaliakmanis is no slouch either, having started 42 career games between his time at Minnesota and Rutgers, both Big Ten schools.

It's nice to see Daniels reaching out to Kaliakmanis immediately after he was drafted. It shows leadership, which is no surprise considering everything we know about Daniels. The 2026 season will be the third year where Blough, Daniels, Mariota and Hartman are together. It's a tight-knit room, but there will be a competitive battle for the No. 3 quarterback job once training camp begins in July.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels reached out to Athan Kaliakmanis

The hype is real surrounding Notre Dame football and its fate involving the 2026 college football season.

Rece Davis, the host of ESPN’s College GameDay recently went on record that he believes that the Irish will break its title drought dating back to 1988 by winning the College Football Playoff this coming campaign. He’s not the first to make this prediction, as Notre Dame has everything you are looking for in a title contender.

They return an elite defense with stars at every level, but most importantly, quarterback CJ Carr. He’s expected to take another leap following his first-year starting, one that could propel him into the NFL draft as a first-round pick.

Head coach Marcus Freeman has assembled an elite group of talent, most likely the most that he’s had since taking over the program. Recruiting has been fantastic over the last few cycles, and the influx of high-end players through the transfer portal has filled gaps in the roster.

Notre Dame is one of the favorites to win the championship this fall, and if it does come to fruition, the program could go to levels that has not been seen in a long time.

TRENDING: College GameDay Host Rece Davis has named Notre Dame as his pick to win the National Championship this season.

He joins Media personalities like Mark Ingram & Stanford Steve on the list of guys who think the Irish will win their first Title since 1988.… pic.twitter.com/SRdQpufO5q

— Ryan Fravel (@Fravel_Ryan) May 9, 2026

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: College football expert predicts Notre Dame to win the 2026 CFP

Texas A&M basketball is in great shape under coach Bucky McMillan, who is entering his second season at the helm after leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament, including an appearance in the Round of 32 before eventually falling to 2-seed Houston. This success was not expected after McMillan, who was the final Power 4 coach hired last April, had to build his entire roster from the transfer portal.

Senior forward Rashaun Agee led the Aggies in scoring and rebounds during his one and only season in College Station, and while he will be tough to replace, the addition of seven players from the transfer portal, led by former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty, who averaged nearly 24 points per game last season, has replenished a roster that was lacking size and a go-to scoring option.

Returning to the roster, forwards Zach Clemence, Jamie Vinson, and Mackenzie Mgbako could all slot in as starters, combined with Haggerty and former NBA G-League guard Bryson Warren, while former LSU guard Jalen Reece is a player on the rise and should serve as the sixth man to provide an offensive spark off the bench.

However, after landing LMU transfer forward Jalen Shelley, Texas A&M's size disadvantage last season has officially ended, as Shelley easily fit in as the starting wing and became a reliable scorer near the rim. While McMillan will likely add at least one more forward to finish the roster and head into the summer, college basketball analyst Any Katz placed the Aggies No. 32 in his preseason Top 40.

With the controversial news that the NCAA Tournament will expand to a 76-team field, predicting any team's future at this point is simply speculation, but it's clear that this new roster possesses the traits needed to thrive in Bucky McMillan's fast-paced, high-scoring system.

🚨 The FIRST-EVER #Power44 from @TheAndyKatz is in 🚨

1. Duke
2. Florida
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. Tennessee
6. UConn
7. Arizona
8. Arkansas
9. Texas
10. Michigan State pic.twitter.com/awqFok4o37

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M basketball ranked 32nd in Andy Katz' Power 44 rankings

The much-anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release is right around the corner.

We know the regular season matchups, with dates to be determined. The 2026 schedule features intriguing showdowns that could potentially be a Super Bowl 61 preview.

Will the Seattle Seahawks defend their title? Can the New England Patriots make it back to the Super Bowl? The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills currently have the four best odds to win Super Bowl 61, according to BetMGM.

SUPER BOWL ODDS: Rams, Seahawks lead the way after 2026 NFL Draft

NFL SCHEDULE: Home and away matchups for all 32 teams

The roadmap to Super Bowl 61 in Los Angeles gets clearer once the schedule is released.

USA TODAY Sports predicts five possible Super Bowl 61 previews during the 2026 regular season.  

1. Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen was visibly emotional after Buffalo squandered a Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow-less postseason. It's unlikely Allen will be able to avoid his QB rivals during a potential playoff run this year. New Bills head coach Joe Brady is under a lot of pressure to get the team further than his predecessor, Sean McDermott. DJ Moore’s arrival is intriguing. Is he the No. 1 wide receiver Buffalo’s been looking for since Stefon Diggs? We’ll find out a lot about Moore when he’s matched up against Rams CB Trent McDuffie.

Puka Nacua and Davante Adams should have a decided advantage versus Buffalo’s secondary. The Rams' offensive line versus Ed Oliver, Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb is an interesting matchup in the trenches.

This interconference tilt is at SoFi Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 61.

2. Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks

The defending champions have a road date in Denver during the regular season. The game presents a juicy matchup between 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year CB Patrick Surtain. Smith-Njigba had just one catch for 10 yards when covered by Surtain in their lone meeting in Week 1 of 2024, but Smith-Njigba wasn’t Seattle’s primary option then. Sam Darnold’s ability to handle Denver’s constant pressures is a key factor in this battle. The Broncos have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past two seasons.

Sean Payton and the Broncos have to feel like their bad injury luck cost them a chance to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 60. Bo Nix is expected to be ready by training camp after a clean-up procedure on his right ankle. Denver re-signed its leading rusher in J.K. Dobbins and bolstered its wide receiving corps with the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle. This Broncos squad appears to be more talented than last year’s group.

3. Los Angeles Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Nobody expects the Chiefs to have two straight losing seasons, right? Patrick Mahomes is rehabbing and eyeing a Week 1 return. The addition of Super Bowl 60 MVP RB Kenneth Walker III will help ease the load off Mahomes and the passing game. On defense, the Chiefs found their Trent McDuffie replacement in Mansoor Delane. The return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy shouldn’t be understated, either. He helps bring accountability to the offense.

The Rams have the most talented team in the NFL entering the season. There’s a reason why they have the best odds (+800) to win Super Bowl 61. The Rams addressed their biggest weakness – pass defense -- this offseason by trading for McDuffie and they sealed a free-agent deal with Jaylen Watson. Matthew Stafford’s durability is a concern at his advanced age, but the 38-year-old didn’t play like a QB pushing 40 during an MVP campaign last season.

More: Patrick Mahomes is 'ahead of schedule'

4. Philadelphia Eagles vs. Houston Texans

Houston’s defense versus Philadelphia’s offense is bound to generate storylines pre- and postgame.

The Texans had a Super Bowl-caliber defense last season, but the unit couldn’t withstand C.J. Stroud’s postseason regression, coupled with five interceptions, which equaled a playoff-high with Bears’ Caleb Williams. The latest out of Houston is Stroud has put in the work this offseason as he hopes to rekindle his 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year magic behind a rebuilt offensive line. The Texans had the NFL’s No. 1 defense last season and are set to return all its key players, plus they added safety Reed Blankenship.

It’s hard to count out the Eagles. The status of A.J. Brown looms large for Philadelphia. With or without Brown, the Eagles’ offensive identity shouldn’t change. They should be a run-oriented football team. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s primary job is to be able to marry the run game with the pass game and revamp what was a basic scheme. The Eagles supplemented the loss of Jaelan Phillipswith Jonathan Greenard. Plus, Philly’s top-10 pass defense should be even stronger with the pickups of corners Riq Woolen and Jonathan Jones.

2026 NFL SCHEDULE: Here's what we already know

5. Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs’ odds to win Super Bowl 61 are at +1600. They are tied with their AFC West rival, the Chargers, for the best Super Bowl odds in the division. Kansas City’s chances are dependent on Patrick Mahomes’ health. The Chiefs' offense should be better with Kenneth Walker III, who will have a revenge matchup against his former club. It’s going to be interesting to see if Rashee Rice can be the go-to target the Chiefs need him to be with an aging Travis Kelce. The Chiefs’ overhauled secondary is expected to start slowly but should improve as greater continuity develops. Rookies Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas could all make immediate impacts on Kansas City’s defense.

The Seahawks’ dark side defense is bound to provide a big test of the Chiefs – plus they know Walker well. Seattle boasted the NFL’s top scoring defense and ranked in the top 10 in both pass rush win rate and run stop win rate last season, per ESPN.

Aside from being a possible Super Bowl 61 preview, this game provides the requisite storylines of a good regular-season opener. The Seahawks can raise their Super Bowl 61 banner, Mahomes’ presumptive return to action, Smith-Njigba vs. Delane, Walker faces his former team and Seattle’s dark side defense against Kansas City’s offense all generate intrigue.

More: Ranking NFL's possible season opener matchups: Who gets first crack at Seahawks?

Honorable mentions:

• New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions
• San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Chargers
• Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL schedule release: Ranking 5 mostly likely Super Bowl 61 showdowns

Midfielder Sam Clucas and defender Tom Anderson are among four players being made available for transfer by Shrewsbury Town.

Clucas, 35, scored twice in 40 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign, while Anderson, 32, played 35 games as Town finished 19th in League Two.

Forwards Ricardo Dinanga and Callum Stewart have also been told they can find new clubs following non-league loan spells during the season.

Captain John Marquis, meanwhile, is one of 10 players to be released by the club when their contracts expire.

Marquis, 33, scored six goals in 43 appearances this season, having joined Shrewsbury from Bristol Rovers in 2024.

Also departing is former Portsmouth midfielder Anthony Scully, who scored five goals in 35 games, along with Mal Benning, Harrison Biggins, Alex Gilliead, Nick Freeman, Jack Loughran, Isaac Godwin, Karsten Cairns and Joe Morris.

Left-back Benning, 32, had been with Shrewsbury since 2023 and played 21 times this season.

Defenders Luca Hoole and Josh Ruffels and midfielder Taylor Perry are considering new deals offered by the club.

• Defender Benning leaving Salop at end of season

There are transfer stories that feel procedural and generated by the media, and then, there are those that feel realistic and quite symbolic. The growing noise around Alejandro Balde firmly falls in the latter category.

FC Barcelona being open to offers is not just about the player or how talented he is. It is about a club that is still caught between financial stability and football identity.

Balde’s name surfaces not because he is surplus, but because he is valuable and one of the more sellable assets in the squad, young, homegrown and crucially profitable on paper.

This is where the danger begins.

Because when a club starts seeing its most unique profiles as accounting opportunities, it risks repeating an all-too-familiar cycle. Balde is not yet a finished article, but he is on his way to becoming a solution in the future.

The case for selling: logic, not emotion

Let’s be clear here: the argument to sell Balde is not completely irrational. In fact, it is precisely because it sounds reasonable that it must be carefully dissected.

There are concerns and real ones at that. His percentile radar, as shown in the data, paints a fascinating but incomplete player.

Defensively, he stands out, with elite duelling success in the 98th percentile, strong recovery presence and excellent ball retention under pressure. These are not minor traits. They are structural.

But, the attacking side tells a different story.

His progressive passing sits low. His crossing output lacks consistency. The scatter plot reinforces this theory, depicting high ball-carrying frequency but limited progression through passing.

He moves well on the pitch but doesn’t always connect well, especially in the final third.

For a player tasked with holding the entire left wing in Hansi Flick’s system, such numbers do not make an argument in his favour.

Then, with Balde, there is also the case of availability. Injuries have been a constant part of his career so far, interrupting his rhythm and preventing continuity, the one thing young players generally need the most.

The version of Balde that exploded on the scene and kept Jordi Alba out has not been seen enough in the coming years.

And Barcelona, as always, need money. Immediate, tangible money.

So yes, if you reduce the football to columns and numbers, the argument writes itself: sell now, invest and reinforce. But football needs to be looked at beyond the mere numbers.

The hidden value that data fails to capture

The same data that raises doubts also quietly defends him. Balde’s ball carrying remains elite. His ability to break lines of pressure with the ball at his feet isn’t just frequent; it’s instinctive.

His ball-carrying template highlights this clearly: high penetration, high speed, but low effectiveness in final actions.

The last phase does not mean Balde cannot produce. It is just that this aspect of his game is underdeveloped, as things stand. That is something that is very coachable.

His post-recovery sequences tell another story, one that is easy to miss if you only focus on assists and crosses.

A 92.4% passing accuracy after regaining possession, controlled transitions and immediate forward intent.

He is not chaotic. He is selective. More importantly, he is not a player who is failing. He is just unfinished.

The tactical truth: speed is not optional

Barcelona’s current and future tactical structure, at least as long as Hansi Flick is in charge, demands something very specific from its full-backs.

In a team that pushes high, presses from the front and compresses space, defensive speed becomes non-negotiable. It is what allows risk to exist in the first place and Balde is fundamental to that.

His defensive duel percentile shows that he is a safety net. When Barcelona lose the ball high, more often than not, he is the best bet to stop a transition.

Therefore, replacing Balde is not just about finding another left-back. It’s about finding one who can match his recovery pace, carry the ball through pressure, understand positional play and still have room to grow.

That player does not exist easily. And certainly not for €50 million.

Yes, there is Cancelo, who they can choose to keep permanently, but his strengths and Balde’s are as different as night and day.

The illusion of the “complete” full-back

Modern football has created a dangerous expectation: every full-back must be complete.

Cross like a winger, defend like a centre-back, and create chances like a midfielder. Balde is not that player. Not yet.

Selling Balde would be a mistake. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

To be fair, very few in world football are. Balde’s current limitations, particularly in crossing and final-third decision-making, are often symptoms of a team still searching for attacking clarity.

Fix the structure, and you often fix the player. Sell the player, and you reset the problem.

In many ways, Barcelona have a complete full-back in their ranks between Balde and Cancelo and even that is a luxury for most teams around the world.

La Masia, identity, and the cost of impatience

There is also a deeper layer to this conversation. Balde is not just a left-back. He is part of a lineage.

A La Masia graduate. A player who understands spacing instinctively. A footballer shaped by the club’s positional DNA rather than imported into it. Barcelona have spent years trying to rebuild that identity.

Selling Balde would be a contradiction. A club preaching development wouldn’t do themselves in favours by cashing in on an elite talent prematurely.

The onus is on the club to help him develop into a better version of himself.

Not perfect but necessary

All this leaves Barcelona with a decision that feels fairly simple but isn’t. Yes, Balde has flaws. His game needs refinement. His output must improve. His body must hold up. None of these can be ignored.

But, crucially, none of this justifies a sale this summer. Not at this stage of Barcelona’s rebuild.

Because what Balde offers is far more valuable than a paycheck can. Selling him would solve a short-term problem. Keeping him, however, could solve a long-term one.

Balde has a lot of years left to spend in a Blaugrana jersey, and let’s hope the club think along the same lines and resist pulling the plug prematurely.

*Data source: Tools developed by X/pranav_m28 and DataMB

With the tournament in North America edging ever closer, the honorary president of FC Bayern Munich remains far from convinced by the current state of the German national side.

