Trendyol Süper Lig'in 26. haftasında 14 Mart Cumartesi günü deplasmanda Trabzonspor ile karşılaşacak Çaykur Rizespor'un savunma oyuncusu Samet Akaydin, izleyenlere keyifli bir maç izletmek istediklerini söyledi.

Mehmet Cengiz Tesisleri'ndeki antrenman öncesinde basın mensuplarına açıklamada bulunan Samet, Türk futboluna ve Trabzonspor camiasına başsağlığı dileğinde bulunarak, "Orhan Kaynak hocamızın vefatı hepimizi derinden üzdü. Böyle zamanlarda futbol konuşmak biraz zor oluyor. Hem Trabzonspor camiası hem de tüm futbol ailesi için çok üzücü bir kayıp. Kendisine Allah'tan rahmet, ailesine ve yakınlarına sabır diliyorum." dedi.

Son haftalarda yakaladıkları çıkışın kendilerini çok mutlu ettiğini belirten Samet Akaydin, "Öz güvenimizi de yerine getirdi. Bu seriyi yakalamaya ihtiyacımız vardı. Bunu başardığımız için mutluyuz. Şu anda takımın öz güveni tamamen yerinde ve sahaya en iyi şekilde odaklanmış durumdayız. Takım olarak mutluyuz ve inşallah bunun devamını getiririz." ifadelerini kullandı.

Amaçlarının Çaykur Rizespor'u en iyi yerlere götürmek olduğunu anlatan 31 yaşındaki futbolcu, "Bu şehir de bunu hak ediyor, buna ihtiyacı olduğunu düşünüyorum. Biz de sahada elimizden gelenin en iyisini vermeye çalışıyoruz. Takım içinde birlik ve beraberliğimiz çok iyi, her şey yolunda. İnşallah bundan sonra böyle devam eder." diye konuştu.

Samet Akaydin, hafta sonu oynanacakları Trabzonspor maçıyla ilgili olarak, şunları kaydetti:

"Ben her zaman iki şehre de dost şehir diyorum. Buna gölge düşürenler olabilir ama ben her zaman bu iki şehri dost olarak görüyorum ve böyle kalmasını temenni ediyorum. Güzel bir maç olmasını diliyorum. Biz sahaya öz güvenli bir şekilde çıkacağız. Öz güvenimiz şu an tam. Elbette kazanmak için gideceğiz. Trabzonspor da şampiyonluk yolunda ilerliyor. Onlar da kazanmak isteyecek. İnşallah güzel bir mücadele olur ve izleyenlere keyifli bir maç izletiriz. Umarım maçın sonucu da bizim adımıza güzel olur."

Sezon sonunda sözleşmesinin sona ereceğini hatırlatan Samet, "Şu anda tamamen Çaykur Rizespor'a odaklanmış durumdayım. Bu takımın kaptanıyım ve abilik yapıyorum. Bu şehre gerçekten çok alıştım, Rize'yi de takımı da çok seviyorum. İnşallah aramızdaki küçük pürüzleri de giderip bir anlaşma sağlarız, bakalım. Ben Çaykur Rizespor'u gerçekten çok seviyorum. Buraya geldiğim günden beri başta taraftarlar olmak üzere herkes bana çok büyük sahip çıktı. Çaykur Rizespor eski günlerimi yeniden hatırlattı diyebilirim. Bundan dolayı çok mutluyum. İnşallah sezon sonunda iki taraf için de güzel bir sonuç olur." açıklamasını yaptı.

"Hedefimiz Dünya Kupası'na gitmek"

Samet Akaydin, Romanya ile Dünya Kupası yolunda önemli bir maç oynayacaklarını belirterek, "İstanbul'da oynayacağız ve bu maçı kazanmak istiyoruz. Hedefimiz Dünya Kupası'na gitmek. Gerçekten çok istiyoruz. Ülke olarak bunu hak ediyoruz. Ülkemizin de buna ihtiyacı var. Dünya Kupası'nda yer almamız gerektiğini düşünüyorum. Romanya maçına en iyi şekilde hazırlanıp sahadan iyi bir sonuçla ayrılacağımızı düşünüyorum. Ben de milli takım ve ülkem için elimden gelenin en iyisini vermeye çalışacağım. İnşallah o şans gelirse, en iyi şekilde değerlendirmek isterim." ifadelerini kullandı.

Rumen takım arkadaşı Valentin Mihaila ile Türkiye-Romanya maçı ile ilgili konuştuklarını anlatan Samet, şöyle devam etti:

"Kura çekimi yapılmadan önce Mihaila ile tabii ki biraz şakalaşmalarımız oldu. Çünkü Mihaila ve Romanya takımı, Türk milli takımının gücünün farkındaydı, zaten bunu biliyorlardı. Kura çekimlerinde Türkiye ile eşleşmek istemiyorlardı. Kura çekimine bakarsak, oradaki en güçlü hedef bizim olduğumuzu düşünüyorum. Onlar da öyle düşünüyordu. Tabii ki onlar da bizi çekmek istemiyorlardı. O gelince aramızda şakalaşmalar oldu. Mihaila bizim güçlü bir takım olduğumuzu zaten biliyordu. Romanya Milli Takımı gerçekten güçlü bir takım ve Mihaila da çok kaliteli bir oyuncu. Biz de kendi aramızda ona 'sizi her türlü yeneceğiz' tarzında şakalar yapıyorduk, o da gülüyordu. Böyle espriler geçti aramızda."

Samet Akaydin, teknik direktör Recep Uçar'ın geldiği günden beri takımla iletişiminin üst seviyede olduğuna değinerek, "Her oyuncuyla birebir konuşuyor. Sıkıntısı olan herkes kapısını çalıp yanına gidebiliyor ve yardımcı olmaya çalışıyor. Biz de geldiği günden bu yana hocaya yardımcı olmaya çalışıyoruz. Futbolcularla abi, kardeş ilişkisi gibi bir uyum var ve futbolcular arasında hiçbir sorun olmadı. Bunun karşılığını da iyi futbolla aldığımızı düşünüyorum. Daha iyi sonuçlar da alabilirdik. Sonuçlarda biraz geç kaldık. Puan tablosunda da rahatladığımızı düşünüyorum. Tabii bunu bitti anlamında söylemiyorum. Hedefimiz daha üstüne koyarak daha yukarılara oynamak. Çünkü takımımızda bu kalite var. İnşallah sezon sonunda daha iyi bir yerde bitiririz." şeklinde konuştu.

AFFA Hakimlər Komitəsinin sədri Rəhim Həsənov Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasının 23-cü turundakı mübahisəli epizodlara şərh verib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, komitə sədri ənənəyə uyğun olaraq, 22-ci turun oyunlarında qeydə alınmış mübahisəli epizodlarla bağlı fikirlərini bildirib.

Mütəxəssis Azərbaycan Kubokunun 1/4 final mərhələsinin oyunlarındakı mübahisəli epizodlarla da bağlı fikirlərini dilə gətirib. Rəhim Həsənov ümumilikdə 5 matçda qeydə alınmış mübahisəli epizodları dəyərləndirib. O, hakimlərin həmin vəziyyətlər zamanı düzgün qərarlar verdiyini bildirib.

AFFA Hakimlər Komitəsinin sədrinin Premyer Liqanın və kubokun son oyunlarındakı mübahisəli epizodları təhlil etdiyi həmin videonu təqdim edirik:

Azərbaycan millisinin hücumçusu Nəriman Axundzadə yeni klubu olan MLS təmsilçisi “Kolumbus Kru”nun düşərgəsinə qoşulub.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, ABŞ təmsilçisi sosial şəbəkə hesablarında 21 yaşlı hücumçunu azarkeşlərinə təqdim edib.

Axundzadə artıq yeni komandasının heyətində ilk məşqinə də çıxıb.

Xatırladaq ki, Nəriman fevralın əvvəlində Ohayo ştatını təmsil edən “Kolumbus Kru” ilə 3,5 illik müqaviləyə imza atıb.

“Qarabağ”ın yetirməsi hesab olan Nəriman Axundzadə 2023-cü ildən Ağdam klubunun əsas komandasında çıxış edirdi. Sağ cinah vingeri “Qarabağ”ın əsas komandasında 127 oyuna çıxıb. O, bu oyunlarda 35 qola imza atıb, 17 məhsuldar ötürmə müəllifi olub.

Azərbaycanın U-19 və U-21 yığmalarında da forma geyinmiş hücumçu 2023-cü ildə əsas millimizdə debüt edib. O, Azərbaycan yığmasının heyətində keçirdiyi 13 oyunda məhsuldar fəaliyyəti ilə diqqət çəkməyib.

“Qarabağ”la 2028-ci ilin 30 iyununadək müqaviləsi olan Nərimanın keçidi üçün ABŞ klubu Azərbaycan çempionuna 2,5 milyon avro ödəyib.

“Kolumbus Kru” MLS-in cari mövsümündə artıq 3 oyun keçirib, 2 heç-heçə edib, 1 məğlubiyyətə üzülüb. Nərimanın yeni komandası hazırda 2 xalla 11-ci pillədə qərarlaşıb.

Vincenzo Italiano admits he would gladly have avoided the all-Italian Europa League duel with Roma, but Bologna ‘hope to tease some weaknesses out of them tomorrow.’

It kicks off on Thursday at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET) at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

The draw was unkind to the Italian teams, as while it means at least there will be one representative in the quarter-finals, it can only be one of the two sides who entered the tournament.

Bologna had a terrible start to 2026 and seemingly had turned a corner with a run of victories, but faltered again at the weekend with their home defeat to rock bottom Hellas Verona.

Italiano would have avoided Bologna vs. Roma

“We have already put that match behind us,” assured Italiano in his press conference.

“Roma have some weaknesses and we hope to tease those out of them tomorrow. As I said before, I had hoped in a different draw, because we could’ve gone far together in this competition, but instead one of the two Italians must go out.

“We are stuttering in our home games lately, but hope to change that tomorrow.”

The coach gave injury updates, as Juan Miranda and Torbjorn Heggem are back in training, but it remains to be seen if either of them could start.

He did hint that Tommaso Pobega has “a very good chance” of being in the starting XI, though Thijs Dallinga could finally give Santiago Castro some rest ahead of the Serie A showdown with Sassuolo.

“Roma defend well and have now found a striker in Donyell Malen who is doing very well, giving their aggressive style of football an outlet. We know him too, as we already played against his Aston Villa earlier in the season.

“Gian Piero Gasperini has set the example for all coaches, winning important trophies both at team and individual level. He continues to exhibit wonderful football and I have incredible respect for him.”

Will the two coaches go out to dinner together?

“We’d need a restaurant that stayed open late, because we’d have so much to talk about!”

The second leg will be at the Stadio Olimpico next week, where the Rossoblu lost 1-0 in the opening game of the Serie A season back in August.

“I am not thinking about the second leg, because after tomorrow we already have another Serie A match to play, so there’s time for that. Obviously, it won’t be an easy atmosphere for us at the Olimpico, but we know that.

“The trouble with an Italian derby is we know each other so very well. It’s a new experience for me too, facing another Italian side in Europe.”

Bologna’s home record has been the most surprising aspect of their campaign so far, as since the start of December 2025 they have amassed just three victories at the Stadio Dall’Ara, two draws and eight losses in all competition.

“I analysed all those games, and some we deserved to lose, with others we could’ve won with a bit more concentration. The attitude is not the issue, but we are paying a heavy price for some distractions, and have the time to make up for it,” noted Italiano.

“We did win five games after that difficult period, and a situation like Verona can happen, in Serie A anybody can beat anyone else, it’s always a struggle. We have more difficulty against teams who let us take control of the game, leading us to become a bit too superficial in our preventative marking.

“Tomorrow is a big opportunity for us to progress in Europe, but we won’t be able to judge the season until the end.”

Igor Tudor’s handling of Guglielmo Vicario during Tottenham’s 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid has given Inter a significant boost, with the Nerazzurri keen on signing the Italian goalkeeper next summer.

Tudor dropped Vicario for Antonín Kinský in a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, but the 22-year-old’s early mistakes led to Vicario’s introduction after just 17 minutes. 

Inter already opened Vicario talks

According to various sources, Inter have already opened talks with Vicario’s entourage, having identified the ex-Empoli and Cagliari goalkeeper as their main target in goal for 2026-27.

Previous reports claimed that Inter directors would hold further talks with the goalkeeper’s representatives this month.

Vicario is eager to return to Italy in the summer, and Tudor’s management against Atletico Madrid seems to have only reinforced his desire.

According to Gazzetta, in fact, Vicario expected to start the match at the Wanda Metropolitano, believing his status within the team would be respected.

The Pink Paper adds that Juventus and Monaco are also closely following Vicario, and that Inter’s second option to replace Yann Sommer is Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin.

Tottenham’s asking price for Vicario is reportedly around €20m, but if Spurs are relegated from the Premier League, then the goalkeeper’s price would be further reduced.

Tottenham are just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League, and their new coach, Igor Tudor, has lost all his first four games in charge.

Napoli are prepared to make Rasmus Hojlund’s move from Manchester United permanent for €44m as the Red Devils are reportedly unwilling to reduce the striker’s transfer fee.

Napoli are destined to sign Hojlund on a permanent transfer from Manchester United for €44m, reports TMW.

Hojlund set for 44m Napoli transfer

The Denmark international joined the Partenopei on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy last summer.

The obligation to purchase is tied to Napoli’s Champions League qualification this season, but it seems like a fairly feasible target as the defending Serie A champions currently sit third in the standings with a five-point lead over fifth-placed Roma.

According to the report, Napoli will try to lower Manchester United’s demands, but the Red Devils are unwilling to give any discount, especially because the Azzurri seem close to securing Champions League qualification.

Hojlund has scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances across all competitions this season.

Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli says the club’s medical staff is assessing Moise Kean ‘day by day’ and hopes the Italian striker will be available for the next crucial Serie A match against Cremonese.

Fiorentina star Kean will miss tomorrow’s Conference League Round of 16 first leg game against Rakow, Vanoli confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday.

Kean to miss Fiorentina vs. Rakow

“We are continuing with a recovery process and evaluating him day by day. The target is to have him in Cremona,” the Viola coach said via TMW.

Kean has sustained a fibula injury, and Fiorentina hope he’ll be back for the next Serie A match away at Cremonese. It’s a crucial fixture for the Tuscans, who are just one point above the Grigiorossi in the relegation zone.

Gudmundsson is expected to be available tomorrow but is not in his best shape.

“Right now, he must regain full fitness after an ankle problem. He misses being decisive, but he still does important things,” Vanoli said.

“I like him more in his new role than as a support striker. He must only find that spark; we know he can be decisive in the final games.

“We are focused on this game. The Conference League is an important trophy that we want to honour and go as far as possible. We find a team that did very well in the league phase. They defend well and have only conceded two goals. We must think that we’ll play across two games, so we have to be smart. We’ll think about Cremonese on Friday.”

According to Tuttosport, Everton and West Ham have recently scouted Torino midfielder Cesare Casadei.

Ex-Chelsea and Inter midfielder Casadei has attracted interest from Everton and West Ham, according to Tuttosport.

Everton and West Ham interested in Casadei

The two Premier League clubs will be looking for midfield reinforcement in the summer, although the Hammers must first secure Premier League survival.

The Italian midfielder, 23, has scored five goals in 28 appearances across all competitions this season.

He joined Torino in January 2025 on a permanent €13m deal from Chelsea.

During his time in England, he had played for Chelsea, Leicester City and Reading FC, collecting 11 Premier League appearances.

A product of the Inter Academy, Casadei is Torino’s best scorer since January with one goal in Coppa Italia and four in Serie A despite not being a regular starter.

No other Torino player has scored more goals since the start of the year.

Casadei’s contract with Torino expires in June 2029.

He has yet to make his senior Italy debut, but scored four goals in 16 appearances with Italy U21.

Liverpool are plotting a summer move for Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad. 

The 24-year-old Japanese international has done well in Spain, and he could prove to be a useful acquisition for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah has not been at his best this season, and the Egyptian has been linked with an exit. Liverpool will need to replace him properly, and they have identified the La Liga attacker as an option.

According to reports from Spain, they would be prepared to pay €80 million in order to get the deal done. The reported offer would be hard for the Spanish club to turn down, and they are likely to sanction his departure if the offer is presented in the summer.

Convincing the player to join Liverpool will not be difficult either. It would be a huge opportunity in his career, and he will look to join the Premier League champions if the opportunity presents itself.

The 24-year-old can operate on the right flank, and he will add goals and creativity to the team. He has recorded five goal contributions in all competitions this season. Joining a top-quality team like Liverpool could bring out the best in him. Kubo has been backed to become a “superstar” in future.

Liverpool needs more quality on the flanks, and ideally, they should look to invest in a left-sided attacker as well. It will be interesting to see if they can bring in two quality wingers in the summer. They have also been linked to Yan Diomande.

The 24-year-old Japanese international has the technical attributes to succeed in English football, and he will look to make his mark in the Premier League if the move goes through.

The post Liverpool ready to splash £69m on La Liga ace backed to become a “superstar” appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has “serious chances” to leave the club this summer, following a nightmare season that has left the North London side fighting for Premier League survival.

Despite signing a new four-year contract extension just last August, the 27-year-old’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is now shrouded in uncertainty.

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Taking to X, Romano revealed: “Cuti Romero has serious chances to leave Tottenham in the summer. Top clubs have started to call as exit is a possibility despite new deal signed last summer. Romero could be open to a sale, as Telegraph and TyC Sports reported.”

??? Cuti Romero has serious chances to leave Tottenham in the summer.

Top clubs have started to call as exit is a possibility despite new deal signed last summer.

Romero could be open to a sale, as Telegraph and TyC Sports reported.

?? https://t.co/Q4fcYNPTBg pic.twitter.com/pZlRd2h749

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 11, 2026

Cristian Romero could leave Tottenham

The World Cup winner is reportedly frustrated with the club’s lack of ambition and the chaotic managerial changes that have seen Igor Tudor struggle to stabilise a squad left in disarray by Thomas Frank.

Romero’s relationship with the club hierarchy has reportedly hit a breaking point, particularly after he publicly criticised the board earlier this season.

Several European heavyweights have already registered interest. Atletico Madrid remain long-term admirers, with Diego Simeone reportedly viewing Romero as the ideal leader for his defense.