Speaking in an interview with the FAZ, Hoeneß took aim at Nagelsmann’s approach and in particular the absence of a settled starting XI. “If Germany manages to become a cohesive team even though the coach hasn’t managed to field the same starting eleven twice in a row – then we have a chance,” Hoeneß explained.

The 74-year-old had already voiced similar concerns in a recent interview with DAZN, where he argued that Nagelsmann rotates too frequently and is still yet to establish a clear system or preferred lineup.

Now, however, Hoeneß has sharpened his criticism even further. “I can’t say that at all, because the German team has never played with the same lineup twice in a row,” he said when discussing Germany’s World Cup prospects.

Hoeneß also questioned the uncertainty surrounding several major positions within the squad.

“Who is our center forward? Who plays goalkeeper? Who is the right-back, who is the left-back?” he asked publicly before warning: “If things continue like this, we will end up sending a team onto the pitch for the first World Cup match that has never played together before. And that’s unacceptable.”

Later in the interview, Hoeneß appeared to draw an indirect comparison between Nagelsmann and Vincent Kompany, praising the work currently being done at Bayern Munich.

“The situation is the same as with us. Before the season, everyone said: The squad is too small, the squad isn’t good enough,” explained the long-time Bayern chief.

In Hoeneß’s view, Kompany succeeded in doing exactly what Germany are currently lacking. “But then the coach improved all the players, and above all, he forged them into a team.”

The Bayern honorary president then delivered what many will interpret as a direct swipe at Nagelsmann’s philosophy. “But our national coach believes he’ll win the game. No, the team will win the game,” the 74-year-old declared.

With those remarks, Hoeneß underlined his belief that success at international level is built less on experimentation and tactical reshuffling, and more on creating a settled, united team capable of functioning together on the pitch.

Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa spoke to the press this Saturday in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s (10) clash against Barcelona, El Clásico.

And, as expected, the fight between Valverde and Tchouameni was one of the most discussed topics.

The coach gave his version of the controversy involving his teammates, who were punished and fined by the merengue club.

I am very proud of the club’s firmness, speed, and transparency. And also of the fact that the players acknowledged their mistake, showed remorse, and apologized. For me, that is enough."

"Valverde and Tchouameni deserve for us to turn the page and give them a chance to keep fighting for this club. I am very proud of them. I will not allow this to be used to cast doubt on their professionalism: it is a lie that they are not professionals or that they have disrespected me... it is absolutely untrue," the coach stressed.

On top of that, Arbeloa guaranteed that Tchouameni will be included in the squad for El Clásico and said he is "very happy with the work of his four captains."

Controversies involving Carvajal and Mbappé

The manager also denied reports of problems with some players, such as Carvajal. "It is a lie that any of them are not playing because of problems with me or because of their life outside Real Madrid. I am the first person responsible for the fact that the season is certainly not up to standard. But I have been here for four months and I am very proud of my players."

"What I am not going to do is burn them at a public stake, because they do not deserve it," Arbeloa stressed, also saying that he sees a "healthy dressing room."

Asked about Mbappé’s attitude, the coach was direct: "Anyone who wants to take out of context the fact that a player leaves training smiling is distorting things. I can only vouch for him, for his work and for the way he treats me. When he played, it was because he deserved it, and when he did not play, it was because someone else deserved it more."

Betrayal and leaks

Finally, Arbeloa did not hold back in criticizing the reports that came out of the dressing room: "For things that happened inside the dressing room to be leaked seems like a betrayal of Real Madrid and its badge to me."

"I am not accusing my players, or anyone. There are a lot of people at Real Madrid and I am not here to point the finger at anyone. What happens with my players will stay between them and me," he concluded.

Sunday’s El Clásico will be played at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. (Brasília time).

Barcelona come into the clash as clear leaders with 78 points, holding an important advantage at the top of the table.

Real Madrid are right behind them in second place with 72 points.

With only four rounds left in the championship after this weekend, the match at the Santiago Bernabéu is the last big opportunity for Los Blancos to cut the gap and reopen the La Liga title race.

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

Liverpool could put themselves on the brink of Champions League qualification this afternoon if they extend Chelsea’s losing streak in the Premier League to seven matches when the teams meet at Anfield at lunchtime.

Three points for the Reds, coupled with Bournemouth failing to win at Fulham later in the day, would ensure that Arne Slot’s side are in Europe’s primary club competition for next season with two matches to spare in this campaign.

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It’s a scenario which seemed rather fanciful just a few weeks ago when, either side of the spring international break, LFC suffered sobering defeats away to Brighton, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, but a post-Easter revival has improved the outlook significantly.

Liverpool will be without the likes of Mo Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Alisson Becker for the visit of Chelsea, although the Reds boss was hopeful on Friday of having Alexander Isak and Giorgi Mamardashvili back fit for this game.

The starting XI for this afternoon’s fixture has now been confirmed.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool starting XI to face Chelsea

There are three changes from the Liverpool side which began the defeat at Old Trafford last weekend.

Mamardashvili has indeed returned between the sticks, while Milos Kerkez is restored at left-back in place of Andy Robertson. Curtis Jones is set to continue at right-back, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate the central partnership as usual.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister start in midfield once more, although one change to the attack sees Rio Ngumoha come in to start in place of Florian Wirtz, who’s absent from the matchday squad.

There is at least a return for Isak on the bench, with Robertson’s experience providing the antidote to the youthful exuberance of fellow substitutes Kieran Morrison, Trey Nyoni, Will Wright and Mor Talla Ndiaye.

Mamardashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha; Gakpo.

You can view the Liverpool starting XI and substitutes below, via @LFC on X:

Chelsea face Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League in just over an hour, and the team news for the game is in!

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

Robert Sanchez’s nasty collision on Thursday has ruled him out of this game, meaning Filip Jorgensen returns to play in goal for the first time since his horror error against PSG in the Champions League.

After that, things get weird. It looks like a back three, with Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato and Levi Colwill at centre back.

Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto would then be a wing backs. Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos play as the double pivot, with Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez playing off Joao Pedro up top.

That means Romeo Lavia and Trevoh Chalobah, regulars from recent games, have been dropped.

The formation change was predictable, given we’re so short of attacking options. Liam Delap is the only senior attacker on the bench. Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Mathis Eboue are called up from the youth team.

Reece James, sounded close to being fit for a start today, is also present on the bench.

Here are the full team line-ups for Liverpool vs Chelsea (kick off at 12:30 GMT)

CHELSEA:

Chelsea’s team to face Liverpool.

In other news…

Joe Cole has suggested that Chelsea could bring in two veteran free transfers this summer to help the rest of their squad.

Chelsea are set to compete with Crystal Palace for two of their top manager targets it seems.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CHELSEA NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON THE APP STORE

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

The English Football League (EFL) has charged Southampton after accusations of spying on their play-off opponents Middlesbrough ahead of their first-leg clash on Saturday.

The charges relate to “alleged unauthorised filming on private property” ahead of the game.

“Southampton Football Club has today been charged with a breach of EFL Regulations, and the matter will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission.,” the EFL said in a statement.

“This follows a request from the EFL for the club’s observations after a complaint from Middlesbrough relating to alleged unauthorised filming on private property ahead of the two clubs meeting in Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship Play-Off semi-final first leg.

“Under EFL Regulations, Southampton would ordinarily have 14 days to respond to the charges. However, given the nature of the matter, the EFL will ask the Independent Disciplinary Commission to shorten the response period and to list a hearing at the earliest opportunity. ”

Southampton response

“Southampton Football Club acknowledges the statement issued by the EFL in relation to alleged breaches of EFL Regulations.

“We can confirm that we will be fully cooperating with the League throughout this process.

“Given the ongoing nature of the matter, the club is unable to comment any further at this time.”

LPL 2026 draft introduces bizarre rule: 250k followers on social media needed to register as Icon or Star player originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Sri Lanka's Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 demands 250k+ social media followers for Icon and Star player registration in their draft.
• Foreign player registration portal opens May 8, closing on May 18, 2026.
• The sixth LPL edition runs from July 10 to August 5 across four venues.

No followers, no deal! What do the Lankan Premier League registration rules say?

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had published the player category qualification criteria ahead of the sixth season of the LPL, and the document covers six distinct categories: Icon, Star, Gold, Classic, Associate Stars, and Local Emerging U23 players. And one condition stands out for all the wrong reasons.

Both the Icon and Star categories carry identical social media conditions; a following exceeding 250,000, described as essential alongside a large fan base and commercial appeal.

MORE: Is it the end of captain SKY era? Suryakumar Yadav's IPL and T20I form could cost him India spot

The Gold category sets the bar slightly lower at 150,000 followers. Classic and Associate Stars categories list fan base and commercial appeal as requirements, but stop short of putting a number on it.

The Local Emerging U23 category, reserved for Sri Lankan players under 23 who were born after July 1, 2003, has no such social media clause at all.

Whereas, cricketing eligibility requires that icon players must have played 75 T20 internationals, over 100 franchise T20 matches, and at least 30 matches in the past 18 months. Whereas, Star players require 50 T20Is, over 100 franchise games, and 30 matches in the last 18 months.

However, it has been reported that after facing significant online backlash, the condition has been reportedly revoked.

MORE: IPL 2026 Crackdown: PBKS bans Arshdeep’s vlogging

When does the LPL registration window open?

The online portal for overseas player registration opened on May 8, 2026, and can be accessed through the official SLC website at www.srilankacricket.lk. The window will stay open until May 18.

When does LPL 2026 start?

LPL is scheduled to run from July 10 to August 5. It is a return to the mid-year calendar slot the LPL had previously occupied.

This edition had originally been pencilled in for late 2025, with dates between November 27 and December 23, but SLC pushed it back to prioritise venue renovation for the men's T20 World Cup, which Sri Lanka co-hosted with India earlier this year in February and March. 

The Cricket News Opinion: When did cricket become an influencer contest?

The social media follower rule, to put it plainly, was odd. The idea that a cricketer with 10,000 T20 internationals under their belt and 249,999 followers somehow falls short of the Icon standard is the kind of logic that makes you question the eligibility criteria.

The LPL is a young tournament still building its identity. Chasing social media reach through player criteria rather than through the quality of cricket on show felt like the wrong shortcut. The removal of the condition is a step in the right direction.

To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.

Even after losing the likes of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, the Wisconsin Badgers are still among Andy Katz's top 44 teams.

In the first-ever Power 44, Wisconsin earned a No. 36 ranking. Duke, Blackwell's new home, tops the rankings at No. 1.

Fellow Big Ten teams, No. 3 Michigan, and No. 4 Illinois, find themselves in the top five. In total, 12 Big Ten teams were in the Power 44.

Katz may have the Badgers as a bottom-nine team in this set of rankings, but even making the Power 44 proves there's still a lot Wisconsin has to look forward to next season.

🚨 The FIRST-EVER #Power44 from @TheAndyKatz is in 🚨

1. Duke
2. Florida
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. Tennessee
6. UConn
7. Arizona
8. Arkansas
9. Texas
10. Michigan State pic.twitter.com/awqFok4o37

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

All in all, Austin Rapp and Nolan Winter are the only returning players in Greg Gard's starting lineup. There's still time for things to change, but incoming freshman Owen Foxwell, along with transfers Trey Autry and Eian Elmer are projected to round things out.

Gard's incoming freshman class has some talent, and he did a great job in the portal as he also brought in Victory Onuetu. A good majority of his bench players are returning for the 2026-27 season, one that would be considered a success if the Badgers simply made it out of the first round.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin men's basketball earns bottom-nine ranking in Katz' Power 44

Liverpool Confirmed Starting XI vs Chelsea

Liverpool return to action after last Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United and Arne Slot will be hoping for a reaction from his players.

The Reds host Chelsea at Anfield, where a win would secure Champions League qualification for next season. 

Prior to the defeat to Man United, Liverpool had won three games on the bounce against Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Chelsea have had their own struggles, losing their last six Premier League games and only scoring one goal in that run.

Interim head coach Calum McFarlane remains in charge, after Liam Rosenior was sacked after the 3-0 defeat to Brighton two weeks ago.

Liverpool Team News

Giorgi Mamardashvili returned to training yesterday and could replace Freddie Woodman in goal. Alisson Becker remains absent.

After a brief scare this week, Ibrahima Konate is available for selection. The same applies for Florian Wirtz, who missed training on Wednesday through illness.

Alexander Isak also returned to training yesterday and is in contention for a return, but Mohamed Salah will just miss out on this occasion.

Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Jayden Danns and Hugo Ekitike all remain sidelined with long-term issues.

Liverpool Confirmed XI

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Gakpo, Ngumoha.

Liverpool and Chelsea have confirmed their starting lineups for this afternoon's Premier League clash at Anfield.

The Reds were narrowly defeated last time out against bitter rivals Manchester United, while Chelsea suffered a shock defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.

Both sides will be searching for a crucial three points today, with the Reds closing in on qualification for next season's Champions League, while Chelsea face a fight to stay within contention for European qualification overall.

The big news for Liverpool is that striker Alexander Isak returns to the squad and has a place on the bench, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is back fit and in the XI.

Florian Wirtz, however, misses out through illness.

So, here's a look at how both sides shape up at Anfield in the early Premier League kick-off.

Who will come out on top today?

There will be nine international games taking place this season in the NFL, two of which will be played by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before the NFL schedule release on May 14, one analyst attempted to predict who the Jaguars' opponents would be for those two games.

What we do know right now is who the Jaguars 17 opponents will be in 2026 and that they will be the home team for the two London games, which narrows down the pool of potential opponents.

As the home team this season, the Jaguars are scheduled to face Houston, Tennessee, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, and New England.

So who does CBS Sports' John Breech think the Jaguars will play in their two games in London?

His first prediction is that the Jaguars play an AFC opponent -- either Cleveland or Tennessee, is Breech's guess.

"On the AFC side, let's start with the Titans," wrote Breech. "The NFL usually tries to avoid sending divisional games overseas, but it has happened before. As for the Browns, they've never played an international game as the visiting team, so this would break new ground."

The second game, Breech predicts, will be against an NFC team -- either Philadelphia or Washington.

"On the NFC side, there are only two options: the Eagles or Commanders," Breech wrote. "Although Washington is already set to host a game in London this year, the NFL could have the Commanders play back-to-back games there, with one as the home team and one as the visiting team. As for Philadelphia, the Eagles have only played two international games in franchise history, which is tied for the second-fewest in the league, so the NFL could send them abroad."

Playing in London has become the norm for the Jaguars. Except for the 2020 NFL season, the Jaguars have played in London every year since 2013. This will be the third time that they will have played back-to-back games in London as well.

Overall, the Jaguars are 7-7 in those 14 games played abroad.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL schedule: Analyst predicts who Jaguars play in London games

It’s not every day a UFC fighter threatens to shoot another Octagon combatant.

With UFC 328 just hours away, how did we get to the point that Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland are openly threatening one another and throwing kicks at face-offs? This is a very high-level matchup and interesting style clash that would surely draw well already, yet it feels like the feud is only ramping up further as the bout approaches.