Real Madrid and Manchester United are also said to be monitoring the situation closely, especially with the Argentine potentially available for a fee in the region of £60 million.

Tottenham also open to selling Romero as part of squad rebuild

While the ‘world-class‘ Romero’s departure would be a massive blow to the fans, the Spurs hierarchy appears increasingly resigned to a parting of ways.

It has been reported that the club is planning a ruthless summer overhaul, with Romero identified as one of the primary high-value assets to be cashed in on to fund a rebuild.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has previously hinted that the club must balance the books to comply with financial regulations, and selling an unsettled captain for significant money is ‘best for all paries’.

With Spurs currently sit 16th in the table, the prospect of a summer firesale is becoming more likely as the club prepares for a total reset.

The post “Serious chances to leave” – Romano makes worrying claim about ‘world-class’ Tottenham star after nightmare season appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has confirmed that Igor Tudor will lead the pre-match press conference on Friday, signaling that the interim manager will remain in the dugout for the crucial trip to Anfield.

The news comes in the wake of a humiliating 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, a result that has left fans and pundits questioning if Tudor is the right man to prevent a historic relegation.

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Taking to X, Gold broke the news of the club’s decision: “Spurs have confirmed that Igor Tudor is scheduled to take his press conference on Friday afternoon at 1.30pm ahead of the Liverpool match.”

Igor Tudor expected to remain in charge for the Liverpool game

Despite the outcry following the disaster in Madrid, the Tottenham hierarchy appears to be sticking with Tudor for at least one more game.

The 47-year-old’s brief tenure has been nothing short of a nightmare; since replacing Thomas Frank 25 days ago, he has lost all four of his matches in charge, conceding a staggering 14 goals in the process.

The defeat at the Metropolitano was particularly bruising. Tudor made the controversial decision to drop first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for Antonin Kinsky, only to haul the 22-year-old off after just 17 minutes following two massive errors.

While Tudor claimed the move was made to protect the young keeper, the tactical chaos has reportedly left players unconvinced by his leadership.

Spurs could still sack Tudor amid serious relegation threat

While he will face the media on Friday, Tudor’s position remains incredibly insecure.

Tottenham currently sit in 16th place, just one point above the relegation zone. With rivals like Nottingham Forest and Wolves beginning to pick up points, the once-unthinkable prospect of Championship football for the first time since 1977 is now a grim reality.

Igor Tudor is winless since taking interim role at Tottenham

The board, led by executive Vinai Venkatesham, is reportedly under immense pressure to act before the upcoming international break.

If Spurs suffer another heavy defeat against a top-four chasing Liverpool side, the club may have no choice but to pull the trigger on their second manager of the year.

Recently sacked Sean Dyche and former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi remain the top names on a survival shortlist should Tudor be dismissed.

The post “Spurs have confirmed” – Tottenham make big Igor Tudor decision after humiliating defeat against Atletico Madrid appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Suffering last-gasp Champions League heartbreak at St. James’ Park on Tuesday night as they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate on Tyneside, Newcastle know that they have an almighty battle on their hands when they travel to Catalonia next week. Watching their FA Cup adventure come to an end last weekend as they […]

The post European giants are waiting to rip the heart out of Newcastle’s midfield this summer appeared first on Soccer News.

The post European giants are waiting to rip the heart out of Newcastle’s midfield this summer appeared first on Soccer News.

AFFA-nın Elit-Məşq layihəsinin yeni direktoru məlum olub.

Futbolpress.az-ın əldə etdiyi məlumata görə, bu post Mirbağır İsayevə həvalə olunub .

Bunadək layihənin direktoru Yunis Hüseynov idi.

İsayev ilə AFFA arasında bu gün müqavilə imzalanıb.

Mütəxəssis “Səbail”də akademiya koordinatoru vəzifəsini icra edirdi. O, daha əvvəl “Neftçi”ni əsas və gənclərdən ibarət, “Kəpəz”in isə əsas komandasını, həmçinin Azərbaycanın U-17 yığmasını çalışdırb.

Şahin Cəfərov

AFFA Hakimlər Komitəsinin sədri Rəhim Həsənov Misli Premyer Liqasının XXIII turunun və Azərbaycan Kubokunun 1/4 final mərhələsinin oyunlarındakı mübahisəli qərarları şərh edib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, sədr qərarların düzgün olduğunu bildirib.

“Liverpul”un baş məşqçisi Arne Slot Çempionlar Liqasında “Qalatasaray”a uduzduqları görüşü şərh edib.

Futbolpress.az UEFA-nın saytına istinadən xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis 0:1 hesabıyla bitən matçla bağlı bunları deyib:

“Standart vəziyyətlər zamanı hər faulda hakim “Qalatasaray”ın lehinə qərar verirdi. Ləğv olunan qolumuzdan öncə də Van Daykı formasından çəkirdilər. Lakin qərar fərqli oldu. Gördük ki, atmosferdən təsirlənən tək biz olmamışıq”.

Komandalar arasndakı cavab oyunu martın 18-də olacaq.

Fort tracks strength for people who care about longevity.

Discussion | Link

Suffering last-gasp Champions League heartbreak at St. James’ Park on Tuesday night as they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate on Tyneside, Newcastle know that they have an almighty battle on their hands when they travel to Catalonia next week. Watching their FA Cup adventure come to an end last weekend as they […]

The post European giants are waiting to rip the heart out of Newcastle’s midfield this summer appeared first on Soccer News.

The post European giants are waiting to rip the heart out of Newcastle’s midfield this summer appeared first on Soccer News.

Google’s branded queries filter in Search Console is now available to all eligible sites. Google’s new branded queries filter, announced Nov. 20, lets you separate branded and non-branded search traffic in the Performance report.

Why we care. Separating branded and non-branded queries has long required manual regex filters or keyword lists. This update gives you native segmentation in Search Console, making it easier to measure brand demand versus discovery traffic.

Google’s announcement. Google confirmed the broader availability in a LinkedIn post today:

• “The branded queries filter in Search Console is now available to all eligible sites! This feature helps you analyze the queries driving traffic to your site by automatically differentiating between branded and non-branded queries.”

The details. The branded queries filter appears in the Search results Performance report. It lets you segment queries into two groups:

• Branded: Queries containing your brand name, variations, misspellings, or brand-related products and services.
• Non-branded: All other queries.

When applied, Search Console limits metrics — impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position — to the selected group. The filter works across all search types (Web, Image, Video, News) in the report.

Insights report. Google also added a new card to the Search Console Insights report that shows a click breakdown between branded and non-branded traffic.

• The card helps you measure brand recognition by comparing traffic from users already familiar with your brand versus those discovering your site for the first time, Google said.

Google’s brand classification. Google uses an internal AI-assisted system to determine whether queries are branded. The system can recognize:

• Brand names in multiple languages
• Misspellings and variations
• Queries referring to unique brand products or services

Some queries may be misclassified due to the contextual nature of brand detection, Google said. The filter is strictly a reporting feature and doesn’t affect search rankings.

What to watch. Today’s announcement indicates it has reached all eligible sites, though some properties may still not qualify due to query and impression volume requirements.

We joke every time we hear Google’s John Mueller answer a question with “it depends.” But actually, it’s true.

There are few definitive answers or universally established facts in SEO. Do meta titles matter? Yes. Is internal linking a good practice? Yes. Is duplicate content bad for SEO? Yes.

But if I tried to make a list of SEO questions with a single, clear, absolute answer, it wouldn’t be long.

That’s the real challenge: we operate in an industry where things almost always depend on context, intent, competition, your website’s situation, and the platform itself.

Yet over and over, we see questions framed as if there must be one right answer. SEO tips are often shared as universal truths — one-size-fits-all for websites, industries, and business models.

My purpose here is simple: to shift that mindset. Especially if you share SEO advice publicly, let’s move away from “this is the only way” and toward “this is one way, depending on your situation.”

Is schema important for SEO?

The idea for this article came to me when I saw Mueller respond to a Reddit thread about the importance of schema markup. He replied, “This question will stick with us for the next year and longer, and the short answer is yes, no, and it depends…”

And he’s absolutely right.

• Is schema important for rankings in Google? Not directly, in most cases.
• Is schema important for rich results eligibility? Yes.
• Is schema important if you’re running ecommerce and want product snippets, pricing visibility, and review stars? Very likely.
• Is schema important if you’re a news publisher trying to appear in Top Stories, Google Discover, and other news-specific areas? Highly recommended.
• Is schema important for LLMs to cite your website? Structured data can help certain large language models interpret content more clearly. For example, as confirmed by Fabrice Canel, principal product manager at Microsoft Bing, schema markup helps Microsoft’s LLMs better understand your content.

Schema isn’t a special case of “it depends.” It’s just a familiar one. The same logic applies across almost every debate in our industry, including arguably the biggest one right now.

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GEO vs. SEO

This has become one of the most debated topics going into 2025 and 2026. Is SEO the same as generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Well, it depends. If we’re talking about core tactics — content quality, structured information, entity relationships, internal linking, bot accessibility, and content discoverability — then yes, there is significant overlap.

But if we’re talking about platforms and how they operate, then no. SEO traditionally optimizes for search engines like Google. GEO aims to influence visibility within generative systems like those developed by OpenAI and others.

The mechanics differ:

• Traditional search retrieves and ranks documents.
• Generative systems retrieve, synthesize, and generate responses.

That doesn’t mean one replaces the other. It means the context changes.

So, do you still think GEO is the same as SEO? (Yes, no, and it depends are all correct answers.)

Can a one-year-old website outrank older websites?

This was another Mueller moment on Reddit, where he responded with: “I think I’m trying to say ‘it depends’?”

Is domain age a ranking factor? Not directly.

Can a newer website outrank an older one? Generally yes. Specifically, it depends on a lot of factors:

• Is the newer site producing better content?
• Is it targeting underserved queries?
• Does it have a stronger brand presence on social channels?

There are too many moving parts to give a universal answer, and that’s exactly the point.

Are 404s hurting your SEO?

While it’s tempting to say yes, the standard answer is no. 404s don’t automatically hurt your website’s performance in search.

Fixing 404s is on every technical SEO checklist. It’s a good practice and definitely reduces your website’s technical debt. They don’t naturally hurt your performance in search because Google understands that pages are retired naturally.

Products go out of stock. Articles get removed. Content evolves. A 404 status code, by itself, is not a penalty trigger.

Unless your website creates a large number of 404s in a short period, which can happen during website migrations, for example. If a significant percentage of previously indexed URLs start returning 404s, that can absolutely impact your search visibility for the whole website. Especially if the number of 404s is a noticeable percentage of your website’s pages.

But imagine this: a website with tens of thousands of pages, or even millions of pages, and they have 10 404s. These are definitely not a high-priority fix. Right?

Yes, I would ignore them, especially if your dev team has higher-priority items in their queue. They’re just 10 links. They don’t matter…

Unless they have valuable backlinks linking to them.

Or unless those URLs are heavily linked internally, meaning users and crawlers repeatedly encounter them.

Or you’re running a news website and content is timely, and these 404 pages are ranking in search for time-sensitive keywords instead of your status 200 working content pages.

See what happened? The answer changed based on context. For every rule, there seems to be an exception.

To be a great SEO, you cannot simply operate off a checklist: 

You have to ask:

• How many?
• How fast did they appear?
• Are they receiving links?
• Are they indexed?
• Are they affecting users?
• What’s the opportunity cost of fixing them right now?

And once again, it depends.

The real skill in SEO

The real skill in SEO isn’t memorizing best practices or having the best, most comprehensive checklist.

It’s knowing when different things apply and understanding:

• Which factors matter in this situation.
• Which tactics are leverage points for this business model.
• Which platform you’re optimizing for.
• What your backend is.
• And many, many more.

Saying “it depends” means you understand the question well enough to know it has no single answer.

In an industry shaped by evolving algorithms, multiple platforms, and constantly shifting user behavior, knowing this is foundational.

So maybe instead of rolling our eyes every time we hear “it depends,” we should recognize it for what it is — the most honest answer in SEO.

The largest annual survey of PPC professionals finds the industry under growing pressure — more opaque platforms, weaker measurement, and AI tools that help but haven’t transformed the day-to-day.

Why we care. More than half of practitioners (53%) say PPC is harder than it was two years ago, up from 49%. The dominant reason isn’t competition — it’s that platforms are making more decisions advertisers can’t see or override, and that gap is only widening.

With 89% of digital spend flowing to just three companies, advertisers who don’t build measurement infrastructure independent of platform reporting are increasingly flying blind.

By the numbers:

• 1,306 respondents surveyed November–December 2025 across agency, freelance, and in-house roles
• 62% cite platform opacity as the top reason PPC has gotten harder; 53% blame measurement loss
• 5.2 hours/week saved on average through AI tools — 55% save just 1–5 hours; almost no one saves 20+
• 59% now use LLMs for ad copy, up from 42% last year — the fastest-growing AI use case
• 73% of in-house teams now keep PPC fully in-house, up from 44% two years ago
• 20% of clients plan to replace agency work with AI — vs. just 12% planning to switch agencies
• $1 trillion in global digital ad spend in 2025; 89% flows to Google, Meta, or Amazon

What they’re saying. Exact match keywords remain the most trusted feature (75% use them often or always). AI Max for Search has the lowest adoption of any tracked feature — 34% have never used it (but then it’s the youngest of Google’s major updates). Auto-apply recommendations are firmly distrusted across the board.

Between the lines. Agency survival is the subtext of the whole report. Finding talent and growing revenue are both flagged as “very or often challenging” by 62% of agency respondents. And the threat isn’t defection to rival agencies — it’s clients cutting agencies out entirely by using AI in-house.

The big picture. Practitioners seem to have found a pragmatic relationship with AI — use it for copy and research, distrust it for autonomous decisions. The harder problem is one AI can’t solve: platforms are taking more control while giving advertisers less visibility. That gap is widening, and there’s no clear fix in sight.

Dig deeper. The State of PPC Global Report 2026

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has agreed to restructure his contract in a move that frees up approximately $12 million in much-needed salary cap space for the team entering the NFL's new year, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the discussions were to remain private. ESPN was first to report the restructuring.

The move converts $15.2 million of Allen's salary this season into a signing bonus, and comes a year after he signed a $330 million contract extension that ran through 2030.

What is essentially a move on paper for Allen is significant for the Bills because it provides general manager Brandon Beane payroll flexibility to add players as the NFL’s signing period opened on Wednesday.

The Bills were projected to be about $4 million over the cap entering the day.

They were about $32 million over the cap a week ago, which led to the team releasing three players and trading cornerback Taron Johnson to Las Vegas. The team also restructured various other contracts, while re-signing center Connor McGovern and acquiring receiver D.J. Moore in a trade with Chicago.

Upon formally signing his four-year, $52 million contract on Tuesday, McGovern revealed that Allen played a role in bringing the two sides together.

“It doesn’t hurt when you have 17 (Allen’s number) in your corner,” said McGovern, who was otherwise preparing to test the free agent market.

Buffalo is undergoing a transition with Joe Brady taking over as coach, replacing Sean McDermott, who was fired in January following nine seasons. Though the team’s offense remains mostly in tact, the defense — previously overseen by McDermott — is being overhauled under new coordinator Jim Leonhard.

___

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

NEED TO KNOW

• A'ja Wilson teared up alongside her boyfriend, Bam Adebayo, during a post-game press conference on Tuesday, March 10
• The Las Vegas Aces MVP was emotional after the Miami Heat star praised her for his 83-point game against the Washington Wizards earlier in the night
• The longtime friends turned romantic couple confirmed their relationship in February 2025

Bam Adebayo is shining a light on his girlfriend, A'ja Wilson.

The Miami Heat star scored a historic 83 points in the team's 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, and praised the Las Vegas Aces champion for her support.

During a postgame news conference, Adebayo was asked by reporters about how he was processing his feat of scoring the second-highest point total in a single game in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points scored in 1962.

The center, who sat at the mic next to Wilson, noted how his girlfriend was away for a week and missed the game where he scored his 10,000th career point on Sunday, March 8.

"She was complaining about how I got my 10,000 points and how she wanted me to wait, so to have 83 [points] the first game she's here is very special," Adebayo, 28, said.

"The behind-the-scenes, the workouts and the conversations are very motivating. Obviously, you see what she does and you get inspired everyday by that," he added of his girlfriend. "I'm thankful to have her in my life."

To a visibly choked-up Wilson, Adebayo added, "She's gonna cry by the way."

Wilson, 29, spoke to the press about why she was "hiding" in the tunnel at the Kesaya Center in Miami during the game.

"I see the countless hours that he puts in. I see the early morning workouts, the questioning, the self-doubt. I see all that," she explained of the Heat star. "So to see him thriving so well in that space during that time, I didn't want to mess up any mojo."

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"We are the two most routine people ever, and I'm like, 'Alright, if I'm not in my seat, he's doing pretty well.' I remember I sat down and you missed your free throw, and I'm like, 'Alright. Let me go back to the back', " she recalled with a laugh.

Wilson added, "But at the same time, I knew I just wanted to be there to show my support. This has been an incredible game, obviously, but journey for Bam. Witnessing it firsthand, the highs and the lows of it, it's been so much fun."

The WNBA MVP then praised her boyfriend for inspiring her in her own life, both personally and professionally.

"I know he says that I'm his inspiration, but I don't think he has a clue how much he inspires me to continue to be the person that I am, but to show up for him," she said. "That's my biggest goal. Always to be present and show up for him."

In making history, the Heat star surpassed Kobe Bryant's 81 points, which has stood second on the list for 20 years.

Wilson and Adebayo first sparked dating rumors after being spotted together ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics. They remained tight-lipped for months, until the Aces player subtly confirmed their romance in February 2025 during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Later that month, Wilson was honored with a jersey retirement by her alma mater, the University of South Carolina. During her speech, she gave a subtle shout-out to Adebayo, who was sitting courtside.

"I wouldn't be who I am today without the love, support and sacrifices of so many people," she said. "What a blessing to have those most special to me courtside today, especially my favorite Olympian from out of town."

Read the original article on People

Zach Lowe Makes Stance Clear On Celtics' Chances To Win Eastern Conference originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Ringer's Zach Lowe believes the Boston Celtics are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and make the NBA Finals in June. He said so during a new Zach Lowe Show that aired Monday.

“Are they the favorites (in the East)?” Lowe asked rhetorically. “I am conservative when I may calls like that, but I'll say this” No one else in the East has given me a reason to call them favorites over Boston … I guess I (need) to see more from Tatum, but they right now feel like the most coherent and complete team out of the top four to me.”

By the "top four", Lowe was referring to the other contenders in the East outside of Boston: Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks.

Boston fell to the Knicks in the second round of last year's playoffs, in which Tatum tragically ruptured his Achilles tendon during Game 4.

The Celtics made a ton of offseason changes that had them talked about as a lottery team intering the 2025-26 season. Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla, and the rest of the Celtics' organization never agreed with such assessments, even if they kept their opinions in-house.

Boston has torn apart all expectations and grown into a true contender during what was supposed to be a gap year. Neemias Queta has emerged as a Most Improved candidate, and Boston's young wings -- Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, rookie Hugo Gonzalez, and even Ron Harper Jr. -- have all surged ahead in their development.

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard continue to add value to their offerings. Jaylen Brown has leveled up.

This has all contributed to the Celtics trending in a direction that no one outside of the Auerbach Center saw coming.

More NBA: Bill Simmons Shares Unexpected Baylor Scheierman-Jayson Tatum Theory

The Detroit Lions may not receive a compensatory draft pick for the departure of veteran wide receiver and return specialist Kalif Raymond, and the reason comes down to the structure of his new contract.

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, Raymond has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears worth up to $5.055 million, including $3 million guaranteed.

The contract details include:

• $1 million signing bonus
• $2 million guaranteed salary
• $15,000 per-game active roster bonuses (up to $255,000)
• Up to $1.8 million in playtime and playoff incentives

However, as noted by cap analyst Nick Korte, Raymond’s base average per year (APY) of roughly $3.255 million likely falls below the threshold needed to qualify as a compensatory free agent loss for Detroit.

How the compensatory formula works

The NFL awards compensatory picks based on a confidential formula that weighs several factors, including:

• Average salary per year (APY)
• Playing time
• Postseason honors

Generally speaking, players must sign larger contracts to qualify as compensatory free agents that would generate draft compensation for their former team.

Because Raymond’s deal is relatively modest, especially compared to many free-agent wide receiver contracts, it likely won’t register in the compensatory pick formula.

Raymond’s role in Detroit

Raymond spent several productive seasons with the Lions after joining the team in 2021. Known for his speed and versatility, he contributed as both a receiver and one of the NFL’s more dangerous return specialists.

During his time in Detroit, Raymond became a trusted depth target for quarterback Jared Goff and a key contributor on special teams.

But while his departure may create an opportunity for younger players on Detroit’s roster, it appears unlikely to produce any additional draft capital for the Lions.

The post Why the Detroit Lions Are Unlikely to Earn a Compensatory Pick for Recent Departure appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation.

According toL’Equipe, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez still harbours dreams of signing Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and pairing him with superstar Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It is no secret that Los Blancos have long admired the Manchester City and Norway striker and have held a strong interest in acquiring his services.

In fact, as per the report, about a year and a half ago, Real Madrid had a dream that perfectly fit the club’s long tradition of assembling “Galactico” squads: bringing together Haaland and Mbappe in the same attack.

The idea of pairing two of the most explosive forwards in world football captured the imagination of the club’s leadership and supporters alike.

While they were successful in signing Mbappe after his contract expired at PSG in 2024, a move for Haaland did not take place.

Real Madrid’s dream. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Although such a transfer currently appears very complicated to carry out, the idea has not been completely abandoned inside the Real Madrid offices.

The possibility remains alive, at least as a long-term objective, even if the circumstances required to make it happen would be extremely difficult to align.

The topic becomes especially relevant as Real Madrid prepare to face Manchester City later tonight in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.

Haaland is not currently experiencing the best run of form in his career, but that is unlikely to prevent him from starting on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite that, he has already plundered 29 goals from 39 matches this season in all competitions, along with seven assists.

For Real Madrid to stand a chance of progressing in the competition, they must make sure that Haaland has a quiet outing across the two legs.

Exclusive

New faces for Algeria

Algeria/@FAF

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Vladimir Petkovic is leaving no stone unturned, eager to assess every possible option in his squad to ensure he has the best at his disposal for the big event.

With a long list of injuries and several players struggling for form, here are five contenders who could make their return to the national team during the March international break.

Mehdi Léris (Pisa)

After clocking up 26 matches for Pisa in Italy, Mehdi Léris is poised for a comeback more than two and a half years since his last call-up. The 27-year-old, capped four times, could provide a valuable solution at right-back.

Rafik Guitane (Estoril)

He was called up just once during the last Arab Cup and was hoping for a spot in AFCON 2025, but luck wasn’t on his side. With eight goal involvements (three goals, five assists) in 22 outings for Estoril, Guitane is making waves as the best dribbler in the Portuguese league, boasting 65 successful dribbles.

Amin Chiakha (Rosenborg)

Seven minutes across two games—that’s all the playing time Amin Chiakha has seen with the Algerian national team. He hasn’t donned the green jersey since March 25, 2025. With a shortage of attacking options, he could get another chance in the upcoming camp, especially now that he’s finding his feet at Rosenborg.

Yassine Titraoui (Charleroi SC)

Called up for the November break, the Charleroi SC midfielder couldn’t convince Vladimir Petkovic for a spot in either the Arab Cup or AFCON. Nevertheless, he’s posted four goals and two assists in 33 appearances across all competitions in Belgium.

Kevin Van Den Kerkhof (Charleroi SC)

Absent from the squad since June 2024, Kevin Van Den Kerkhof is another strong candidate for the right-back slot. He’s featured in 24 matches (two goals, one assist) for his Belgian club this season.

Brentford's majority owner Matthew Benham says head coach Keith Andrews proved to be an "outstanding" candidate at a time of high risk for the Bees.

Andrews - a former set-piece coach at the club - succeeded Thomas Frank during the summer at a time when the Bees also lost strike duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa to Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

Speaking to presenter Roger Bennett from the Men in Blazers podcast at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2026, Benham discussed how he viewed losing key players, citing an increase in probability of relegation given both walked out the door.

On replacing Frank, he explained: "I'm a big believer in sort of the collective making decisions. Not in a group think way. So I don't like the idea of me saying 'oh I think we should go for Keith, does everyone else agree?' And they all say 'yes boss'.

"It's more myself, Phil Giles - who's a director of football, Lee Dykes, the technical director, and Ben Ryan, head of performance. The first thing we did, the four of us, we go away separately and think about, who could be interesting and then we come together to talk and and all four of us thought, you know, Keith seemed like a really, really strong candidate.

"He is clearly, as you have seen, an amazing communicator, fantastic leader. We knew that he was very good with with the players and also with the existing staff. We realised we were in a bit of a high-risk scenario anyway with all the sort turnover of staff and players.

"So we could have brought in a sort of big name from outside who comes with an entourage that would have had a lot of risk. It just seemed that Keith was like the clear logical candidate. Maybe we were in a bubble because then when it got announced and there was all this uproar we were like 'what have we done?'

"But from where we were sitting it just seemed that Keith was like a clear outstanding candidate."

Benham also spoke at length about buying into Brentford in 2005.

"For the first few years of being financially involved, really from 2005 until I took over fully, I didn't really see a serious long term prospect," he explained.

"It was more like a labour of love, the team I supported as a kid. This is a bit of fun, could I put enough money in to be a third or fourth division team?

"It was around the summer of 2013 that I thought it could be a bit more than a labour of love.

"Until then the conventional wisdom was unless you're a huge club with a huge following and stadium then you'll always be a lower league team. But it got to a stage where the TV deal in the Premier League was so big that it seemed you didn't need this traditional support to make a viable business.

"If we got to the Premier League we would have that TV money. But if we weren't the money was washing around and Premier League teams would buy the top players in the Championship. We could climb up via the transfer market."

Ronda Rousey says Dana White was happy to see her return to fighting, even if it was not with the UFC.

She recently booked her first MMA bout in a decade and says she is giving the UFC some much-needed competition by signing with a different promotion.

As one of the sport’s biggest names, ‘Rowdy’ has called out several issues with the UFC that fans have long complained about, including fighter pay.

She also spoke about how White reacted when she told him she would not be coming back to the UFC.

Ronda Rousey says Dana White gave his blessing for her return after she told him about Netflix move

On 16 May, two former UFC champions will step back into competition, with Francis Ngannou joining Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event.

Despite initially proposing a fight against Gina Carano to the UFC, Rousey has already clarified her reasons for not making a return to the organisation.

When asked during MVP’s press conference if the failed talks left any bad blood, she denied it.

She said: “No, not at all… He [Dana White] was the one that was like, ‘I want you to make as much money as possible. Don’t stay here and take less for me’. He gave me his blessing to go out and do it on my own.

“If anyone’s been his apprentice on how to be a promoter, it’s been me.”

She added that she let White know about her approach to Netflix because of their longstanding friendship.

Despite being concerned he might be upset, Rousey said White had nothing but positive things to say about her decision.

“He was like, ‘I could never be upset with you. I love you so much. I want you to do great, I want this to be successful,’” ‘Rowdy’ revealed.

Rousey also pointed out that many of her issues with the UFC stem from White no longer being an owner but rather an employee now.

Read more:

In theory, Mark DeRosa will be the most nervous observer when Mexico and Italy play the final game in Pool B of the World Baseball Classic Wednesday, March 11 in Houston, with the fate of Team USA in the balance.

In reality, his gaffe on national television can't totally be undone with the result of a ballgame.

In what will go down as one of the more significant managerial oversights in the middle of a championship, DeRosa went on his own network with friendly hosts and claimed that the Americans ‒ sitting at 3-0 and apparently indomitable ‒ were already through to the quarterfinals.

Alas, the buzz of their postgame celebration after vanquishing Mexico had hardly worn off when DeRosa joined MLB Network for the sort of interview he'd conducted hundreds of times. But an Italian team with legit big league power loomed in their final game.

And the Americans got crushed. And, in fact, suddenly have their own fate out of their hands.

Though the odds remain in their favor, a viable scenario ‒ Mexico beating Italy while scoring four or fewer runs ‒ exists to send Team USA home after pool play for the first time in WBC history.

Yes, this Team USA ‒ of Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber’s tape-measure power, Bobby Witt Jr.’s all-around brilliance, Paul Skenes’ utter dominance. Yes, the best collection of talent in a half-dozen WBCs.

On paper, they wouldn’t be going home because DeRosa misspoke, or because he rested a handful of so-called regulars. Heck, No. 9 hitter and part-time center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in four of their runs with a pair of homers in an urgent comeback that fell short in the 8-6 loss to Italy. Lineup hot takes are almost worse in the WBC than the regular season, especially with the blue chip depth Team USA enjoys.

No, they’d be going home largely because the club was perhaps one starting pitcher short of unbeatable. Nolan McLean, entering his first full season as a New York Met, was not up to the task of putting the paisans down, leaving with a 3-0 deficit after giving up a pair of rockets to Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel and White Sox farmhand Sam Antonacci.

“I misspoke… Completely misread the calculations.”

Manager Mark DeRosa confirms he did not know Team USA could still be eliminated during pool play pic.twitter.com/n5Gbo3SxcB

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 11, 2026

Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen – a former teammate of several Team USA members – threw the ball terrifically. The deficit grew. Perhaps DeRosa could have lifted long reliever Ryan Yarbrough before his outing mushroomed into "wear it" territory, a situation that looked worse when the USA nearly clawed back all of an 8-0 deficit.

The looks on the faces of Team USA as all this unfolded were startling. A mix of astonishment, a sinking feeling that they could, in fact, be eliminated, perhaps doing mathematic machinations as the espresso shots flew in the Italians' dugout.

Funny thing about ballplayers: Some are thoroughly locked in to what's happening on a given day. Others don't know what day it is, nor whether they just took part in a historic Farris-Buehler matchup.

But a lot of that stuff isn't their job. Their job is to show up and ball. The button-pushing, the logistics, the bigger picture after The Neverending Today – that's the manager's job. The surprising thing about DeRosa's gaffe is that he's not a major league manager parachuting in from Florida or Arizona.

His lone job, other than gassing up his guests on MLB Network or playing wingman when Rob Manfred's in a union-bustin' mood, is managing the WBC team. Look, we all fall victim – present company included – to WBC Brain, misinterpreting pool-play standings and looming tiebreakers.

Yet this is DeRosa's whole deal. That three teams finishing pool play 3-1 is potentially bad news, and that there was one Team USA game remaining, against an unbeaten team, should have been seared into his brain.

Alas, he verbally punched their ticket, acknowledged at a pregame press conference both that he "misspoke" and also he "completely misread the calculations," and now his MLB Network friends have reportedly removed the video. A public service, in a sense, as more news networks would be wise to remove disinformation rather than spread it.

“It’s weird. We want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.” -Team USA manager Mark DeRosa earlier today

Team USA’s ticket was not, in fact, punched to the quarterfinals, and now they’re in danger of missing out pic.twitter.com/xMPAdLODTY

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 11, 2026

The sequence does little to tamp down the notion that the Americans are a bit less passionate about this event than their rivals. Save for the grit-and-grind, Jim Leyland-led group that won it all in 2017, Team USA has always been Team Taciturn, the staid actors in an event fueled by passion. The guard has come down a little bit in recent events, but a Team USA game won't be confused for an international party anytime soon.

For that, DeRosa can be thankful. Imagine if he were managing Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, and erred in his miscalculations, and then his team got their butts kicked by an underdog. The noise might be a bit louder than a few hot takes from a handful of vodcasters.

Of course, an Italy win over Mexico makes all this so much Mountain Valley Spring Water under the bridge. Or a Mexico win with a lot of runs on the board. DeRosa will certainly be watching, and will full well know the score.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark DeRosa's gaffe twists knife as Team USA awaits WBC fate

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a dire need for linebacking help heading into the offseason. Lavonte David remains up in the air, SirVocea Dennis has not been the player they hoped for, and the depth behind them isn't much to look at, either, in terms of production. So, the team made an agreement to sign Alex Anzalone from the Detroit Lions as he completes his homecoming to Florida, but what if they get Lavonte David back, too?

Auman reported, "No decision yet on Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, but he's choosing between retiring or returning to Tampa and not listening to any outside offers, per his agent, Ron Butler."

Until they know for sure, they have to remain flexible on the market, but one of those options is now gone, and it has gone to the Carolina Panthers. Linebacker Devin Lloyd is in agreement to sign with the Bucs division rival to help their continued overhaul of the defense.

Lloyd was seen as a fit for the Bucs, but they now have to look for David to return, as the market is now depleted. As for the NFL Draft, there are some pieces, but by the time the Bucs are on the clock at pick 15 the top tier of talent should be drafted well before.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Offseason: Lavonte David deciding between retirement and playing

The Ravens agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal with Trey Hendrickson on Wednesday, hours after restructuring Lamar Jackson's contract. The reworked deal freed up nearly $39 million in cap space and took Baltimore from the middle of the pack in cap space to No. 3 overall with $58,517,187 available, according to Over The Cap.

The updated ranking is impressive, but comes after the Raiders, Titans, and Commanders shelled out hundreds of millions to free agents, including Las Vegas making Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid center in NFL history.

The reworking of the deal means it clears the $75 million cap hit for 2026, as Baltimore and Jackson have been unable to agree on terms for a contract extension, with the Wednesday afternoon deadline fast approaching. After a near-MVP season in 2024, Jackson was battered and missed four games, going 192-302 passing (63.6 completion percentage) for 2,549 yards (196.1 per game), 21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 103.8 passer rating.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Updated Ravens salary cap space after Lamar Jackson restructure

On Thursday, March 5, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported a huge trade. The Chicago Bears agreed to send wide receiver D.J. Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick.

This trade is a win for both sides. For the Bills, they get a new wide receiver one. As for the Bears, they can open up more playing time for Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. 

From Buffalo’s perspective, there’s a lot to be excited about. Josh Allen will have a proven talent at wide receiver outside of Khalil Shakir. Additionally, Moore will be paired back up with his former offensive coordinator, Joe Brady.

Familiarity With Joe Brady

The most intriguing part of this deal for the Bills is the reunion between D.J. Moore and Joe Brady. Brady was Moore’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 in Carolina. In those years, Moore put up back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons while hauling in eight touchdowns. The Panthers didn’t have much team success while the two were together. However, Brady helped Moore officially break out and make a name for himself in the NFL.

Since their time together, Moore has had nothing but praise for his former offensive coordinator. Just a month ago, during an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Matt Harmon, Moore said Buffalo’s offense “has been electric.” Moore added, “He might just open it up this year,” when asked about Brady’s offense going into next season.

Despite not being together for over four seasons now, the respect between the two hasn’t been lost. Furthermore, their dynamic will likely make it easy for Brady to quickly integrate Moore into the Bills’ new look offense next season.

With Moore, Shakir, and Kincaid, the Bills look to have a respectable group of pass catchers for the first time since trading Stefon Diggs. Additionally, with Josh Allen at the helm, Moore should be able to thrive.

Familiarity with Joe Brady’s offense and the best quarterback of his career so far could make this the perfect situation for Moore.

More Help Coming?

D.J. Moore will likely slot in as the Bills’ wide receiver one going into next season. However, Tony Pauline reported that the team was still looking to add more at the position. 

The Bills reportedly liked former Packers’ wide receiver Romeo Doubs before he signed with the Patriots on Tuesday. While there’s still interest in adding more depth at the position, they’ll have to turn their attention elsewhere. Already, though, they have been linked to other options, such as Hollywood Brown orChristian Kirk.

Brown or Kirk could complement the Bills’ existing offensive weapons nicely. Another target to ease Moore and Shakir’s burden is exactly what the team needs.

If they fail to bring another wide receiver in during free agency, they could always pivot to the draft. Some interesting prospects the Bills may target are K.C. Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr.

Regardless of how the Bills choose to get their receiver, they should be getting one of a specific type: another outside receiver. Khalil Shakir has secured the slot position, and Moore will be taking up one of the two outside spots. Thus, all they need is another bigger receiver to play opposite Moore, who can be more of a jump ball target, with Moore only being 6-foot.

When factoring in their moves so far with a healthy Dalton Kincaid and last season’s top rushing offense, there’s a lot to be excited about. It’s still early in the NFL’s offseason, and the Bills have a lot of work left to do on the defensive side of the ball. But addressing arguably their biggest need early on will allow them to shift their focus to the draft.