Before the Middleweights actually throw down with gold on the line, let’s establish a timeline and explain how this beef began in the first place.

Origins

In 2022, Khamzat Chimaev and his Smesh Bro Darren Till visited Las Vegas to train at Xtreme Couture, Sean Strickland’s primary gym. At the time, Chimaev was still a Welterweight contender, getting ready to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 279. When the two were competing in different divisions, they were willing to train together and seemed friendly enough.

“Be nice,” Strickland told Chimaev. “Khamzat, understand you’re better than everybody, so just don’t hurt people.”

Who got the better of those sparring sessions remains a topic of debate to this day.

Title Contentions

In the fall of 2023, Sean Strickland was UFC champion, while both Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis were angling for a shot at Dricus du Plessis’ Middleweight crown. At UFC 294, Chimaev picked up a close majority decision win over a very short-notice Kamaru Usman in one of the toughest tests of his career. Strickland was not impressed by the win and argued that Chimaev’s Welterweight success shouldn’t equal a Middleweight title fight.

“The only thing I like about Chimaev is that he sells fights,” Strickland said. “For some reason, people f—ing like him or don’t like him. I don’t know. To me, he’s a f—ing paycheck. He sells a lot of fights. People pay to watch, but he f—ing hasn’t earned it. He doesn’t f—ing deserve it, but here we are.”

A month later, UFC snubbed Chimaev and awarded du Plessis the shot at UFC 297.

Gym War Stories

The feud began to escalate when stories of the sparring session emerges.

At first, rumors claimed that Welterweight “Borz” dominated the top Middleweight contender in their 2022 training sessions. Strickland’s coach denied that narrative, and Strickland himself claimed to have gotten the better of Khamzat. No video was released at the time, but both fighters insisted they were the better man in the training room.

“He said he beat me in sparring,” Chimaev said in July 2024. “But there were a lot of guys around who saw me choking him and beating him up. It was even recorded on camera. So, we also have some unfinished business. It would be good to see who’s better inside the Octagon.”

Getting Personal

Ahead of the du Plessis vs. Strickland rematch at UFC 312, the beef between Strickland and Chimaev really started to heat up. On social media, Chimaev made fun of Strickland for his emotional appearance on the Theo Von podcast (watch it), where Strickland discussed his abusive upbringing.

“Why are you baby crying all the time?” Chimaev tweeted above a picture from 2011 of Strickland with his dad. “Father didn’t give you love or he showed his love to you too much?”

Strickland went ballistic in response. He went after Chimaev’s fancy new United Arab Emirates passport and relationship with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadryov.

“Here’s the thing, my dad did hit me with some beer bottles once or twice lmao,” Strickland replied. “I will admit it, made me the man I am today … but I guarantee this little w—re sucked off Kadyrov … obviously not good enough because you had to flee your country.”

This would not be the last time Strickland attacked Chimaev’s relationship with Kadryov, and Chimaev brought up Strickland’s abusive father just last week! Alongside the gym drama, these are the two primary motifs of their feud.

An Inactive Champion?

In February 2026, Strickland trashed Chimaev for failing to defend his belt following his August 2025 victory over du Plessis. Again referencing Kadyrov, Strickland argued that “Borz” has no motivation to bother defending his belt because of his financial backing.

“It’s kinda weird what the UFC did with Chimaev,” Strickland said. “You brought a guy in that fights once a year who’s like Madonna, who gets like, how much money does that dictator give him under the table? Like, the guy doesn’t need to fight, dude. He’s best friends with a warlord. He doesn’t need to fight. Dude gets gifted G-Wagons.”

“So you have somebody who is just gonna sit on a belt and wait and wait until they force him to fight. They wanted him to fight Nassourdine [Imavov], whatever the guy’s name is. He’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t wanna fight you, my brother.’ Like, what are you talking about? It’s not how the sport works, dude. Like, go fight that guy!”

One month later, Khamzat vs. Strickland was official for UFC 328.

Extra Curricular Violence

In the couple months since the matchup was booked, the big concern has been violence expanding outside of the Octagon. Even UFC CEO Dana White admitted that extra security was needed to keep the duo apart and ensure the fight could play out as planned!

“If he dies, he dies.”

Strickland, naturally, did very little to calm the situation. When he was in the same part of southern California as the champion, he dropped his location and invited a street fight. Khamzat pointed out that Strickland was all alone and susceptible to getting jumped by the massive “Borz” entourage, and Strickland answered simply that he would shoot them.

“All I’m gonna do, I’ll pull my gun out of my shoe,” Strickland replied. “If [Chimaev] were to come up to me like a man and say, ‘You know what, Sean? You said some things about my dad [Ramzan] Kadyrov.’ And I’m like, well you know what dude? You wh–ed yourself out, not me. ‘I wanna settle this.’ I would say, ‘Let’s settle this like men.

“But if you come up to me with three f–king Chechens that don’t speak English, I’m gonna pull my gun and I’m gonna shoot each and every one of you,” he added.

Fortunately, no shots have been fired. At the UFC 328 pre-fight presser, Khamzat did manage to land a cowardly kick to the nuts, which is currently the extent off the pre-fight action. For further fisticuffs, we’ll (hopefully) have to wait until the main event gets started later tonight.

If you’re of a certain age, you may remember the SNL skit Taco Town, a satirical send up of American restaurants’ tendency to embiggen portion sizes until they challenge the very concept of human dignity. In the sketch’s most memorable line, a babyfaced Andy Samberg yells “Pizza! Now that’s what I call a taco!”

I yelled that same thing myself with the recent news that the NCAA basketball tournament is expanding to 76 teams starting next year. I’m not terribly sentimental about college basketball since I only watch it in the spring as tourney time nears, but this is a craven decision that no fan wants and that will only make the sport worse and less interesting. It signals, once again, a growth-at-all-costs mindset on the part of the sport’s leadership (meaning Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti) with no regard for the fans or the student-athletes (are we still calling them that?).

What concerns me more is that this probably means a 24-team football playoff is inevitable. 

Realistically, the 24-team format was probably a foregone conclusion as soon as the BCS shuffled off this mortal coil. I suppose we should count our blessings that it took more than a decade for the greedy vampire squids who run this sport to decide to woodchipper it beyond recognition. If you’re in favor of a bigger playoff, I won’t try to change your mind. But as I remain a disciple of Senator Blutarsky, here are my reasons for skepticism. 

The Regular Season Is Meaningless (for Some Teams)

On this week’s episode of Split Zone Duo, Bill Connelly said that a 24-team playoff means Ohio State will never play another meaningful regular season game again. The same is probably true for a dozen other major brands in the sport who are never going to be in danger of missing the playoff. Even as a fan of a team in that group, that’s bad!

The traditional narrative about college football is that it had the Most Important Regular Season of any sport because so few teams earned a title shot. For most of the sport’s history, a team had almost no margin for error if it wanted to fulfill its greatest ambitions. Now, with 24 spots, mulligans for the bluebloods will abound. Losing to a rival may sting, but it won’t derail a season like it once did. Of course, thanks to NIL and more player freedom, a dark horse may break through — Indiana is the reigning champion, after all — but more chances for established powers with better player development systems and better prep recruiting will likely serve to consolidate titles in the same hands. 

I’m not saying we have to stuff the genie all the way back in the bottle, but 12 playoff spots is enough. Sometimes we need a postseason without Ohio State, Alabama, and even GASP Georgia in it for the games to have stakes. 

It’s Not About Inclusion

I think most people are cynical enough about the motives of college football leadership to know that the expanded playoff isn’t designed to give the G6 more opportunities. But take a look at the final CFP rankings from last year. There are only three G6 teams on the list, with two of them ranked below an 8-4 Iowa team despite having fewer losses. Plus, the committee has already implemented rule changes to prevent two G6 teams from ever making the 12-team field again after the debacle with Duke winning and ACC and Notre Dame getting left out last year.

Sankey and Petitti aren’t going to advocate for a bigger playoff so they can see Navy or East Carolina vying for a championship. In a 24-team field, spots 18 through 24 are primarily going to an 8-4 Mizzou team. What you’re going to get is the Reliaquest Bowl rebranded as a playoff game.

The Expanded Playoff Won’t Solve Coach Firings/Buyouts

One of the reasons I’m most certain that expansion is coming is because coaches are consolidating around the idea. That’s probably because they believe a bigger playoff means better job security. Coaches can point to making the playoff field as evidence of success for their program to engender goodwill and keep themselves employed. 

Well, coaches, I have bad news for you. When you take this job, you’re holding a wolf by the ears. What the boosters want is a championship, not making the field, and they behave as responsibly with their money as a sailor on shore leave. Gone are the days where a Mark Richt-type will get a decade-plus to deliver a national title. 

Do you think I’m wrong about this? Well, let’s look at some recent trends. Gus Malzahn set a record with a buyout of just over $21 million when Auburn fired him at the end of the Covid season in 2020. That’s after he nearly won a national championship in his first year and almost made the playoff again in 2017 to say nothing of his work as OC there prior to his head coaching stint. Since then, Jimbo Fisher, Brian Kelly, James Franklin, and Mark Stoops have all eclipsed that total. Fisher has a national championship, Kelly is the winningest coach in the history of one of college football’s legacy programs, Franklin is the second-winningest coach in Penn State history, and Stoops is the winngest coach in Kentucky history. But none of them won a title at that current school, and that’s what mattered.

One team out of 138 can win a championship each year. Everybody else is in danger of the pink slip, and making the tournament as a 15 seed isn’t going to save you for long.

The Controversy Won’t Go Away 

After last season ended with a stupid, engineered controversy, I wrote about how further expansion wouldn’t solve the problem. There is no way to objectively determine a champion in a sport with this bizarre structure. That’s the whole point! If anything, expanding the playoff will just make the arguments worse and more annoying.

I don’t know what it will take to get me to stop watching college football, but I have a feeling I’m going to find out.

Tim Walter makes two changes from the victory over Braunschweig as Ivan Nekic and Umut Tohumcu replace Ikem Ugoh and Frederik Roslyng.

Petrik Sander makes one change from the win against Hertha as Dariusz Stalmach comes in for Silas Gnaka. 

Confirmed Holstein Kiel vs. 1. FC Magdeburg lineups

Holstein Kiel (4-5-1): Weiner (GK) - Rosenboom, Zec, Nekic, Ivezić - Kaprálik, Meffert, Davidsen, Tohumcu, Therkelsen - Harres

1. FC Magdeburg (4-3-3): Reimann (GK) - Bockhorn, Mathisen, Hugonet, Musonda - Stalmach, Michel, Ulrich - Nollenberger, Żukowski, Atik 

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While the Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, their American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids is halfway to capturing its third Calder Cup championship.

The Griffins closed out their series against the Manitoba Moose with a 5-2 victory at Van Andel Arena, powered by a pair of goals from Carter Mazur and a highlight-reel tally from Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

SURVIVED & ADVANCE 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ewJIHfAv5F

— y-Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) May 9, 2026

With the win, Grand Rapids advanced to the Central Division Finals, where they will battle the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Mazur, Detroit's third-round selection (70th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft, upped his playoff goal total to four with his second straight two-goal performance for the Griffins.

This season with the Red Wings, he appeared in eight games but didn't register a point. 

Sandin-Pellikka, who made the Red Wings' roster out of Training Camp, scored a highlight-reel second-period goal for the Griffins, who also got goals from Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Eduards Tralmaks.

It was Tralmaks who opened the scoring in the first period on the power-play for Grand Rapids. While Manitoba knotted the score, Sandin-Pellikka restored the lead, and Brandsegg-Nygård added an early third-period tally.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka Scores Filthy Goal For Griffins Detroit Red Wings defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who has his first year in the NHL under his belt, will be on highlight reels everywhere.

Like Sandin-Pellikka, Brandsegg-Nygård also made Detroit's roster out of Training Camp, but was returned to the Griffins after registering an assist in 12 NHL games. 

After making it 4-1, Mazur added his second goal of the evening into the vacated Moose net with goaltender Thomas Milic, who was making his first start of the series, on the bench for an extra attacker 

Griffins goaltender Michal Postava continues to author an impressive stretch of play in his first season in North America, making 19 saves. 

Game 1 between the Griffins and Wolves is scheduled for Thursday in Grand Rapids. 

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Toledo Mud Hens 10, Memphis Redbirds 4 (b0x)

Sawyer Gipson-Long returned off the injury list for this one, and was pretty meh, but he did a lot better than lefty Pete Hansen did against the Hens.

Gipson-Long gave up two runs in the top of the first, and then another run before departing in the fourth.

It mattered little as the Hens scored seven in the second inning. Max Anderson led off with a double to left and Jace Jung singled to right. A sacrifice fly from Corey Julks scored Anderson, and Tyler Gentry walked. A soft serve single from Tomas Nido loaded the bases, and a Ben Malgeri grounder scored Jung but forced Gentry at third. Max Clark striped a line drive single to right to score Nido, and Paul De Jong walked. A Gage Workman triple cleared the bases, and Workman then scored on a wild pitch after the Redbirds had gone to the bullpen to replace Hansen. 7-2 Hens.

Workman doubled with one out in the fifth and took third on a wild pitch. Anderson walked, and Jung singled in Workman. A grounder to second from Julks went for an error, and Anderson scored to make it 9-3. Workman would then double in DeJong in the sixth to make it 10-3.

Woo-Suk Go fired three scoreless innings in the sixth, seventh, and eighth in his return to Toledo.

Workman: 3-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, 2 K

Jung: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Gipson-Long: 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The series is even heading into a 5:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

Erie SeaWolves 9, Harrisburg Senators 1 (box)

The SeaWolves got a decent outing from Joe Miller and played well behind him in this one as they pounded out 14 hits to win easily once again. Currently the SeaWolves are in the opposite gear of the Whitecaps, winning their ninth straight on Friday.

Andrew Jenkins singled and scored on an Izaac Pacheco single in the second inning to start the scoring. In the third, Aaron Antonini walked and rode home on Brett Callahan’s sixth home runs of the season. Chirs Meyers would single in Jenkins later in the inning to make it 4-0 SeaWolves.

In the fourth, Callahan reached on a fielder’s choice and then stole second, scoring on a John Peck single. In the fifth, Jenkins and Meyers both singled, and with one out, Pacheco singled in Jenkins and Joe Campagna tripled in Meyers and Pacheco to make it 8-0.

A Pacheco error led to the Senators scoring a run on Milleri in the fifth. Yosber Sanchez cleaned this up and tossed a perfect sixth as well. Luke Taggart handled the seventh. Trevin Michael tossed the eighth.

Thayron Liranzo has been scuffling since his return from the injured list two weeks ago, but he led off the ninth with a solo shot hitting right-handed. Tyler Owens closed this one out and seems bound for Toledo again fairly soon. Woo-Suk Go was promoted to Toledo on Friday as well after a strong start to the year.

Jenkins: 3-5, 3 R

Callahan: 1-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K, SB

Pacheco: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 3 K

Miller: 4.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Harrisburg on Saturday.

Dayton Dragons 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)

The misery of the Whitecaps continued as their losing streak stretched to 12 games on Friday night.