What’s Next?

While D.J. Moore might not have been most Bills fans’ first option for a big move at the wide receiver position, the fit is perfect. He knows Joe Brady’s offense, fills a huge need the team had, and has proven in two different places that he can be productive.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane came into the offseason knowing the roster had a lot of holes, and he got going early. Addressing this position was the first thing he needed to get done.

As for the rest of the offseason, the Bills still need to find a new safety partner for Cole Bishop. They also need a replacement for David Edwards at guard, and depth at the linebacker and edge rusher positions.

With a splash move like D.J. Moore already done, it’ll be interesting to see how creative Beane gets to fill out the rest of the roster. Nevertheless, the addition of Moore alone already has other NFL teams trembling.

The post D.J. Moore Is The Perfect Fit for Buffalo appeared first on The Lead.

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix was a voyage of discovery for all the Formula 1 teams, with everyone still learning about their new cars and power units—and in particular, how the latter have to be operated. And of the most intriguing outcomes of the weekend was the obvious frustration of Mercedes customers McLaren and Williams, with both teams wrestling with the possible fact they may be on the back foot due to a lack of information flow from their common power unit partner.

The circumstances brought to mind a similar situation in the first year of the V-6 hybrid rules back in 2014. McLaren ran a single season with the new Mercedes power unit that year, before switching to a Honda engine the following season. The works Mercedes team dominated 2014, and customer team Williams also benefited with some strong showings. McLaren, however, had a dire season by its standards.

At Suzuka, then-team boss Ron Dennis, frustrated by his cars' performance, made his feelings known. “One thing that jumps [at] you if you look at all of the qualifications of all of this year is the time difference between the Mercedes-Benz works team and the other teams,” he said in 2014. “What that means is that in my opinion, an opinion held by many people in our organization, is that you have no chance of winning a world championship if you are not receiving the best engines from whoever is manufacturing your engines.”

“A modern Grand Prix engine in this moment in time is not just about transparent power,” Dennis continued. “It’s about how you harvest the energy, it’s about how you store the energy, and effectively if you don’t have control of that process—meaning access to source code—then you are not going to be able to stabilize your car in the entry to corners, etc, and you lose lots of lap time. So even though you have the same brand of engine that does not mean you have the ability to optimize the engine.” (Mercedes boss Toto Wolff later denied customers didn’t get fair treatment.)

In more recent seasons, the FIA has very closely regulated the power unit supply situation, so that manufacturers are obliged to give the customers the same hardware and software and modes and so on. Over the last few years, there was never any suggestion that customers of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains were at a disadvantage; the fact that McLaren comprehensively beat the works team in 2024 and 2025 is proof of that.

That may have changed with the 2026 power units, though, and the incredibly complex energy management associated with them. Inevitably, Mercedes (and Ferrari) have been a step ahead of their customers over the last few years as they've developed the power units. It’s natural that the works teams would be totally embedded in that process, and thus come into this year with more knowledge. Customer teams knew that would be the case. However, as everyone has run their new cars on track, the customers have discovered the knowledge gap is apparently bigger than they had anticipated—and they feel Mercedes hasn’t been giving them the full story on how to fully optimize the power units.

Winter testing, and even practice in Australia, only revealed so much. The real story came during qualifying in Melbourne, where Mercedes was eight-tenths of a second ahead of the field, including McLaren—which dug into the data after the race to see where the missing time was. "I can say that we spent a lot of time looking at several overlays—not only obviously with HPP teams, in particular Mercedes, but also to other competitors,” said McLaren boss Andrea Stella. “The result of this analysis seems to direct to the fact that we have work to do as a team, in collaboration with our HPP engineers. We have work to do to exploit the potential of the power unit.”

Stella admitted McLaren has some catching up to do. “Now, it's not obvious how you do that,” he said. “We are in a journey of knowledge, probably—or maybe I should say certainly a journey that is earlier than the works team. The works team and HPP will have worked together for a long time, so they will have collaborated, talked about how to use the power unit. That's fair enough. But we'll definitely intensify the collaboration with HPP, because our understanding is that there is some low-hanging fruit that we should be able to cash in.”

"Let me say, since we are a customer team... this is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot—even when it comes to the ability to predict how the car will behave, and the ability to anticipate how we can improve the car,” he added.

A cynic might suggest McLaren is simply frustrated it has lost the advantage it had over the past couple of years. But the view of Williams boss James Vowles is another story. His team has other problems at the moment with an overweight, under-performing car; however, when a guy who was part of the works organization for many years comes close to being critical, take note. "What Mercedes are doing on the power unit is something that caught us off-guard,” said Vowles. “It took a qualifying for us to really see just how off the pace we are, in that regard. That's probably three-tenths, something in that ballpark.”

“I'm confident Mercedes have provided us—because they're very good at this—with the ability to do what they're doing. I don't know how to do that right now, as I talk to you today," he said. "And that's what we're working through in the background right now. What have we missed, and how do we get there faster?”

Like Stella, he suggested the information flow isn’t what he’d like it to be. “It is not an open door, as you would imagine,” he said. “Because that's where the performance is found. So it is down to us to try and work around it. But I would say we have to acknowledge we, as Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have—the level of technologies. And definitely, that's on us."

"I would say the converse is that there's some inherent knowledge they have, which we don't. That's down to us to figure out.”

As for Wolff, he downplayed the situation when asked about it. "I think it's clear when you roll out new regulations, there's so much to learn,” he said. “Whether you have a customer that's on your gearbox or suspension, and in the same way, on the power units, the development slope is very steep. And you can never deploy things to make everybody happy. But I think most important is, we are trying to provide a good service.”

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March 11 (UPI) -- A group of runners held a certified event over 3,000 feet underground, earning them a Guinness World Record for the deepest marathon.

The marathon took place in Garpenberg, Sweden, and featured 55 runners from across 18 countries. The course measured 3,669 ft. and 10 inches underground.

Guinness World Records noted that the depth is between the height of the world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls, and the U.K's highest mountain known as Ben Nevis.

Runners had to wear headlamps to compete in the event, which contained 11 laps and raised around $1million for charity.

"It' hot, it's humid, it's a bit dusty, but we're good," one of the competitors told Guinness World Records.

The event was a joint venture between companies BecomingX, ICMM and Boliden. The previous Guinness World Record for deepest marathon went to the Crystal Mine Underground Marathon in Germany, which took place 1,640 ft. and 5 inches below sea level.

Runners strap headlamps on to tackle deepest marathon over 3,000 ft undergroundhttps://t.co/bfxoFBJEsa— Guinness World Records (@GWR) March 11, 2026

Hendrick Motorsports has officially revealed Alex Bowman's status for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bowman will miss the Cup Series event at Las Vegas, the team announced. Justin Allgaier, a driver for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series, will drive the No. 48 car in his place.

Bowman is still experiencing lingering symptoms from his vertigo diagnosis, and it is unclear when he will return to the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports. After four races in 2026, the Hendrick Motorsports driver sits 36th in the point standings with a 77-point deficit to the Chase bubble.

The main priority for Hendrick Motorsports is making sure Bowman is 100% recovered from his vertigo before putting him back in the No. 48 car. It is a very disappointing development for Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, and the No 48 team, but Allgaier will try his best to have a good run at Las Vegas this weekend.

More: Carson Hocevar expresses interest in running the Indianapolis 500

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Alex Bowman to miss Las Vegas, Justin Allgaier to drive No. 48 car

Dundee manager Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Sunday's derby against Dundee United.

Here are the main points:

• Dundee's victory over in-form Motherwell last weekend was "no surprise" to the Dundee boss, adding his players "showed an incredible resilience and determination to find a way to get a result".
• Pressley believes there's "a lot more to come" from his players but is pleased "they want to get better all the time".
• The head coach says the Dundee derby is a "terrific spectacle and a great game of football" and, in the wake of the pitch invasion and violence that followed last weekend's Old Firm showdown, he insists "we want the attention to be on the pitch".
• Dundee can leapfrog their city rivals in the table with a win but Pressley insists his players "don't need" that motivation.
• Having lost their previous home meeting with United 1-0 in August, Pressley says: "It was sore, it was hard for the players and myself. We don't want to experience that again."
• Pressley knows how important Sunday's derby is for "momentum" and wants his side to "get the right outcome".
• But the 52-year-old admits he "doesn't enjoy" derby outings, adding "there's a lot of relief at the end of it".
• United have just one win in five games but Pressley says: "Form is over the course of a season. You can have five or six good performances, that doesn't mean you don't get relegated. When I look at form, I look at the form for the 29 games. At present, Dundee United's form is better than ours."
• Clark Robertson remains unavailable, Billy Koumetio returned to full training on Tuesday and while the weekend may still come too early for him, Pressley insists "he's certainly a consideration".

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday, providing his girlfriend, Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson, with a prime opportunity to troll him over it.

Adebayo and Wilson have a special relationship. They show up for one another. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Wilson was courtside as the Miami Heat center made NBA history against the Washington Wizards. It also shouldn't be surprising that Adebayo, who has previously trolled Wilson, was trolled mid-performance by his girlfriend.

"Welp, won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore, but at least it gives me something to go after," Wilson said on Threads, along with an iconic America's Next Top Model meme of fake crying.

MORE NBA:Bam Adebayo talks Kobe Bryant and what he would have said to 83 points

For context, in 2023, Wilson tied the record for most points scored in a single WNBA game with 53 points against the Atlanta Dream. Adebayo's previous career high before Tuesday's matchup was 41 points. So, as you might imagine, Wilson wasn't done with the jokes.

After Adebayo's breakout performance, she posted "Go ahead and pee in that cup my boi!" with a laughing Charlie Murphy meme, suggesting that Adebayo would be drug tested by the NBA for that sort of game.

Your move, A'ja 👀 pic.twitter.com/7Ed30whzkb

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 11, 2026

Honestly, that's low-key diabolical work by Wilson.

Fight back, Bam Adebayo. Don't let her do you like that.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Bam Adebayo trolled by A'ja Wilson after 83-point game vs. Wizards

The Buffalo Bills have made a series of moves to both get under the 2026 salary cap and agreed to signings and trades that will add to their cap load. Let’s recap everything they’ve done and assess where they are heading into the league year Wednesday.

The Bills entered the offseason projected to be $9 million or so over the salary capaccording to Spotrac, a national sports contract website. Then they re-signed Alec Anderson and Phadarian Mathis to low-level contracts, which doesn’t impact the top 51 contracts by much.

Buffalo Bills cut several players to shed cap commitments

In March, the Bills released several players with bloated contracts. WR Curtis Samuel ($6 million), Taylor Rapp ($3 million), and Dane Jackson ($1.2 million) were all released. If you add the totals up, it’s $10.2 million but those players were replaced in the top 51 contracts with players making $1 million each, so it’s a total savings of $7.2 million at this point. As the Bills add players, those $1 million rostered players will drop back out of the top 51, so we’ll just use the full amount.

The Bills also traded Taron Johnson, clearing $1.9 million in cap space

Added $12.1 million in cap space

Tyler Bass and Dawson Knox take pay cuts

Another move to create cap space was to actually lower what they were paying to two veterans in Tyler Bass and Dawson Knox. We know the numbers for Bass, who is making $1.5 million less in 2026. We don’t have numbers yet for Knox, but it is incredibly likely that part of his new contract was lowering his very high cost in 2026.

It’s safe to assume Knox’s number will go down by at least $3 million, and likely to be in the $4 to $6 million in cap savings range in 2026.

Added $4.6 to $7.5 million in cap space

Bills restructures create cap space

The biggest move the Bills have done this offseason to create cap space was move $15 million of Josh Allen’s salary into a bonus, pushing $12 million into future years. They pulled that lever Wednesday morning.

The Bills also used restructures with Ed Oliver, clearing $10.25 million, and Spencer Brown, creating $10.4 million in space.

Added $32.65 million in 2026 cap space

Buffalo Bills cap savings so far

When you total up the restructures, roster cuts, trade, and pay cuts, the Bills created $49.5 to $52.5 million in cap space, pushing some into the future and shedding some completely.

That would seem to give the Bills somewhere between $40 million and $43 million in cap space heading into free agency BUT they also signed a big contract before the league year starts. Since he was under contract, the Bills don’t need to wait for the new league year to execute the deal.

Connor McGovern’s new deal taps into Bills cap space

McGovern signed a four-year deal for $52 million for an average of $13 million per season. Assuming that the first season will be higher in cash outlay due to signing bonus, you can probably assume his 2026 cap hit is going to be around $6 to $7 million. Since McGovern was going to be a free agent, that is off the top.

We can say the same for Mitch Wishnowsky’s deal, but it’s going to be much smaller and have a smaller cap hit.

Subtracts $6 to $7 million in 2026 cap space

Buffalo Bills cap space heading into the 2026 league year

If you take the Bills $40 to $43 million in cap space and subtract the $6 to $7 million from the Connor MvGovern contract, the Bills sit somewhere between $33 million and $37 million in available cap space entering the 2026 league year at noon.

The DJ Moore trade can now become official and count against the cap

The Buffalo Bills have created enough cap space to trade for DJ Moore. His current cap hit is $24.5 million and they need to fit that number under their cap before they can restructure it to lower the number.

Subtracts $24.5 million in 2026 cap space

Once they complete the trade, they will restructure the move. I think the Bills should do it over four years instead of adding a void year due to Moore’s age. That would spread $22.185 million over four years, saving $16.6 million in 2026 cap space. If they add the void year, it would push $17.75 million so they might just add the void year anyway. We are using round numbers here, so let us split the difference.

Adds $17 million in 2026 cap space

What cap space do the Bills have to add free agents

When all is said and done then, the Bills will have in the neighborhood of $25.5 to $29.5 million to sign free agents. Please remember that will include both the deals that were agreed to this week during the tampering period.

• CB Dee Alford ($3.23 million cap hit in 2026)
• QB Kyle Allen ($1.9 million cap hit in 2026)

After accounting for that combined $5 million in cap space, the Bills still have plenty of room to be players in 2026 if they want.

Buffalo Bills have roughly $20 to $25 million in cap space

What can the Bills do to create more cap space in 2026?

They can also add more cap space by restructuring the contract of Dion Dawkins. I would personally rather they leave the contract alone to give themselves more flexibility in 2027.

If they restructure the max amount for Dawkins, they can add $11 million in cap space for 2026.

Adding that $11 million in dead cap to his current 2027 dead cap number, his cap hit would be $25 million if he was on the team and $25 million if he was cut. So they wouldn’t be able to open cap space by releasing him if he declines.

Yes hello I’d like to order one (1) victory please.

Panthers vs. Wolfpack

Tip time: Noon ET

TV: ESPN2 (Kevin Brown, Jay Williams)

Online streaming: WatchESPN

The SEC Tournament will tip off Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. No. 9 seed Kentucky will face No. 16 seed LSU in the tournament's first game. Tipoff between the Wildcats and Tigers is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EDT (SEC Network).

Tennessee (21-10) is a No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament. The Vols open play on Thursday in the second round against the winner between No. 12 seed Auburn (16-15) and No. 13 seed Mississippi State (13-18).

Following college basketball games on Tuesday, Joe Lunardi of ESPN released updated bracketology projections for the NCAA Tournament.

Lunardi projects the Vols as a No. 5 seed in Portland, Oregon. Tennessee is projected to face No. 12 seed Northern Iowa in the first round. The winner would advance to play either No. 4 seed Texas Tech or No. 13 seed Utah Valley in the second round.

The NCAA Tournament bracket will be announced March 15 on Selection Sunday (6 p.m. EDT, CBS).

More: 2026 SEC Tournament TV, game times, basketball schedule

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

This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Updated bracketology for Tennessee basketball after March 10 games

For the third time in the last four seasons, Iowa State begins its Big 12 Tournament run against the same opponent it just faced to close the regular season.

The No. 7 Cyclones meet Arizona State Wednesday morning in the second round at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Iowa State enters postseason play at 25-6 overall and 12-6 in Big 12 play, while the Sun Devils arrive at 17-15 and 7-11 in conference games.

The two teams met just days ago in Ames, where Iowa State used a dominant second-half surge — highlighted by a 24-0 run — to pull away for an 86-65 victory.

Now the stakes rise with a spot in the Big 12 quarterfinals on the line.

Cyclones to watch

Milan Momcilovic
The junior sharpshooter has been one of the nation’s most dangerous perimeter threats this season. He holds the Iowa State single-season record for three-pointers with 114 and is shooting an eye-popping 50 percent from deep.

Tamin Lipsey

The senior guard, and Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, continues to be the engine of Iowa State’s defense and transition offense, averaging double-digit points while filling the stat sheet with assists, rebounds and steals.

Open thread

• Can Iowa State replicate the second-half dominance from Saturday?
• Who steps up offensively if Arizona State slows the three-point attack?

Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. CT — drop your predictions, reactions, and in-game takes below.

VfB Stuttgart's Europa League odyssey continues with the visit of Porto tomorrow evening at 18:45 CET at the MHP Arena. The first-leg clash will viewed as a great chance for the Swabians to make a sharp start. 

The league phase of the competition proved to be a positive one for Sebastian Hoeneß' side. Five wins and three defeats ultimately left them just outside the top eight direct qualifying places by a solitary point. 

Regardless, it set them up to face Celtic FC in the play-off round. The Scottish champions were simply swatted aside in the first-leg which ended 4-1, while the return fixture played out in a meaningless 0-1 defeat in truth.

Home advantage has treated the Swabians well so far with four wins from a possible five. That makes it all the more daunting for Porto who, despite only one away defeat so far, will be aware of the threat Stuttgart possess. 

Finishing fifth in the table gave them more room to focus on the domestic front recently. With 25 wins, 3 draws and just a solitary loss, Porto sit top of the Liga Portugal with four points to spare over Sporting Lisbon. 

Perhaps even more impressively, head coach Francesco Farioli's has only leaked 17 goals in 38 games across all competitions. If a solid defence remains as their backbone, Stuttgart could be in for a frustrating night.

Team news:

VfB Stuttgart will be grateful that their bill of health is in a decent state for tomorrow. Only Josha Vagnoman (thigh) and young talent Lazar Jovanovic (back) are the only doubts for tomorrow night's clash. 

Centre-half Nehuén Pérez (achilles rupture), Luuk de Jong and Samu Aghehowa (both ACL tears) remain as the only long-term absentees for Porto. Regardless, the their squad quality should be well able to cope without them.

Predicted lineups:

VfB Stuttgart (4-3-2-1): Nübel – Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstädt – Stiller, Karazor – Leweling, Undav, El Khannouss – Demirovic 

FC Porto (4-3-3): D.Costa – A.Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Sanusi – Froholdt, Varela, Viega – Pepe, Guel, Gomes 

Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni trained separately from the squad ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Atalanta.

According to Sky Sport Italia via FCInterNews, French striker Marcus Thuram resumed full training after being out with illness.

Alessandro Bastoni suffered a knock in last weekend’s mouth-watering clash against AC Milan.

Indeed, he picked up a yellow card for a cynical tackle on Adrien Rabiot.

However, the 26-year-old injured himself in the process, as a nasty collision with the Rossoneri midfielder left him with a minor physical problem.

Therefore, Cristian Chivu may not be able to call upon his defensive mainstay on Saturday.

Alessandro Bastoni Trained Separately from the Group Ahead of Inter Milan vs Atalanta Clash

In addition to Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez, who are still recovering from injury, Bastoni also couldn’t train with the team.

Instead, the former Atalanta man had a personalized training session, casting further doubt on his availability for the upcoming game at San Siro.

With Bastoni at risk of missing Saturday’s fixture, Chivu is likely to turn to Carlos Augusto to fill the void.

Indeed, the Brazilian took Bastoni’s place in the Milan derby and fared reasonably well.

Should Patriots Trade For Maxx Crosby After Ravens Deal Fell Through originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Baltimore Ravens are no longer acquiring Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. Should the New England Patriots pick up the phone?

According to The Athletic's Dianni Russini on Tuesday, the Ravens backed out of the Crosby deal after he underwent testing at the Ravens facility. However, Russini later reported that the physical was not the reason for the Ravens backing out.

"It’s been made clear by multiple people around the NFL at all levels that Baltimore had all the information and understood where Maxx Crosby’s knee was in terms of his recovery timeline," Russini wrote on Wednesday. "Many in the league believe GM Eric DeCosta and the Ravens ultimately just got cold feet."

The Patriots were one of the first teams linked to Crosby in trade rumors. After reports indicate that K'Lavon Chaisson is signing with the Washington Commanders, the Patriots could really use Crosby. The Patriots are signing Dre'Mont Jones, but that does not mean their pass rush is fixed.

The Patriots' willingness to swing a trade is dependent on two things now. First, is Crosby actually healthy? Second, are the Raiders willing to come down in their asking price in the wake of recent events? Crosby's agent assures teams that he is on track to be ready by Week 1, and his rehab is going as expected.

"Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr Neal El Attrache," his agent wrote on X on Tuesday. "Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program & will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons."

As for the second situation, the Raiders are reportedly maintaining their asking price of two-first round picks. Additionally, Crosby does not seem to be asking for a trade, so the Raiders have no incentive to take less. According to Ian Rapoport, his mindset is that he is ready to play football for the Raiders now.

It seems like trading for Crosby at this time would cost the Patriots too much. Even though he is reportedly going to be ready by week 1, the Patriots should hold off on a trade if it will require multiple first-round picks.

Steve Kerr is going to speak his mind. That's what he's done throughout his 12-season tenure as the Golden State Warriors' head coach. Backlash doesn't deter him.

He said Tuesday before the Warriors' 130-124 overtime defeat to the Chicago Bulls — their fifth loss in the past six games — that he wasn't even aware of Stephen A. Smith's response to him once again pushing for a shortened NBA season that he believes would lead to a more competitive and healthier league.

Although Smith prefaced his opinion by conceding that Kerr often makes profound statements that deserve everyone's attention, the ESPN pundit went on to criticize the nine-time NBA champion's desire to reduce the league's 82-game schedule by 10 games.

"Minimum salary in the NBA is over 1.2 million. The median salary in the NBA is over seven million. The maximum salary in the NBA goes anywhere on average like $54 million. We're talking about individuals signing $250, 350 million contracts. And now you come to us talking about there should be 10 less games?" Smith said on Tuesday's episode of "First Take." 

"What the hell do you want next? You want us to put a diaper and a bib on these guys?"

Smith added: "I assure you, you don't hear players that are making a million dollars or even making $5 million talking about how there should be less games. You know why? Because they want to position themselves to make that paper. Only when you get to that point do you say stuff like that. Steve Kerr didn't say that when he was playing. ... The NBA just signed an 11-year, $77 billion contract. How do you get that if you don't play those games?"

This all came up again because Kerr was asked Monday ahead of the Warriors' 119-116 loss to the Utah Jazz what he would address if he was the NBA commissioner.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

"That was my answer," Kerr said Tuesday. "And the reason is cause my No. 1 concern is the quality of the NBA product. And I think limiting the schedule would encompass a lot of issues: Player health, player availability, tanking — I think all of that stuff would improve. And I think the quality of play would improve. 

"We don't practice much at all. If we had those extra days for practice and a fresher team, the quality of the product would be better."

Kerr then got to the part of the discussion Smith was targeting.

"I know that it's a question of revenue," he said. "I'm not an idiot. Everybody would have to agree — to improve the product, we would actually have to make a little less revenue. It's not really an American concept anymore, but I'm of the belief that it should be. 

"I think quality is going to matter long term. And I think for the long-term health of the league, we need to think about this. And that means everyone would have to consider the ramifications. So of course it's about money, but you have to be careful, too. Just having more of something doesn't automatically mean you're going to make more money if the product isn't good. I know it's a controversial subject, but I'm going to keep speaking my mind cause I think it's important."

The Warriors have been riddled by injuries this season. They're currently 32-33 and ninth in the Western Conference standings.

Most notably, they lost six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler III to a season-ending ACL tear, and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry has missed the past 15 games with a lingering knee injury. 

Kerr said back in November that he was "very concerned" about the league's dramatic change in pace and frequency of play leading to more injuries across the NBA.

At the time, the Warriors were on a six-game road trip, during which Kerr said they hadn't had a single practice because of their cluttered slate.

As of Tuesday, NBA teams were averaging 115.2 points per game, the most since the 1969-70 season, according to ESPN, which also reported that players had combined to cover 37.1 miles per game during the 2025-26 campaign at an average speed of 4.29 mph. 

Those are both highs since player tracking started in 2013-14, per ESPN.

Maxx Crosby failed physical, explained: What we know about meniscus surgery that caused Ravens to get 'cold feet' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby was an unofficial member of the Baltimore Ravens for about four days. He was traded from the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, March 6, and the deal would have become official when the new league year began on Wednesday, March 11. 

Before that deadline, though, the Ravens backed out of the deal, and reports cited that the defensive end failed his physical. This stirred up some controversy because the Raiders had made it clear to teams that Crosby was progressing from a knee injury he sustained in the middle of the 2025 season that ended up requiring meniscus surgery.

The morning after going back on the trade, Baltimore then signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year deal. This makes it seem like the Ravens just wanted their first-round picks back and to just move forward with Hendrickson on a cheaper deal, despite his being older. 

Now, Crosby's future is uncertain as he returns to the Raiders. He can still be traded, but now there are questions about the status of his knee and the surgery he had in the offseason. 

Here is what we know about Crosby's failed physical and the meniscus surgery that caused the Ravens to back out of the trade. 

MORE NFL FREE AGENCY: Live tracker | Team-by-team grades | Best players available

Maxx Crosby physical, explained

Physicals are an interesting thing in the NFL. While the results will be pretty conclusive, a team can choose to take them and fail the player or look past them and pass the player. For Baltimore, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that they had conversations with the surgeon who did the surgery and the Las Vegas medical staff before offering trade packages. 

Per Russini, the Ravens' doctors and independent doctors alike agreed that Crosby's short-term outlook was "positive." The concern comes with Crosby's long-term outlook, with him playing on a three-year deal, and that is where Baltimore drew the line. The Ravens reportedly did not like the draft capital they were giving up in exchange for two first-round picks, and the long-term outlook came back into the deal. 

Did Maxx Crosby fail his physical?

Crosby is not healthy. He is still recovering from the knee surgery that he had at the end of the 2025 season. Crosby did fail his physical, but it is up to individual teams whether they like the results enough to look past it, given the recovery projections. 

What is Maxx Crosby's knee injury?

Crosby suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee on October 19, 2025, when the Raiders were taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. He played through it, dealing with the injury for the majority of the season and underwent surgery in early January.

Crosby is expected back for the 2026 preseason and should be fully ready to play when the regular season begins. 

MORE: Why did Ravens back out of trade for Maxx Crosby?

Maxx Crosby meniscus tear

Crosby suffered his knee injury in mid-October when the Raiders were taking on the Chiefs. The defensive end was on the receiving end of a low block from Chiefs tight end Noah Gray that caused Crosby to go head over heels after getting hit. Crosby initially thought that he was dealing with maybe a knee bruise or a sprain and kept playing through it. It was determined in December that it was actually a tear, and he needed surgery to fix it. 

Here is the play where Crosby suffered his knee injury. 

Maxx Crosby surgery

The star pass-rusher underwent surgery to repair his torn meniscus in January 2026. Initially, it was thought that Crosby would just need a meniscus trim, which would have his recovery measured in weeks. In reality, the defensive end underwent a minor meniscus repair, which upped the return timeline to months. According to Ian Rapoport, Crosby's recovery is expected to take between two and four months, and initially, the NFL analyst thought that a deal for the defender would be more likely to take place at the draft in April or in the preseason. 

ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote about the difference in the procedures and what it means for Crosby's future outlook.

"A meniscus trim allows a player to recover more quickly than a repair, but teams I've spoken to in the past about these injuries generally believe that trims create more complications down the line and shorten careers," Barnwell said. "Meniscus repairs require longer recovery times, but they're more likely to produce stable knees after recovery and fewer deleterious long-term effects than the trims."

MORE: What's next for Maxx Crosby after Ravens deal fell through?

When will Maxx Crosby be ready?

Crosby himself said that he expects to be fully back in June on his podcast "The Rush with Maxx Crosby." He is already off of crutches and going through his rehab program.

There are still a few months to go in his recovery, so his official return to the field is still unknown. He could advance faster than expected, or suffer a setback, but for now, the assumption is that he is well on track to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. 

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Dominican Republic and Venezuela have both dominated Pool D, posting perfect 3-0 records with gaudy run differentials to boot.

My Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela predictions expect the firepower of DR to make the difference in this high-profile matchup.

Let’s take a closer look at my World Baseball Classic best bets for Wednesday, March 11.

Dominican Republic vs Venezuela prediction

Dominican Republic vs Venezuela best bet: Dominican Republic -2.5 (-110)

Dominican Republic has the most productive lineup in the tournament, plating 35 runs through three games.

They own a remarkable +29 run differential and have won each game by at least nine runs. Venezuela has faced the same opponents and scored 13 fewer runs while failing to create the same kind of separation.

Venezuelan starter Eduardo Rodriguez has posted a 5+ ERA in back-to-back seasons and allowed 21 home runs (5th most) to right-handed bats last year.

Righties Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodriguez, and Manny Machado destroy left-handed pitching, and should power Dominican Republic to a convincing victory.

Dominican Republic vs Venezuela same-game parlay (SGP)

Dominican Republic is an electric offensive side that has averaged more than 11 runs per game themselves. They score runs in bulk and have the ability to flirt with this Over themselves.

While their offensive ceiling should lead to another healthy victory, Venezuela is a dangerous offense as well and have the ability to get to Sandy Alcantara — who struggled mightily last — in the early going before they bring their flamethrowers in to tighten up late.

Vladdy has three hits through two games and is a contact machine, particularly against left-handed pitching.

Julio Rodriguez star player prop

Julio Rodriguez best bet: 2+ total bases (-110)

Julio Rodriguez consistently barrels the ball against lefties and excels when facing low-to-mid 90s fastballs, which is where Eduardo Rodriguez lives. Add in his elite speed and one good swing is likely to result in extra bases.

Dominican Republic vs Venezuela opening odds

• Moneyline: Dominican Republic -235 | Venezuela +190
• Run line: Dominican Republic -2.5 (-110) | Venezuela +2.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: Over 11 (-115) | Under 11 (-105)

How to watch Dominican Republic vs Venezuela and game info

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

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The Indiana Hoosiers are feeling very “bubbly” as they head to Chicago for their Big Ten tournament opener tonight versus the Northwestern Wildcats.

The Hoosiers are on the cusp of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament and need at least a win or two in the conference postseason to bolster their stock with the selection committee.

In tough times, head coach Darian DeVries is going to lean on one player he knows very well: his son. Tucker DeVries is wrapping up his college career for IU and playing his best basketball over the last month.

My Northwestern vs. Indiana predictions and college basketball picks like Tucker to top his scoring prop on Wednesday, March 11. 

Northwestern vs Indiana prediction

Northwestern vs Indiana best bet

Northwestern vs Indiana best bet: Tucker DeVries Over 13.5 points (-105)

Tucker DeVries has been a jack of all trades for the Indiana Hoosiers, playing the wing but also banging down low with the Hoosiers’ rotation running short.

They meet a Northwestern Wildcats team also going small without 6-foot-11 forward Arrinten Page (illness). Even with Page in, Northwestern plays small. It gets beat up in the paint and roughed up on rebounds.

DeVries is a tough matchup. He’s able to bully smaller defenders and burn bigger ones from the perimeter. 

He’s averaging 14.5 points over his last eight outings, and projections range from 14 to as high as 17 points tonight.

Northwestern vs Indiana same-game parlay

The Hoosiers need style points during the Big Ten tournament if they want to get off the bubble. Indiana is an efficient half-court offense that can score at the rim against a dreadful (and tired) NU defense.

DeVries shoots a lot of 3-pointers and can scrap for buckets around the rim. Without Page, the Wildcats get small, and the Hoosiers' senior can pick his spots.

If NU is going down, Nick Martinelli is going down swinging. The Big Ten legend is battling on the boards with nine or more rebounds in three of his last four games.

Northwestern vs Indiana SGP

• Indiana team total Over 74.5
• Tucker DeVries Over 13.5 points
• Nick Martinelli Over 7.5 rebounds

Our beyond the arc SGP: Hoosier Daddy

The Wildcats are one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, and the coach's kid will draw smaller defenders who will struggle to box him out on the boards.

Northwestern vs Indiana SGP

• Indiana -6.5
• Tucker DeVries Over 13.5 points
• Tucker DeVries Over 6.5 rebounds
• Indiana team total Over 74.5

Northwestern vs Indiana odds

• Spread: Northwestern +6.5 | Indiana -6.5
• Moneyline: Northwestern +210 | Indiana -260
• Over/Under: Over 142 | Under 142

Northwestern vs Indiana betting trend to know

Indiana is 14-2 SU and 10-6 ATS when laying -5.5 or higher this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Northwestern vs. Indiana.

How to watch Northwestern vs Indiana

Northwestern vs Indiana key injuries

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As we head into Day 3 of free agency, the San Francisco 49ers have added a pair of backup offensive linemen. One might compete for the starting spot at left guard, while the other is a “just in case” at left tackle for Trent Williams. The splash signing of Mike Evans at wide receiver gives the team some flexibility heading into the NFL Draft.

It’s telling that some of the 49ers’ free agents, like Jauan Jennings and Brian Robinson Jr., haven’t inked deals yet. Those are the kinds of players that usually sign on Wednesday or Thursday after the first initial wave has passed.

Today is the day the 49ers will likely part ways with Brandon Aiyuk, likely tender their restricted free agents, and look to find an interior pass rusher, perhaps from the Dallas Cowboys.

So far, Trey Hendrickson has signed with the Ravens after the Maxx Crosby debacle. Hendrickson’s deal is for 4 years and $112 million. We’ll see how busy Wednesday is in free agency.

Kyle’s update, 8:40 a.m. PT: Daniel Jones, who is expected to be ready by the start of the season, received a two-year, $88 million deal to return to the Colts. Danny Dimes received $50 million in Year 1 of the deal.

Teenage fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones has been released by Wales Under-20s to play for Scarlets against Connacht in the United Rugby Championship on Friday (19:45 GMT).

The URC fixture is rearranged from round two in October when the Llanelli side could not travel to Galway due to Storm Amy.

The game now clashes with the Six Nations and none of the Scarlets' senior Wales players have been released.

However, it has been deemed Leggatt-Jones will benefit more from club action than the under-20s' final fixture against Italy in Newport on Sunday (13:00 GMT).

Scarlets interim director of rugby Nigel Davies said: "With the squad as it is, it was key that he was available to us.

"We've given him a couple of opportunities this season and it's another chance for him to progress further."

• Three years of woe - what has changed since Wales' last Six Nations win?
• 'Banged up' Wainwright set to face Italy for Wales

Scarlets have used Sam Costelow and Joe Hawkins at fly-half this season, but both are with Steve Tandy's Wales squad.

That meant Leggatt-Jones made his first senior start against Benetton before the Six Nations and he pulled the strings against Edinburgh a fortnight ago.

The Llandovery College student started the first three rounds of the junior Six Nations and came off the bench in Ireland last Saturday.

Wales Under-20s head coach Richard Whiffin said: "It was our decision and in the best interest of the player.

"Whether it was Friday night with Scarlets or Sunday with Wales, it would be a great experience.

"For him to keep getting minutes at the top end shows how good a player he is to be backed by his club team, and that will help his development.

"It's important that we don't put too much on him because he is still an 18-year-old schoolboy, but I am sure he will rip into it with the Scarlets and give a good account of himself."

Costelow has remained with the Wales squad to recover from an ankle injury suffered against Scotland.

He is in camp ahead of the Principality Stadium fixture against Italy along with hooker Ryan Elias, flanker Josh Macleod, centres Hawkins and Eddie James and Ellis Mee, Blair Murray and Tom Rogers in the back three.

Scarlets are stretched, but have been boosted by the return of centre Johnny Williams, who missed the trip to Edinburgh with a calf injury.

"Almost two thirds of our team are away with Wales at the moment, but I am really happy with the side that we are able to select," added Davies, who names his team at midday on Thursday.

"It's a really competitive team with some exciting players in it, so I am not dismayed. We have a strong squad and these boys are capable of fronting up."

Scarlets would climb above Dragons into 14th place with victory in Galway.