There isn’t too much to report. Rayner Castillo’s struggles continued as he allowed a pair of home runs and four runs, three earned total. He struck out three and walked three over 4 1/3 innings, and there’s still no sign of the easy 95-96 mph sinker he was slinging in 2024 and early 2025.

Carlos Lequerica was knocked around for four runs in relief. Garrett Pennington had the only two hits for the ‘Caps. Bryce Rainer had the night off.

Pennington: 2-4, 2B

Castillo (L, 0-4): 4.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 2:00 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 11, St. Lucie Mets 4 (box)

Troy Melton fired three perfect innings in his rehab outing, and the Flying Tigers mauled a pretty good pitching prospect in the Mets’ Cam Tilly.

Melton struck out five and needed just 27 pitches to collect those nine straight outs. His velocity wasn’t quite peak, but he was 95-96 mph the whole outing, racking up a ton of whiffs on fastballs and sliders.

Jude Warwick gave him an early lead to work with when the second baseman cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. That was his first of the year. It would be Warwick sparking an eight-run inning off Tilly in the third. He led off with a double, and Jordan Yost singled. Zach MacDonald lined a single to center that got away from the Mets center fielder and Warwick scored. Beau Ankeney cranked a three-run shot to make it 5-0, and Carson Rucker followed that up with a triple. Edian Espinal and Javier Osorio followed with singles, and by the time the Mets went to the bullpen, Warwick was up again and smoked a three-run shot to right field to make it 9-0 Lakeland.

Conner Seabold rehabbed with a solid inning in the fourth. Jan Carabello took over and had some trouble, giving up four runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Jose Guzman gentled the Mets down with two scoreless innings.

In the eighth, Carson Rucker doubled in MacDonald, and Espinal tripled in Rucker to make it 11-4 where it ended.

Warwick: 3-5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, 2 HR, K

Rucker: 3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, 3B, K

Yost: 2-4, R, BB

Espinal: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, BB, K

Melton: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers are up 3-1 in the series with first pitch on Saturday set for 6:00 p.m. ET.

Q: Ira, I thought it was interesting when I spun the lottery machine and it came up with the Heat at No. 2 (total transparency, it took 21 tries), they had the Heat taking Darryn Peterson over Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Isn’t another big man what we need? – Lance.

A: What a team that finished in 10th place in consecutive seasons and has been in the play-in the last four years needs is talent. And with silky scoring ability, Darryn Peterson arguably stands as too talented to overlook. Yes, there is not much in the Heat power rotation at the moment beyond Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, and, yes, the Heat have Tyler Herro and other wing options. But the Heat previously went for size over best available (in 2020, with Precious Achiuwa over Tyrese Maxey) and highly doubt they would go in that direction again. All of that said, the Heat would be ecstatic in such a loaded, top-heavy lottery to wind up with any of the first four picks. There might be hard decisions there, but seemingly also ample easy answers.

Related Articles

• Submit your “Ask Ira” question here!

Q: Some of the teams that lost in the first round seem interested in moving some of their players. Do you see any trade opportunities for the Heat with these teams?  – Jake, Hollywood.

A: Always. But the issue also is the waiting game with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Look, has there ever been a time when the Heat didn’t chase Kevin Durant when it was believed he could be on the move? Plus, the draft lottery could leave any of the lottery teams with potential redundancies on their roster. We should know more about trade options in coming days, especially as the second round of the playoffs winds down. Remember, as soon as a team is eliminated from the playoffs it can make trades with any other team that is eliminated (with impending free agents off-limits).

Q: If we gutted the team for Giannis Antetokounmpo, are we even that much better than the Bucks? – Scout.

A: Guess that comes down to what you think of a potential Heat starting lineup of Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell.

Manchester United’s Focus Shifts After Champions League Qualification Secured

With Champions League qualification for next season now secured, Michael Carrick has a chance to rotate his Manchester United squad as they prepare to face Sunderland. The Red Devils clinched their place in Europe’s elite competition following a dramatic 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford last weekend.

This victory not only confirmed their Champions League spot with three games still to play but also marked United’s first Premier League double over Liverpool in a decade. United’s dominant performance against Liverpool effectively ended their two-year exile from the Champions League, meaning they cannot finish lower than fifth this term. The result was a huge boost for Carrick, further solidifying his credentials as the club’s next full-time manager, even though an official decision regarding his future has yet to be made.

The Importance of Finishing Strong

Carrick is determined to finish the campaign as strongly as possible. Though their primary goal has been accomplished, he remains focused on enhancing his long-term job prospects. He’s also hinted at giving opportunities to some of United’s fringe players during the final three matches of the season.

Photo IMAGO

“I think every player in the squad has been absolutely fantastic, I have to say,” Carrick commented at his pre-Sunderland press conference. “Some have played a lot more than others, and I understand from a professional and a playing point of view it can be difficult, but the togetherness and the support that the players have shown, certainly each other, is great to see.”

Carrick also acknowledged the challenges of managing training intensity with fewer matches to play. He stated, “It’s what we need within the group and that’s part of the challenge of doing a lot of training and not having as many games as we would have liked. It’s the balance that we’ve made the most of really, so coming into these games it’s something we’re aware of. I think it’s really something we’re keen on playing well and still trying to get good results as well, but it’s definitely something to be aware of.”

Sunderland’s Struggles Continue

While Carrick will be tempted to make changes, the opposition on Saturday, Sunderland, will not be an easy task. The Black Cats are struggling for form, drawing 1-1 with relegated Wolves last time out. Sunderland are now stuck in 12th place, five points behind the top six, and will be keen to secure an important win to boost their chances of finishing higher.

Sunderland will need a turnaround in fortunes, but it remains unclear if United will rotate their squad for this encounter, particularly with a few injury concerns. United will be without striker Benjamin Sesko, who came off at half-time against Liverpool after aggravating a pre-existing shin injury. He was replaced by Amad Diallo during that match after a collision with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.

Injury and Squad Updates

Further complicating United’s selection is the absence of Matthijs de Ligt, who is still recovering from a lower back injury. His return remains uncertain. However, Carrick will be pleased with the return of Lisandro Martinez, who has served his suspension and is set to bolster the defence.

Additionally, Patrick Dorgu, who made his first appearance since January off the bench against Liverpool after recovering from a hamstring injury, may now be in line for more game time. Carrick will likely give more opportunities to squad members like Joshua Zirkzee, Mason Mount, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui, as he looks to finish the season with strong performances.

Predicted Manchester United XI Against Sunderland

With a few changes expected, here’s how Manchester United may line up against Sunderland in a 4-2-3-1 formation:Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo.

2025 First Round pick Jake O’Brien has been reassigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.  His season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL came to an end May 4th after a game 7 loss to the Barrie Broncos in the conference final.  

O’Brien put up a 1.75 points-per-game average in the regular season: 28 goals and 65 assists across 53 games played.  In the playoffs, he skated in 15 games and added 6 goals and 17 assists.  The 8th-overall pick is best known for his ability to thread his way through his opponents, anticipating their movements and sneaking pucks over, under, around, and through the smallest openings.  His uncanny ability to predict not only his opponents, but also his teammates’ movements allows him to create chances from the most untenable situation.  

Similar to Ryden Evers, it is unlikely that O’Brien will see any playing time in Coachella Valley.  Instead, he will have the opportunity to practice with the team and get familiar with the facilities and coaching staff.  With the recent rule changes allowing 19-year old first round picks to play in the AHL, it is entirely possible he will be with the team full-time in the 2026 season.

Related:

Firebirds Force Game Five With 6-2 Win Over ReignFacing elimination, Coachella Valley unleashed a second-period surge and a dominant six-goal performance to stun Ontario, keeping their playoff dreams alive for a decisive winner-take-all showdown.

A good gauge of the depth of a team's roster is seeing how many other teams covet your players. That's what happened to the New York Giants this week after they cut ties with four players to make room for their incoming rookies.

On Thursday, after the team inked several members of their 2026 draft class, they cut defensive lineman Elijah Chatman, linebacker Swayze Bozeman, wide receiver Courtney Jackson, and defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu.

On Friday, three of those players had already caught on with other teams, a true indication that the Giants' roster building the past few years has been heading in the right direction.

Bozeman, Chatman, and Jackson, who were all waived, landed jobs, leaving Tuipulotu, who had his contract terminated, the lone free agent.

Bengals claim LB Swayze Bozeman off waivershttps://t.co/B9h8kHtyqGpic.twitter.com/oaqrKLgFc7

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 8, 2026

We've claimed DT Elijah Chatman via waivers

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 8, 2026

The Titans claimed WR Courtney Jackson off of waivers from the Giants pic.twitter.com/aQTcz8HJko

— Giants Nation Show (@GiantsNationPod) May 8, 2026

The Giants have been adding quality players up and down the roster this offseason, and there simply is not enough room for everyone. Chatman and Tuipulotu are victims of a numbers game. The Giants have been stockpiling defensive linemen in the wake of the Dexter Lawrence trade.

Chatman, who made the Giants' final roster in 2024 as a UDFA, appeared in 22 games over his two seasons in Blue. He is a bit undersized for these new Giants (278 pounds), who are favoring stout interior linemen.

Tuipulotu was signed to a reserve/futures deal this past winter. A former draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, he spent the past two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in five games. He is expected to draw interest in the market this summer.

Jackson, signed to a reserve/futures contract in February, was one of 12 wideouts on the roster, and his chances of making the 53-man roster were remote.

Bozeman played six games for the Giants last season and was primarily used on special teams. The Giants had 14 linebackers under contract, and there was little opportunity for Bozeman.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 3 recently released New York Giants have found new homes

Texas A&M baseball opened its road series in Oxford with a frustrating 5–3 loss to Ole Miss, a game defined by offensive inconsistency and a lineup still reshuffling due to multiple injuries.

Ole Miss capitalized early on free passes to build a lead, while the Aggies didn’t break through until the top of the fifth, trimming the deficit to 3–2. A misplayed ball in the outfield in the seventh inning allowed two more Rebels runs to score, pushing the margin back to 5–2. A&M added one more run late but couldn’t complete the comeback.

The Aggies struck out 15 times and stranded nine runners, generating plenty of loud contact but rarely in the right moments. The bottom of the order, filled with new faces, managed just one hit all night.

Normally, A&M would have two days to reset, but with expected weather in Oxford, the Aggies now face a Saturday doubleheader with national hosting implications on the line.

Below is all the information for the series:

GAME SCHEDULE

Game 2 - May 9 at2 p.m. CT

Channel: SEC Network +

Texas A&M: RHP Aiden Sims

Stats: 8-1, 3.60 ERA, 65.0 IP, 68 K, 18 BB

Ole Miss: RHP Cade Townsend

Stats: 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 73 K, 13 BB

______________________________________________

Game 3 - May 9 at 6 p.m. CT(subject to change)

Streaming: SEC Network+

Texas A&M: TBD

Stats: N/A

Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe

Stats: 3-4, 4.17 ERA, 61.2 IP, 62 K, 9 BB

WAYS TO FOLLOW THE SERIES

TV/Streaming: SEC Network+ / ESPN App

Radio: Locally Sports Radio 1150/93.7 The Zone

Social: Follow the @AggiesBaseball on X for updates

Internet: 12thMan.com / 12th Man Mobile app for live play-by-play

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: UPDATE: Texas A&M baseball vs Ole Miss schedule change due to weather

The title is out of Manchester City's hands now after their 3-3 draw at Everton, but their late equaliser on Monday could still turn out to be huge.

City getting a point means Arsenal still have to win their final three games to be sure of being champions, so it is not over yet.

Pep Guardiola's side definitely have to win this game, though, and to do it they will have to be more ruthless in front of goal.

Brentford are in the mix for the top six and only lost narrowly to City earlier in the season.

I am being selfish here, but just for my Fantasy team I need Erling Haaland to have a strong finish to the season so I am going for City - and him - to get among the goals on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

When Matt Ryan was asked about the Falcons' quarterback competition recently he admitted that he doesn't know what to expect. It's a fair sentiment at this point, because nobody knows exactly when Michael Penix Jr. will be fully recovered from his ACL tear and we're not entirely sure who will start Week 1 for Atlanta.

That being said, the smart money right now is on Tua Tagovailoa filing that role. Tagovailoa is healthy and will likely get a lot more QB1 reps over the summer while Penix is still working his way back.

Tua has had his moments during his time with the Miami Dolphins, but heading into the 2026 season at least one analyst considers him a below-average starter. According to a new ranking from Andrew Buller-Russ at Sportsnaut, he's just the 22nd best projected starter in the league right now.

"Even in a down year, Tua Tagovailoa still had the second-highest TD rate of his career. The issue, obviously, was an interception rate nearly twice that of his previous five seasons. Given a chance to reset in a domed stadium, there’s enough reason to believe a motivated Tagovailoa returns to peak form in Atlanta."

For context, that's only one spot ahead of Bryce Young, who threw for fewer than 200 passing yards in 12 games last season. It's one spot below Bo Nix, who has just two years of experience at this level.

One could argue that Tagovailoa belongs a little higher on this list. At a minimum, he should probably be rankedin the top 20 based on his past accomplishments alone.

If Tua can stay healthy and cut down on his interception rate (it was a career-high 3.9% last season, up dramatically from his career average of 2.4%) then he should be able to climb these rankings pretty quick.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Tua Tagovailoa ranked No. 22 QB in NFL

Saturday's star-studded WNBA matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Dallas Wings will feature the last four No. 1 overall draft picks.

The Fever, led by Aliyah Boston (2023 No. 1 pick) and Caitlin Clark (2024 No. 1 overall pick), will open the 30th season of the WNBA against the Wings, led by Paige Bueckers (2025 No. 1 pick) and Azzi Fudd (2026 No. 1 pick). Saturday's season-opening matchup not only pits the last four consecutive No. 1 draft picks against each other, it features the past two Rookie of the Year winners in Clark (2024) and Bueckers (2025).

It'll mark the second matchup between the squads in a little more than a week after the Wings soundly defeated the Fever 95-80 in the preseason on April 30. Bueckers (20) and Maddy Siegrist (18) combined for 38 points in the win, while Clark had 21 points in the losing effort.

Clark, who was limited to 13 games last season due to injuries, said she's "really excited" to be back.

"I feel great," Clark said on Tuesday. "Even the preseason games were really fun for myself too. I treat those like real games... Obviously we have a lot of areas to improve, especially during the Dallas game. You certainly saw that defensively I think has been our focus."

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?

The Indiana Fever open the season against the Dallas Wings on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings: TV, streaming

• Date: Saturday, May 9
• Time: 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT)
• Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
• TV: ABC
• Stream: Disney+

Indiana Fever roster

*developmental player

Dallas Wings roster

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news —  Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever-Wings season opener: How to watch Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers

In a statistic that doesn't seem real, Iowa State's TJ Otzelberger has snagged six top in-state recruits from Greg Gard.

The Wisconsin Badgers just missed out on Donovan Davis, who is yet another top Wisconsin native to choose the Cyclones over the Badgers.

Since Otzelberger took over in 2021, ISU has earned commitments from Tyrese Hunter, Milan Momcilovic, Jamarion Batemon, Xzavion Mitchell, Usef Gray, and now Davis.

Those recruits played high school ball at Racine, Pewaukee, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, West Allis, and Freedom. Remember, Otzelberger is a Milwaukee native who played at Saint Thomas More.

There's no doubt NIL has a huge say in these decisions, but that's still something that needs to be addressed behind the scenes. Gard can only do so much, and Wisconsin doesn't seem to even be competitive in some of these battles.

Until that changes, top in-state players are going to keep playing elsewhere. Keep in mind, this list of six players doesn't even include the likes of Patrick Baldwin Jr., Kon Knueppel, Dooney Johnson, Seth Trimble, among many more.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: The six recent in-state recruits Greg Gard has lost to TJ Otzelberger

PHOENIX — After the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals in October, Kahleah Copper gathered her teammates in a huddle as the Aces celebrated on Phoenix’s court. 

“After the game, I just wanted us to feel it. I wanted us to hear the celebrations. I wanted us to really feel the moment, feel the hurt,” Copper said immediately after. "Let it just fuel us for the future."

It’s a level of disappointment that lingers seven months later as the Mercury prepare to open the league's 30th season against the same team that ended its championship dreams. And if that wasn’t loss enough motivation, the Mercury will watch as the Aces raise their latest championship banner and get their rings Saturday at T-Mobile Arena (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/Disney+).

“You would have some motivation too, right?" a fired-up Copper said Wednesday, ahead of Phoenix’s season-opener that doubles as a WNBA Finals rematch. "We just got swept…We want to get that one for sure.”

Kahleah Copper said the Phoenix Mercury are "1,000%" motivated heading into Saturday's WNBA Finals rematch against the Las Vegas Aces after getting swept last season.

'You would have some motivation too, right? ... We want to get that one for sure' pic.twitter.com/b9m4sWusl0

— Cydney Henderson (@CydHenderson) May 9, 2026

No one expected the Mercury to go on a deep postseason run last year, let alone make the WNBA Finals. And despite defying all odds, few selected Phoenix to return to the championship series. Being the perpetual underdog is nothing new to the Mercury, who last won a title in 2014 during the Diana Taurasi era.

Frankly, they don't care.

"We're not really worried about the expectations of what others think," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “Our expectation is always going to be bigger than what the national media thinks. Some national media picked us to be the seventh best team in our league. When we look in the mirror, we don't see that. We see a team that's playing for a championship."

The belief is still there among the franchise. Unlike last season when Phoenix had two returning players, the Mercury have continuity on its side with seven returnees, including veterans Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Sami Whitcomb and DeWanna Bonner. Phoenix lost last season's leading scorer in Satou Sabally, but the team reloaded with French forwards Noémie Brochant and Valériane Ayayi to collectively help fill that void.

“People aren't familiar with a lot of players that we've put on our team, just like last season. So once again, we're counted out," said Thomas, who finished third in MVP voting after breaking her own single-season triple-double record with eight. "We have a lot more depth this year... our defense is really going to be taken to a different level."

Thomas and the Mercury may not get the national recognition, but they have the respect of their peers. In the WNBA GM survey released earlier this week, Thomas was named one of the most versatile players in the league that forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments. She was also ranked as one of the top three defenders in the league.

"Anytime you have a team with Alyssa Thomas, I think you're going to be ... a defensive team," Tibbetts said. "You lean into the things that got us or made us successful a year ago and how can we tweak some other areas that are weaknesses for us. So we'll continue to evolve."

With evolution comes adversity, which the Mercury are facing early on. Kathryn Westbeld suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee while playing overseas and Sami Whitcomb is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing an arthroscopy procedure on her left knee.

That hasn't dampened the Mercury's anticipation for another playoff run.

"For us it's the start of the season, the start for us to set the tone on how we wanted to play this year," Thomas said. "We have a lot of new pieces that we're still integrating. They're slowly coming into training camp, so I think for us, we're just excited about the capabilities of what we have this year and we're going to go out there and try to play our brand of basketball."

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news —  Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phoenix Mercury open season against Las Vegas Aces after finals sweep

The RFEF has announced the referees appointed for the Primera División matches on Sunday, May 10.

El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be refereed by Alejandro Hernández Hernández, with Javier Iglesias Villanueva assisting on VAR.

It will be the sixth Clásico overseen by the Canary Islands official, with a record of two Barcelona wins, two draws, and one Real Madrid win. Last season, he refereed Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Real Madrid on matchday 35.

The rest of the matchday appointments

The duo of César Soto and Jorge Figueroa will take charge of Real Oviedo vs. Getafe, Ortiz and Martín González will handle Athletic vs. Valencia, and García and Del Cerro will officiate Mallorca vs. Villarreal.

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

Lars Kornetka makes five changes from the defeat in Kiel. Lukas Frenkert, Fabio Di Michele Sanchez, Fabio Kaufmann, Erencan Yardimci and Faride Alidou replace Andi Hoti, Leon Bell Bell, Robin Heußer, Johan Gomez and Jovan Mijatović.

Thomas Stamm has made one change from the victory over Kaiserslautern as Lukas Boeder comes in for Friedrich Müller. 

Confirmed Eintracht Braunschweig vs. Dynamo Dresden lineups

Eintracht Braunschweig (4-2-3-1): Hoffmann (GK) - Aydin, Ehlers, Frenkert, Di Michele Sanchez - Flick, Marie - Tempelmann, Kaufmann, Alidou - Yardimci 

Dynamo Dresden (4-2-3-1): Schreiber (GK) - Sterner, Boeder, Keller, Rossipal - Amoako, Wagner - Ceka, Hauptmann, Bobzien - Vermeij 

When are the EFL Championship playoffs? Schedule of 2026 matches as teams battle for Premier League promotion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With two teams now promoted to the Premier League, the remaining side to go up will be determined by the playoffs.

The top two finishers in the EFL Championship at the conclusion of the season secure automatic promotion, with the third determined through an exciting playoff system.

The four teams that finish third through sixth will progress to the Championship playoffs, a thrilling and nerve-wracking four-team mini bracket to determine the eventual winner. The final is considered the richest game in football, as the winner earns access to the massive financial provided by the English top flight.

The Sporting News details who will be involved in this year's playoffs and when the games will be played, including the famous final at Wembley Stadium.

MORE:What teams have been promoted to the Premier League for the 2026/27 season?

When are the 2026 EFL Championship playoffs?

The final day of the EFL Championship regular season was Saturday, May 2.

The playoffs began the following weekend. The first legs of the semifinals are on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9, while the second legs will be played that following Monday and Tuesday.

Then, the Championship playoff final will be held on Saturday, May 23 at Wembley Stadium.

What teams are in the 2026 EFL Championship playoffs?

The four teams in this season's playoffs are Milwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough, and Hull City.

Wrexham missed out on the final day after a 2-2 home draw with Boro allowed Hull to leapfrog them in the standings.

Race for Championship promotion playoff

Table updated after final round of games

*Confirmed for playoffs

EFL Championship playoff schedule, fixtures for 2026

The semifinals will take place the weekend of May 8, while the final will take place in late May at Wembley Stadium.

Playoff semifinals

First leg

Second leg

Playoff final

In the third round of the 2026 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected LSU safety AJ Haulcy. Let's take a closer look at Haulcy's game with what a few draft experts had to say in their final scouting reports.

Haulcy has ample experience playing both free safety and down in the box near the line of scrimmage. He's been a sound run defender by PFF's metrics and has had very good ball production in coverage, logging eight interceptions and 10 pass breakups the last two seasons.

Haulcy brings a ballhawking presence to the Indianapolis secondary, and the Colts believe he has the versatility to fill a variety of roles in Lou Anarumo's scheme.

Right away, Haulcy will compete for the starting safety role next to Cam Bynum.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

"Haulcy has some wild tendencies. Given his recognition and range, though, teams will be comfortable betting on him to reach his ceiling as an NFL starter. Teams will also appreciate his coachability and intangibles, which will show on special teams."

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

"Haulcy, aka Mr. Give Me That, is a throwback safety with a compact, densely muscled frame and a pro feel for reading the field. He’s a rare blend of ballhawk and enforcer who can scurry into passing lanes for takeaways or run through a receiver to break up a pass. His pattern recognition and instincts are top-notch and he’s decisive in his reactions. A lack of sustained top-end speed could create mismatches in man coverage. He’s more effective playing forward than he is at guarding large spaces in deeper coverages. He’s rock-steady as a finisher but sees the missed tackle total tick higher as an open-field tackler. Haulcy’s frame and game are pro-ready, though. He projects as a good NFL starter in a zone-heavy scheme."

Todd McShay, The Ringer

"Haulcy is an experienced and productive safety with a good blend of size and speed. He’s at his best when he can read receivers and quarterbacks in off coverage and zone looks. He’s quick to trigger, breaks well on the ball, and jumps routes. He can sort out route combinations and has enough range to cover a deep half. He is a physical presence and a big hitter in coverage. He tracks the ball well and doesn’t play the man in zone looks."

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Scouting reports on new Colts' S AJ Haulcy

Peter Hickman edged out Jeremy McWilliams to take victory in a thrilling opening Supertwins/Sportbike race at the North West 200 on Saturday.

The Swan Racing Yamaha R7 rider executed the decisive pass at the Juniper Hill chicane on the final circuit of four to take the fifth North West win of his career and his third in the Twins class following his double in 2024.

The Lincolnshire rider had 0.46 seconds to spare over McWilliams, who led for the duration of the race until Hickman hit the front when it mattered.

The pair were involved in an exhilarating dual at the front, with Alastair Seeley holding off Paul Jordan to secure the final rostrum position.

Jordan recovered ground after overshooting at University Corner on the first lap, posting the fastest lap of the race at 112.231mph in taking fourth spot.

Yorkshire's Jamie Coward was fifth on his Milenco by Padgett's Paton, with Christian Elin completing the top six.

Hickman moves to within two of Richard Cooper's record of five Supertwin race triumphs with his victory. McWilliams also has three wins in the class.

Today in Boston Celtics history, former Danny Ainge was hired by the storied franchise in 2003 to his latter role as team president. He succeeded former Celtics general manager Chris Wallace, the prior President of Basketball Operations, who had held the position since taking over the job from infamous Celtics president Rick Pitino in 2001. Ainge had a successful tenure as President of Basketball Operations, winning a title in the 2007-08 NBA season, and making an NBA Finals appearance two seasons later in 2010. His ability to seemingly always get the best of a deal has earned him the moniker “Trader Danny”, ranging from acquiring the contracts of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to forge the team that won Banner 17.

Perhaps his best-known trade was moving Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 which netted what would prove to be one of the most uneven returns in league history. Ainge would step down as team president in the 2021 offseason after several tough seasons in terms of both an ongoing pandemic and personal health, having suffered a heart attack two years earlier.

He has since found a similar position (if lighter load) working with the Utah Jazz.

Birthdays

It is also former Celtic big man Marcus Webb’s birthday, who was born in 1970 on this date in Montgomery, Alabama.

Webb came to the Celtics as an undrafted player out of Alabama and played nine games for the team in the 1992-93 NBA season after signing as a free agent in the summer of 1992. He averaged 4.3 points and 1.1 rebounds while with the team.

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Danny Ainge hired as GM, Marcus Webb born

The NFL is projecting to feature a record-setting nine international games in four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums in the 2026 season. The Kansas City Chiefs have a significant history of playing international games, including recent contests in Brazil, Germany, and Mexico.

The league has continued to feature artists from different cultures as performers, promoting diversity and innovation. Super Bowl LX halftime performer and global superstar Bad Bunny delivered a memorable show that drew a record-breaking audience.

Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke with the female DJ trio Las Flaquitas for their thoughts on the cultural impact of the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

"It was fun to watch him transform a football stadium into a space that felt like home for a lot of people, and for others was an introduction. In his short performance, he gave everyone a kind of history lesson that felt celebratory, which isn't easy to do."

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The proverbial calendar has flipped in WWE after WrestleMania, but there's still some unfinished business to settle, so it's time to deal with the backlash of it.

Backlash 2026 is the first premium live event to take place after WWE's major event, and it's setting the stage for the next part of the wrestling world. After defeating CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship, Roman Reigns has his first title defense, and it comes against cousin Jacob Fatu in a new chapter in the Bloodline saga. It's one of two title matches scheduled, with the other a WrestleMania rematch for the United States Championship.

Some feuds that have been boiling for months will finally meet in the ring, and everyone awaits to see who Danhausen will have as his tag team partner. Plus, John Cena will appear, and what will he have to say?

Here's what to know for Backlash 2026:

WWE Backlash 2026 start time

Backlash 2026 starts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. ET.

How to watch WWE Backlash 2026

The first hour of Backlash 2026 will air on ESPN2 and ESPN's streaming service.

Afterward, Backlash will stream exclusively on ESPN's streaming service. Viewers can sign up for a subscription to the site here, which starts at $29.99 a month.

ESPN's service is available through select cable and TV packages, including:

• DIRECTV
• Fubo TV
• Hulu + Live TV
• Spectrum
• Verizon FiOS
• U-verse
• Cox
• Comcast Xfinity

If your cable or TV package includes the ESPN streaming service, you can figure out how to activate it here. 

Internationally, WrestleMania will be available on Netflix in most markets.

Where is WWE Backlash 2026?

It takes place at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.

WWE Backlash 2026 match card

Matches not in order

• John Cena appearance
• Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
• Iyo Sky vs. Asuka
• Danhousen and mystery partner vs. The Miz and Kit Wilson
• United States Championship match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Sami Zayn
• World Heavyweight Championship match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu

When is WWE Backlash 2026 preshow?

The Backlash preshow begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

How to watch WWE Backlash 2026 preshow

The preshow will be available to stream for free on YouTube and WWE's social media channels. It will also be available to stream on ESPN's streaming service, and the final hour of the show (5-6 p.m. ET) will air on ESPN2.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WWE Backlash 2026 start time, how to watch and match card

Liverpool Eyeing Champions League Qualification Amidst Key Developments

Liverpool are preparing to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday, with crucial points on the line as they battle for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. However, a series of off-field stories have captured the spotlight ahead of the match, overshadowing the on-pitch action. These developments, including Darwin Núñez’s potential return to the Premier League and ticket price hikes, add extra layers of intrigue to the Reds’ current season, as reported by Daily Star.

Arne Slot’s First Year in Charge: A Mixed Bag

Arne Slot, who took over Liverpool’s managerial reins in the summer of 2024, has found it difficult to replicate the success of his debut season. Just 12 months ago, the Dutchman guided Liverpool to their first Premier League title since 2020, only to see their title defence falter in the current campaign. The team’s failure to build on their previous triumph has led to growing concerns over Slot’s tactical approach and ability to sustain long-term success.

Despite this, the Reds remain in the hunt for a top-five finish, currently holding fourth place with 58 points. While a place in the 2026/27 Champions League is still within reach, the final trio of fixtures against Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Brentford will be crucial in determining their European fate. The pressure on Slot will intensify as he aims to secure a return to Europe’s premier club competition next season.

Darwin Núñez’s Saudi Arabian Sojourn: A Short-Lived Adventure

In an unexpected turn of events, Darwin Núñez, once a promising prospect at Liverpool, is reportedly heading back to the Premier League after less than a year with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. The Uruguayan forward, who joined Liverpool for £64 million in 2022, struggled to live up to his hefty transfer fee. His spell at Al-Hilal has been equally turbulent, with the 24-year-old failing to make a lasting impact in the Saudi Pro League.

Photo: IMAGO

Despite a promising start to his tenure in the Middle East, Núñez was relegated to the sidelines following the arrival of Karim Benzema in January. Al-Hilal, seeking to comply with foreign player restrictions, made the decision to cut Núñez from their squad. The restrictions limit the number of overseas players in their squad, with only eight players born before 2003 allowed to feature.

Núñez has not played since February, and reports suggest that he has reached an understanding with Al-Hilal that will allow him to leave the club when the season concludes. Although a Liverpool return seems unlikely, several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United and Chelsea, are reportedly monitoring his situation closely, and the forward could become a free agent at 26.

FSG’s Ticket Price U-Turn Amid Supporter Backlash

In an unexpected move, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have put plans for significant ticket price increases on hold following a wave of protests from fans. This comes after the club’s initial proposal to raise ticket prices for the next three seasons faced widespread backlash from the Liverpool fanbase. Protests outside Anfield, including banners, placards, and chants against FSG, have been a clear indication of the growing discontent among supporters.

Photo: IMAGO

The club initially cited inflation and rising operating costs as reasons for the price hikes, but the fan outcry has led to a partial reversal. Instead of the proposed increases, Liverpool will raise general admission prices by just 3% next season and freeze prices for the following two years. This move comes after discussions between the club’s executives and supporter groups, including the influential Spirit of Shankly.

In a statement, Liverpool announced: “The club and Supporters Board will use the certainty of these seasons to seek longer-term alternative solutions across the game and explore commercial ideas with the Supporters Board in an attempt to avoid future ticket price increases and address issues around affordability and accessibility for future generations.”

Spirit of Shankly, one of the key fan groups, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that they would continue to engage with the club to find long-term solutions to prevent future price hikes. The group praised the club for listening to fans and working with them to find a resolution.

Conclusion: A Season of Mixed Fortunes

Liverpool’s 2025/26 season has been one of mixed fortunes. While their Champions League hopes remain alive, the club’s internal and external challenges, from managerial struggles to player departures and fan protests, show that this is not a smooth ride for Arne Slot and his team. With key decisions still to be made, the next few weeks could prove decisive in determining the club’s trajectory. The Reds will be hoping that they can turn their fortunes around, both on and off the pitch, as they look to secure a place in Europe’s elite competition for next season.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

As a Liverpool fan, the news surrounding Darwin Núñez’s turbulent Saudi Arabian stint is both surprising and disappointing. When he was brought to Anfield in 2022, expectations were sky-high, especially with the hefty £64 million price tag. However, his time at Liverpool was marred by inconsistency, and his move to Al-Hilal was seen as a potential fresh start. Unfortunately, his time in the Middle East has been equally underwhelming, with reports suggesting he was sidelined due to squad regulations and player restrictions.

While it may be tempting to view his potential return to the Premier League as a positive, the truth is that Núñez’s struggles raise questions about the club’s recruitment strategy and ability to bring in players who can truly make an impact. As Liverpool fans, we want to see players who are ready to step up and contribute from day one, not ones who require a lengthy period to adjust. The situation with Núñez highlights the challenge Liverpool faces in finding players who can seamlessly fit into their system and deliver consistently.

Moreover, the ticket price saga has left many fans frustrated and feeling alienated. It’s good that FSG has responded to fan protests and rolled back their plans for drastic ticket price hikes, but it remains to be seen if this move will quell the growing dissatisfaction among supporters. Fans want to feel valued, not just as customers but as an integral part of the club’s identity. The Spirit of Shankly’s efforts to hold the club accountable are commendable, and it’s crucial that Liverpool continues to engage with supporters to ensure that ticket prices remain fair and accessible for all.

In these challenging times, Liverpool fans are calling for clarity, stability, and genuine efforts from the club to address their concerns. With Arne Slot’s future under scrutiny and the team fighting for Champions League qualification, it’s clear that Liverpool needs to take a long hard look at its strategy both on and off the pitch to ensure it remains competitive in the years to come.

The tagline for Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is “Don’t Blink”, but the host of Friday’s weigh-in oddly set his bespectacled sights beyond this fight – and on the looming presence of Moses Itauma in the heavyweight division.

“Is either of you the landlord, or are you just squatters, waiting for Moses Itauma to come and take the property?” asked Simon Jordan, referencing Anthony Joshua’s recent message to Tyson Fury, as well as the potential next opponent for Wardley or Dubois.

Jordan, familiar to TalkSport listeners but brought in by DAZN on Friday, is always articulate but can be aggravating to athletes. He certainly tried to bring some needle to this weigh-in, but neither WBO heavyweight champion Wardley nor Dubois felt much of a prick here, as they tipped the scales then faced off ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Manchester.

Dubois (251.7lb / 114.1kg) barely answered Jordan’s questions, instead speaking in brief mission statements as he tends to do. Wardley (242.2lb / 109.8kg) entertained Jordan’s queries but stayed calm, maintaining his composed demeanour from the rest of fight week.

The champion (20-0-1, 19 KOs) even encouraged the crowd’s shouts in support of Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs), and there were many of them, although there were cheers for Wardley as well.

Neither fighter is local to Manchester, with Wardley, 31, representing Ipswich and Dubois, 28, fighting out of London. Regardless, the split of Friday’s support will be as irrelevant on Saturday as the votes that were shown at the weigh-in; when Jordan put it to Dubois that the online polls leant towards a Wardley win, “Dynamite” was unfazed.

There was a whisper in his ear from a team member, though, which made this writer think of a comment by Wardley at Thursday’s press conference: “You let other people talk to you and tell you what it should be like.”

As mentioned above, Wardley has appeared calm this week, and – speaking on the BBC’s 5 Live Boxing Podcast – he told Indy Sport columnist Steve Bunce that he is very intentional with how he expends his energy. Then you have Dubois, who has twice ended interviews prematurely this week; one could argue that this is his attempt to save energy, but carrying tension into and out of those media duties is not necessarily a great sign.

Similarly, it seemed on Friday that Wardley was doing his best to enjoy the occasion, while Dubois just wanted to fast-forward to the fight. Dubois has said as much throughout the week, and that is understandable, but there is a sense that Wardley has won the little pre-fight battles.

Will those battles influence the outcome of what is expected to be a war on Saturday?

Maybe not, or maybe only to a small degree. This is still close to a 50-50 fight, but every per cent counts.

Still, what of Itauma, and the relevance – if any – of his mention by Jordan? The young phenom is a teammate of Wardley, who has been coy about the prospect of facing the 21-year-old, but there is no doubt that Itauma is edging closer to the heavyweight elite.

Actually, he might be a likelier opponent for the loser of Saturday’s clash at Co-op Live, rather than the winner.

But to focus on Itauma is to rob yourself of the full enjoyment of Wardley vs Dubois, an all-British bout for a world heavyweight title – contested between genuine knockout artists. This very specific combination of factors makes this fight truly tantalising. So, don’t look beyond it, and definitely don’t blink.

Álvaro Arbeloa appeared before the press on the eve of tomorrow’s Clásico against Barcelona, in the middle of an unprecedented dressing-room crisis at Real Madrid.

The first-team coach gave his version of the fight between Valverde and Tchouameni, who have been disciplined and fined by the club.  "I’m very proud of the club’s firmness, speed and transparency. And then of the players acknowledging their mistake, expressing their regret and apologizing. That’s enough for me," he said.

"Valverde and Tchouameni deserve for us to turn the page, to give them a chance to keep fighting for this club. I’m very proud of them. I’m not going to allow this to be used to cast doubt on their professionalism: it’s a lie that they aren’t professionals, that they have disrespected me... it’s absolutely false," he stressed.

The coach said that Tchouameni will be included in the squad for the Clásico and that he is "very happy with the work of his four captains."

Arbeloa also denied reports about problems with some players, such as Carvajal. "It’s a lie that any of them aren’t playing because of problems with me, or because of their life outside Real Madrid. I am the first person responsible for the fact that the season is probably not up to standard. But I’ve been here for four months and I’m very proud of my players."

"What I’m not going to do is throw them (the players) onto a public bonfire, because they don’t deserve it," Arbeloa stressed, while also saying that he sees "a healthy dressing room."

On Mbappé’s attitude

📸 Fran Santiago - 2026 Getty Images

"Anyone who wants to take a player smiling after training out of context is twisting things."

"I can only speak up for him, for his work and the way he is treating me. When he has played, it’s because he has deserved it, and when he hasn’t, it’s because someone else has deserved it more."

The leaks

"For things that happened in the dressing room to be leaked seems like a betrayal of Real Madrid and its badge."

"I’m not accusing my players, or anyone. There are a lot of people at Real Madrid and I’m not here to point the finger at anyone. What happens with my players will stay between them and me."

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

Real Madrid are now moving rapidly towards bringing back Jose Mourinho, with growing belief inside the club that the Portuguese coach is the only figure capable of restoring order to a turbulent dressing room.

According to fresh reports from AS, Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu is now viewed as a ‘matter of time’ rather than a possibility. 

According to the outlet, the decisive phase of the operation is expected to begin next week, when club president Florentino Perez is scheduled to hold direct talks with the veteran manager.

Real Madrid’s hierarchy have spent weeks analysing multiple managerial possibilities, but the board has reached a clear conclusion. 

Mourinho has emerged as the preferred candidate because of his experience, authority, and ability to immediately take control of difficult dressing rooms.

The club believes the current squad lacks leadership, unity, and competitive balance – issues that have become increasingly visible throughout the campaign. 

Internal tensions, dressing room disagreements, and repeated controversies have only strengthened the feeling that Real Madrid require a manager capable of imposing discipline quickly.

Mourinho is on board

Perez and Mourinho will meet next week. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The process towards a reunion reportedly began with Mourinho himself showing openness towards returning to Madrid. 

However, the biggest development has now come from within the club, where the board is said to fully support the idea of bringing him back.

Although no contract has officially been signed yet, both parties already understand what the other wants. 

For now, the operation is mainly being delayed by the fact that the current season has not officially concluded for either side.

Another important factor behind the growing optimism is the improved relationship between Real Madrid and influential agent Jorge Mendes. 

That connection reportedly helped facilitate discussions and reopen communication channels that had previously become strained.

Lastly, the move is also considered achievable financially, as Mourinho’s release clause is believed to stand at around €3 million, a figure Real Madrid view as reasonable given the scale of the problems they are trying to solve.

Liverpool seem to be gearing up for another busy summer.

Last term, the Anfield outfit spent the most money of all the Premier League teams with many believing that they'd easily retain the Premier League title.

That has clearly been far from the case with several new players being like with a Liverpool move every week.

Despite their lack of form, it seems like the Reds could be about to make a huge mistake with the fate of one of their most important players now looking to be sealed.

Curtis Jones looks destined to exit Anfield after Victor Froholdt interest emerges

Curtis Jones' future has been spoken about since the January transfer window.

The Englishman was linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter Milan due to his lack of playing time under Arne Slot this term.

That is, despite the 'extraordinary' midfielder being one of the Reds' most important players when he's actually been used.

And, while no concrete links have emerged regarding the future of the 25-year-old, the fact that Danish outlet Bold are saying that the Reds are 'in love' with FC Porto's Victor Froholdt tells a different story.

The 20-year-old central midfielder has been a shining light among Porto's team this term and, even though the Portuguese champions are demanding a fee worth around £73 million to prise him away, the Reds seem to be heavily interested.

Although Froholdt and Jones aren't the exact same sort of player, another midfielder already being looked at by Liverpool feels rather telling.

Victor Froholdt would be a good signing for Liverpool but not at the cost of Curtis Jones

Even though Slot may not see it, Jones has been one of his best players this term.

Much like Dominik Szoboszlai, the Englishman has never stopped running and, even though his best position is as a central midfielder, the Dutchman has also put his versatility to the test by using him as a right back on more than one occasion.

Indeed, £73 million for a relatively unproven 20-year-old is a huge risk but he would almost certainly be an excellent signing.

But, with the performances that other players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have put in this term, it feels like they'd be much better options for the Reds to replace with Froholdt rather than Jones.

The fact that Jones is homegrown also has a major part to play as, if they do end up moving Joe Gomez and Harvey Elliott on this summer, their options for homegrown players will be wearing thin.

Personnel matters In Cologne’s Südstadt district, the BVB women started the match in their familiar 4-3-3 formation. There were two changes from the 3-1 win against SSV Rhade, with Ronja Leubner and Jasmin Jabbes coming into the starting line-up in place of Nora Willeke and Paula Reimann. Frederike Kempe, who had scored the goal to make it 2-1 the previous week, led the BVB women onto the pitch wearing the captain’s armband.

The matchFrom the kick-off, the BVB women dominated the game against a deep-lying Cologne side. With Jenske Steenwijk and Ann-Sophie Vogel pushing high up the flanks, the Borussia women carried the ball deep into the opposition’s half. Free kicks and corners, all taken by Rita Schumacher, produced the first shots on goal for the Black & Yellows, who were becoming increasingly dangerous. A long-range shot from the set-piece specialist was saved by the Cologne goalkeeper in the 15th minute as she tipped it onto the post and behind for a corner.

A quarter of an hour later, Rita Schumacher curled the ball beautifully into the net to give the BVB women a 1-0 lead (30). This was preceded by her winning a high ball and then playing a one-two with Ronja Leubner. The hosts managed a few counter-attacks in the first half, which an alert BVB defence was able to nip in the bud early on. The BVB women were denied a 2-0 half-time lead after Annika Enderle was caught offside in the 43rd minute.

The second 45 minutes began with a flurry of corners from the BVB women. Although all four set-pieces in the first five minutes flew dangerously into the six-yard box, none found a Black & Yellow player to finish them off. A headed goal was only a matter of time and Ronja Leubner duly converted the tenth corner of the match with a header into the right-hand corner to give her side a deserved 2-0 lead (54).

Consistent counter-pressing and focused build-up play through the two centre-backs, Frederike Kempe and Yasu Wöhrn, secured the BVB women’s comfortable two-goal lead. Rita Schumacher’s set-pieces also proved promising in the 73rd minute as a free-kick from the edge of the box found the onrushing Frederike Kempe, who was left unmarked to direct a composed header into the net to make it 3-0 (73). The BVB women remained the more attacking side in the final quarter of an hour, creating further chances for a fourth goal through Ann-Sophie Vogel (who hit the crossbar) and Annika Enderle. They were ultimately delighted with a commanding 3-0 away win at the well-attended Jean-Löring-Sportpark.

This result sees the BVB women move to the top of the Regionalliga West table on 57 points for the time being, and they will be keeping an eye on 1. FC Köln’s U21s’ match on Sunday. The U21s have the chance to reclaim top spot in the local derby against Vorwärts Spoho Köln.

OutlookFor their penultimate home game of the season, the BVB Women’s team will host FSV Gütersloh at the Rote Erde Stadium on Sunday (17 May, 15:00 CEST). Tickets for the match against the team currently tenth in the table are available from the BVB online ticket shop (standing: €3, seated: €5). The match will also be broadcast live and free of charge on Pluto TV.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wanted to call a timeout with five minutes to play Friday and the Wolves trailing Game 3 against San Atnonio by two.

Finch felt official Tony Brothers waited three ticks too long to grant the request and, per his account, told Brothers “I want my three seconds back.”

“Because he clearly heard me. He looked my way, ignored me, went on with the play, and then gave me it. It almost cost us the turnover,” Finch said. “And then he lost it.”

“Lost it” is a subjective term, but Finch then claims he went to ask Brothers where the ball would be inbounded from after the timeout, at which point Brothers turned and took a couple steps toward Finch before shouting in his direction.

“So, completely unprofessional behavior by him,” Finch said.

It is rare for an NBA official to get into a shouting match with a player or coach. But Finch’s account is only one side of the story. And the Timberwolves’ coach is possibly the biggest complainer — both during the game and after — re: officials.

Nearly every time the refs make a trip down the floor, Finch has something to say in their ear. That likely can be grating. Still, does that give the refs justification to bark back? Or should they merely “take” the verbal scolding from players and coaches with little to no reaction?

Certainly, refs never want to become a major storyline in the game. The 61-year-old Brothers crossed that threshold Friday. Whether any discip

“It’s competition at the highest level. We want to win, Finchy want to win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers,” Wolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “We all love him, so it’s all good.

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LIV Golf has lost its Saudi funding, and as it seeks new investment, players are eyeing a PGA Tour return.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp confirmed that he’s been taking calls from LIV golfers who are exploring the potential of coming back to the tour. Bryson DeChambeau was seen speaking with tour officials at The Masters, and Joaquin Niemann expressed his desire to return.

PGA Tour players have been generally open to LIV players returning. Cameron Young said Brooks Koepka’s return has been great for the tour, but he doesn’t think that players like DeChambeau or Jon Rahm should be offered the same deal as the five-time major winner.

Rory McIlroy has been incredibly outspoken about LIV in the past. He acted as the face and voice of the tour when LIV was first formed, and while he’s walked back some of his comments since, the career grand slam winner remains opposed to the breakaway league.

Speaking for the first time since LIV’s loss of funding was reported, McIlroy said whether he would welcome back players to the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy says LIV players should be allowed back on the PGA Tour

McIlroy has been far more diplomatic on his messaging about LIV Golf in recent years, especially as it became less of a threat to the PGA Tour’s future. This trend continued at the Truist Championship, where McIlroy was asked to share his thoughts on LIV’s potential collapse.

He said, “I think everyone sort of knows my views on LIV and where it stands in the game of golf. I don’t think I need to rehash any of that. It’s never been for me and, look, it doesn’t mean that LIV is going to go away.

“They’re going to go and try and find alternative investment, whatever that may look like. But when one of the wealthiest sovereign wealth funds in the world thinks that you’re too expensive for them, that sort of says something.”

When asked if he’d welcome players back to the PGA Tour, his response may surprise some: “It’s a question if they do want to come back. Obviously, we have seen the quotes over the last few days. And, you know, it seems like some of the guys, if – again, it all depends on what happens to LIV.

“But if it is a scenario where they have the option to come back and play on the traditional tours, I think Brian Rolapp has said anything that makes this Tour stronger, anything that makes the DP World Tour stronger, I think everyone should be open to that. That’s just good business practice.

“But again I think there’s going to be a lot of sort of bridges to cross to get there, just because, obviously, the guys over there are under contract and if they are able to keep it going and get a schedule together next year, it seems like those guys are still going to play the majority of their golf on LIV, in whatever form it takes.”

Several LIV players, including DeChambeau, have expressed some hesitancy to return to the PGA Tour if LIV folds. McIlroy shared his opinion on that: “Which is totally fine. Like, again, I think I’ve said at the start, I was probably too judgmental with the guys that went because I was seeing it from my point of view and maybe not seeing it from other points of view.

“But again, I’m not going to judge anyone for not wanting to play on the PGA Tour. Does that mean that they go play DP World Tour maybe; if that’s a pathway, that would make the DP World Tour stronger, and I would be delighted with that, because that’s my home TOUR, at the end of the day.

“But this is, if you want to be the most competitive golfer you can be, this is the place to be. And if you don’t want to play here, I think that says something about you.”

A sly dig at DeChambeau, perhaps, who has threatened the tour with stepping away from competitive golf and doing YouTube full-time. It seems that despite his back-to-back Masters wins, the rivalry is still strong between McIlroy and DeChambeau.

Happy weekend, sports fans! It’s another weekend without a Tottenham Hotspur match (they play Monday afternoon/evening), and weirdly none of today’s matches directly impact Spurs in their bid to avoid relegation. The highlight of today is probably the early match — Liverpool vs. Chelsea, even though Chelsea are currently on a six match losing streak during which they’ve only scored one goal. The longer that streak goes, the more I’m convinced we’re going to lose at Stamford Bridge next weekend, because that’s exactly how this season seems to have gone.

Anyway, all the important non-Spurs matches — West Ham vs. Arsenal, Forest vs. Newcatle — are tomorrow. This is your open thread. Huzzah!

Saturday Match Schedule

Liverpool vs. Chelsea
7:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. BST
TV: NBCSN (USA), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Streaming: Peacock

Brighton vs. Wolves
10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. BST
TV: not televised
Stream: Peacock

Sunderland vs. Manchester United
10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. BST
TV: NBCSN (USA), not televised (UK)
Stream: Peacock

Fulham vs. Bournemouth
10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. BST
TV: USA Network (USA), not televised (UK)
Stream: nbcsports.com

Manchester City vs. Brentford
12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. BST
TV: NBC (USA), Sky Sports (UK)
Stream: Peacock

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeneß is a master of blunt statements. And his assessment of the German men’s national team ahead of this summer’s World Cup is unsparing.

In Hoeneß’ view, the Germans cannot be considered among the tournament favorites.

“I can’t say that at all,” Hoeneß declared in recent comments captured by @iMiaSanMia. “Because the German team has never played with the same eleven in two consecutive matches.

“And that’s something I hold against [head coach] Julian [Nagelsmann] — I’ve already told him personally. If you go to a World Cup and don’t have a truly world-class team, which in my opinion we don’t have at the moment, then — as Vincent has demonstrated — you can only be successful through the team, through the team structure.

“But currently, I don’t see a clear lineup at either end of the pitch. Who is our striker? Who plays in goal? Who is the right-back, who the left? And if things continue like this, we’ll end up fielding a team for our first World Cup match that has never played together before. And that doesn’t work.”

It has been a strange road for Germany since the home-turf EUROs of 2024. Of course, things can always come together fast, but it is just about the cusp of the tournament now…and where Germany stands is unclear. Can Nagelsmann figure it out in time? It appears that in Hoeneß’ opinion, the national team coach needs to start taking some outside advice.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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Gasperini has decided to manage the strength of his starting players to avoid problems.

In the final push of this season, which could secure qualification for the Champions League for the first time in eight years, the Giallorossi coach has adopted a different resource management technique this week, focusing especially on those who have spent the most energy this season.

As reported by Il Messaggero, starting with Malen – who was partially rested two days ago – all the starting players completed a personalized gym session yesterday.

It’s not just Donny Malen, who was clearly fatigued after the match against Fiorentina.

Several players didn’t complete the entire training session under the coach’s orders, and the reason lies in their playing time.

Six outfield players have logged more than 2,300 minutes in Serie A: Wesley (2,300), Koné (2,363), Celik (2,469), Ndicka (2,554), Mancini (2,797), and Cristante (2,856).

All players are expected to return to training today for a late morning training session, before the coach’s press conference and the subsequent departure for Parma.

Therefore, Gasperini wants to leave no stone unturned, and he wants his key players to be in top form for the final three matches of the season.

Meanwhile, El Shaarawy and Gollini were sidelined yesterday. The former could be fit for the match at the Tardini at the last minute.

A former member of Xavi Hernandez’s coaching staff at Barcelona has delivered a strong defence of the club legend while opening up about what he believes was a lack of support from within the organisation during his time in charge.

David Prats, who worked closely with Xavi before recently moving to Qatar to coach Al Shamal, reflected on the intense atmosphere surrounding Barcelona and the criticism directed at the former manager and his staff.

Speaking about his relationship with Xavi in an interview with SPORT, Prats made it clear that the former midfielder remains the biggest football influence in his career.

“Xavi is head and shoulders above everyone else, both personally and professionally. To me, he’s a top-class manager.”

The ground reality

The conversation then shifted towards the difficult reality of working at Barcelona during one of the club’s most unstable periods in recent years.

Prats admitted the pressure inside the club was enormous, even for staff members working behind the scenes.

“The pressure is immense. You’re at one of the biggest clubs in Europe and you have to win and play well all the time. You feel it even as an analyst.”

Despite acknowledging the sporting demands that come with Barcelona, Prats suggested the most painful aspect of the experience was the criticism aimed at Xavi and the coaching staff – criticism he believes was unfair and left unanswered internally.

“What hurt me most was the unfounded criticism directed at us, especially at Xavi. 

“He didn’t deserve it; they were unfair to him. And what’s more, we weren’t protected from within.”

Defending Xavi

Prats feel Xavi was not treated rightfully. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Prats also defended the work achieved under Xavi during a period where Barcelona were facing both sporting and financial instability.

“For me, it was very unfair. We arrived at a very difficult time for the club. 

“We managed to get the team into the Champions League, then we won La Liga and the Super Cup. 

“I think that’s a huge achievement. But from within, it wasn’t appreciated as it should have been.”

The Al Shamal manager then explained that his previous experience working alongside Xavi at Al Sadd played a major role in his managerial journey.

“It all started because I’d already been here with Xavi as an assistant coach with Al Sadd’s first team. 

“We had a great time, felt very much at home, and I had fond memories of the league and the country.”

Lastly, he also disclosed that Xavi himself encouraged members of his staff to seek new opportunities after leaving Barcelona.

“I consider him a very good friend and he told us: ‘If you have the chance to do something else and it motivates you, go for it.’ He needed a break.”

How to Watch Liverpool vs Chelsea: TV Channel and Live Stream Details

As Liverpool and Chelsea prepare to face off in what promises to be an intriguing Premier League clash, all eyes are on the battle for European football qualification. With just a few matches left in the season, both teams have plenty to play for, but how can fans watch this pivotal encounter?

Liverpool’s European Push Continues

Liverpool, under the guidance of Arne Slot, have enjoyed a solid run of form recently, winning three of their last four Premier League fixtures. Although not at their peak, the Reds remain in the hunt for a top-five finish. Currently in fourth place with three matches to go, they are still at risk of slipping outside the Champions League spots due to the tight competition in the table.

A victory over Chelsea would temporarily give Liverpool a three-point cushion over fifth-place Aston Villa and a five-point lead over sixth-place Bournemouth. With qualification for Europe still uncertain, this match at Anfield could be a crucial step towards securing a spot in next season’s competitions.

Photo: IMAGO

Chelsea’s Struggles: Can They Find Form?

Chelsea, on the other hand, are in the midst of a challenging period. The Blues have lost their last six Premier League matches, failing to score in five of them. Their only goal in the last month came from Joao Pedro’s stunning bicycle kick against Nottingham Forest. With just one game left before the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Chelsea are under pressure to get back on track.

This trip to Anfield could be their last chance to revive their season before the Wembley showdown. Currently languishing in the middle of the table, their hopes of qualifying for European football are dwindling. For manager Calum McFarlane, the focus will be on ending this tough run of form and getting a much-needed morale boost before their Wembley date.

When and Where to Watch Liverpool vs Chelsea

For those wondering how to catch all the action, here are the details:

• TV Channel: In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. Coverage begins at 11:00 AM BST, with the match kicking off at 12:30 PM BST.
• Live Stream: Subscribers to TNT Sports can stream the game live via the HBO Max app and website, ensuring fans won’t miss a moment of this crucial encounter.

Need a VPN to watch the match? Our preferred VPN to watch UK TV from anywhere is LibertyShield.com – they offer a 48 hour no-obligation free trial and have apps or all popular devices including Mac, Windows, FireTV, iPhone/iPad and Android.

What’s at Stake for Both Teams?

With both clubs vying for different reasons—Liverpool pushing for a European spot and Chelsea aiming to salvage their season—this fixture carries significant weight for both teams. For the Reds, it’s a chance to build momentum ahead of the final stretch, while Chelsea’s need for a positive result could shape the remainder of their campaign.

Whether you’re a Liverpool supporter hoping for a win or a Chelsea fan searching for a much-needed revival, this match is not to be missed.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – When looking for an even-keeled positive take coming out of the Anaheim Ducks’ abysmal 6-2 loss in Game 3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, look no further than Lukáš Dostál following his stellar near-shutout performance in Anaheim’s 3-1 win in Game 2.

“It’s still one win in the series,” Dostál said. “I always say it doesn’t matter how you win or what the score is.”

At the end of Friday night at Honda Center, it’s still just a 2-1 series lead for Vegas.

There’s no extra points for scoring at all three strengths–even strength, shorthanded and on power play–in the first period or for Mitch Marner netting a hat trick to claim the playoff lead in goals and points.

There’s also no extra demerits for Dostál giving up a goal on the first shot of the game for the third time in nine playoff games–13th time all season–before getting pulled after one period or the Ducks power play remaining power less–0-for-11 in the series after converting at 50% in the first round.However, if you’re looking for more fire and brimstone commiserate with just how bad Anaheim looked at points in Game 3, Ducks coach Joel Quenneville had that for you, when asked if his team came in too comfortable after controlling the play in the first two games.

“I think that there's a lesson to take out of today's game, and it's only gonna get harder every single game,” Quenneville said. “Not gonna get any easier. So let's get ready to go to war.”

Anaheim will get its chance to return fire in Game 4 on Sunday at Honda Center, but first, there is the autopsy of Friday.

From puck drop, the Ducks were not good in Game 3, and not on the back of one particular player or one particular breakdown. Every position group, every line and every man-strength unit had something come apart and go against them.

“I think they just outbattled us,” Jackson LaCombe said. “They won more puck battles than we did. They played physical. We’ve got to be better next game.”

Just 48 hours after that 21-save performance and 59:54 of shutout hockey by Dostál, social media reaction was all over the Anaheim netminder with the aforementioned early goals and pull, but this was not a one-man collapse.

When asked if pulling Dostál was for his own showing or for the team’s play in front of him, Quenneville said, “both.”

Just one minute in, Vegas gained the zone, and with Jack Eichel in the corner and a wide-open middle to survey, Eichel hit the trailing Shea Theodore at the far point, who snuck behind the unaware Cutter Gauthier. Theodore then ripped a shot around the inadvertent screen of Ryan Poehling, who became an unfortunate obstruction after tying up his man in front.

Vegas again negated the Anaheim power play 11 minutes later, and Brayden McNabb scored shorthanded on a slightly flubbed half-armed shot that crossed up Dostál, 2-0. For the second straight series, the Knights' penalty kill is outscoring its opponents' power play. An odd one, but also the one Dostal wants back. 

In the dying seconds of the first period, Vegas’ power play capitalized on a broken play. Marner got a shot off slicing through the Ducks’ penalty kill box, but that shot took an odd deflection and bobbled off of Dostál. No one could control the bouncer, until it found Marner’s stick, who tucked it around the Anaheim netminder, 3-0.

“Getting that third one at the end of the period certainly was a killer,” Quenneville said, “and that was basically the game.”

A cross-zone breakdown for a screened goal one minute in. A change-up shorthanded goal midway through. A broken power play knuckler in the final seconds.

All situational killing goals in their own right, and it ended Dostál’s night with three allowed goals on eight shots.

“It's tough to win a game when you put yourself in spots like that,” Alex Killorn said. “I thought they played well, but I don't think we brought our best. Maybe a little bit comfortable after last game. They’re a great team, we just have to have a little bit of a better start and effort throughout the game.”

After thoroughly dominating the first six periods of the series–only good for a 1-1 tie at that point, Vegas truly “entered the series,” according to coach John Tortorella, and there is plenty of credit to be given to the Knights’ team game.

Vegas blocked 20 shots, whereas Anaheim only got in front of six. The Knights’ penalty kill continued at an elite clip with a two-for-two night to add to a 25-for-26 run in the playoffs.

However, as Killorn noted, Vegas’ best game wasn’t done without the Ducks’ help, and as if to prove it wasn’t only the goaltender’s fault, the breakdowns did not stop for Anaheim.

A slow-developing Ducks line change led to a four-on-three break, where Marner took advantage of the space to maneuver around a left-out-to-dry Ville Husso–who entered in the second period and allowed two second-period goals among the 19 total shots faced.

Marner pulled in his first career playoff hat trick nearly nine minutes later, as Marner evaded Drew Helleson’s eye behind the net. Helleson left Marner to cover the net front, and Marner again used time and space to sneak out and squeeze a shortside shot between Husso and the post, 5-0.

One part “how is the playoffs new leading goal scorer left that wide open when he already has two goals tonight,” and another part “that’s one Husso wants back.”

Point being, no Duck was immune from a blunder as Vegas steamrolled in Game 3.

To zoom back out, it’s still just one game, and Anaheim did claw back a bit in the third period. Carter Hart let up his own softy, as Beckett Sennecke dove at a loose puck that snuck through the Vegas goalie’s arm, and Chris Kreider finished off a trademark passing sequence from Troy Terry.

“Everything adds up, so play the whole 60 and continue to play physical,” Kreider said. “Make that investment in a seven-game series. Each game's kind of a standalone thing, so we've just got to be better going into the next game.”

The Ducks have been better than they were in Game 3. They were better just two days ago.

Anaheim has been a comeback team all season, and it must respond in Game 4. Otherwise, Vegas just made a hard turn in this series and with a heavy helping hand.

LIVERPOOL VS. CHELSEA

| Saturday, May 9th |
Premier League | Anfield
12:30PM BST/7:30AM EST

Full time, ref, surely.

When will this cursed season end? Well, three games still, apparently. Somehow Liverpool are more or less a shoe-in for Champions League qualification, and a win today would all but guarantee that. And somehow Chelsea (Chelsea Chelsea) have been even more cursed than Liverpool this season. However, as Spurs proved, there’s no curse that Dr. Liverpool can’t cure. So. I’m tired, Robbie.

PREVIEW & HOW TO WATCH

Full Match Preview:Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Television & Streaming: TNT Sports 1 (UK); NBCSN (USA); Stan Sport (Australia); DAZN (Canada); Star Sports Select 1 (India); Astro Premier League (Malaysia); SuperSport Maximo 2 (Nigeria); 222 Hub Premier 2 (Singapore); SuperSport Maximo 2 (South Africa); other listings at LiveSoccerTV

Online Radio: LFCTV GO

LIVERPOOL

Teamsheets posted approximately one hour before the match.

CHELSEA

Teamsheets posted approximately one hour before the match.

If you haven’t done so already, we’d love if you signed up for an SB Nation account and join the community at TLO. We’ll bring you and your fellow Liverpool fans from around the world full coverage of every match from the 2025-26 season in the Premier League, Champiopns League, and domestic cups along getting you breaking news, insight and opinion, tactical discussion, and post-match reactions as the new season plays out. Hopefully you’ll join us for it!

Both Lazio and Inter are likely to make squad rotations in their Serie A match today, as they prepare for next week’s Coppa Italia Final, but the Nerazzurri captain, Lautaro Martinez, is still expected to start.

It kicks off at 18:00 CET (17:00 BST) at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

It’s Inter’s first game as defending Serie A champions, as the Nerazzurri secured the Scudetto with three games to spare last week.

Lazio are four points below a Conference League placement, but their priority remains next Wednesday’s Coppa Italia Final, also against the Nerazzurri.

Francesco Pio Esposito and Hakan Calhanoglu are unavailable for Inter, but while the Italian striker is expected to recover in time for next week’s Final, Calhanoglu is not likely to make it.

Lazio get to this match without the injured Samuel Gigot, Ivan Provedel, Alessio Furlanetto, Danilo Cataldi, Elseid Hysaj and their captain Mattia Zaccagni.

As reported by Gazzetta, Italy international Davide Frattesi is set to make a rare start for Inter in the middle of the park, so Nicolò Barella will rest.

Marcus Thuram is also expected to start on the bench, making room for Ange-Yoan Bonny and Lautaro Martinez up front.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 14: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano runs with the ball during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Lazio vs. Inter – probable line-ups

The match will be broadcast live on DAZN in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog.

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 15: Daniel Maldini of Lazio gestures during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico on March 15, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Lazio vs. Inter – where to watch on TV

Inter (3-5-2): Martinez Jo.; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Sucic, Frattesi, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Lautaro Martinez, Bonny.

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Lazzari, Provstgaard, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Basic, Rovella, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Noslin.

Real Madrid’s search for a new manager is in full swing, and the club has now identified their top managerial targets.

Going by the rumours in recent days, Jose Mourinho appears to be the top-placed candidate to arrive at the Valdebebas as the new manager. However, there are several other options being considered.

As relayed by Abraham Romero in a recent report, however, there are only two candidates in the race as matters stand, and the club have heavily filtered down their list. 

Down from five

The Spanish journalist relays that Real Madrid began with a five-man shortlist that included Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Lionel Scaloni, and Didier Deschamps.

From that, only two names remain as strong contenders – Mourinho and Deschamps.

The club believe that only one type of manager succeeds at the club – the Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, and Jose Mourinho type of coaches who are strict and excellent man-managers. 

Didier Deschamps is Real Madrid’s Plan B. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

In that sense, Mourinho is the top candidate to take over the position and is seen as the best option internally.

Concurrently, they have a Plan B, which is Didier Deschamps, a highly experienced manager who has successfully managed a star-studded French national team.

Scaloni, Nageslmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Massimiliano Allegri, and other initially linked names have all been discarded as matters stand.

With the end of the season nearing, Real Madrid do not have long to finalise a managerial appointment.

If they are to negotiate with Deschamps, they will likely have to wait until the end of the FIFA World Cup, and will thus activate that option only if the Mourinho deal falls apart.

As for Mourinho, the club is yet to negotiate with Benfica, but the Portuguese manager is expected to be available if a €3 million fee is paid.

Chelsea’s Injury Woes Ahead of Liverpool Clash

Chelsea face another daunting Premier League challenge as they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, with managerless Blues enduring a dreadful losing streak. The team will be without several key players, making this match even more crucial for interim manager Calum McFarlane.

Missing Players for Chelsea

Chelsea’s squad for Saturday’s 12:30pm kick-off is badly depleted. Robert Sanchez and Jesse Derry will both miss out, and wingers Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are also expected to be sidelined. Sanchez, who was forced off in the second half of Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, is still undergoing concussion protocols after a head injury. His replacement, Filip Jorgensen, is now the likely starter in goal for Chelsea.

“Rob [Sanchez] is also not going to be available after the injury that he sustained in the Nottingham Forest game,” McFarlane confirmed. As for Neto and Garnacho, McFarlane expressed doubts about their availability: “Neto and Garnacho are carrying knocks, so it’s looking unlikely that they are going to be available [against Liverpool].” With academy star Derry unavailable for the remainder of the season after a head clash against Forest, McFarlane is left with few options.

Tactical Adjustments for Chelsea

With so many players absent, Chelsea may need to adapt their tactics significantly. There are no fit and available wingers in the squad, forcing McFarlane to consider Joao Pedro in an unfamiliar left-sided role. Enzo Fernandez will likely operate in an attacking midfield position, while Cole Palmer should line up on the right. This could leave Liam Delap to lead the line as Chelsea look for a much-needed win.

Photo IMAGO

The absence of wingers, compounded by Estevao and Jamie Gittens’ injuries, means that McFarlane might not have many alternatives. It’s likely that Joao Pedro will be deployed as an auxiliary winger once again.

Reece James’ Potential Return

In brighter news for Chelsea, captain Reece James could make his first start in over six weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury. He returned to the bench in the Forest loss, and McFarlane will have to decide whether to risk him in the starting XI. If selected, James could replace Malo Gusto at right-back, but there are concerns about rushing him back into action too soon.

Defensive and Midfield Setup

Defensively, McFarlane will have to rely on Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill to hold the fort against Liverpool’s potent attack. Colwill, who made a return from an ACL injury, could be key to adding pace to Chelsea’s backline. In midfield, Romeo Lavia may once again partner Moises Caicedo, with the duo expected to provide the defensive shield necessary to stifle Liverpool’s creative players.

With injuries and absences mounting, Chelsea’s task at Anfield is becoming more difficult by the day. However, the Blues will be hoping for a shock result as they face Jurgen Klopp’s men, who are still fighting for Champions League qualification.

Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Joao Pedro; Delap.

Doubts: Neto, GarnachoInjured: Sanchez, Estevao, Gittens, Derry

Time and Date: 12:30pm BST, Saturday May 9, 2026Venue: Anfield, LiverpoolHow to Watch: TNT Sports

Aslamjon Ortikov has been an absolute wrecking ball since arriving in the world’s largest martial arts organization. The undefeated striking sensation from Uzbekistan has carved a remarkable path through the promotion’s flyweight Muay Thai ranks, amassing a flawless 9-0 promotional record.

The 22-year-old powerhouse is now set for another massive test. He will face explosive Colombian star Jordan Estupinan in a highly anticipated flyweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on Prime Video, broadcasting live in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 15, from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium.

This high-stakes matchup represents another opportunity for Ortikov to showcase the destructive skills that have made him one of the most exciting stars on the global roster.

From his explosive debut to his recent string of masterclasses, here is a look back at all nine victories that have shaped Ortikov’s incredible ONE Championship journey so far.

#1 A Memorable Debut

The pressure was immense for Ortikov’s promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 25 in July 2023. Undefeated at 15-0, the young Uzbek striker faced Kaotaem Fairtex in a 128-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown.

Ortikov lived up to every bit of the hype. He dropped his opponent with a devastating left hand during a wild first-round exchange and never looked back, as his unorthodox shot selection and powerful punching were on full display all fight long.

The unanimous decision victory pushed his career record to 15-0 and announced to the world that a new force had arrived in ONE Championship.

#2 Finding His Finishing Touch

After his successful debut on the global stage, Ortikov was hungry for a stoppage victory at ONE Friday Fights 37 in October 2023, and he found exactly what he was looking for against Pethuahin Jitmuangnon.

The 20-year-old dominated from the opening bell, dropping the Thai with a spinning back fist at the end of the first round. In the third frame, he put his opponent on the ropes before landing a devastating left head kick that ended the fight at just 50 seconds into the round.

The victory extended his perfect record to 16-0 and gave him his first finish in ONE.

#3 Lightning-Fast Destruction

Ortikov’s third promotional appearance at ONE Friday Fights 43 was his most explosive yet. Facing Chatanan Sor Jor Joyprajin, the Uzbek brawler wasted no time making his mark.

From the opening bell, Ortikov stalked his opponent with predatory intent, and consistently connected with cleaner, more powerful strikes as his confidence grew throughout the early exchanges.

With laser-like precision, he brought Chatanan’s two-fight winning streak to an abrupt end with a perfectly timed left high kick at just 2:33 of the first round, moving to 3-0 in ONE.

#4 The Tactical Masterclass

At ONE Friday Fights 54 in March 2024, Ortikov proved his tactical maturity against Watcharaphon Singha Mawynn in their 129-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.

The pair took time to feel each other out early, but Ortikov’s elite fight IQ began to shine as he recognized patterns and controlled the action, showcasing his ever-evolving skill set with clever counter-strikes and pivots that allowed him to cruise to victory.

In addition to keeping his pristine professional record intact and defeating one of Thailand’s top talents, the unanimous decision win demonstrated his ability to adapt and overcome different styles.

#5 Veteran Slayer

Ortikov next took on veteran Yodthongthai Sor Sommai at ONE Friday Fights 78 and showed he could handle seasoned opposition with brutal effectiveness.

The unbeaten star held the center of the ring from the opening bell, landing thudding low kicks and growing bolder with each connection. He dropped Yodthongthai with a counter left hook at the end of the second round before securing the knockout via another fatal left hook at 2:15 of the third round.

The finish moved him to 5-0 in ONE and further cemented him as one of the flyweight Muay Thai division’s most terrifying finishers.

#6 The Perfect Performance

Against Pompet PK Saenchai at ONE Friday Fights 88 in November 2024, Ortikov delivered what many consider his most complete performance to date. Indeed, the Uzbek phenom brought his signature pressure to the 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.

He kicked Pompet’s legs and threw a multitude of punches and elbows before dropping him with a stern right hand in the opening round. A frantic brawl ensued in the second frame, but Ortikov’s tactical brilliance shone through as he found homes for his overhand right with surgical precision.

Ultimately, Ortikov walked away with a unanimous decision win, three rounds of valuable experience against top-flight opposition, and his sixth straight victory at ONE Friday Fights.

#7 The All-Action Thriller

In his seventh promotional outing at ONE Friday Fights 107, Ortikov delivered arguably his most dominant performance yet against fellow young phenom Dedduanglek Torfunfarm. The striking clinic elevated his status to that of a bona fide star.

Ortikov threw hand grenades at the Road to ONE: Thailand winner from the opening bell. His overhand rights and straight lefts were on point all night, backed up by punishing knees and elbows in the clinch.

The 22-year-old even had time for some showboating and axe kicks before wrapping up another pristine display. The flawless unanimous decision victory officially extended his promotional winning streak to seven.

#8 A True Test Of Grit