Connacht would leapfrog Ospreys into ninth and a bonus-point victory would move them level with Bulls in the last play-off spot.

Uncapped Billy Bohan was this week called into the Ireland squad to join fellow prop Finlay Bealham, back row forward Cian Prendergast and centre Bundee Aki.

Tottenham Hotspur is in turmoil, with interim head coach Igor Tudor facing an increasingly untenable position following a disastrous 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid and a stark warning from the Supporters’ Trust.

The crisis has even prompted former manager Harry Redknapp to play down his chances of a dramatic return, despite the club's alarming slide.

Tudor's brief 26-day tenure has seen the club plunge into unprecedented depths, becoming the first Tottenham boss to lose his opening four games.

The latest humiliation in Madrid, which included young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky being substituted after just 17 minutes due to two costly errors, marked the club's sixth consecutive defeat – a historical low for the club.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) did not mince words, labelling the performance and result against Atletico "a total disgrace."

In a scathing statement, the THST declared: "It’s symptomatic of the abysmal state of things at Spurs right now. Emergency action is needed as right now we are sleepwalking off the edge of a cliff. Being a Spurs fan has never been so difficult, but supporters will not sit by and watch the club continue to decline."

They further demanded that "at the very least those in Madrid should have their match tickets refunded."

Tudor, who is scheduled to speak at a pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Sunday’s trip to Liverpool, notably refused to address questions about his future post-match.

Speaking to the Press Association at Cheltenham, Redknapp, who previously managed Spurs between 2008 and 2012, expressed his doubts about a comeback.

"I’ve been asked a few times if I’d go back to Spurs and it’s probably not going to happen, is it?" he said.

While admitting, "Would I go back? Of course I would, but I doubt very much it’s going to happen”, Redknapp revealed his current focus lies elsewhere.

"My only concern at the minute is The Jukebox Man (his horse) in the Gold Cup, I’m nothing to do with Spurs any more."

He added that the club "haven’t been in touch, not at all”, but voiced concern for their league status: "They’ve got it all on to stay up, it’s going to be hard. I’m looking at their fixtures and (Nottingham) Forest are playing all right, West Ham are playing very well, it’s going to be tough for Tottenham."

He concluded by wishing both clubs well: "I hope Spurs stay up and I hope West Ham stay up."

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood offered a blunt assessment of Tudor’s impact.

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Sherwood described Tudor as "a firefighter who has a can of petrol in his hand," suggesting he is "adding fuel to the fire rather than restoring confidence to the players."

Sherwood criticised Tudor’s tactical indecision, stating: "He keeps chopping and changing things, which is a worry to be honest. He’s gone from three at the back to four at the back, then back to three again, with players playing out of position.

“I’ve scratched my head at some of the decisions he’s made since he came in."

Sherwood speculated that the upcoming international break after the Nottingham Forest game could provide "a good opportunity for a new manager to come in and have a look at things."

With Tottenham just one point above 18th-placed West Ham, the pressure intensifies ahead of their daunting visit to Anfield on Sunday.

Keeping up with the Joneses just got a lot harder.

Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a two-year, $88 million deal that could be worth up to $100 million with incentives, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. It is the biggest two-year deal in NFL history, which will keep the quarterback in Indianapolis through at least 2027.

The Colts initially placed the transition tag on Jones, ensuring that they would be able to match any offer in free agency.

Instead of exploring other opportunities, Jones will extend his stay in the Hoosier State, hoping to prove that his breakout 2025 is now the rule, rather than the exception. Jones is still recovering from a torn Achilles that ended his season in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. At the very least, his rehab can continue in a familiar place.

Jones revived his career in his seventh NFL season, leading the Colts to an 8-5 record in 13 starts, completing 68% of passes, throwing 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Now he has parlayed that into another long-term deal.

Here's what to know about Jones' new contract with the Colts.

Daniel Jones contract details

Jones inked a two-year, $88 million contract with the Colts, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The deal could be worth up to $100 million with incentives and will pay him $50 million in 2026.

It marks the quarterback's second big contract in the league, with Jones already totaling over $122.8 million in career earnings, according to OverTheCap. Drafted by the New York Giants with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones experienced three up-and-down seasons with Big Blue.

The hiring of Brian Daboll proved to be a good thing for Jones' development, turning in a playoff appearance, his first and only to that point, with a 9-6-1 record while completing 67.2% of passes for 3,205 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

All of that led to the quarterback receiving a four-year, $160 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. He was promptly released by the Giants in Nov. 2024 and then signed with the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.

He finished the season with the Vikings and then landed with the Colts in free agency ahead of the 2025 season, signing a one-year, $14 million deal to compete with Anthony Richardson for the starting job.

Jones won that competition and, essentially, a second lease on NFL life in the process.

Daniel Jones career earnings

Jones has made about $122.8 million in his NFL career, according to OverTheCap.

Here's the breakdown by team:

• New York Giants: $108,129,056
• Minnesota Vikings: $127,800 (practice squad)
• Indianapolis Colts: $14,600,000

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daniel Jones inks contract with Colts: Details, career earnings

Where does Daniel Jones' new contract with the Indianapolis Colts rank compared to the other quarterbacks around the NFL?

As far as the contract details and what Jones' salary cap hit will be, we do not have that information yet.

But what we do know is how much he is earning on a per-year basis, along with how much of the contract is guaranteed. Those figures we can compare to other recent quarterback contracts.

Where does Daniel Jones' new Colts' contract rank with other quarterbacks?

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Jones is signing a two-year contract to remain with the Colts. This is an $88 million deal and could be worth up to $100 million with incentives. The contract also includes $60 million guaranteed.

Excluding the incentives, on paper, Jones will earn $44 million per year over the next to seasons. That ranks as the 16th-most among quarterbacks entering the 2026 NFL season, according to Over the Cap.

The Colts and QB Daniel Jones are finalizing a two-year, $88 million deal that can be worth up to $100 million with incentives, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

Originally on the transition tag, Indiana Jones gets over $60 million guaranteed on a deal done by @AthletesFirst. pic.twitter.com/O3OfkLMuAS

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2026

The $60 million in guarantees that Jones is receiving also ranks as the 16th-most in football -- right in the middle of the pack. In both instances, Jones' deal exceeded what Sam Darnold received from the Seattle Seahawks last offseason.

Jones' total contract value of $88 million ranks as the 18th most among current quarterback contracts.

Including incentives, which would put this deal at $100 million if Jones were able to hit on all of them, Ian Rapoport notes that this is the biggest two-year deal in NFL history.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL free agency: Comparing Daniel Jones contract to other quarterbacks

Less than 17 hours after beating Oregon, Maryland men’s basketball is back at the United Center in Chicago for a rematch with Iowa. The Terps are 1-1 against the Hawkeyes this season.

Tip off is slated for noon ET. This is your space for thoughts, observations or whatever you would like to share, but please be respectful.

5 reasons Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson is better than trading for Maxx Crosby originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Ravens saw their blockbuster trade for Raiders' edge pass rusher Maxx Crosby fall through. They were fortunate to have a quick fallback plan — signing now former Bengals edge pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson was Sporting News’ top-rated unrestricted free agent. But was Baltimore smart to make such a quick pivot from Crosby to win the sweepstakes to take Hendrickson from division rival Cincinnati

Here are five reasons the Ravens’ reevaluating the Raiders deal and rejecting Crosby and rebounding with Hendrickson is the better outcome:

MORE NFL FREE AGENCY: Live tracker | Team grades | Best players available

5 reasons Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson is better than Maxx Crosby trade

The Ravens can keep their first-round draft picks in 2026 & 2027

This is the obvious advantage. The Ravens still have the opportunity to add an impact player at No. 14 overall on April 23 and hold on to their top pick next year, too. Don't blame the Ravens for having reasonable doubts about whether Crosby, working to get healthy from his knee (meniscus) injury, was worth giving up two significant future considerations.

Trey Hendrickson is less of a short-term injury risk than Maxx Crosby

Hendrickson did have an injury-riddled 2025 season, dropping his pass-rush production in his final season of his otherwise strong Bengals tenure. He first had issues with back and hip injuries in October and needed to have core muscle surgery in December. Hendrickson is also 31, while Crosby is 28. 

Hendrickson's injuries are more linear and seem to be less of a concern, but Crosby currently rehabbing his knee in the offseason, should worry teams. 

Trey Hendrickson can make a better schematic transition from end in the Ravens’ defense 

Hendrickson has played 4-3 defensive end throughout his career with the Bengals. He broke out with his first big sack season (13.5) playing that position for the Saints in 2020. His free-agent signing with the Bengals was key to getting them to Super Bowl 56 after the 2021 season.

Before delivering for defensive coordinators Dennis Allen and Lou Anarumo at the end, Hendrickson spent his first three seasons in New Orleans as an outside linebacker. 

Crosby has always played end since being drafted by the Ravens in 2019. Baltimore's new defensive braintrust, Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver, will keep their 3-4 foundation and should be able to mold Hendrickson as a hybrid better into remaining effective getting to the quarterback. He can be either impactful, starting opposite Mike Green on the second level with some opportunity to rush from the inside of the three-man front.

MORE MAXX CROSBY NEWS: 

• Why Maxx Crosby's trade to Ravens fell through
• What's next for Maxx Crosby after ending up back on Raiders?

Trey Hendrickson is a cheaper investment than Maxx Crosby

Hendrickson got a four-year, $112 million contract upon joining the Ravens. That is $28 million in average annual salary and with $60 million of the contract guaranteed, or a little more than half of the deal. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Raiders in March 2025, putting him at $35.5 million per season with $91.5 million overall guaranteed.

Crosby will turn 29 in August. Hendrickson turns 32 in December. But for the Ravens' purposes, they were looking at who could provide more pass-rush bang for the buck over the next two years. That discount on a slightly older player who can have the same on-field impact is significant.

The Ravens can better manage their salary cap for this season and beyond 

Crosby, with his Raiders' contract, was set to count $35.791 million against the salary cap in 2026 with the number going down to $29.782 million in 2027.  Although Hendrickson's cap numbers are yet to be determined, he won't carry that same burden in restricting the Ravens' spending elsewhere.

Crosby had to be a much better acquisition than Hendrickson to make up for the fact that he came at a much higher price, personnel and contract-wise. The Ravens shouldn't get heat for not wanting an unhealthy Crosby, but rather praise for being able to still land Hendrickson.

Napoli are prepared to make Rasmus Hojlund’s move from Manchester United permanent for €44m as the Red Devils are reportedly unwilling to reduce the striker’s transfer fee.

Napoli are destined to sign Hojlund on a permanent transfer from Manchester United for €44m, reports TMW.

Hojlund set for 44m Napoli transfer

The Denmark international joined the Partenopei on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy last summer.

The obligation to purchase is tied to Napoli’s Champions League qualification this season, but it seems like a fairly feasible target as the defending Serie A champions currently sit third in the standings with a five-point lead over fifth-placed Roma.

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 11: Rasmus Hojlund of SSC Napoli shoots during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

According to the report, Napoli will try to lower Manchester United’s demands, but the Red Devils are unwilling to give any discount, especially because the Azzurri seem close to securing Champions League qualification.

Hojlund has scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances across all competitions this season.

The New England Patriots’ defensive edge is going to look drastically different in 2026, that is one of the main takeaways from the first few days of NFL free agency week. After the team signed Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year, $36.5 million contract on Monday, it saw two departures at the position on Wednesday.

K’Lavon Chaisson is off to the Washington Commanders on a reported one-year, $12 million deal, while Anfernee Jennings will be released at the start of the new league year. Chaisson and Jennings finished first and third in snaps among their position group last year.

Let’s analyze what the moves mean.

New-look group

Bringing aboard Chaisson, Harold Landry, Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson in the offseason and trading away Keion White in October, 2025 was a year of change for the Patriots’ defensive edge. By November, Jennings remained as the only player on the roster who had been with the club before new head coach Mike Vrabel’s departure.

Four months later, he is gone as well, and so is Chaisson. As mentioned above, they as well as Landry were the top three in snaps played on the edge in 2025.

In turn, the group now looks as follows:

Defensive edge (5): Harold Landry III (2), Dre’Mont Jones (—), Elijah Ponder (91), Bradyn Swinson (43), Jesse Luketa (—)

Landry and Jones project as the current starters on the edge with Ponder a candidate to increase his role heading into his sophomore season. While that means more stability than a year ago — the biggest change is Jones effectively taking over for Chaisson — the uncertainty surrounding the group as a whole remains significant.

How will Landry look coming off a season disrupted by a nagging knee injury? How quickly will Jones adapt to his new team? Are Ponder and Swinson ready for more prominent roles? All those questions will get answered eventually, and they will decide the group’s success in 2026.

All-around questions

The questions above all relate to particular players, but it is their impact on the game as a whole that will be important in 2026. And if we look at those who have departed, we can see that both the pass rush and the run defense will be impacted.

Chaisson and Jennings were fundamentally different players in that regard, of course. The former was a quality pass rusher, whose 73 pressures and 10.5 sacks ranked first on the team in 2025. The latter remained one of the stoutest edge setters in all of football. If you put them in different situations, their impact was less pronounced: Chaisson’s run defense was suspect for much of the year, while Jennings’ 25 pressures in 18 games were solid but ultimately replacement level.

Still, both played well in their primary roles. How those will be filled remains unclear, especially in Jennings’ case. That said, the Patriots’ coaching staff seemed content with him playing a limited role and ultimately releasing him, so they are likely not sweating the situation either.

More help needed

The Patriots considered the edge as a primary area to improve all offseason, and they acted accordingly. They expressed interest in, among others, Ravens Raiders edge Maxx Crosby and eventually decided to sign Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year pact.

What Wednesday shows, however, is that they are far from finished building the group. While a blockbuster move such as trading for Crosby seems unlikely, there are still several players on the market worth taking a look at. Names to keep an eye on include the likes of Al-Quadin Muhammad, A.J. Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie or D.J. Wonnum — complementary pieces who would improve the group’s overall depth and serve as safety nets in case Elijah Ponder or Bradyn Swinson do not develop as hoped.

While more free agency investment could happen, the Patriots likely will take a close look at the edge class in this year’s NFL Draft. They already had some pre-draft contact with some of the top players available such as Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Akheem Mesidor (Miami), R. Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) and Zion Young (Missouri).

Even with Jones brought aboard, the Patriots very well could invest a high draft pick at the edge. More help, especially from a longer-term perspective, is needed.

Special teams impact

While their primary focus was on defense, both Chaisson and Jennings also were actively involved in the kicking game in 2025.

Chaisson was a mainstay on the punt coverage team particularly early in the season, and ended with 129 snaps in the game’s third phase (23.4%; 16th). Jennings, meanwhile, played mostly on the kickoff return and coverage teams but also saw the occasional snap on the punt units as well; he finished with 194 special teams snaps (35.4%; 11th) and seven tackles (8th).

Replacing those parts of their contributions will not be quite that big of a task. Still, it is another angle for the Patriots to consider when it comes to roster construction.

Financial gains

While the Patriots are losing two proven players on Wednesday — one of them by choice, of course — they are gaining some more cap space. Releasing Jennings before the final year of his current contract created net savings of $2.85 million.

His non-guaranteed $3 million salary and $867,647 worth of likely to be earned roster and workout bonuses are now off the books, while his $1 million signing bonus proration remains as dead cap. Meanwhile, a player with a cap hit of $1.01 million will take his spot on the Top 51 list.

In total, salary cap expert Miguel Benzan projects the Patriots to be $50.13 million under the cap with all but one signing (WR Romeo Doubs) considered.

The Chaisson departure, meanwhile, does factor into the NFL’s compensatory draft picks formula. But while he is the fourth qualifying free agent to leave the team this week, it appears no additional picks will be headed New England’s way in 2027:

At the moment, two of the Patriots’ compensatory free agents this offseason remain unaccounted for: offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. and safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Not only are they unlikely to sign contracts that would massively impact the formula, both are realistic candidates to ultimately be retained by the club.

For a fourth straight year, therefore, it seems New England will not gain any extra draft capital through the compensatory process.

The postseason has arrived, and your Georgetown Hoyas (14-17, 16-14) are heading to Madison Square Garden to face the sixth-seeded DePaul Blue Demons (16-15, 8-12) in the first round of the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament. After over a decade of disappointment, many of the Georgetown faithful are frustrated to be appearing in the last slot on day 1 at the Garden. Fans genuinely want the players to succeed here and in each game, but certainly not as a detriment or deterrent to positive change in the near future.

Winning tonight and building momentum with strong performances on both ends of the floor, regardless of the result, would be tremendous. There are no moral victories, but the season will end on a loss for all but one team. If they can’t see a banner, fans want to see discipline, defense, and determination.

The Hoyas enter tonight’s 9 p.m. tipoff with fresh momentum after a gritty 80-79 victory over Providence to close out the regular schedule. Senior center Vince Iwuchukwu led the way in that finale, recording a double-double with a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Hoyas fans have heard the unfortunate news that All-BIG EAST Third Team selection KJ Lewis will indeed miss the remainder of the season with a left ankle injury.

Stepping into a larger role is sophomore guard Kayvaun Mulready, who recently earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 16 points over the last two contests.

The Hoyas roster will need a collective effort against a DePaul squad that finished with the second-most conference wins in their program’s history under coach Chris Holtmann.

The two programs split their regular season matchups, with Georgetown securing a 70-61 victory at Capital One Arena in late January behind a 16-point performance from junior Malik Mack. The Blue Demons are coming off an 81-71 loss to Butler, but senior forward NJ Benson has been a formidable presence inside, averaging 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds over his last seven games.

Other Wednesday matchups include Providence vs. Butler (4PM) and Xavier vs. Marquette (6:30 PM). Winner of tonight’s DePaul-Georgetown (9PM) game will face Villanova tomorrow.

Here are the links:

Eleventh-Seeded Hoyas Face #6 DePaul in First Round of BIG EAST Tournament – Georgetown University Athletics | GUHOYAS

Georgetown men’s basketball will travel to New York to face the sixth-seeded DePaul Blue Demons in the first round of the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament Presented by Jeep. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.

FOLLOW THE HOYAS Wednesday’s game can be seen live on Peacock with John Fanta calling the play-by-play, Donny Marshall providing analysis and Caroline Pineda reporting from the sidelines. The game can be heard locally on Team 980 and on the SiriusXM app with Rich Chvotkin on the call in his 52nd season. A link to the live stats can be found on GUHoyas.com.

ABOUT THE HOYAS In its last outing, Georgetown (14-17, 6-14 BE) defeated Providence on March 7, 80-79, at Capital One Arena to close the regular season.

Vince Iwuchkwu scored a career-high 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting and a squad-best 10 rebounds off the bench to nab the double-double and lead a quintet of Hoyas in double-figure scoring.

Kayvaun Mulready was GU’s next leading scorer with 12 points, followed by Malik Mack and Caleb Williams with 11 points apiece, with Jeremiah Williams rounding out those in double figures with 10 of his own.Mulready dished out a team-high seven assists.

Hoyas Hopeful Ahead of Tournament DePaul Match-Up | The Hoya

Despite entering as the lowest seed, Head Coach Ed Cooley said the outcome of this year’s tournament is not predictable.

“This is the most open the Big East tournament’s been, in my opinion, in the 24 years I’ve been in the league,” Cooley said during a March 9 press conference before the team travelled to New York City.

This year, Georgetown and DePaul split their two regular-season matchups. The Blue Demons won the first meeting Jan. 6, defeating the Hoyas 56-50 in Chicago after Georgetown went 1-for-23 from the field in the second half. On Jan. 28, the Hoyas responded with a 70-61 win at home.

Even in their loss, Cooley said Georgetown has played well defensively against DePaul this season.

“Overall defensively, the two games we’ve played them, I think it’s been two of our better defensive games,” Cooley said.

Georgetown will need to contain key DePaul players, including guard CJ Gunn and forward NJ Benson, and Cooley said finishing defensive possessions will be critical.
“We’re doing a great job on everybody’s initial actions,” Cooley told The Hoya. “But in the last couple of games, what’s hurting us is our inability to complete the defensive possession by rebounding the ball.”

Lewis Named All-BIG EAST Third Team – Georgetown University Athletics | GUHOYAS

Georgetown University’s KJ Lewis was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, as announced by the league office in New York on Sunday. The announcement comes at the conclusion of the regular season that saw the team finish with an overall record of 14-17 with a 6-14 mark in BIG EAST play. The Hoyas will be the 11th seed in the upcoming 2026 BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep.

Kayvaun Mulready Named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll – Georgetown University Athletics | GUHOYAS

In a 1-1 week, Mulready averaged 16.0 ppg on 52.4% (11-21) shooting from the field, 44.4% (4-9) from beyond the arc, and a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the charity stripe. In the win against Providence to sweep the series, the sophomore managed 12 points to go along with a career-high five steals and a pair of assists.

Against St. John’s, he tallied a squad-best 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and two helpers. He became the fifth GU player to achieve a 20-point outing this season. This is Mulready’s first accolade from the league this season and first in his career. It is the ninth recognition for the Blue & Gray this campaign as KJ Lewis, Malik Mack and Julius Halaifonua have also picked up honors.

Hoyas Hold on for 80-79 Win Over Providence, Completing Season Sweep – Georgetown University Athletics | GUHOYAS

“You know, this game was indicative of our entire season, you know, coming down to the last shot, last play. I thought Providence played really well in the second half. We matched it, overcame it. They came up with energy in the second half and we had to bounce back. I mean, this game was clearly indicative, and we were fortunate today just to get a win. You know, the win that we needed. Looking forward to going to New York and facing DePaul.” – Head Coach Ed Cooley

“Honestly, it’s just the work I put in and the coaches and just them trusting and believing in me. I mean, my teammates kept giving me the ball in the second half. You know, they told me to go to work, you know … I mean, we kept trying to pick each other up as many times as possible, whether it’s a deadball, time out, media, whatever, just stay in poise. Ignore the loudness or the Providence fans, so just ignore them. We’ve been in tougher situations, environments, and we’ve been in close games. It feels like every single game. So it’s nothing new.” – Vince Iwuchukwu

Blue Demons Open BIG EAST Tournament Wednesday Night – DePaul University Athletics | DEPAULBLUEDEMONS

The winner of Wednesday night’s game advances to Thursday’s quarterfinals against third-seeded Villanova. That game is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. CT tip on FS1. LAST TIME OUT DePaul (16-15, 8-12 BIG EAST) closed out the regular season against Butler, falling 81-71. NJ Benson had a personal-best in conference play with 24 points, in addition to 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

The Blue Demons’ defense held Butler without a field goal for the final eight minutes of the game but couldn’t complete the comeback attempt. The Blue Demons finished the regular season with the second-most BIG EAST wins in program history and highest seed in the tournament.

Blue Demons Run Out of Time With Late Comeback – DePaul University Athletics | DEPAULBLUEDEMONS

A late second half comeback for DePaul men’s basketball wasn’t enough to pull back from a deficit Saturday afternoon at Wintrust Arena as Butler won, 81-71. NJ Benson had a personal-best in BIG EAST play with 24 points for his fifth double-double of the season. DePaul (16-15, 8-12 BIG EAST) held Butler (16-15, 7-13 BIG EAST) without a field goal for the final eight minutes of the game, nearly erasing a double-digit deficit.

Kaleb Banks added his sixth double-digit outing of the year with 11 points, followed by a trio of nine- point scorers in Brandon Maclin, Layden Blocker and CJ Gunn. Maclin and Gunn both had career- high assists with seven and five, respectively.

No more MSG moral victories: DePaul wants more against Georgetown | CBSSPORTS

“There’s always excitement going into the conference tournament,” said DePaul coach Chris Holtmann. “Our guys are a pretty resilient group, and they’ve got a good way about them right now. They were disappointed they didn’t get the five seed and the bye. Being the six seed, I think they feel good about that.”

Georgetown’s second season under coach Ed Cooley ended with a 71-67 loss to DePaul in the opening round last year. The Hoyas (14-17) were picked sixth in the preseason poll, but finished under .500 for the fourth time in five seasons. Georgetown lost seven straight before eking out an 80-79 victory over Providence on Saturday. Georgetown lost 11 of 17 conference games by single digits, including a two-point loss to UConn on Jan. 17 and a three-point loss at St. John’s on March 3.

‘They just keep coming’: DePaul squares off against Georgetown in round one of men’s Big East tournament | DEPAULIAONLINE

The Blue Demons find themselves with the sixth seed, the highest in program history. They will play against the No. 11 seed, the Georgetown Hoyas on March 11 at 8 p.m. CT. In their last matchup, the Blue Demons fell 70-61 on the road. To rebuild their momentum following the two-game skid as they head into the tournament, senior forward NJ Benson highlighted watching film in a postgame press conference after their 81-71 loss to Butler in the regular season finale.

“Coach has started to show us a lot of response clips in the room — tight huddles and responding to bad calls or missed plays and diving on the floor, just the plays that win you games,” Benson said. “We haven’t been doing a lot of since Marquette.”

DePaul faces Georgetown in Big East Tournament | APNEWS

The Hoyas are 6-14 in Big East play. Georgetown ranks fourth in the Big East with 9.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Vincent Iwuchukwu averaging 2.2. DePaul is shooting 43.7% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points higher than the 43.4% Georgetown allows to opponents.

Georgetown averages 6.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than DePaul allows. The teams play each other for the third time this season. Georgetown won the last matchup 70-61 on Jan. 29. Malik Mack scored 16 to help lead Georgetown to the win, and Brandon Maclin scored 19 points for DePaul.

Big East Tournament Preview | 247SPORTS

While the Hoyas are the 11-seed, by no means will they be a pushover. While they have lost 7 out of their last 8 games, they won their last contest of the season, beating Providence at home 80-79 on Saturday night. However, once again they will be playing shorthanded without arguably their best player in KJ Lewis.

Lewis was the Hoyas’ leading scorer (14.9), and his absence has been felt. He injured his left ankle and has missed the last three games. However, several other players have been stepping up in his place. One player to keep an eye out for is sophomore guard Kayvaun Mulready. The 6’4″ sophomore guard has been Lewis’s de facto replacement. On the season, Mulready averages just 5.3 points in 15.7 minutes per game.

DePaul looks to respond | 247SPORTS

The last time these two teams met, Georgetown controlled the paint. The Hoyas scored 30 of their 70 points in the paint, and DePaul couldn’t get much going inside. Benson was held to just four points and six rebounds across 27 minutes in that contest.

However, things have been much different over the past five weeks. Benson has been one of the best big men in the conference, averaging 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks over his past seven games. The senior forward will also enter this game with some fuel after not being selected to any of the Big East conference teams on Sunday. Benson averaged 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in the regular season.

Butler spoils DePaul’s Senior Day | 247SPORTS

With the early shooting struggles, the Blue Demons leaned more on NJ Benson in the second part of the first half. Benson had his way inside across the first 20 minutes, catching some lobs and finishing some second-chance opportunities.

He led the team with 15 points in the first half. On the defensive side, Butler’s size was too much for the Blue Demons. They had a hard time boxing out Butler down low. The Bulldogs had nine offensive rebounds in the first half, which resulted in 10 second-chance points. Those 10-second-chance points were the difference for Butler heading into the break.

Although DePaul made four of its last seven shots to end the half, the team went into the locker room with a seven-point deficit (39-32).

Hoyas Embrace Second Season | MTC Media

This season, the Blue Demons have shed the “lowly DePaul” label and, to be honest, have gotten the best of Georgetown in recent history, even though the Hoyas had a solid 70-61 home win in late January.

The Blue Demons have lost their last two games, with the Butler loss being the most damning. In the loss to the Bulldogs, DePaul shot 37.1% from the floor and 22% from the three-point line.

For the Hoyas, it’s getting by this one.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a dire need for linebacking help heading into the offseason. Lavonte David remains up in the air, SirVocea Dennis has not been the player they hoped for, and the depth behind them isn't much to look at, either, in terms of production. So, the team made an agreement to sign Alex Anzalone from the Detroit Lions as he completes his homecoming to Florida, but what if they get Lavonte David back, too?

Until they know for sure, they have to remain flexible on the market, but one of those options is now gone, and it has gone to the Carolina Panthers. Linebacker Devin Lloyd is in agreement to sign with the Bucs division rival to help their continued overhaul of the defense.

The Panthers previously added Jaelen Phillips in free agency as well, which has them in the upper echelon of classes this offseason.

Lloyd was seen as a fit for the Bucs, but they now have to look for David to return, as the market is now depleted. As for the NFL Draft, there are some pieces, but by the time the Bucs are on the clock at pick 15 the top tier of talent should be drafted well before.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Free Agency: Panthers continue to add pieces to challenge the Bucs

Daniel Jones gets major injury update after signing $88 million extension with Colts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a two-year extension worth $88 million that can reach $100 million, and the franchise also received a pivotal injury update on the veteran.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jones is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, and there is also a high chance he's back when training camp kicks off.

"Recovering from a torn Achilles, Colts QB Daniel Jones is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, and one source even said he expects him to be ready for training camp," Schefter said.

Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December 2025, but is making fast progress and looks to be the Colts' Week 1 starter for the second straight year.

In 13 starts this past season, Jones tossed 19 touchdowns to eight interceptions and had Indianapolis in first place in the AFC South. He revived his career with the Colts, and now cashes on a lucrative short-term extension with the franchise.

With Jones back in the fold, Indianapolis will finally have some continuity at quarterback, and a ton of questions have been answered.

We'll see what other moves general manager Chris Ballard makes in free agency as the Colts work to end their five-year playoff drought in 2026.

I’m putting the open thread up today, because the Jays don’t play until the evening and there is nothing pressing as far as Jays news. I have a couple of things I want to write about, but they will take awhile.

Jose Berrios wanted to play for Puerto Rico but can’t because of insurance issues. It seems funny that a guy making $19 million this year, won’t be playing because of insurance issues. But then it isn’t health insurance, it is insurance for his contract. If he were to get hurt and miss this season, the insurance would be needed to cover his contract. I can understand insurance companies not wanting to be on the hook for the, roughly $70 million left on his contract. Especially with him missing time last year with an elbow issue.

The WBC is a bit of a tough sell for MLB teams. If something bad was to happen to the top player from the Yankees or Blue Jays or whoever, you know that it will be harder to get them to let players go to it in the future. But it is fun to watch the baseball (especially the big upsets). I wonder how much a $100 bet on Italy would have paid? Likely not as much as I think, because a number of people will bet on the long shot.

Anyway, as always, use the thread to talk about whatever you are interested in (within site rules). I’m all for religion and politics, as much as I like people swinging their arms, but just not in my face. I do have a personal rule, I’ve hit that age where I’m sometimes sitting with groups of men around my age, having coffee and I’ve said I’m happy to sit and chat but when politics become the subject I get up and leave. I’m not going to change a mind, and they aren’t going to change my mind, so let’s not do it.

Though, strangely enough for a devote atheist, I’ve been having pretty deep conversations with friends about religion lately. As long as they understand they aren’t going to convert me, I’m ok with it all.

Much has been said about the Oregon Ducks' standout true freshmen during the 2025 season, with the running back duo of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. along with wide receiver Dakorien Moore heavily impacting the offense while cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. was an absolute star on the defensive side of the ball.

But a player who hasn't been talked about as much is linebacker Nasir Wyatt, who served as a pass rush and blitz specialist last season in limited reps. He was on the field for 39 total defensive snaps, to be exact — a small fraction of the Ducks' defensive snaps considering they played in 15 games.

Normally, a player who averaged just 2.6 snaps per game wouldn't come into his next season with high expectations, but that's not the case for Wyatt. And it's not just that he was a four-star recruit and the No. 18 linebacker in the 2025 class, per 247 Sports Composite. It's not just his 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame with explosion and speed. Rather, it's the product that the California native put on the field in his limited snaps.

In 2025, he finished with 11 tackles, seven quarterback pressures, four tackles for loss, three sacks (third on the team) and a forced fumble — again, all in just 39 total snaps, a mark that starting edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti routinely surpassed in a single game.

To say that Wyatt gave everything he had in the limited reps that he saw is an understatement. But for Wyatt to take the next step and be on the field for snaps, there's certain parts of his game that he'll have to work on.

"I think he's just got to continue to grow and develop in his knowledge of the scheme," Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said in an exclusive interview with the Bleav in Oregon Podcast. "He has to show that he can play on first down versus run, second down versus run, which I think he can. I'm fired up about him. I think everyone in the organization is. I think this guy can have a big season for us. We're happy that he's here, and he's working extremely hard in the offseason. I can tell from some of the meetings we've had that his knowledge and IQ has tremendously skyrocketed since last season."

Presumably, one of the biggest things across the offseason that Wyatt can improve upon body wise is his weight. Putting on more muscle will allow him to not get pushed around by bigger players, as he entered college with a slighter frame for an edge rusher. However, making sure that he still has the same explosiveness off of the edge is paramount.

Hampton certainly believes that he can do so, touting Wyatt as someone who could have a strong campaign this fall.

"I think he can be a guy to have a breakout season for us," Hampton said. "As part of the ‘who’ you were talking about, you know, when you asked about what's the defense going to look like? Think a lot depends on guys like Nas, and how they continue to develop."

The entire defensive line is coming back, with Tuioti and Uiagalelei being joined by defensive tackles Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington. But with that, much of the depth behind them departed, leaving Wyatt and several other holdovers, along with multiple transfers, to pick up the slack behind the starters.

While there isn't necessarily pressure, as Wyatt will be just a true sophomore next season, the onus is on him to become a more well-rounded player so that he can be on the field and do exactly what he did last season, but at a higher rate: wreak havoc upon opposing offenses.

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

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Chris Hampton claims Nasir Wyatt is primed for 'breakout season'

The PGA Tour is in its Brian Rolapp era.

The Tour’s new CEO spoke on Wednesday ahead of the Players Championship beginning, his first public address before the Tour’s signature event (no pun intended) given that he is still relatively new to the job.

Overall Rolapp addressed a future for the PGA Tour that will be built around six particular themes.

It is clear that Rolapp wants the Tour to have more events of a signature variety. He noted that the Tour wants to essentially double the “big time” events and that when you toss in the major championships, Ryder Cup, and Tour Championship… there should ideally be 21-26 events that carry serious weight and status.

Rolapp also noted that the Tour wants to have larger fields for more equitable opportunities throughout itself and that there will be a cut in these hypotheticals. This runs counter to the current Signature Event model.

One of the biggest things that Rolapp noted was that the PGA Tour wants to begin its season on the West Coast in a big fashion and that they want to have an event that concludes in primetime on the East Coast. Many have often said that the PGA Tour should begin the week after the Super Bowl, and right now they run into that.

It is clear that the PGA Tour also wants to continue to tap into big media markets as any sports business would. Rolapp also noted that promotion and relegation are options that are being considered in the future, and match play is something that could return to specific formats and events.

Overall Wednesday was a very strong step from the PGA Tour’s newest point of leadership. It is clear that they have established the greatest Tour in the world and that they are intent on capitalizing on it as much as they can.

It is exciting for golf fans everywhere.

Colts missed out on Trey Hendrickson in free agency for $3 million originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Indianapolis Colts were pretty much linked to Trey Hendrickson from the very first signs of discontent.

It was hard to read a Hendrickson rumor dating back to last summer that didn't include the Colts in the mix.

That's what makes Wednesday's Hendrickson news particularly disappointing. He's signing in free agency to leave the Cincinnati Bengals and join the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens backed out of their trade to get Maxx Crosby and pivoted to Hendrickson, shutting out anyone else who was interested.

And to be clear, the Colts were still interested. They just were $3 million per year short.

ESPN's Stephen Holder reported this on X on Wednesday:

"On Colts and Trey Hendrickson, per sources: IND made what it hoped was a competitive offer. Colts were in the mix as of Tues. After the Maxx Crosby trade dissolved, Ravens' offer turned things upside down. Colts wanted to be closer to $25M/year. Baltimore’s deal is for $28M/yr."

MORE: Why the Raiders are no longer trading Maxx Crosby to the Ravens

Sure, $3 million per year isn't nothing, especially in an offseason when the Colts are giving Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce both huge contracts.

But in the grand scheme of the NFL, it isn't a ton, and in this case, it means the Colts miss a pass rusher they've been after for months.

"They are still endeavoring to add an impact edge rusher," Holder added on X. "Time will tell whether they can still pull that off."

That impact edge rusher won't be Hendrickson, though, which is a bummer after all this time.

More NFL news:

• Cowboys shunned by Eagles' free agent for AFC West
• Panthers shell out $165 million for 2 free agent stars
• Travis Kelce reveals why he didn't retire and signed back with Chiefs
• Ravens' former 1st-round pick retires after 8 NFL seasons
• This list of Jets QBs since Geno Smith is wildly depressing
• It'd be hard for the Falcons' QB moves to be funnier

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The post XRP Could Surge to $1,000 Following New ETF Launch – Up to 415% in the Short Term appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

With the Kurv XRP Enhanced Income ETF scheduled to launch on March 11, 2026, XRP is once again in the spotlight of global capital markets.

The Kurv XRP Enhanced Income ETF has officially launched on US stock brokerage platforms. What makes this product unique is that it not only allows Wall Street funds to legally hold XRP, but also attracts a large number of investors seeking passive income through “enhanced returns” strategies (such as covered call options).

Recently, several cryptocurrency analysts have made optimistic predictions: with the official launch of the new XRP ETF, the price is expected to surge by 415% in the short term, followed by a longer-term acceleration towards the important $1,000 mark.

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The post Inside EvoCash: The Architecture Behind a Crypto-to-Fiat Bridge Connecting Web3 Wallets to Compliant USD Accounts appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

How MSB registration, FBO structures, real-time USDT-to-USD conversion, and multichain support enable institutional-grade crypto-to-fiat flows for global users.

The promise of cryptocurrency has always been financial sovereignty. But that promise breaks down when users try to pay rent, buy groceries, or handle real-world expenses in fiat currency.

Traditional banks freeze accounts. Exchanges impose withdrawal limits. Transfers take days. Legitimate crypto users worldwide — traders, international freelancers, digital nomads, and cross-border businesses — navigate a fragmented maze just to access their own money. This friction is amplified in emerging markets.

EvoCash is building infrastructure to fix this, establishing itself as a crypto-to-fiat bridge designed for global users.

The Compliance Foundation: MSB Registration

EvoCash’s platform starts with proper compliance structure. The company holds Money Services Business (MSB) registration with FinCEN under the Bank Secrecy Act, a compliance registration enabling money transmission services in the U.S. and internationally.

This MSB registration carries obligations: AML procedures, KYC verification, suspicious activity reporting, and ongoing monitoring. It provides legitimacy that unregistered platforms lack — critical for global users seeking a compliant crypto-to-fiat bridge.

The FBO Account Structure: Partnering for Scale

EvoCash partners with licensed financial institutions to provide USD accounts structured as For Benefit Of (FBO) arrangements — accounts held “for the benefit of” end users.

The partner institution provides regulatory compliance and FDIC insurance. EvoCash provides the Web3 interface, wallet integration, fiat on-ramp/off-ramp functionality, and real-time conversion technology.

Advantages:

• Speed to market using existing banking infrastructure
  
• Compliance structure with partners handling banking regulations
  
• User protection through licensed institutions
  
• International scalability without local banking requirements

The Conversion Engine: Real-Time USDT-to-USD

The core innovation is seamless conversion between stablecoins and fiat. When a user converts USDT to USD:

1. USDT transfers from the user’s Web3 wallet to EvoCash’s liquidity pool
   
2. The conversion engine executes at market rates across multiple sources
   
3. USD credits to the user’s FBO account
   
4. Funds become immediately available

This happens in real-time — not days. No wire transfer holds. No manual review processes. This is critical for international users across time zones.

For traders, it means locking in profits instantly. For freelancers, receiving crypto income and paying USD bills without friction. For emerging market users, accessing fiat without traditional banking restrictions.

Multichain Infrastructure: Flexibility for Global Operations

EvoCash supports assets across Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, and other major chains — critical for serving global users.

Benefits:

• Users keep assets on preferred chains without forced bridging
  
• Cost optimization through lower-fee networks
  
• Deeper liquidity pools for better conversion rates
  
• International businesses manage assets across jurisdictions through one interface

The technical challenge is maintaining security and compliance across different blockchain protocols while providing unified user experience. EvoCash’s wallet integration handles this abstraction layer.

Global Onboarding: The Fiat On-Ramp for Everyone

Traditional banking requires local residency. EvoCash’s MSB registration and FBO structure enable global onboarding — users access USD accounts regardless of location after completing KYC.

This serves:

• Digital nomads travelling full-time who need USD access globally
  
• International freelancers in emerging markets earning from global clients
  
• Cross-border businesses requiring reliable crypto-to-USD settlement
  
• Developers in underserved regions paid in crypto needing fiat access
  
• Workers sending remittances across borders

The compliance framework includes identity verification, address confirmation, and source of funds documentation — standard KYC aligned with MSB registration requirements.

The Integrated Ecosystem: Beyond Conversion

Beyond real-time USDT-to-USD conversion and fiat on-ramp/off-ramp, EvoCash provides a complete financial stack:

• Multi-asset crypto trading
  
• USD balances functioning like checking accounts
  
• Access to precious metals for portfolio diversification
  
• Integrated USD payment processing for international operations

This eliminates platform fragmentation — users operate from a single interface instead of juggling exchanges, conversion services, bank accounts, and payment processors.

The Visa Card Integration: Completing the Ecosystem

EvoCash is pursuing approval for a Visa card linked to stablecoins through issuing partners. The card, currently under review, would connect to users’ crypto-backed USD balances, enabling point-of-sale spending worldwide.

This allows users to:

• Spend USD balances globally
  
• Make ATM withdrawals in local currency
  
• Receive merchant acceptance anywhere Visa is supported
  
• Maintain real-time balance visibility across crypto and fiat

Once approved, it completes the loop: earn in crypto globally, convert to USD instantly, spend in the real world — all within a compliant infrastructure.

Why This Architecture Matters

The crypto industry has produced countless “bank alternatives” that operate in compliance gray areas or provide limited functionality. EvoCash’s architecture aims for properly structured infrastructure with MSB registration that works for crypto-native users and international participants.

MSB registration provides a compliance foundation. FBO partnerships provide banking infrastructure. Real-time USDT-to-USD conversion provides liquidity. Multichain support provides flexibility. Global onboarding provides accessibility. Fiat on-ramp/off-ramp provides bidirectional flows.

The result: a platform that doesn’t force users to choose between crypto innovation and financial legitimacy. It delivers both at institutional speed with consumer simplicity — particularly for international users underserved by traditional banking.

For crypto to truly disrupt traditional finance and serve global users, infrastructure like this isn’t optional — it’s essential.

Learn more about EvoCash’s compliant infrastructure for global users

The post While Markets React to Global Conflict, BI DeFi Users Are Still Earning appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Global markets briefly rallied after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the conflict with Iran could be “essentially over” and may end soon. The remarks eased geopolitical concerns and quickly lifted sentiment across risk assets.

Cryptocurrencies reacted within minutes. Bitcoin moved back toward the $69,000 level, Ethereum held above $2,000, and XRP also saw renewed buying interest. While such reactions are common during geopolitical developments, they also highlight a familiar reality in crypto markets: prices can shift quickly on headlines, but the underlying blockchain ecosystem continues to evolve.

Smart Contracts and the Shift in Participation

As volatility becomes a regular feature of digital asset markets, many participants are rethinking how they engage with crypto.

Instead of relying solely on predicting price movements, attention is increasingly turning toward smart contract–driven systems, where transactions and financial agreements execute automatically once predefined conditions are met.

These automated mechanisms are becoming a key part of blockchain infrastructure, enabling networks to process activity more efficiently while reducing the need for constant manual oversight.

As blockchain adoption grows, the conversation is gradually expanding beyond trading alone.

From Asset Ownership to Network Participation

As on-chain activity expands, the networks supporting it must scale as well.

Greater transaction volume requires:

• Increased computational resources
  
• Stable validation capacity
  
• Efficient processing infrastructure

For this reason, some market participants are beginning to look beyond simple asset ownership. Instead, attention is shifting toward participating in the operational layer of blockchain networks themselves.

This shift is bringing growing interest to platforms designed to simplify infrastructure-level participation.

BI DeFi: Simplifying Access to Blockchain Infrastructure

One platform exploring this model is BI DeFi, a UK-registered digital asset platform offering a cloud-based computational contract system.

Rather than requiring users to purchase and manage mining hardware, BI DeFi allows participation through computing contracts that operate within the platform’s infrastructure. This removes many of the operational burdens associated with traditional mining, including equipment maintenance, cooling systems, and electricity management.

Key features of the platform include:

• Entry starting from $100
  
• A $17 registration reward
  
• Support for major digital assets including BTC, ETH, XRP, and SOL
  
• Automated 24-hour settlement cycles

At the infrastructure level, the platform also emphasizes operational safeguards and security measures, including:

• Strict segregation of user assets and operating funds
  
• Independent audits conducted by PwC
  
• Custody insurance provided by Lloyd’s of London
  
• Enterprise-grade security with layered encryption and continuous monitoring

Together, these measures are designed to support a secure environment for digital asset participation.

Looking Beyond Market Headlines

Short-term reactions to geopolitical events—such as the recent rally following Trump’s comments—demonstrate how quickly sentiment can shift in cryptocurrency markets.

But beyond daily price movements, the digital asset ecosystem continues to evolve at the infrastructure level. As blockchain networks expand and smart contract activity increases, participation is gradually extending beyond trading toward engagement with the systems that power the network itself.

Within this broader transition, platforms such as BI DeFi are positioning themselves as part of the growing infrastructure layer of the digital asset economy.

Official Website: https://bidefi.com/

The post Fed at a Crossroads: Rate Cuts or Hold Firm? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

February’s CPI delivered what the Federal Reserve had hoped for—but possibly too late. Inflation held at 2.4% YoY, while core CPI slowed to 0.2% MoM from 0.3% in January, signaling easing price pressures. However, the data reflects conditions before recent geopolitical shocks and the surge in oil prices. Meanwhile, the labor market is softening, with 58K jobs added vs 126K expected and unemployment rising to 4.4%. As the March 18 Fed meeting approaches, policymakers face a dilemma: cut rates based on cooling inflation, hold steady despite weakening jobs, or signal future easing while monitoring energy-driven risks.

The post Binance Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Binance has filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a February 23 report alleging the exchange stopped investigating $1.7 billion in crypto flows linked to Iran-connected networks after Donald Trump pardoned founder Changpeng Zhao. Binance strongly denies the claims, saying it continued the probe, removed related accounts, and shared corrections before publication. The company, previously fined $4.3 billion in 2023, is seeking a jury trial, calling the article misleading and damaging.

Guesty launches a fully compliant trust accounting solution in Australia and New Zealand, providing property managers with enhanced transparency.

Princess Cruises unveils its 2028 World Cruise with a 115-day voyage featuring cultural experiences, luxury cruising and safari adventures, boosting global cruise tourism.

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P&O Cruises offers bonus onboard spend money for fly-cruises, enhancing your travel experience with added perks and luxury while exploring top destinations.

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Cologne, Germany – The iconic Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Germany’s most famous landmarks, is set to introduce an admission fee later this year. This move comes as the cathedral faces rising maintenance costs, which …

SeaDream Yacht Club expands its fleet with 27 new ports in 2027 and 28 in 2028, offering unique, immersive destinations across the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

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Something unexpected happened for Samsung Galaxy S26 users after the latest software update. Many people noticed that the “Hey Plex” voice command suddenly disappeared from the Perplexity app on their phones. Soon after this change, new information appeared online that explained what might be happening.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has confirmed the reason behind the change. Replying to a user comment online, he said that the wake phrase is being changed. Instead of “Hey Plex,” Samsung phones will soon support a new command – “Hey Perplexity.” This means the voice activation feature is not being removed completely, but it is simply getting a new name.

The feature allows users to activate the Perplexity AI assistant with their voice. Once the wake phrase is enabled, users can say the command, and the assistant will open instantly, even if the phone screen is off. This makes it easy to ask questions, search for information, or perform quick tasks without touching the device.

Earlier, Samsung introduced this feature in partnership with Perplexity when the Galaxy S26 series launched. The phones came with several AI assistants, including Gemini, Bixby, and Perplexity. Users could choose which assistant they preferred and switch between them through the device settings.

However, after the February 2026 security update, the “Hey Plex detection” option was removed from the settings. Because of this, the wake phrase stopped working on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, although the assistant can still be opened using the side button.

With the CEO now confirming the change to “Hey Perplexity,” the voice wake-up feature is expected to return in a future update for Samsung devices. Stay tuned.

The post Hey Plex is gone; Samsung phones will receive Hey Perplexity, CEO confirms appeared first on Sammy Fans.

Amazon’s Spring Deal Days are the first major sales event from the retailer for this year. Here we will focus on tablets and smartwatches, but we will also have a look at smartphone deals soon. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Tab S10 FE+ are 10.9” and 13.1” tablets, respectively, with 90Hz IPS LCDs. Both are powered by the Exynos 1580 chipset and have expandable storage. The smaller slate has an 8,000mAh battery, while the larger one has a 10,090mAh battery. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Tab S10 FE+ £125...

Match Overview

A marquee Round of 16 clash arrives early in the bracket as two of the tournament’s top contenders square off, with Real Madrid meeting Manchester City in a matchup that feels worthy of a final. Madrid punched their ticket after a fiercely contested and controversial knockout battle with Benfica.

Now Vinicius Jr. leads a star-studded squad aiming to keep its championship run alive. Standing across the pitch is a City side loaded with elite talent and riding strong form, making this heavyweight showdown one of the most anticipated series of the Round of 16.

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Match Overview

After stunning Inter Milan with wins in both legs of the knockout stage playoffs, Bodø/Glimt now aim to keep their Cinderella run alive when they meet Sporting CP in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Sporting also exceeded expectations earlier in the competition, securing direct passage to the knockout rounds during the league stage despite entering as underdogs. With both teams riding the momentum of surprising results, this matchup has all the makings of an entertaining clash!

Real Madrid face Manchester City in a promising competitive series in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Nonetheless, coach Álvaro Arbeloa encounters a significant challenge, as he will be without key players like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. In contrast, coach Pep Guardiola has his full roster available. Given these circumstances, fans are closely monitoring Vinicius Jr.’s status, as he stands out as the team’s greatest hope.

After training normally with the group, Vinicius Jr. is expected to start, leading Real Madrid‘s offense. In Mbappé’s absence, the Brazilian emerges as the solution to the team’s lack of goals. With this, the 26-year-old star has a great opportunity to reverse his low impact in the competition, as he has only scored three goals, compared to the Frenchman’s 13. However, he has already proven himself capable of leading the team.

Alongside the Brazilian, Álvaro Arbeloa may opt for Brahim Diaz as his key partner, considering his experience in big games and his standout performance in the African Cup of Nations. However, the coach will have to rely on Ferland Mendy at left back due to Álvaro Carreras’s recent injury. While the French defender brings extensive experience, he has only logged 202 minutes this season, raising concerns among fans.

Unlike Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City arrive with their entire roster available, having Erling Haaland back after missing the previous game. Alongside the Norwegian, Antoine Semenyo is expected to play a crucial role, opening spaces in the defense of coach Arbeloa. Given the numerous absences of Los Blancos, the Citizens could make the difference, as they come into the match with eleven consecutive games without a defeat.

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Manchester City

Unlike the previous encounters against Manchester City, Real Madrid arrive at the Champions League Round of 16 with seven important absences: Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Álvaro Carreras, Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao and David Alaba. Because of this, coach Álvaro Arbeloa will be forced to make tough changes in the lineup, relying on a system similar to the one used in the series against Benfica, but with Vinicius Jr. leading the attack.

With this in mind, Real Madrid could lineup as follows: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy; Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga; Vinicius Jr, Brahim Diaz.

Manchester City predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid

Following a convincing victory against Newcastle United, Manchester City arrive in great form to face Real Madrid. Nevertheless, coach Pep Guardiola will have three absences: Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic. Despite this, the Citizens have managed to establish key consistency, with Rodri Hernandez close to his best level and Rayan Cherki playing a crucial role, while Erling Haaland keeps dominating in the scoring side.

Considering this, Manchester City could play as follows: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Rayan Ait Nouri; Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly; Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland.

Match Overview

All signs point to a highly competitive showdown as Arsenal enter the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League as one of the tournament’s hottest teams. The Gunners dominated the group phase with a perfect record, securing a direct spot in the Round of 16 and reinforcing their status as a serious contender for the title.

Standing in their way are Bayer Leverkusen, who battled past Olympiacos in a tightly contested series to keep their campaign alive. While Arsenal enter as the clear favorite based on form and depth, Leverkusen know the pressure is off and will aim to shock one of Europe’s top sides in what promises to be a must-watch clash.

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The Nissan Kicks hits a record 5th place in Mexico in February.

The Mexican new light vehicle market is stable in February at -0.2% year-on-year to 118,305 units. The year-to-date volume is up 4.4% to 250,084. Nissan (-5.5%) remains by far the most popular carmaker in the country but sees its share drop to 17.1%. Chevrolet (+4.4%) is solid in 2nd place with 12.7% share, with Volkswagen (+0.4%) and Kia (+3.4%) in tow. Weak month for Mazda (-10.5%) and Toyota (-1.4%). Ram (+54%) posts the largest YoY gain in the Top 10, while Geely (+283.6%) is up to a record #11. Notice also Jetour (+707.7%), Cupra (+89.6%) and Changan (+63.9%).

Model-wise, the Nissan Versa (-24.6%) freefalls but still keeps the lead with 5% share vs. 6% so far this year. In contrast the Chevrolet Aveo (+13%) is in great shape at 4.5% share and is also up 19.8% year-to-date. The Kia K3 (+5.8%) and Nissan NP300 (-22.3%) ensure the Top 4 is identical to YTD. The Nissan Kicks (+15.5%) is up 20 spots on January to a record 5th place, its previous best being #6 hit in March and August 2025. The Ram 1200 (+128.8%) improves a further two spots on a record January showing to an all-time best #6. The Nissan Magnite confirms its instant blockbuster status at #8, its highest ever ranking also reached in August and December 2025.

Previous month: Mexico January 2026: Geely (+245.3%), Ram (+83.2%), MG (+54.2%) highlight record market

One year ago: Mexico February 2025: Ram (+59.1%), Mazda (+43%) highlight 2nd largest February in history

Full February 2026 Top 53 All brands and Top 382 All models below.

Mexico February 2026 – brands:

Mexico February 2026 – models: