Fenerbahçe Opet'in anlaştığı eski basketbolcusu Breanna Stewart, tekrar İstanbul'a geldi

Sinop Valisi Mustafa Özarslan, maçın oynayacağı Sinop Şehir Stadı'nda incelemelerde bulundu

Trendyol Süper Lig'in 28. haftası, bugün oynanan tek maçla sona erdi.

Basketbol Süper Lig'in 25. haftasında Beşiktaş GAİN, evinde konuk ettiği Karşıyaka'yı 92-86 mağlup etti.

Beşiktaş'a son dakikada attığı penaltı golüyle Fenerbahçe'yi yarışta tutan Kerem Aktürkoğlu, sosyal medyada kendisini ve ailesini hedef alan hakaret içerikli paylaşımlara yönelik hukuki süreç başlatacak.

Süper Lig'in 28. haftasının kapanış maçında Kocaelispor ile RAMS Başakşehir 0-0 berabere kaldı.

Erkekler AXA Sigorta Kupa Voley Dörtlü Final'de Galatasaray HDI Sigorta, Fenerbahçe'yi 3-1 mağlup ederek adını finale yazdırdı. Sarı-kırmızılıların finaldeki rakibi Ziraat Bankkart.

​”Arsenal”ın baş məşqçisi Mikel Arteta sabah keçiriləcək Çempionlar Liqası matçı öncəsi komandadakı son vəziyyətlə bağlı mühüm açıqlamalar verib.

​Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, insayder Fabrisio Romanonun verdiyi məlumata görə, “topçular” Portuqaliya səfərinə ciddi itkilərlə yola düşürlər.

Komandanın əsas simalarından olan Bukayo Saka və müdafiəçi Yurrien Timber zədə səbəbindən “Sportinq”ə qarşı keçiriləcək qarşılaşmada iştirak edə bilməyəcəklər. Hər iki futbolçunun sabahkı oyunun heyətindən çıxarıldığı təsdiqlənib.

Arteta azarkeşləri sevindirəcək xəbərləri də paylaşıb. Belə ki, zədədən qayıdan Qabriel Maqalhaes, Deklan Rays və Leandro Trossard artıq tam hazırdırlar. Baş məşqçi hər üç futbolçunun “Alvalade” stadionunda keçiriləcək gərgin mübarizədə iştirak edə biləcəyini rəsmən bildirib.

​Qeyd edək ki, “Sportinq” – “Arsenal” qarşılaşması sabah gecə keçiriləcək.

“Naxçıvan”ın baş məşqçisi Nikola Bozinoski “Sabah”a qarşı mübarizəni komandası üçün prestij adlandırıb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis bunu “Sərhədçi”yə qarşı pley-in mərhələsinin ikinci oyunundan sonra verdiyi açıqlamada deyib.

O, qalib gəldikləri qarşılaşmanı şərh edib:

“Rəqib oyuna çox yaxşı başladı. Biz də onlara istədiyimiz kimi qarşılıq verdik. Əvəzetmələr zamanı ehtiyat oyunçu seçimimizin daha geniş olması komandaya üstünlük qazandırdı və bu amil meydanda mübarizəni daha rahat aparmağımıza şərait yaratdı. Bu da oyunun qırılma anlarından biri oldu. Pley-off mərhələsindəki rəqibimiz “Sabah”a qarşı mübarizə aparmaq bizim üçün prestijdir. Bu matçda əlimizdən gələnin ən yaxşısını etməyə çalışacağıq”.

Qeyd edək ki, oyun “Naxçıvan”ın 93:80 hesablı qələbəsi ilə başa çatıb. İlk görüşdə də qalib gələn komanda (98:87) pley-offa yüksəlib.

Türkiyə Super Liqasında 28-ci tur geridə qalıb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, turun son qarşılaşmasında “Kocaelispor” evdə “Başakşehir”i qəbul edib.

Görüş başladığı hesabla başa çatıb – 0:0.

Qeyd edək ki, 28 oyundan sonra  “Kocaelispor” 34 xalla turnir cədvəlində 8-ci, “Başakşehir” isə 44 xalla 6-cı pillədədir.

Bakıda ənənəvi Böyük İpək Yolu beynəlxalq turniri davam edir.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, yarışın beşinci günündə kişi boksçular arasında finalçılar bəlli olub.

Azərbaycan millisinin 11 idmançısı adını həlledici görüşə yazdırıb. Onlardan səkkizi 4 çəkidə bir-biri ilə qarşılaşacaq.

Yarımfinalda məğlub olan Zidan Hünbətov, Məhəmmədəli Qasımzadə, Sərxan Əliyev, Səidcəmşid Cəfərov, Rasim Çobanlı, Həsən Osmanlı, Murad Allahverdiyev və Səbuhi Əlizadə turniri bürünc medalla başa vurublar. Bununla da komandamızın hesabındakı bürünc mükafatların sayı 10-a yüksəlib. Bu gün başa çatan qadın boksçuların mübarizəsində 1 gün öncə Günel Rəhimova (51 kq) və Emili Rzayeva (65 kq) da yarışı 3-cü pillədə bitirib.

Qeyd edək ki, Boks Mərkəzində 10 ölkənin iştirakı ilə keçirilən Böyük İpək Yolu beynəlxalq turnirində final döyüşləri aprelin 7-də, saat 13:00-da başlayacaq.

Juventus head coach and former Italy CT Luciano Spalletti has expressed his sympathies with Gennaro Gattuso, who left his role in charge of the national team after Thursday’s World Cup play-off final defeat away against Bosnia and Herzegovina: ‘I put myself in his shoes, my first thoughts went to him’. 

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Spalletti on Italy, Gattuso and why introducing a minimum quota for Italian players in Serie A wouldn’t work

Spalletti gave his honest assessment of the Italy national team set-up during his post-match interview following Juventus’s 2-0 Serie A win over Genoa on Easter Monday. 

Spalletti himself left the role of Italy national team head coach less than a year ago following a miserable EURO 2024 campaign and a costly defeat against Norway in World Cup qualifying, and now, the Azzurri will have to find their third head coach in a year following Gattuso’s recent departure. 

“When the game against Bosnia ended, I swear, I put myself in Gattuso’s shoes, my first thoughts went to him. He’s a decent person, he has passion, he has all the qualities to become one of the best in the world,” Spalletti told the press on Easter Monday. 

“I said to myself: ‘If I’d still been there and it happened to me in that environment, in that stadium … I really wouldn’t have got out of it. 

“I suffered a lot, in a big way. It created a non-reaction. I couldn’t talk about football, I almost hid from it. 

“That said, if Kean had scored, we’d be talking about how great Italy is. We need a bit more balance with these swings of opinions and realise that it’s easy before you get to the national team, when you’re there, you can suffer, it happens, it’s the weight of the situation. We had done well, we won all of our matches except against Norway, but it’s a very heavy situation.” 

Spalletti agrees with large sections of the Italy supporters that there are not enough chances handed to young Italian talents in Serie A. 

“Out of the 33 players on the pitch in Udinese-Como, only two were Italian,” Spalletti pointed out. “That’s a fundamental issue because we have to try and protect our talents. I don’t want to advise, but we can’t do it on our own.” 

Some supporters have called for a minimum number of Italian players to be fielded in each Serie A match, but this is a suggestion that Spalletti admits might be difficult to implement. 

“I’ll give you an example. What if you had an U19 player play in every Serie A team? We’d be forced to have four available just to play one, and then what? I go and watch those players a few years earlier because we need them, but then who actually makes it? You might get none from Juve, but you might get one come through at Cremonese. I need someone who doesn’t let the level drop.

“Our national team is strong, they showed it to you under Gattuso and as far as I’m concerned, he made the right choices. These incidents have decided it, it’s not that we are the worst in the world now. It’s the interpretation of the games that makes the difference. Football is a game of incidents.”

Luciano Spalletti criticised Juventus’s second-half performance despite picking up a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Monday evening, and says that after six or seven months at the helm in Turin, ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’.

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Juventus claimed a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Easter Monday thanks to first-half goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie, but goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, brought on at half-time, bailed his teammates out with a penalty save, and Spalletti believes that had the spot-kick gone in, it would have become a ‘very difficult’ evening for the Bianconeri. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Spalletti reacts to Juventus 2-0 Genoa: ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’ 

Despite moving back within a point of Como and the Serie A top four on Easter Monday, Spalletti was still frustrated by some of the things he saw from his players against Genoa, especially in the second half. 

There were complaints that some of the Juventus squad looked tired, which Spalletti insisted can’t be the case as his players received extra time off in the build-up to Monday’s game. 

“It wasn’t tiredness, we didn’t train yesterday or the day before,” Spalletti told Sky after full-time.

“I left them alone because they needed to recover. They had two days off, a training session and a half and then they took a break, so that’s not the case.” 

Spalletti admitted that despite being in charge of Juventus since the end of October, he still doesn’t always know what he’s going to see from his players on the pitch. 

“Sometimes we have to accept that we aren’t the best versions of ourselves. After six or seven months here, I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with. It’s not possible to have a first half like that and then a second half like this. And if they go ahead and score the penalty, it becomes a very difficult evening.” 

There are also concerns for Dusan Vlahovic, who was meant to come on but felt something go in his calf while warming up, and for goalkeeper Perin, who was forced off at half-time, also with a calf issue. 

“There is concern because they both got hurt, they both felt a muscle go,” Spaleltti confirmed. “We need them to have tests to understand how long it will take to get them back on the pitch.” 

 

Juventus moved back within a point of Como and the Serie A top four with their 2-0 victory against Genoa on Easter Monday, but there were some questions as to why Dusan Vlahovic did not feature off the bench. 

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Goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie sent Juventus back within a point of fourth place in Serie A after Como were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese earlier on Monday afternoon. They and Roma in sixth and Atalanta in seventh have seven matches of the 2025-26 season left to fight it out for the final Champions League spot in the Serie A top four. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Why was there no Vlahovic in Juventus 2-0 Genoa?

Vlahovic has recently returned from a five-month injury lay-off following a serious injury to his adductor. He made his long-awaited return with an 11-minute cameo appearance in the 1-1 draw against Sassuolo prior to the international break and was named in the matchday squad to face Genoa on Easter Monday. 

However, Vlahovic felt something in his calf while warming up and the coaching staff decided against risking him on precautionary grounds. 

A calf injury was also the reason why Juventus were forced into a change of goalkeepers at half-time, with the previously out-of-favour Michele Di Gregorio coming on to replace Mattia Perin at the interval. Di Gregorio went on to help his team with an important double-save from the penalty spot along with a series of big second-half stops.

Juventus teammates were full of praise for goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who came on at half-time and made a second-half penalty save to help the Old Lady towards a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Sunday afternoon. 

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Juventus were forced into a rare in-game change of goalkeepers at half-time of their 2-0 victory over Genoa on Easter Monday after an injury to Mattia Perin, which gave a first run-out in five games for the out-of-favour Di Gregorio.

Juventus moved back within one point of the Serie A top four thanks to goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie in an eventual 2-0 win over Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa at the Allianz Stadium. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Juventus stars review 2-0 Genoa win: ‘We knew Di Gregorio’s time would come’ 

Di Gregorio had been dropped for Perin for the last four Serie A matches, but was brought on at half-time after the latter felt a problem with his calf. Di Gregorio then went on to make a huge double save from the penalty spot to keep Juve’s two-goal lead in tact. 

“He’s gone through good and bad times with us, but we know his qualities,” said goalscorer Bremer after full-time. “We knew his time would come, and it has come.” 

Andrea Cambiaso added: “Michele is an extraordinary guy. He’s always switched on in training and I’m very happy for him because today he won us a very important game. 

“He was great because of the attitude he had, he’s always been alert and today he showed it.” 

Napoli director Giovanni Manna explains Romelu Lukaku will face ‘consequences’ for his refusal to return from Belgium, but has faith in Giovane in tonight’s big match with Milan.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season, as only one point separates Napoli in third from Milan in second going into this clash.

Manna outlines Napoli position on Lukaku

“It is an important match, we want to give a sense of consistency to our positive period of form, and certainly want to consolidate our position in front of our fans,” Manna told DAZN Italia.

“These are two strong teams, they are well-drilled, close together in the table. It is going to be a long and tough match.”

There was a surprising twist in the build-up to this match, because reports emerged this afternoon that Rasmus Hojlund was struggling with a stomach bug, and he is not even fit for the bench.

Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara are also still out of action, though Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa seem to be getting back to full fitness after long lay-offs, so Giovane is the makeshift centre-forward.

“We signed Giovane because we needed an attacking player. Centre-forward isn’t his best role, but he can play there, he is humble, professional, works hard, and that tends to pay off.

“He earned this opportunity, the coach had no doubts, so we have full faith in him.”

Lukaku faces disciplinary action after he refused to return from international duty, preferring to seek treatment in Belgium rather than with the Napoli medical staff.

“The situation is very clear to me. Romelu went to Belgium for international duty, he had a small injury setback and preferred to remain there to train, against what we had asked. Nobody would’ve stopped him from working with his doctors, but we had wanted to talk it over in Naples, and it didn’t happen. We are not happy about that.

“The integrity, respect and value of the group is above all else. Talking about this now is superfluous, because Romelu is not here, he is working in Belgium, I think and hope he will return in a week’s time.

“He knows there will be consequences, but we keep going, Giovane plays today, and so we are happy about that.”

Milan won when these teams met at San Siro in September, but Napoli replied with a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final in December.

“We expanded the squad precisely for these issues, and if we hadn’t done that, then we wouldn’t be there competing for our main target, which is a Champions League spot,” added Manna.

“We always fought this season to deal with injuries, but we are here, we want to give more joy to our fans this evening.”

Milan director Igli Tare explains the surprising new strike partnership against Napoli and insists Rafael Leao ‘is a very important player’ despite this season’s problems.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a crucial moment in the season, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds.

Tare stands up for Leao and Milan

“These are two great teams, the table says so as well, we expect a spectacular game of football tonight,” Tare told DAZN Italia.

“Looking at the Juventus victory too, the table is closing up and a victory would be fundamental for us this evening.”

Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are not at 100 per cent, so rather than risk them, Allegri has launched a new strike pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

“We have many excellent strikers, it is a deep squad for this reason, so there is nothing surprising about these choices. The best thing for Allegri today is that he has a lot of options to choose from.

“I generally try to look more to the top than over my shoulder, playing in a stadium with this atmosphere, there is nothing better for a player. We must try to do everything possible to win tonight.”

Leao has struggled as a False 9 and would perhaps prefer to be on the left wing, but how has his season been overall?

“We seem to talk about Leao every week, but his quality is beyond doubt,” replied Tare.

“His problem is that he suffered a lot of injuries this season that never allowed him to express himself in the best way. He was out for two weeks, had a couple of days training with the team, we brought him along because he can make the difference off the bench too.”

Will these setbacks affect the future of a player like Rafael Leao?

“He has a contract for another two years, he is a very important player for Milan,” concluded the director.

These sides have already met twice this season, Milan winning 2-1 in Serie A in September despite the Pervis Estupinan red card, but then Napoli emerged 2-0 winners in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final.

Arsenal will be up against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, and they will be without Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber. 

Manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that both players will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals against the Portuguese outfit, but they could return at the weekend.

Arsenal are coming into this game on the back of a disappointing FA Cup exit against Southampton, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly. They will look to secure a positive result in the first leg, and the absence of Saka and Timber could be a blow for them. Both players have been very important for Arsenal.

That said, Arsenal have a formidable squad and should be able to deal with the absence of the two players. Furthermore, the class gap between the two teams is significant, and Arsenal should be able to grind out a result against Sporting CP, even without two key players.

Arsenal are in the business end of the season, and they cannot afford to lose key players to injury right now. They are in the driving seat when it comes to the Premier League title race, and they will be hoping to win the league title this season. They will also look to progress further in the UEFA Champions League and win their first European Cup.

The Gunners have already struggled in attack at times this season, and Saka’s absence could further complicate matters. Timber has been exceptional in the full-back role as well. It remains to be seen whether the two players can return to action quickly.

The post Two key stars out for Arsenal, as Arteta confirms injury blow ahead of UCL showdown appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been linked with a move away from the club at the end of the season.

The French international will be out of contract in the summer, and they have not yet been able to agree on a new contract with the player. According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now on the verge of agreeing on a new deal with the 26-year-old French international.

The report claims that Liverpool have reached a broad agreement with the player and his representatives over a new long-term contract. The 26-year-old has been linked with clubs like Real Madrid in recent months, but it seems that Liverpool has now made a breakthrough in their efforts to keep him at the club for the long term.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich were also monitoring his situation.

Konate has had a mediocre season so far, but he is a quality player who has consistently shown his ability in the Premier League. He is certainly one of the best defenders in the league when he is on form. Keeping him at the club will prove to be a wise decision for Liverpool.

It remains to be seen whether the two parties can complete the deal’s formalities and wrap up the agreement quickly.

His decision to commit his long-term future to the club will come as a huge boost for Liverpool. It has been a disappointing season for them, and they need to lift the spirits around the club.

It will be interesting to see whether Liverpool can focus on their on-pitch performance and finish the season strongly. Konate will look to sort out his long-term future quickly and focus on his football as well.

The post Blow for Euro giants as Liverpool have agreement in place with 26-year-old’s camp appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It has been widely reported that Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City upon the expiration of his contract this summer, and now, Pep Lijnders, appointed (somewhat controversially) as Pep Guardiola’s assistant after assisting Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, has confirmed it. Manchester City assistant Pep Lijnders reveals that captain Bernardo Silva is set to leave the […]

The post Manchester City assistant boss Pep Lijnders confirms Bernardo Silva will leave (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Manchester City assistant boss Pep Lijnders confirms Bernardo Silva will leave (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

Robert Sanchez is still Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper under Liam Rosenior, but according to Football Insider, that’s not expected to be the case for much longer. The 28-year-old Spaniard is quickly losing the faith of the manager, as well as the club hierarchy, especially after his very poor performance in the 3-0 loss to Everton in […]

The post Chelsea in two minds about goalkeeper to replace struggling Sanchez appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Chelsea in two minds about goalkeeper to replace struggling Sanchez appeared first on Soccer News.

Football, known as soccer in some parts of the world, is celebrated for its skill, creativity, and moments of brilliance. Among its most spectacular moves is the bicycle kick, an acrobatic strike that combines timing, balance, and courage. The move has produced unforgettable goals across generations, captivating fans with its elegance and difficulty. Yet behind its beauty lies a long standing debate. The true origin of the bicycle kick remains one of football’s most intriguing mysteries. Several Latin American countries claim ownership of the move, each presenting its own history and cultural connection. This debate highlights not only the evolution of football techniques but also the pride and identity tied to the sport in different regions. While modern audiences admire the bicycle kick as a universal symbol of excellence, its roots are deeply connected to early football traditions in South America, where innovation often emerged from passion and improvisation rather than formal coaching systems and structured play.

In Chile, many believe the move was popularised in the early twentieth century by a player named Ramon Unzaga. During a match in 1914, he reportedly performed the acrobatic kick, astonishing spectators and journalists alike. The Argentine press later referred to the move as 'la chilena', meaning 'the Chilean', a name that remains widely used today. Meanwhile, Peru offers an earlier origin story dating back to the late nineteenth century in the port city of Callao. According to this version, local players known as Chalacos created the move during matches against British sailors. Peruvians call it 'la chalaca', emphasising its connection to their coastal football culture. Brazil also enters the debate through the legendary player Leonidas da Silva, who became famous for performing the move in the early twentieth century. In Brazil the technique is often called 'bicicletа', and some believe Leonidas helped refine and popularise it on a larger stage. Despite these competing claims, historians agree that it is difficult to determine a single point of origin. What remains certain is that the bicycle kick reflects the creativity and flair of Latin American football, a region that has shaped the global game in profound ways.

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) — Matthew Schaefer and Peter DeBoer have just spent one practice together, and the young face of the New York Islanders already understands a couple of very important things about one of the best defensive minds in hockey who just took over as the team's coach.

“I know he loves winning,” Schaefer said. “I know he knows how to coach a team."

DeBoer took the ice Monday with a daunting immediate task of trying to push the Islanders into the playoffs following the firing of Patrick Roy roughly 24 hours earlier. They may need to win all four games left to get in after losing their past four and seven of 10 to fall out of a spot, but the move to bring in an accomplished leader with a record of success is as much about the future as salvaging this season.

“This is not only about this year,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “If it’s truly only about four games left when you don’t fully control your destiny, it’s not a desperate move about this year.”

No, it's more about jumping the line on other NHL teams to get one of the top coaching candidates available before they start making moves in the coming weeks. Los Angeles and Columbus currently have interim coaches, Toronto is looking for a new GM and could also change coaches — and that's just the beginning.

“Guys like Pete DeBoer don’t stay on the market very long,” Darche said. “At this time, I think it’s what we need moving forward. It’s like grabbing the No. 1 free agent on the market. Pete’s an outstanding coach.”

Taking responsibility for Roy's firing, which surprised them, players seemed to get the gist.

“Darchy, he saw us not playing well, he saw Pete being a really good coach and obviously it’s a long-term play with this organization where you get a great coach that has done a lot of good things in this league,” said veteran forward Brayden Schenn, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019 St. Louis after a midseason coaching change that happened much earlier. "It’s not just a four-game stint. I think these four games, we can use it to push ourselves to give us a chance to get in the playoffs and moving forward after that.”

DeBoer has taken a team to the third round in six of the past seven seasons: San Jose in 2019, Vegas in 2020 and ‘21 and Dallas in ’23, ‘24 and ’25. He has two trips to the Stanley Cup Final on his resume: New Jersey in ‘12 and San Jose in ’16.

Set to turn 58 on June 13, DeBoer almost certainly would have had options for next season and beyond. He could have waited to see what materialized, but after a whirlwind of conversations with Darche over the weekend he decided Long Island was the right fit.

“When I first picked up the phone, my initial reaction was probably exactly (that): ‘We’re two weeks away from offseason, what’s the rush?’” DeBoer said. "He sold me on the organization and the vision and the direction and their ownership. ... After speaking with him at length, this quickly became a priority for me.”

Coaching in the New York area from 2011-14 with the Devils and having familiar assistant Bob Boughner already on staff were factors. DeBoer joked that the easier travel compared to the Western Conference was a selling point, too.

And, of course, there is Schaefer, who at 18 is already among the sport's best defensemen, thriving at a position that usually has a steep learning curve.

“He's special,” said DeBoer, who watched Schaefer closely as an assistant on Canada's Olympic staff. “I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes the first half of the year, what I was seeing from an 18-year-old: the maturity in his game, how dynamic he was.”

DeBoer also called Ilya Sorokin one of the best goaltenders in the league. Sorokin's play largely kept the Islanders afloat through rough stretches, but even he could not save Roy's job.

“The last little bit here, we weren’t as sharp or we didn’t get away with as much as we did before because, let’s face it, we got away with some stuff during the year where our goaltender’s been outstanding,” Darche said.

After four losses in four games over a six-day span, Sorokin and his teammates don't play again until Thursday. That gives DeBoer a longer runway than most midseason replacements to tweak and adjust, but Darche cautioned there won't be a full-blown system change because there simply isn't time for that.

Time is running out to make the playoffs, but after spending the vast majority of a season out of the NHL for the first time in nearly two decades, DeBoer wants players to cherish being in the thick of a race down the stretch.

“(This is) a chance to be playing in the playoffs in less than two weeks, and don’t take that for granted,” DeBoer said. "You get in the grind of the wins and the losses and the travel. You sometimes forget about how exciting this time of year is in this kind of position.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The UCLA Bruins have made it big time. On Sunday the team captured the program’s first-ever NCAA national championship, with UCLA dominating South Carolina to bring home the trophy. With the win, UCLA has picked up widespread praise for their performance.

Some of that praise even came from a former United States president. Known basketball fan and the 44th president of the United States Barack Obama showed UCLA some love on Twitter following the championship.

“Congratulations to Lauren Betts and the sensational seniors at @UCLAWBB for winning their first NCAA Championship!” Obama tweeted.

Congratulations to Lauren Betts and the sensational seniors at @UCLAWBB for winning their first NCAA Championship! https://t.co/73VAcvLFvP

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 5, 2026

UCLA’s senior class was deserving of the praise, with the Bruins six seniors scoring all 79 of UCLA’s points in the championship game. Lauren Betts even received some individual praise from Obama, which makes sense as Betts’ 6’7” frame is hard to miss out on the court.

Betts scored 14 points, brought down 11 rebounds and sent away two shots. She also showed some toughness, leaving the game in the first half with a throat injury before returning and helping the Bruins close out the championship.

UCLA star Lauren Betts was taken out in the 1st quarter of the National Championship after telling the bench that she had something stuck in her throat.

UCLA staff gave her an inhaler and examined Betts until she returned to the game in the 2nd quarter 🙌 pic.twitter.com/DARePwbygf

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 5, 2026

Fellow senior Gabriela Jaquez was UCLA’s leading scorer on Sunday, scoring a game-high 21 points and five assists, while bringing the energy required to close out a national title.

Obama attended Columbia University and Harvard, not UCLA, but he couldn’t ignore UCLA’s greatness, as Cori Close’s team wrapped up their 37-1 season as champions.

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Barack Obama congratulates Lauren Betts and the UCLA Bruins

WNBA star Angel Reese is joining the Atlanta Dream from the Chicago Sky in a blockbuster move ahead of the new season, the clubs confirmed on Monday.

Reese, one of a new generation of WNBA talents whose rivalry with Indiana star Caitlin Clark has helped drive surging interest in the league, heads to Atlanta in a deal that will send multiple draft picks in the opposite direction.

Chicago will receive Atlanta's first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and will also receive the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.

"Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta," Dream general manager Dan Padover said in a statement.

"She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision."

Reese rose to prominence during her college career when she led Lousiana State University to the 2023 National Championship, defeating Clark's University of Iowa Hawkeyes in the final.

Since arriving in the WNBA, she has recorded 49 career double-doubles while averaging 14.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. 

rcw/iwd

Italian side Como are showing interest in Real Madrid Castilla winger Daniel Yáñez, as the Serie A club continues to look toward La Fábrica for emerging talent, according to a report from Nicolo Schira.

Yáñez recently made an appearance with the first team and registered an assist, further boosting his profile after a strong run of performances with Castilla. His development has not gone unnoticed, with Como viewing him as a potential addition in line with their recent recruitment strategy.

The club, led by Cesc Fàbregas, has built a reputation for targeting young players from Real Madrid’s academy. Previous deals involving players like Nico Paz and Jacobo Ramón have strengthened that connection, and Yáñez could be the next to follow a similar path.

As with prior agreements, any deal would likely include a clause allowing Real Madrid to retain 50% of the player’s rights, maintaining long-term control over his future.

Como’s interest reflects both Yáñez’s growing reputation and Madrid’s continued production of high-level prospects.

TORONTO -- The last time these two teams shared a field, it didn’t feel real. It stretched past logic — 11 innings, constant swings, and a Game 7 that ended with the Dodgers escaping as champions, a title sealed on the same field where the Blue Jays watched a season slip away.

Now they meet again, back in Toronto, with the memory still fresh. The Dodgers return as back-to-back champions, carrying the same core that survived that November night.

Dodgers (7-2, 1st in NL West)

If there were early concerns about the Dodgers’ offense, they didn’t make the trip east. 

At 7-2, they arrive in Toronto playing their cleanest stretch of baseball so far, and the turnaround has been quick. What looked out of sync against Cleveland flipped almost immediately in Washington, where they poured in 31 runs over a three-game sweep and reestablished the identity this lineup is capable of when it finds rhythm.

This group looks awake now, but more importantly, it looks layered. Shohei Ohtani is settling in and impacting games in multiple ways, even when he isn’t the focal point. Freddie Freeman remains the constant, continuing to drive the offense with timely hits and extra-base production that sets the tone. Around them, the depth is beginning to show up in meaningful spots. Andy Pages has forced his way into the conversation with a torrid start, and contributions from role players have turned what could be isolated rallies into sustained pressure.

That depth is what allows this lineup to function the way it has over the last week. It showed up clearly in Sunday’s comeback win, where a five-run deficit didn’t force urgency so much as it revealed patience. The Dodgers didn’t need one big swing to get back into the game. They built innings, created traffic, and let the game come to them. That approach is what makes them difficult to put away, especially when the production isn’t concentrated in one or two spots.

Even the pitching, while not flawless, has done enough to support that identity. The starters have kept games within reach, and the bullpen has managed to limit damage in key spots. There have been moments where things have wobbled, but the group as a whole has avoided letting those moments spiral. When it has mattered, the offense has picked up the slack, reinforcing a balance that’s starting to take shape early in the season.

The biggest storyline coming into this series, though, isn’t who’s producing — it’s who isn’t. 

Mookie Betts has been placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain, an absence that immediately reshapes the top of the lineup. The injury was confirmed after an MRI in Washington, and while manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the typical 4-6 week timeline associated with oblique issues, the club remains hopeful Betts could return sooner than expected.

Betts exited Saturday’s game in the first inning, and the ripple effects are already being felt. The Dodgers have called up Hyeseong Kim, who is expected to split time with Miguel Rojas on the left side of the infield, while Alex Freeland takes on a larger role at second base. It’s not a direct replacement, and it doesn’t try to be. Instead, it reflects the way this roster is built — leaning on versatility and depth rather than expecting one player to replicate Betts’ production.

There’s no clean way to replace what Betts provides at the top of the order. What the Dodgers can do is what they’ve already started to show over the past week: absorb the loss, distribute the responsibility, and continue to generate offense from multiple spots. They don’t come into this series searching for an identity. They’ve already started to establish one.

Blue Jays (4-5, 3rd in AL East)

If the Dodgers arrive with momentum, the Blue Jays are still trying to stabilize.

Toronto’s record doesn’t fully capture the tone of their last week. After a strong opening series, they’ve dropped five of their last six, including a sweep at the hands of the White Sox — a stretch defined more by missed opportunities than outright collapse.

The pitching has been uneven but workable, it’s the offense that’s been the issue.

Run production has stalled in key moments, and when opportunities have come, they’ve often slipped away — whether through situational hitting or defensive miscues that have compounded innings.

There’s also the matter of health.

Toronto enters this series with a growing injury list, including the absence of catcher Alejandro Kirk and multiple arms either sidelined or working their way back. It’s not a roster at full strength, and against a lineup like the Dodgers’, that margin becomes thinner.

Still, this is a team that doesn’t need much to flip a narrative.

A single series can reset the tone of an early season. And for a team that hasn’t forgotten how last year ended, this matchup carries a little more weight than the calendar suggests.

Pitching Probables

Monday, April 6: Justin Wrobleski (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (1-0, 1.50 ERA)

Tuesday, April 7: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. Kevin Gausman (0-0, 0.75)

Wednesday, April 8: Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.79 ERA

Injury Report

Dodgers

Day-to-day: None

10-day IL: Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts

15-day IL: Blake Snell, Landon Knack, Brusdar Graterol, Brock Stewart

60-day IL: Kiké Hernández, Evan Phillips, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Jake Cousins

Blue Jays

Day-to-day: Addison Barger

10-day IL: Alejandro Kirk

15-day IL: Yimi García, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos

60-day IL: Anthony Santander, Bowden Francis, Cody Ponce

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin…

MONDAY

Carson Benge became the eighth Met to steal two bases in their first four career games, and the first to do so since Ronny Mauricio in 2023.

TUESDAY

Kodai Senga averaged 97.4 mph on his four-seam fastball, the highest of any start in his major league career. Senga also notched five swinging strikeouts on the four-seamer; since pitch tracking began in 2008, the only Mets right-handers to register more swinging strikeouts on a four-seamer in a single game are Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Matt Harvey.

Jared Young recorded a hit with an exit velocity of over 111 mph in a second consecutive game. In 2025, Pete Alonso and Juan Soto were the only Mets to accomplish that feat.

WEDNESDAY

The Mets played extra innings for the third time in their first six games for the second time in franchise history, joining 1991. (credit: MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo)

The Mets scored one run or fewer through nine innings for the third time in their first six games. It’s only the seventh time that’s happened in franchise history, but the third time in the past four years (along with 2023 and 2024).

THURSDAY

Blade Tidwell became the first former Mets major leaguer to get a save against his old team since Paul Sewald on June 2, 2024.

FRIDAY

The Mets scored double-digit runs for the second time in their first eight games. It’s the first time they’ve accomplished that feat since 2007.

Juan Soto became the tenth Met to record a hit in each of the team’s first eight games in a season, and the first since Jeff Francoeur in 2010.

Francisco Alvarez recorded the sixth multi-homer game of his career, and the third where both homers were hit over 400 feet at 105+ mph. The only other Mets with three such multi-homer games in the statcast era (since 2015) are Pete Alonso and Yoenis Cespedes.

Mark Vientos reached base four times for the third time in his career. He had previously done so on April 28, 2025, and June 3, 2024 — both games at Nationals Park.

Through his first ten career games, Nolan McLean has recorded 58.1 innings pitched, 69 strikeouts, and a 2.16 ERA. The only other pitcher with that many IP and strikeouts with that low of an ERA through their first ten outings is Paul Skenes.

SATURDAY

The Mets earned their first shutout win while scoring 9+ runs since September 18, 2024, when they beat the Nationals 10-0 at Citi Field.

Clay Holmes completed seven innings for only the second time in his career, having previously done so on June 1, 2025 against the Rockies at Citi Field.

Tyrone Taylor has only hit ten homers as a Met, but he has now homered at Oracle Park twice, having previously done so on April 24, 2024.

SUNDAY

The Mets have won three games in a row for the first time since August 25-27, 2025, when they swept the Phillies at Citi Field (think parabolic microphones).

The Mets have recorded 12 hits in three straight games for the fourth time this decade.

Luis Robert Jr. has reached base 18 times in his first nine games as a Met. Only 14 Mets have done that to begin their stint with the team, with the first being Willie Mays in 1972 and the most recent being Ángel Pagán in 2008. Other notable names include John Olerud, Rickey Henderson, and Carlos Delgado.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Ron Swoboda is the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs against the Giants with 16. Swoboda only hit 69 homers total with the Mets, and 23.2% of those came against San Francisco.

The Indianapolis Colts will be hosting Ole Miss safety Kapena Gushiken on an official pre-draft visit, according to draft analyst Tony Pauline.

During the pre-draft process, each NFL team can have up to 30 draft prospects take an official visit. These visits can be with first-round prospects all the way to UDFAs.

Let's take a closer look at what Gushiken could bring to the Colts.

Colts 2026 NFL draft prospect to watch: S Kapena Gushiken

The 2025 season was Gushiken's first at Ole Miss after previously playing at Washington State. Over three seasons, he appeared in 40 games, which includes averaging 800 defensive snaps over the last two years.

At Washington State, most of Gushiken's snaps came from the slot, but at Ole Miss, he was moved around more, regularly playing deep, in the box, and at the nickel. In 2025, Gushiken logged one interception, three pass breakups, and held opponents to a completion rate of 59% on 49 targets. For what it's worth, he graded out well against the run by PFF's metrics.

Kapena Gushiken's athletic profile

Kapena Gushiken is a FS prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.16 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 106 out of 1247 FS from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/JhmDW8mPw6pic.twitter.com/gef0eaWkzQ

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 22, 2026

What is the Colts' need at safety?

Although the Colts signed Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas in free agency to compete with Hunter Wohler for the strong safety role next to Cam Bynum, there are still unknowns around what the Colts truly have at that position. That final roster spot or two at this position will be up for grabs as well, with there being little experience on the back end of the depth chart. Adding more safety competition wouldn't be a bad idea.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Colts host S Kapena Gushiken on visit

Film Profile | Analytical Profile

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Carnell Tate NFL Draft Profile - Rookie Film Analysis

As the Minnesota Vikings approach the start of their offseason program on April 20, the most impactful question facing the franchise centers on the quarterback position. Whether the Week 1 starter is J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray would signal two very different philosophies about how the team views its identity and competitive window.

The Vikings did not sign Murray to a one‑year “prove‑it” deal to sit him on the bench, so it’s reasonable to assume he enters the offseason with an edge in the competition. However, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and it would cost the team very little to maintain continuity by continuing J.J. McCarthy’s development.

Starting McCarthy would signal a commitment to continuity, trust in the process, and belief in both McCarthy and head coach Kevin O’Connell. McCarthy was drafted to be the franchise quarterback and brings the leadership traits teams look for at the position. At this stage, he should no longer be viewed purely as a prospect, but as a player capable of commanding the offense, setting protections, and winning games.

Retaining the starting role would be a significant endorsement of McCarthy’s growth. It would suggest the coaching staff has seen sufficient improvement in his processing speed, downfield accuracy, and decision‑making to confidently run the offense through him. It would also allow the organization to prioritize other roster needs next offseason—assuming the plan works.

Starting Kyler Murray, on the other hand, would reflect the urgency O’Connell may feel to win now. The organization has placed significant trust in O’Connell, and that confidence comes with expectations. Murray brings a dynamic skill set, but the offense would need to adapt to his playing style and preference for spread concepts. Durability questions, concerns about long‑term fit, and the potential for a sizable contract next offseason all factor into the decision. That said, none of those issues will matter if O’Connell believes Murray gives the team the best chance to win immediately.

Ultimately, the Vikings didn’t sign Murray to a one‑year deal to keep him on the sideline. He likely enters camp with the inside track to the starting job. Still, there are compelling reasons for the organization to hope McCarthy wins the competition. Murray is the leader right now. That outlook, of course, could change as the offseason progresses.

Two polls today, I’ll post them again throughout the offseason to see how the results move.

How has a club with one of the smallest budgets in League One won promotion to the Championship?

When just a solitary point was needed, Jack Moylan scored a 96th-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory at Reading and seal promotion in style, clinching a place in the second tier for the first time in 65 years.

With five matches remaining, Lincoln's next job will be to win the League One title and complete a historic campaign at Sincil Bank.

It has been a journey about more than just recent seasons. To explain it fully, John Pakey - a former sports editor of the Lincolnshire Echo - caught up with his former colleagues to reflect on a success story that has been 20 years in the making.

"We look at Lincoln City as a sleeping giant, is that fair?"

This question was being put to me by Danny Cowley, it was just after 17:00 on Wednesday, 11 May, 2016.

I remember the time and date very clearly as I had just pressed send on the back page of the Lincolnshire Echo. The headline declaring - "It's a Dan deal: Cowley to be new Imps boss".

It was my first conversation with the man who, alongside his brother Nicky, would go on to dramatically change the fortunes of the club.

I had secured my story through sources, not from him direct, so to hear him on the phone was a relief as that back page was now whirling around a press.

"Nicky and I really think that if we can get the city behind us, if we can connect, then it has real potential," said Danny. I agreed, but we had to go back another 10 years to really see when it had last felt like that.

'Keith had an eye for a player like no other'

That was under the management of Keith Alexander, a man who would cement his place in the club's history, bringing it out of the ashes of administration to back-to-back play-off campaigns in League Two.

"Before Keith, the gates were bad, 2,500 people turning up," said Leigh Curtis, who took over coverage of Lincoln City for the Echo back in 2005.

"Off the pitch, the ITV digital crash left the club out of pocket and it went into administration. What Keith did saved the club."

And what Alexander did was recruit well. Several players he found came out of non-league and in some cases went on to play in the Premier League - Gareth McAuley and Gary Taylor-Fletcher being the two main examples.

"His eye for a player was amazing, and that was his great strength," added Curtis. "But he also knew he had to get the team spirit right.

"He encouraged them to go out and socialise, build that spirit. His saying was that team spirit was worth 50 points in a season.

"What that did on the pitch was create a very hard-working team, players who would graft for each other. Critics would say it was a long-ball team, I think Keith just made a team that was hard to beat."

Alexander left to join Peterborough United in the summer of 2006 and died aged just 53 in 2010. Such was the mark he made his funeral was held in the cathedral in the city.

"Until recently, no manager after Keith recruited as well as he did," said Curtis. "That was part of the downfall really."

That downfall culminated in Steve Tilson in charge of the club as they dropped out of the Football League in 2011. A day Curtis described as "horrific".

'Dorrian does not get enough credit for what he did'

"After that, the one man that really kept the club alive was the chairman Bob Dorrian. Dorrian doesn't get enough credit for what he did," said Curtis.

Dorrian was someone I would spend a lot of time talking finances with. I had taken over coverage from Leigh and by now was enduring life in non-league.

Dorrian did not just back the club with money, he was also seeking out investment and restructured the ownership to make any sale easier.

After several false dawns, Dorrian's patience paid off when Clive Nates came on board in 2016 – eventually taking over as chairman in 2018.

A South African businessman so unassuming you would struggle to pick him out in the directors' box – not that he sat in it much.

He would often quietly, almost anonymously, mingle among the fans on the terraces on away trips.

I asked Nates "why?" when he got involved.

"I have friends who spend money on paintings, on cars," he said. "But I like football and that's what I want to put my money in."

His first job – get the Cowleys, a pair of up-and-coming non-league managers who had taken Essex side Concord Rangers up the divisions.

Their arrival came on the same day as my departure from the Echo. Mark Whiley was to take over. He covered an FA Cup run where the Imps set a new record, the first non-league club to reach the quarter-finals, promotion back to the Football League, promotion to League One, a Wembley final victory. All in four years.

'The fans cheered the announcement of the Cowleys'

"The Cowleys were different as after years of bargain basement managers we actually went out and did the research and found them," said Whiley.

"The excitement was there and I remember the event where they first met the fans they were cheered into the room.

"We can look at this season and see promotion to the Championship as the best thing the club has done, but those three seasons, two promotions, FA Cup quarter-final, winning a trophy at Wembley. That changed it all.

"They brought a buzz back that we hadn't seen since Keith, and they were like Keith in that they would find players on the way up, scour non-league and find the future stars.

"The fact is, that even after the Cowleys left to join Huddersfield, the energy stayed.

"It sticks with me that Danny said to me he didn't want to see kids in Lincoln wearing the shirts of Premier League clubs, he wanted to see them kicking a ball in the park wearing a Lincoln City shirt.

"The success, the work that was done means that is a reality. I see it all the time when I go round the city, people wear their colours with pride."

While Mark, Leigh and myself have covered parts of Lincoln's recent history, one man who has been the stalwart has been BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Michael Hortin.

His first game was in 1999, and he was there in the commentary box as Lincoln gained promotion to the Championship.

"This promotion is the culmination of a long-term plan," said Hortin. "This is about a chairman and board who have been thoughtful with their investment.

"Lincoln's FA Cup run earned them a lot of money and they did not spend it on players, they spent it on a whole new training set-up.

"The Cowleys were the start of a transition from the old way of doing things, to a set-up that is very much part of the modern game.

"Under them a sporting director was brought in to support recruitment and player development and now we really do have a true 'head coach' in Michael Skubala.

"It is about finding those raw players, developing them, selling them, and it is paying off as it has allowed them to secure players on better deals."

Lincoln have, as Hortin describes, recruited 'experience' to the squad. Their head coach, though, is a man who had limited time in the professional game, but Hortin said Skubala's ability to learn and adapt has been impressive.

"I remember the first game Skubala took was against Stevenage, and it was a bit of a shock, but he was quite cool and his reaction was more 'huh, this is what it is about', and he learned," said Hortin.

"The way the team has adapted and what Skubala has done is create a team that is hard to beat."

A team that is hard to beat. A club that has been learning, developing, recruiting, all building up to where Lincoln are now. But what next?

Hortin is confident that the club will remain realistic. "The first goal will be survival, but the thing is they had a plan to become an established League One club, and now they will be working on another plan for what comes next.

"The one thing is that new owner Ron Fowler will likely go about it the same as Clive Nates. It will be done in a quiet, steady, thoughtful way. That has become the Lincoln way."

Ex-White Sox, Orioles 31 home run Silver Slugger earns minor league honor with Blue Jays originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Blue Jays could have a difficult decision on their hands. 

After being swept by the Chicago White Sox, Toronto should be searching for answers about how to turn its losing ways around. A boost on offense may be the first step in flipping the switch. 

Veteran Eloy Jimenez signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays during the offseason. The former Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles slugger hit a personal best 31 home runs during his rookie year in 2019, but injuries and inconsistent performance derailed his career. 

"The right-handed slugger is best known for his time with the White Sox, garnering considerable hype as one of baseball’s top prospects leading up to his big league debut in 2019," MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan wrote in January. "Chicago signed him to a six-year, $43 million contract that March, days before his first MLB game." 

More: Marlins suggested to sign Max Kepler after Phillies’ OF was suspended for 80 games

TSN reports that Jimenez won the Legends Player of the Week award for his hot start at the plate at Triple-A Buffalo. He's slashing .375/.429/.542 with one home run and five RBI in seven games thus far. 

ELOY ‼️

Jimenez earns himself the Legends Player of the Week honor! pic.twitter.com/F9p6tjGYBM

— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) April 6, 2026

Could the Blue Jays consider calling up Jimenez? His defensive limitations could lead to a disheartening conclusion for the 29-year-old. Jimenez is mainly a DH at this point in his career, partially playing first base. 

That's not much to work with for Blue Jays manager John Schneider. 

More MLB news:

• Braves predicted to trade Bryce Elder for Lars Nootbaar
• Jacob DeGrom is only 149 strikeouts from 2,000 for his career
• Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award
• Giancarlo Stanton has an absurd 2-for-4 streak going on for Yankees
• Mets didn’t want to trade Brett Baty while White Sox didn’t want Mark Vientos in Luis Robert Jr. trade
• How Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto is connected to Rockies' Tomoyuki Sugano
• Red Sox never close on Astros’ Isaac Paredes trade
• Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece

James Pearce Jr. has informed the Atlanta Falcons that he will not report for minicamp on Tuesday, a league source confirmed Monday.

Pearce’s status with the team has been in limbo since Feb. 7, when he was arrested following an incident with former girlfriend Rickea Jackson, who plays for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

Pearce was arrested after allegedly hitting Jackson’s vehicle several times with his own and trying to block her access to the Doral (Fla.) Police Department and has been charged with felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felony fleeing and eluding police, felony resisting an officer with violence and misdemeanor stalking. He is scheduled to go to trial on May 4 and could face jail time.

The Feb. 7 incident was part of a tumultuous, multiyear relationship between Pearce and Jackson, according to a petition for injunction for protection against dating violence Jackson filed on Feb. 9.

“James appears to have an underlying mental disorder, and he is violent,” she stated in the petition. “I am in fear of my life, and I believe, if this Court does not assist me with this issue, James will kill me.”

According to Jackson’s petition, Pearce threatened to kill Jackson, threatened to put a bag over her head and “verbally and physically abused” her on multiple occasions prior to the Feb. 7 incident that led to his arrest. After an incident in which he “snatched” her cellphone away and pulled her hair, Jackson told Pearce she wanted to end the relationship, she stated in the document.

“James did not listen to my request and instead went on a never-ending campaign of threats, physical assaults, and abuse against me,” she wrote.

At one point, Pearce offered Jackson $75,000 to meet with her and $200,000 to remain in a relationship with her, according to Jackson.

Pearce’s case has a status hearing scheduled for April 21 and a docket sounding scheduled for April 23. The sounding will be the final chance for a plea agreement to be reached in the case. Predicting how much jail time Pearce could face if convicted on his charges is difficult because of Florida sentencing calculation guidelines that account for a wide range of mitigating factors, such as whether the defendant expressed remorse or was not in a sound state of mind.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy can impose penalties on Pearce regardless of the outcome of his criminal case. It states that in cases of felony battery and dating violence, “a first violation will subject the violator to a baseline suspension without pay of six games, with possible upward or downward adjustments based on any aggravating or mitigating factors.” A second offense “will result in banishment from the NFL,” and the player can ask for reinstatement after one season, according to the policy.

Pearce’s situation “remains under review” by the NFL, according to a league representative. The terms of the personal conduct policy allow the league to conduct its own investigation independent of law enforcement, but the league representative declined to say if it had opened its own investigation into Pearce. If the league does investigate and find credible evidence of similar behavior prior to this year’s incident, that could be considered an aggravating factor under the policy and result in increased discipline.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Atlanta Falcons, NFL, WNBA

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Jackson Flora of UC Santa Barbara is on a heater, and we're not talking about his fastball that averages better than 96 mph and tops out at over 100.

Flora has pitched 34 consecutive shutout innings over five starts and is third in the nation with an 0.83 ERA.

His latest outing was his best of the season, a four-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over Cal Poly last Thursday. At 6-0, he has matched his 2025 win total.

“He's put it together,” UCSB coach Andrew Checketts said Monday. “We've known since he got here what a special arm it was and what a special athlete he was. He’s a competitive kid. There was rawness to his game when he got here, but he’s continued to grow and improve and developed his pitches.”

The junior right-hander is Baseball America's top college pitching prospect for the Major League Baseball amateur draft and is in line to become the Gauchos' second pitcher in two years to be taken in the first round and third since 2021. Tyler Bremner was the No. 2 overall pick last year, by the Angels, and Michael McGreevy was taken No. 18 by the Cardinals in 2021.

Checketts also developed a first-round pick in Dillon Tate in 2015 and 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, a fourth-rounder in 2016.

Flora, in addition to his fastball, throws a sweeper and hard slider and in the preseason developed a kick changeup, which sinks more than a straight changeup and has been especially effective against left-handed batters.

Flora originally committed to Loyola Marymount out of Pleasanton, California. He reopened his recruitment following a coaching change at LMU in 2023. At the time, he was dating the sister of then-UCSB ace Matt Ager.

“So we at least had somebody vouching for us,” Checketts said. “That helps. She wasn’t going to school here and they’ve broken up since. I think that gave us a voice when he was on the market, that he could trust us.”

In the polls

Consensus No. 1 UCLA took three from nationally ranked rival Southern California to extend its winning streak to a program-record 23 games. The Bruins have swept five Big Ten Conference opponents, a first for the program. Up next are a Tuesday game at Cal State Fullerton and three this weekend at Rutgers.

Texas and Georgia Tech are behind UCLA in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America rankings for the fourth straight week.

The Longhorns (26-5) took two of three at South Carolina for their fourth straight Southeastern Conference series win. The Yellow Jackets (26-5) opened a 4-0 week with a run-rule win over Auburn and then swept California on the road.

Cade Kaboom!

LSU's Cade Arrambide set a school record with four home runs in the Tigers' 16-6, 12-inning win at Tennessee on Sunday. His grand slam highlighted a 10-run 12th. He was the first player to go deep four times since Justin Osterhouse of Purdue Fort Wayne did it against Wright State last May.

Jayhawks on the rise

Kansas (22-10) has won six straight and 12 of 14 after sweeping Utah. The Jayhawks have won three straight Big 12 series and matched their best start in conference play at 12-3, and they've scored at least 10 runs in five straight games for the first time since 2011. With 52 runs in four games (13.0 average), they were the highest-scoring power-conference team last week.

KU has 16 come-from-behind wins, none bigger than the 14-12 walk-off against the Utes on Thursday. The Jayhawks homered four times in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by Tyson LeBlanc's game winner.

Cleanup spot

Nebraska, ranked as high as No. 19, has won 21 of its last 22 games. The Cornhuskers swept Penn State and are 11-1 in Big Ten play, their best conference start since they opened 10-1-1 in the Big 12 in 2008. At 22-6, they've matched their best 32-game start. ... Mississippi won two of three at Florida despite scoring no runs in 20 consecutive innings. The Rebels scored in the sixth inning of Thursday's 6-4 win, lost 2-0 Friday and scored all of their runs in the ninth inning of Saturday's 5-2 win. ... Bowling Green's Alex Laird stole a MAC-record seven bases, including home, in a 9-6 win over Akron on Friday.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Back in May of 2024, Florida State extended a scholarship offer to 2027 three-star defensive lineman Kalib Spivey. A month later, he attended their Elite Camp. Then, things got murky between him and the program.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder says that the interest in him from FSU had fallen off since that trip, and he hadn't been back on campus since then. However, one huge factor got him to return to Tallahassee over the weekend, and that was edge coach Nick Williams.

"I got on the phone with Coach Williams and he was just saying how good of a player I was and how he can develop me into being the best player that I can be," Spivey said via Noles247. "That really stood out to me. He didn't get on the phone talking about draft picks and all that, he just straight up talked to me about development. Had a real conversation with me and I really enjoyed that."

The communication between Williams and Spivey has been going on for quite some time. Spivey got to witness the program's second spring scrimmage, and he specifically had his eyes on the Williams and his coaching style.

It was the first meeting in person for Spivey and Williams, and the former praised the latter on his approach.

"I just wanted to meet the new coach," Spivey said. "Since he is a new coach that came, I just wanted to meet him. I've been talking to him for a while.

"He seems like a really good guy. A guy who cares about developing kids into men. He cares about developing high school players. ... He wants to develop kids to men."

Williams has certainly done a great job on developing college players. When he was at Georgia, he helped develop edge Travon Walker into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he just recently got a major contract extension. Williams also helped Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Devonte Wyatt become first-round picks out of Georgia. Fadil Diggs, who was a seventh-round pick in 2025, was coached by Williams at Syracuse as well.

Spivey is the No. 537 overall recruit and the No. 63 defensive lineman in the country per 247Sports composite rankings. They have him listed as the No. 21 prospect in Alabama.

In terms of an official visit to Florida State, Spivey is working to get one locked in.

Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscience

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Football: DL Kalib Spivey visits Florida State

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Championship: Leaders Coventry make sluggish start at Hull

The Indianapolis Colts are still without a starting strong safety as we inch towards the NFL Draft… or are they?

Indy’s starter of the past two seasons, 2022 draftee Nick Cross, just left in free agency to join the Washington Commanders’ defensive backfield. Although his departure was indeed a loss, general manager Chris Ballard and Co. didn’t seem to be pressed to see him go. There wasn’t a bidding war that took place, but rather, Cross left on his own accord.

Cross was a tackling machine for the Colts, totaling 266 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in his 34 games started across the past two seasons. He also added four interceptions and ten passes broken up despite his shortcomings in coverage. His durability and reliability from the box netted him a modest two-year, $13M deal, which begs the question: Why didn’t the Colts try harder to bring back a proven commodity who was developed in-house?

That’s likely because all signs are pointing toward the torch being passed down to 2025 7th-round draft pick Hunter Wohler.

The 6’2”, 213 lb safety slowly but surely heated up in training camp before his rookie campaign was ultimately ended before it could begin after suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury. Wohler was shaping up to be an impact player from day one, with special teams contributions at the forefront, but also a backup at both safety and linebacker.

He notably intercepted Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson twice in the team’s practice scrimmage in the week leading up to their preseason matchup last year, before leading the Colts with nine tackles (six solo) in his first big of preseason run at the next level. It was evident throughout the summer that Wohler belongs in the NFL, but is he ready to start?

His playstyle and strength as a tackler from box alignment are certainly intriguing as they mimic that of Nick Cross’s. It’s tricky to confidently suggest that a former 7th-round draft selection with zero regular-season experience is going to make a smooth transition as the next in line, but until Wohler is afforded a veteran safety to bridge the gap like Rodney McLeod did for Cross, this new era is nothing more than a waiting game to see if Chris Ballard can outdo his previous trick.

Auburn basketball guards sophomore Tahaad Pettiford, junior Kevin Overton, and senior Keyshawn Hall were named to the 2026 NIT All-Tournament Team right after the championship game on Sunday, April 5.

Auburn brought home its first NIT Championship for the program after defeating Tulsa 92-86. Pettiford, Overton, and Hall each played a major role in the NIT Tournament and Championship game for the Tigers. The sophomore Pettiford hit a big three-pointer that immediately answered the three-pointer that Tulsa Ade Popoola hit to cut the lead to two. In the last 10 seconds of the ball game, Overton hit an even bigger three-pointer for the Tigers, this time tying the ball game to send it to overtime.

Overton's performance overall in the final landed him being named the NIT Most Valuable Player award. He scored 26 points, hitting 5-of-8 from three and assisting on three shots. As a whole, Overton scored 20 or more points in three of the five tournament games for the Tigers, with only one not reaching double-digits.

Though not scoring like he did all season, Hall did put up a respectable double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Throughout the tournament, his best game came in the semi-final against Illinois State, where he dropped 24 points on 62.5% shooting.

Auburn relied on these three guards heavily to lead the way offensively during their NIT Tournament championship run. Hall played his last game, but questions will remain for Pettiford and Overton about whether they will return to the program.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jac on Twitter@Jac_Myrick

This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball players honored with NIT All-Tournament Team

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It was about 7 p.m. on Thursday night, and Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix’s Melrose District was packed with a mix of regulars and new faces in town to take in the conclusion of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament that weekend.

Though Title 9, which opened a year ago, is well known as the city’s first and only sports bar dedicated to women’s sports—and you could say I’m something of a women’s sports super-fan myself—my mind still went elsewhere when a bartender told me it was their “busy season.”

It’s early April! The weather is gorgeous! It’s the perfect time to grab a Billie Jean Spritz! (That’s grapefruit tequila, Aperol, orange bitters, and prosecco, by the way.)

But no. The Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball season just ended, the WNBA season is about to begin, and sandwiched in between is March Madness, which would crown a champion later that weekend about 4 miles away at Mortgage Matchup Center. In this sacred section of the city, where a life-size image of Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi leaping for a layup graces the wall opposite the bar, women’s basketball means business.

"The city has changed and embraced not only women's basketball, but women's sports in general," Taurasi told me two days later in downtown Phoenix, where she was supporting Lilly’s mobile mammogram screenings for women over 35. She was drafted to the Mercury in 2004, and simply never left—her kids go to school here, her entire life is here, and now she’s made it her mission to help give back to the place that’s given her so much.

"This city is the gold standard when it comes to fandom,” she said, “and I think the Final Four this weekend is definitely a product of that."

As someone who has covered women’s sports from all corners of the globe—Final Fours to All-Star Games, World Cups and the Olympics—I sometimes sound like a broken record saying, “This one feels different.” But it’s kind of like your favorite record, the one where every pop and crackle tells a story, the one you can’t stop playing because even though it’s different than it was, it feels like a warm hug. You’ll never let it go, because it’s the real deal.

I said it after the 2023 Final Four in Dallas, when the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese showdown became water cooler conversation as First Lady Jill Biden looked on from Billie Jean King’s suite. I said it again last year in Tampa, when Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd carried UConn to a record 12th national championship, setting up a storybook rookie year for Paige in the WNBA and launching another new generation of players into superstardom.

But what made this Final Four feel different was how ordinary it all suddenly felt—in the best way. Merch lines snaked through every building I visited without anyone remarking on them. Every stray conversation I heard in restaurants or out in the street carried the assumption that of course this was where everyone should be this weekend. No one was explaining why it mattered, they just knew it did.

Like on Saturday night in the lobby of my hotel, when I met a woman from Iowa named Steph who was at that game in Dallas three years ago to cheer on her local team. She and her family fell so in love with the experience that they decided they’d make traveling to the women’s Final Four a yearly tradition.

Covering plenty of miles in Phoenix in my Brooks sneakers, every fan I spoke to along the way said attending the Final Four is not necessarily about having a personal connection to a team—it’s about connecting to the community.

The Bruin Bond

This year’s tournament certainly delivered on exciting upsets and busted brackets, like when South Carolina put on a defensive master class to shut down title favorites UConn on Friday night. But when UCLA hoisted the national championship trophy Sunday afternoon, they made it clear that the win was all about heart, manifestation, and the power of friendship.

At the postgame press conference, UCLA head coach Cori Close explained what that looked like for this UCLA team, a group of mostly veterans—all of their points in the championship game were scored by seniors—who have spent years together forging strong bonds and making sacrifices to win the school’s first-ever national title. For the last 30 days, the Bruins began film sessions by writing down five to seven “I will” statements and choosing some to share with each other. They decided they would become national champions, and they did.

"I just think about how many of those ‘I wills’ they actually lived out,” Close said. “That's just so rewarding to see something that you really planned for, you really sacrificed for.”

UCLA senior guard Gabriela Jaquez, who was the game’s leading scorer, said their biggest “why” was each other. “The joy we had and the love we have for each other has really motivated us this whole season, because we just want to do it for each other,” she said. “That just made it so special.”

Jaquez and her teammates went viral multiple times this season for simply having a good time, whether they were joining the UCLA dance team at halftime of the men’s basketball game or recording funny TikTok dances.

“We did everything to get there, basketball-wise, and we also just enjoyed each other,” said senior center Lauren Betts, voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. A top WNBA draft prospect who has been open about her past struggles with mental health, she said the support of Close and her teammates made her see herself in a new light. “We’re such a close group of girls, and I’m gonna miss them so much.”

Very little of the press conference was spent on box scores and stat lines, but rather on the relationships that powered them through. That’s not to say it hadn’t been on display from prior championship-winning teams, but it feels particularly poignant that in a moment when the sport is exploding outward—with bigger audiences, bigger stakes, and a brighter spotlight—the thing its top team chose to center was something that felt so human.

It’s not just the highlights or the headlines anymore, but the feeling of being part of something exciting. In Phoenix, it looked like downtown bars packed with lifelong fans alongside first-timers already planning their 2027 trip to Columbus, Ohio. It looked like a team writing down “I will” and seeing it through.

Maybe that’s what’s different now. Not that women’s basketball has arrived—it’s always been here—but that it’s settled in. The kind of thing you plan your spring around without thinking twice. The kind of thing that, once you’re in it, you don’t really want to leave.

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Jose Delano wants to be a busy man in 2026.

The UFC newcomer, who debuted Saturday at UFC Fight Night 272, is not looking to sit around now that he's in the UFC. Delano (17-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) wants to fight at least two more times this year, and he's ready to go as soon as summer.

"Man, if it's in my power, I want to fight early, maybe three months," Delano told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC Fight Night 272 post-fight news conference. "If anyone gave me a fight, I'll sign the contract now. I want to fight a lot – two (more) times yet in this year, if it's possible."

Delano is mainly looking to stay active. He has no preference on who he'd get matched up with. Delano has no problem leaving that up to the UFC matchmakers.

"I think I trust in Sean Shelby to get the matches and the UFC guys," Delano said. "I only want to fight. (Whoever) he wants to put to me, I will fight."

The Brazilian won his UFC debut this past Saturday by outpointing Robert Ruchala (11-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a hard-fought unanimous decision. He entered the promotion by way of Dana White Contender Series in August 2025. With this win, Delano is now on a five-fight winning streak.

"It was an amazing fight for you fans, and I think I'm very happy about the fight," Delano said. "It was three rounds of a lot of punches and kicks, and for me, it's good because I'm growing up like a fighter in UFC."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jose Delano wants two more fights in 2026 after UFC Vegas 115 win

It is Mock Draft season! Surely fans have read dozens, if not hundreds of mock drafts by this time of year. So, what’s one more? Here is what this schmuck thinks the Seattle Seahawks could do in the 2026 NFL Draft.

First, let’s see how the first round shook out in this mock. I went through and mocked the first three rounds in order to see who I believe would realistically be available for Seattle at pick 32, 64, and 96 (barring trades). From there, rounds 4-7 were left to the mock draft generator as Seattle only has one pick (188) – for now – after day two.

At 32, there are a few names of interest. The biggest shock is that tight end, Kenyon Sadiq is still available. Seattle does not have a need at tight end. However, with Sadiq on the board, perhaps that could cause a team to trade back into the first round to take the ultra-athletic tight end. At cornerback, Avieon Terrell, Chris Johnson, and Brandon Cisse are all still available. Running back Jadarian Price is available, as are a few edge rushers like Malachi Lawrence, Cashius Howell, R Mason Thomas and Gabe Jacas. Considering the large number of names that Seattle could be interested in, the trade down option is the most intriguing.

The Tennessee Titans at pick 35 could look to move up three spots and give up one of their two early fifth round picks to Seattle in order to give second year quarterback, Cam Ward another receiving option. Seattle in turn will add a fifth-round pick (pick 142) right in the middle of the large gap they had before, in-between picks 96 and 188.

Trade:

• Titans receive pick 1.32 (Kenon Sadiq, TE)
• Seahawks receive pick 2.35 and 5.142

Now at pick 35, Seattle still has all of the options they had before (other than Sadiq, cornerback, Aveion Terrell, and quarterback, Ty Simpson.) Having their pick of the litter, the Seahawks take edge rusher, Malachi Lawrence out of Central Florida.

Pick 2.35 – Malachi Lawrence, edge, Central Florida

The Seahawks’ largest need is arguably edge. With only one starting edge rusher under contract after 2026 (DeMarcus Lawrence), Seattle will likely target the position early. Malachi Lawrence is 6’4”, 250 pounds, and put on a show at NFL Combine in February. Although raw, Lawrence has shown flashes with “an explosive get off and a deep bag of moves/counters.” Coming to Seattle where he can learn behind another Lawrence (DeMarcus) as well as Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall will be the perfect spot where he can develop slowly and not shoulder the load immediately.

Pick 2.64 – Keith Abney II, cornerback, Arizona State

At pick 64 in the second round, the next big needs for Seattle are running back and cornerback. Unfortunately, in this mock (done by yours truly), both running backs, Jadarian Price and Mike Washington Jr. were taken. Although Jonah Coleman and Emmett Johnson are available, Seattle doesn’t go for either. At cornerback, Keionte Scott, Keith Abney, and Jalen Kilgore are all available. Some other interesting names are wide receiver Chris Brazell III, offensive lineman Gennings Dunker, and defensive tackle Domonique Orange. Here at the end of the second round, Seattle goes with cornerback, Keith Abney II out of Arizona State.

With Seattle losing Riq Woolen in free agency to the Philadelphia Eagles, there is a big hole that needs to be filled in the cornerback room. Abney is a feisty type of corner who’s “coverage IQ and competitiveness are loud on tape.” Abney is a physical corner who spent most of his time outside. This outside experience will be great for him to be able to compete with the likes of Nehemiah Pritchett and Noah Igbinoghene to start on the outside while Witherspoon moves around the field as Seattle likes to deploy him. Although many project Abney to slide inside to nickel, like the Lawrence pick above, Abney will not be forced to start immediately and will have time to develop into an outside corner at the pro-level.

Pick 3.82 – Domonique Orange, NT, Iowa State

Now for the big surprise of this mock draft. The 2026 draft is largely considered a shallow draft class, with there being a large drop off entering day three of the draft. On top of this, the Seahawks are projected to have extra 2027 draft picks due to the compensatory selections from the free agents they lost this off-season. Because of this, look for Seattle to trade one of their extra 2027 picks (in this case, a 4^th rounder) to move up in the 2026 draft. As for a trade partner, the Minnesota Vikings could be interested in more 2027 draft capital, in case it doesn’t work out at quarterback with JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray. The projected trade here is as follows:

Trade:

• Seahawks receive pick 3.82 (Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State)
• Vikings receive pick 3.96 and a 2027 4^th Round Pick.

With pick 82, Seattle trades up for Domonique Orange, a.k.a “Big Citrus,” a big nose tackle out of Iowa State. The massive 6’4” 325-pound prospect spent most of his time plugging up the A gap. Big Citrus has a quick first step and is excellent in recovery. His downside? Pass-rush. That is a-okay for Seattle though. Getting a strong nose tackle allows others like Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy to play more 3-technique where they excel. The addition of Big Citrus also adds needed depth to the defensive line room, allowing each player to play smaller percentages of the snaps, keeping them fresh throughout the game.

Pick 5.142 – Demond Claiborne, running back, Wake Forest

With Kenneth Walker III leaving in free agency, Seattle not only needs to add to the running back room, but they specifically need to add speed. At 4.37 seconds, Claiborne had the third-fastest 40 time amongst all running backs at the combine this year (only behind Mike Washington Jr. and Jeremiah Love). Claiborne has a track background (just like Rashid Shaheed) which clearly translates on the football field, especially in zone-blocking schemes like Seattle deploys. Another fun nugget about Claiborne; if Seattle makes this pick, they would replace Walker (a former Wake Forest Demon Deacon before transferring to Michigan State), with another former Demon Deacon.

Pick 6.188 – Tyren Montgomery, wide receiver, John Carroll

By the time the 6^th round roles around, it is really time to take fliers. Although Seattle just re-signed Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Jake Bobo, they still lost Dareke Young to the Las Vegas Raiders. Although listed at receiver, Young also brought tons of special teams help as well. Montgomery, like Young, is a small-school prospect. Despite being a former basketball prospect entering college, Montgomery bounced around different colleges before having to enroll at John Carroll University, a Division III school, due to NCAA Eligibility Rules. This last season at JCU, Montgomery put up 119 catches for 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning himself Division III All-American honors. Montgomery also showed off at the Senior Bowl this January as well, where one scout stated that “no one could cover him.”

Adding a flier on a small school prospect like Montgomery could pay dividends for Seattle. Plus it is well known how much John Schneider loves his Senior Bowl prospects.

Seahawks 2026 mock draft class

Pick 2.35: Malachi Lawrence, edge, Central Florida

Pick 2.64 – Keith Abney II, cornerback, Arizona State

Pick 3.82 – Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State

Pick 5.142 – Demond Claiborne, running back, Wake Forest

Pick 6.188 – Tyren Montgomery, wide receiver, John Carroll

Tell us your thoughts on this mock draft in the comments section!

Skip Bayless has blamed LeBron James for the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss against the Dallas Mavericks

The criticism landed because LeBron still produced at a high level in a game the Lakers badly needed. But when a comeback falls short, the details late in the fourth quarter tend to shape the conversation more than the box score.

That is exactly where Bayless chose to focus. He was not questioning LeBron’s volume; he was questioning the moments that failed to swing the game.

Skip Bayless says LeBron James hurt the Lakers despite big numbers against the Mavericks

Bayless made his case in a post shared on X, zeroing in on the parts of LeBron James’ night he believes mattered most in the loss.

The backdrop was a 134-128 defeat in Dallas, where LeBron filled the stat sheet but still came under fire for what happened when the Lakers were trying to complete their push.

Bayless wrote, “Mavs beat Lakers by 6 after losing last 14 at home. LeBron had a big game moving back to point: 30/9/15. BUT … once again, he missed both free throws near the 3-minute mark, deflating the Lakers’ comeback. His two weaknesses exposed again without Luka/AR: 5-9 FTs, 1-6 from 3.”

That is the argument in full. Bayless is not denying the production; he is saying the missed free throws and poor three-point shooting carried more weight because the Lakers were already short-handed and needed LeBron to close cleaner.

LA Lakers’ injuries have left 41-year-old LeBron James carrying too much late-season burden

The bigger issue for the Lakers is that Bayless’ criticism has landed at a time when LeBron is being asked to do far more than should be realistic for a 41-year-old at the end of a season.

Luka Doncic is dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that could sideline him for four to five weeks, while Austin Reaves has a Grade 2 oblique strain that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season and at least the first round of the playoffs.

That left LeBron as the clear lead option again in Dallas, where he finished with 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in the six-point defeat.

That context matters because this is no longer just about one-off night from the supporting cast. The Lakers are suddenly back in a position where their offense, decision-making, and late-game composure all lean heavily on James because Doncic and Reaves are unavailable.

So Bayless can point to the missed free throws, and that is fair within the game itself.

But the larger reality is that the Lakers are once again relying on an aging superstar to function as their No. 1 option because two of their most important creators are hurt at the worst possible time.

Read more:

Juventus made the most out of Roma and Como’s slip-ups, as they beat Genoa by two unanswered goals to place themselves just one point behind the Champions League zone.

Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie gave the Old Lady a two-goal lead after 17 minutes, but they couldn’t quite kill off the contest with a third, which kept the visitors’ hopes alive. The Grifone almost halved the deficit in the second half, but Michele Di Gregorio pulled off a terrific save on Aaron Martin’s penalty kick to preserve the advantage.

Here are our player ratings for Juventus, who earned a routine 2-0 win over Genoa in front of their home supporters in Turin.

Juventus XI (3-4-2-1)

Mattia Perin – 6

The experienced goalkeeper was almost a bystander against his former club for 45 minutes before making way for Di Gregorio.

Pierre Kalulu – 7

An almost complete performance from the France international, who won the vast majority of his duels at the back, and occasionally joined the attacks.

Gleison Bremer – 6.5

A story of two halves for the Brazilian, who scored the opener after four minutes and looked outstanding against Lorenzo Colombo in the first period, but found some difficulties after the break, and ended up giving away a spot-kick.

Lloyd Kelly – 6.5

The former Newcastle man was almost untroubled at the back. Produced the assist for Bremer’s opener.

Weston McKennie – 7

The versatile American showcased his finishing touch by rounding off a slick counter-attack, but he will be kicking himself for squandering two glorious chances later on.

Manuel Locatelli – 7

A dominant display in the middle of the park from the Juventus captain, who never shied away from a sliding tackle. Picked up his teammates with precise passes and long balls.

Khephren Thuram – 6.5

The French midfielder may have faded as the match progressed, but it was an overall impressive display filled with dynamic runs and generous contributions.

Andrea Cambiaso – 6

The Italian left-back started the match on a positive note, combining well with Yildiz. However, his touch let him down in the most important moments.

Francisco Conceicao – 7

The Portuguese speed demon provided the assist for McKennie with a perfectly timed set-up pass. He was able to cause havoc on countless occasions.

Kenan Yildiz – 6.5

Although it wasn’t quite vintage Yildiz, the Turkish star still displayed some jaw-dropping skills. He had two big chances to score, but his shots were too tame.

Jonathan David – 5.5

The Canadian had a forgettable first half, but almost made up for it with a venomous shot out of nowhere that crashed against the far post.

Substitutes

Michele Di Gregorio – 7.5

If his half-time introduction aimed to restore his self-confidence, then it certainly panned out better than Spalletti had expected. Pulled off a fantastic save on Aaron Martin’s spot-kick before denying the follow-up attempt.

Arkadiusz Milik – 6.5

The Pole’s return has been a breeze of fresh air for Juventus. Held up the ball experetly, brought his teammates into the play, and almost scored from the halfway line with an audacious effort.

Fabio Miretti – N/A

Emil Holm – N/A

Jeremie Boga – N/A

Anthony Kim completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the game with his win at LIV Golf Adelaide earlier this year.

After Kim won on LIV, there were calls for the Augusta National hierarchy to give the 40-year-old an exemption into this year’s Masters.

However, no invite has been given to the LIV Golf star.

Anthony Kim has endured real struggles away from the game over the past 15 years or so.

The LIV golfer has battled addiction but managed to come out the other side, one day at a time, of course.

Kim’s win at LIV Adelaide was one of the biggest talking points in the game for a long, long time and it still is.

Many believed his feel-good story would be complete with a Masters invitation but he has been left disappointed in that regard.

Brandel Chamblee reacts to Anthony Kim not receiving a Masters invite

Kim told Chamblee he was destined for greatness when they first met around 28 years ago.

That obviously never happened but that was the path chosen for him, and he has become a better man because of the struggles he has endured.

However, his fine play on LIV this season was not rewarded with a special invite to play at Augusta National.

Chamblee responded when asked by Golf WRX whether Augusta National has made a mistake by not offering Kim a special invite into The Masters this year.

“Anthony Kim is ranked 455th in the world by Data Golf, which unlike the OWGR has been awarding ranking points to the LIV Tour all along,“ Chamblee said.

“Kim’s win resonated with a number of people in the golf world because of his personal struggles and going back almost two decades, his past popularity and disappearance from the game.

“Had he carried on playing great immediately after that victory, (he’s finished 31st, 17th and next to last in the three events after his win), he may have garnered the attention of the invite committee as Joaquin Niemann did with his consistent play and in winning the Australian Open in 2024.“

Anthony Kim holds Masters record

Kim currently holds the record for the most birdies made in a single round at Augusta National.

The 40-year-old made 11 birdies during the second round of the 2009 Masters.

Kim shot a round of seven-under-par 65 that day and ended up finishing in a tie for 20th.

He was a frightening talent when he burst onto the scene nearly two decades ago now.

Things obviously haven’t panned out as he would have liked, but he deserves huge credit for bouncing back and returning to the winners’ circle.

The 40-year-old could have died on multiple occasions by his own admission while he was in active addiction.

Now he has returned to the top of the game once again. However, a return to The Masters at some point in the near future would cap off what has already been a truly unbelievable turnaround for Anthony Kim.

Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma’s had more time under their belt than the other three affiliates, and with a 4-5 record thus far, it’s been a somewhat middling mix to start the season. There’s enough talent on this roster to be one of the more compelling teams in the PCL, but they’ll have to start picking things up in order to prove that on the field.

Alex Hoppe closes out the Rainiers Opening Day win. pic.twitter.com/f6Ufhvko3H

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) March 28, 2026

Colt Emerson, fresh off his record setting extension, fouled a pitch off his foot and had to exit Saturday’s game, though X-Ray imaging came back negative. He has been labeled as day-to-day and presumably should be back in the lineup sooner than later.

Another day another HR for Patrick Wisdom. 7th HR. pic.twitter.com/S1SYa5vPBZ

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 5, 2026

Looking like one of the most prodigious sluggers in all of minor league baseball right now, Patrick Wisdom has already launched seven homers on the young season, pulverizing baseballs deep into the stratosphere. He’s done a lot of the heavy lifting for this lineup so far and could be a compelling option as a right handed platoon option for the big league club should a spot happen to open up.

Arkansas Travelers

It’s been a tough start to the season for perhaps the most loaded affiliate in the entire organization, as a winless opening weekend has the Travs sitting in the cellar of the Texas League through the first three games. Despite their zero in the win column, there were plenty of performances that would indicate the future of this squad is much brighter than where they’re at right now. Talent wins out, and there’s plenty of it all throughout this roster.

Kade Anderson was awesome in his professional debut. Final line: 4IP, 5H, 0R, BB, 6K, 59 pitches, 43 strikes. All 5 hits were singles & 2 didn’t leave the infield. pic.twitter.com/r6P4MQBw0R

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 4, 2026

Kade Anderson made his official minor league debut on opening night, and the left hander was as-advertised, dicing up opposing hitters and working an efficient four innings in Friday’s contest against the RockHounds. Striking out six and walking just one on 59 pitches, the third overall pick in last year’s draft didn’t surrender a run and looked like the premiere prospect he’s been touted as all offseason. His deceptive delivery and complete arsenal are brutal on opposing hitters and should give him a great shot at dominating Double-A competition from the jump.

Everett AquaSox

The Frogs kicked off their season with an opening series in Spokane, dropping two of three to the Indians in some back-and-forth battles that featured crazy momentum shifts. With a potent lineup and unproven pitching staff, expect a lot of high scoring games this season at Funko Field.

It’s a 3-hit game for Luke Stevenson as he singles home Felnin Celesten. pic.twitter.com/kSHajfoJKu

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 5, 2026

Luke Stevenson is picking up right where he left off. After an excellent stint in the California League last summer, Stevenson is 4-9 thus far and looks to have maintained his balanced approach at the plate. The power, his calling card in college, has been more subdued in the professional ranks, but in his current form, Stevenson looks more and more like an absolute steal as a Comp A round selection. There’s a non-zero chance he’s the best player on this team.

MLB's No. 73 prospect Jonny Farmelo goes oppo for his first homer of the season at High-A!@Mariners | @MsPlayerDev | @EverettAquaSoxpic.twitter.com/w2LPEDxa9g

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 5, 2026

Jonny Farmelo, the top ranked prospect on this roster, has already homered on the young season, launching a towering shot out to the opposite field. The whiff isn’t in a great spot right now and is going to be something that needs to be monitored this season, but hopefully the small sample size normalizes sooner than later.

Inland Empire 66ers

It’s been an unceremonious start for the 66ers under Mariner affiliation as they’ve yet to collect a win just yet, but thus far, a few blowup performances on the mound have really sunk the team’s chances at winning. It’s far too early to make any long-term conclusions about how this team will shake out, and there’s a lot of fun “sleeper” prospects that could easily shoot up the latter half of the organizational rankings by mid-summer.

Korbyn Dickerson’s first professional HR is an Inside-The-Park 2-run HR! pic.twitter.com/2gfqEHic4D

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 4, 2026

Korbyn Dickerson, patrolling centerfield for the 66ers, has been great through opening weekend and remains one of the bigger X-factors in this system. His talent could easily vault him into the upper-tiers of Mariner prospects, and though there are some concerns regarding the hit tool, he’s made strides improving his adjustability at the plate has shown an ability to succeed despite it. He’s a big name to circle for this season.

Ricardo Cova triples & is now 7 for 10 in the first 3 games. pic.twitter.com/ZDjBJcQkxs

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 5, 2026

Ricardo Cova has been in the system for a while, but he’s consistently flown under the radar due to absolutely loaded infields in past seasons. Collecting seven hits across his first thirteen AB’s, the undersized second baseman has been on a tear at the plate and will look to continue this success in what will be his sixth season in the organization despite being just 21 years of age. He should be a key part of this team’s offensive attack this season.

Mikey Moore is having himself a heck of a season on loan at Rangers. The 18-year-old Tottenham Hotspur winger is flying at Ibrox, scoring six goals and tallying 2 assists in just over 1200 minutes for Rangers and finding himself something of a fan favorite amongst Rangers fans this season. Not too shabby for a 18-year-old kid that was playing U18 football two seasons ago, and if things continue to go the way they are it suggests Moore could be have a real spark off the bench for Tottenham next season, no matter what division they are playing.

But things haven’t always come so easy. Last season Moore missed an extended period of time with a then-undiagnosed illness, described only as a “virus.” The assumption, Moore being the teenage kid that he is, was that Moore had picked up a long-term but ultimately relatively minor virus like mononucleosis; we at Carty Free Towers definitely made some jokes about Mikey spending more time snogging than playing football, and while we all were disappointed that last season was something of a wash for him it wasn’t seemingly something to be overly concerned about.

Today on SpursPLAY, the club dropped another episode of its Life on Loan series, this time focusing on Moore and his time at Rangers, and it was revealed that the virus that hit Mikey last season was actually quite serious, causing an inflammation in his heart (myocarditis) that led to him basically bedridden and unable to play football for six weeks. Moore was diagnosed with the (still unknown) virus in November.

“I was playing really well, starting to find my feet in the first team, then I think it was just before the Galatasaray game. I trained a couple of days before it, I think I was set to start or make an appearance in that game, then went for a driving lesson that night and all of a sudden I just felt a pain in my chest.

“The doctor called me and just said ‘forget about football for now’. It came back that I had myocarditis, which is a virus and it went to my heart, gave me the pain in my heart. I’m lucky I caught it early because I’m not sure what could have happened after that. I think I was in bed for six weeks. I wasn’t allowed any exercise.

“There was a lot of rumours at that time and it was tough to deal with. That six weeks was not six weeks of improving in the gym like with a usual injury.

“Right now, I feel at my best. I feel kind of what I felt like when I first started playing at Tottenham. That’s all done now. Put it behind me. That’s it, really.”

Whoa! That’s both serious and really scary. If anything, Mikey’s kind of soft-selling what happened to him — losing six weeks to any sort of injury is rough, but myocarditis is a serious condition that can cause heart palpitations, chest pain, flu-like symptoms, and sometimes even severe heart-related issues. Myocarditis is no joke — it’s the kind of diagnosis that could lead to serious complications. It wasn’t released what kind of virus Mikey had, but a quick google suggested viruses such as adenovirus (the common cold), COVID-19, parvovirus, and herpes simplex can all lead to myocarditis, as can measles, mononucleosis, and others. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what Moore was sick with — what matters is that he got treatment right away, and despite missing multiple weeks of football last season he recovered fully and is now kicking butt in Scotland.

It’s a reminder for all of us not to take things for granted, and that health conditions can come seemingly out of nowhere. I’m personally glad that Mikey has recovered fully, and that he felt comfortable enough discussing what happened to him.

Sunday Night Baseball schedule 2026: Dates, times, teams, live streams to watch every prime time MLB broadcast originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For the first time since 2000, MLB games are back on NBC. The network is the new home of Sunday Night Baseball in 2026, the first in a three-year deal.

The MLB package joins NBC's long-running Sunday Night Football franchise and its new Sunday NBA coverage for this season, giving the network a year-round showcase in that time slot. 

This year's coverage will feature esteemed announcers Bob Costas and Jason Benetti headline the coverage team on the network. Along with that duo, NBC will feature past MLB stars including Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto to analyze the games and provide insights from their playing days.

With that in mind, here is the breakdown of the upcoming NBC baseball schedule for the 2026 season.

Where to watch MLB Sunday Night Baseball in 2026

• TV channel: NBC
• Live stream: DIRECTV, Peacock

The MLB Sunday Night Baseball package moves to NBC and Peacock this season, with 20 games set to air on NBC and 11 Peacock exclusives. 

All of the games on NBC can also be streamed live via DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. 

Catch every game – try DIRECTV FREE today! Stream live MLB, March Madness, soccer and more with must-have sports channels like TNT, TBS, truTV, ESPN, FS1, and NFL Network—all included with DIRECTV.

Start your FREE trial now and never miss a moment of the action. No contracts, no hassle, just wall-to-wall sports and entertainment.

Sunday Night Baseball schedule 2026

NBC will air 20 games in 2026, some of them outside the actual Sunday night slot. These include two Opening Day games and a Labor Day showcase.

Bob Costas (host), Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Ahmed Fareed (Sunday Night Leadoff host), Clayton Kershaw (analyst), Joey Votto (analyst), and Anthony Rizzo (analyst) will headline NBC's stellar coverage staff.

Here is the upcoming schedule for the 2026 season:

Date	Game	Time (ET)	Watch
April 12	Braves vs. Guardians	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
April 19	Phillies vs. Braves	7 p.m.	Peacock
April 26	Royals vs. Angels	7 p.m.	Peacock
May 3	Tigers vs. Rangers	7 p.m.	Peacock
May 10	Royals vs. Tigers	7 p.m.	Peacock
May 17	Mariners vs. Padres	7 p.m.	Peacock
May 24	Angels vs. Rangers	7 p.m.	Peacock
May 31	Cardinals vs. Cubs	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
June 7	Cubs vs. Giants	8 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
June 14	Red Sox vs. Rangers	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
June 21	Phillies vs. Mets	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
June 28	Red Sox vs. Yankees	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
July 5	Braves vs. Mets	12:30 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
July 5	Dodgers vs. Padres	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
July 19	Yankees vs. Dodgers	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
July 26	Phillies vs. Yankees	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 2	Dodgers vs. Red Sox	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 9	Padres vs. Astros	8 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 16	Astros vs. Mariners	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 23	Red Sox vs. Giants	3 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 30	Cubs vs. Reds	3 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Aug. 30	Mets vs. Astros	7 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Sept. 6	Phillies vs. Braves	3 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Sept. 6	Royals vs. Blue Jays	7 p.m.	Peacock
Sept. 7^	Giants vs. Cardinals	8 p.m.	NBC, DIRECTV, Peacock
Sept. 13	Giants vs. Padres	7 p.m.	Peacock
Sept. 20	Orioles vs. Brewers	7 p.m.	Peacock

^ Labor Day (Monday)

Related Links

• Latest MLB news and rumors
• 2026 MLB schedule and scores
• How to bet on MLB

Syracuse, Gerry McNamara have inside track for 6-foot-11, 10 PPG transfer from SEC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Syracuse Orange will have to be active in the transfer portal, just like every other college basketball team in the country.

It'll be Gerry McNamara's first time running the show at SU, and that could lead to a little bit of uncertainty for certain recruits.

For one, though, that might actually be exactly what he needs.

J.P. Estrella plans to be in the portal when it opens on April 7, according to On3 Sports. And coming out of high school Estrella was recruited by McNamara.

This might be an interesting one for Syracuse. Gerry McNamara was Estrella’s lead recruiter when SU recruited him out of high school. https://t.co/DNlPc7d87d

— Mike Waters (@MikeWatersSYR) April 6, 2026

MORE: Bryce James transfer rumor isn't what it seems

Estrella was a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2023, finishing his high school career at Brewster Academy, which the Orange have recruited well from in the past.

He has spent all three of his college seasons with the Volunteers under Rick Barnes, and this season was his best. He averaged 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 59.6% from the floor.

Estrella was on the bench in a sweatsuit when Tennessee was surprisingly upset by the Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome early in the season.

He was impactful most of the rest of the season in what was a crowded interior group for the Vols.

Now, he's looking for bigger opportunity, and he could find it with a familiar face in Syracuse.

MORE: Kentucky is going after a key transfer from Syracuse

The New York Giants have made headlines to begin the month of April, a franchise embroiled in contract controversy with NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. This isn’t the first instance of drama on the salary front between the two sides, as Lawrence and the Giants were unable to come to terms on a new contract in either of two prior NFL offseasons.

What’s different now is that Lawrence has reportedly asked to be traded out of New Jersey, apparently unwilling to participate in the Giants’ offseason workout program beginning Tuesday, April 7, per Adam Schefter. Adding a player of Lawrence’s caliber would immediately benefit any team, especially one as starved for production along the defensive line as the Buffalo Bills proved in 2025.

However, Lawrence represents a massive financial commitment — the type that just may make president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane a bit uncomfortable. As of publishing, One Bills Drive has in the neighborhood of $12 million dollars available to spend toward the roster in 2026. They’ve done meaningful work to get under the salary cap while also managing to sign a few outside free agents in the last few weeks.

The point remains that Buffalo has been relatively quiet this offseason, and are yet to make a splash in free agency. They did pull off a trade for wide receiver DJ Moore, and that’s going to eat up a fair amount of cap space this season and in future seasons. Moore doesn’t play defense, and it’s worth wondering if the Bills have the right in-house hands in the dirt to adequately accomplish a shift to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 base system.

It’s worth noting that Lawrence has spent his NFL career playing in a 4-3 system, the same as defensive tackle Ed Oliver. That shouldn’t preclude Buffalo from kicking the Bugatti-cloaked tires Lawrence and his preferred contract necessitate. It’s easy to envision success for a base line consisting of Lawrence, Oliver, and Deone Walker.

The biggest questions surround the Bills’ ability to pull off a trade, what moves need to be made to fit Lawrence’s 2026 salary under their cap, and how they’d manage a path to a new, lucrative multi-year deal for Lawrence. Would the Giants listen to an offer from Buffalo that included their 2026 first-round draft selection (26th overall) as the best part of any draft capital surrendered? Beyond that is where things really get complicated.

Lawrence, who’s set to turn 29 years old in November, currently averages $22.5 million a year per Spotrac. Any new contract agreement is likely to be far north of that yearly sum, perhaps somewhere beyond Zach Allen’s current deal with the Denver Broncos that pays him an average of around $25.5 million per year. It’s reasonable to guess that Lawrence will also covet guaranteed money in signing any new deal.

Importantly, before Buffalo could even make something happen on that front, they’d need to create around $6 million more in 2026 salary cap space just to acquire Lawrence and his $18.5 million salary via trade. That has to happen before the Bills could even begin to restructure Lawrence’s current deal and coming to terms on a new contract extension.

It’s not an impossible scenario for Buffalo to land Lawrence, but it’s far from simple. What would be best is for them to identify, draft, and develop their own version of a Dexter Lawrence as someone on a cost-controlled rookie contact.

Buffalo Rumblings readers in The Feed are divided on the idea of trading for Dexter Lawrence:

Europe’s big nights are back with a huge lineup: the reunion between PSG and Liverpool, the Real-Bayern classic, and French hopes carried by Strasbourg... here are the four matchups you won’t want to miss under any circumstances.

PSG – Liverpool, clash of the titans ⚔️

On Tuesday night, PSG take on Liverpool again. After a showdown last year that left a lasting impression, Mo Salah and his teammates will be out for revenge. From the Paris side, they will absolutely need to be clinical at home before facing the intensity of Anfield.

---

Real Madrid - Bayern Munich, a European classic 🇪🇺

A match that brings back memories of some epic moments from recent editions. It is now clearly one of the game’s great classics. Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Olise, Upamecano... we will obviously be keeping a close eye on the performances of our French players.

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Barça - Atlético de Madrid, once again 🇪🇸

This is also a classic of the 2025-26 season. The Catalans once again find the Colchoneros in their path. Since September, the two sides have already faced each other four times. Last February, Griezmann and his teammates won 4-0, but in the other big meetings, Barcelona came out on top. This promises to be fiery!

---

Mainz - RC Strasbourg 🇫🇷

Aside from PSG, RCSA are the last French team still standing in Europe. We hope to see Gary O'Neil’s men shine away from home in the Conference League. Watch out for Mainz! The German club has not lost a single match since February 13.

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

Legendary sports radio host Dan Patrick bashed Geno Auriemma for his postgame actions following UConn’s Final Four loss to South Carolina.

The iconic college basketball coach caused a major uproar at the women’s NCAA Tournament after a heated encounter with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley went viral. However, Auriemma’s apology might not be enough to win back over sports media members like Patrick.

MORE: Geno Auriemma apologizes for unacceptable Final Four meltdown

Patrick went on his “The Dan Patrick Show” program Monday to rip into the UConn coach’s actions involving Staley. Meanwhile, the longtime host’s sentiments have been shared by other personalities like Stephen A. Smith.

"I was embarrassed for him… Act like the greatest coach in the game – nothing's given to you, you know that!"

– DP on Geno Auriemma's interaction with Dawn Staley. pic.twitter.com/H2S4VYVIc9

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 6, 2026

The awkward situation between Auriemma and Staley spilled over into postgame interviews after South Carolina pulled off the upset. Ultimately, the Gamecocks lost the national title game against UCLA.

Auriemma continues to receive backlash from prominent shows

However, many college basketball fans are more concerned about Auriemma’s questionable antics that seemingly stemmed from a missed handshake opportunity.

“I was embarrassed for him,” Patrick said during Monday’s show. “Act like the greatest coach in the game – nothing’s given to you, you know that!”

MORE: Mike Krzyzewski roasts Bill Belichick, North Carolina after college basketball hire

Auriemma is one of the unquestioned all-time greats in his 40-plus years as the Huskies coach. However, his 1,288 career wins aren’t enough to shield him after clashing with Staley, who also has an impressive college coaching resume.

“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said after issuing an apology. “It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted.

The working relationship between Auriemma and Staley extends beyond college basketball though. The two previous coached together with Team USA Basketball during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

It’s certainly possible that the situation subsides heading into the 2026-27 season, but another UConn-South Carolina matchup would provide immediate attention if the sides meet again.

Los Angeles Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing has only played two games in 2026, but has still managed to impress manager Dave Roberts.

What’s swayed the skipper, though, isn’t his performance on the field. It’s his adjustment to being a supplementary player.

“The conversations he’s had with the coaches is better,” Roberts said. “The emotion spikes are less. Even in-game, you have a couple bad at-bats, but you still focus on getting your pitcher through the game, that’s growth. … This is his lot right now, as far as role, and he’s adjusting. It’s not an easy adjustment but I do see some improvement there from Dalton.”

Roberts stated he wanted Rushing to better understand his role as the backup catcher during spring training.

“Dalton’s in a good spot right now,” Roberts said. “I want him to understand his role as a backup catcher, what that entails. Really learn the pitchers, learn a swing that works for playing a couple times a week. He’s used to playing a lot more.

“Just still maturing. It’s not easy to not play every day when you’re used to that. I think that he grew last year and I like where he’s at right now. …Ideally you’re looking for him to get 500 at-bats this year to continue to evolve and catch innings, but looking at the depth chart, I think you’d still choose to be a major league player.”

How Has Dalton Rushing Played in 2026?

Rushing, despite his limited playing time, has shown some promise at the plate so far in 2026.

He made his first appearance of the season against the Cleveland Guardians March 30 in front of the home fans, recording his first hit of the season and going 1-for-2 before All-Star catcher Will Smith replaced him. He hit his first homer of the season Sunday—a two-run shot—to kick off the Dodgers’ comeback against the Washington Nationals.

While it’s an incredibly small sample size to take anything from, Rushing is still yet to swing and miss on a pitch this year—a large part of his struggles last season.

Rushing came up in May 2025, serving as LA’s backup catcher for the whole season. He finished the year with 53 appearances, hitting four homers and driving in 24 runs with a .204/.258/.324 slash line.

If the catcher continues to improve and take the right steps towards embracing the role Roberts has cut out for him, he’s sure to find more game time than last season and blossom into the star they think he will be.

Do you think Dalton Rushing has a spot on the Dodgers despite their All-Star-laden lineup?

Alexander Zverev heads into Monte Carlo with plenty of reason to feel good about his game after a steady start to the season.

But this upcoming stretch could be pivotal if he wants to take the next step and finally break through at Grand Slam level.

Zverev has had a remarkable career, but there’s still one major milestone left to cross off: a Grand Slam title. He’s got every reason to believe Roland Garros gives him the best shot at getting it done.

His build-up hasn’t gone as planned, though. Despite that, Zverev believes the lack of preparation could actually work in his favour.

Zverev missed out on the Hamburg and Munich events due to commitments with Team8, an athlete management company founded by Roger Federer and Tony Godsick. With several players now represented by Team8, more such situations may arise in the future.

Zverev remains optimistic despite his limited practice time, arguing that staying fresh might help him through what is expected to be another long clay-court season.

Zverev explains why a lack of preparation might be a positive for Monte Carlo

Speaking to the media, he began by rating his performances during the Sunshine Swing.

Zverev began by claiming: “I mean, it was I feel like quite positive, of course. I would have loved to win an event.

“I feel like in Miami especially, I played really good tennis, and the match with Jannik was maybe closer than the score suggested. I had my chances in the second set, but, you know, he won both tournaments; he was playing unbelievable tennis, best player in the world, for sure, on a hard court at the moment, and he deserved everything.”

Then discussing his tennis in general, having made a conscious shift towards adding aggression to his game. He added: “Just the things that I worked on, I feel like they’re kind of paying off.

“Obviously yeah I’ve been more of an aggressive style a bit taking on the game myself and I feel like yeah in those regards they were quite positive weeks.

Of course getting a win in the end would have been nice but it is how it is sometimes and we move forward we’re on clay now we’re in Monte Carlo and I hope to play good tennis here as well.”

Zverev concluded by noting his lack of preparation for this event: “Yeah so I took three days off and then started training Tuesday afternoon here in Monte Carlo. You know we’re all getting ready for this tournament, of course, you don’t have much time.

But you know that’s a positive thing because that means you played well in Miami and played well during some tournaments leading up to this event. And then after that, we’re all getting ready again, hopefully showing good tennis here.”

This will be Sinner’s third year competing at this tournament. On both previous occasions – 2021 and 2022 – Alcaraz reached only as far as round three before being knocked out.

Read more:

Fight week is here, and the focus is on Tyson Fury as he returns to the ring after more than a year away. Fury will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday, April 11, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. The event features a 10-bout card promoted by The Ring and will stream live worldwide on Netflix as part of its growing live sports coverage.

Fury enters the bout with a 34-2-1 record and 24 knockouts. The former two-time heavyweight champion last fought in December 2024, when he lost two decisions to Oleksandr Usyk. He later announced his retirement but has since returned, preparing for this fight with a training camp in Thailand before heading back to the UK.

Makhmudov, 21-2 with 19 knockouts, brings power and pressure. The 32-year-old has built a reputation as a dangerous finisher, with most of his wins coming inside the distance. While Fury is the favorite, questions remain about his timing and sharpness after 16 months out of competition.

Tyson Fury Returns After Retirement Call

Fury’s return comes after what he described as his fifth and final retirement. Despite stepping away, the chance to fight again in front of a UK crowd played a key role in his decision.

This will be his first fight in Britain since 2022. In recent interviews, Fury has said he feels focused and motivated. He aims to show that he still belongs at the top of the heavyweight division.

The key factor will be how quickly he can settle into the fight. Long layoffs can affect timing, especially against an opponent who applies constant pressure.

Arslanbek Makhmudov Brings Power Threat

Makhmudov enters as a serious test rather than a routine comeback opponent. Known for his aggressive style, he looks to close the distance and land heavy shots early.

With 19 knockouts in 21 wins, his record shows clear stopping power. Analysts have described him as a dangerous puncher who can change a fight quickly.

If Fury shows signs of ring rust, Makhmudov could take advantage. That possibility adds tension to what might otherwise be seen as a comeback fight.

Undercard and Streaming Details

The undercard includes several notable matchups. Conor Benn faces Regis Prograis in the co-main event. Cruiserweights Jeamie Tshikeva and Richard Riakporhe meet in a domestic bout. Heavyweights Frazer Clarke and Justis Huni also share the card.

Seven additional fights complete the lineup. The broadcast team includes presenter Anna Woolhouse alongside former world champions and analysts.

Main card ring walks are expected around 10 p.m. local time in London. The full event will stream globally on Netflix with no extra cost for subscribers.

As fight night approaches, attention stays on Fury. The outcome will answer a key question: can he return at a high level, or will Makhmudov take advantage of the long break? Either way, the heavyweight division will have its answer this weekend.

Related Headlines

• Deontay Wilder Slams Ref After Derek Chisora Fight: “I Was Fighting Him Too”
• Deontay Wilder Shows Mercy in Split-Decision Win Over Derek Chisora
• How to Watch Derek Chisora vs Deontay Wilder: Schedule and Streaming Details

Liverpool interest in Carlos Baleba assessed as midfield plans take shape

Liverpool’s ongoing rebuild under Arne Slot is expected to prioritise midfield reinforcements, and on Anfield Index’s Media Matters, Dave Davis and David Lynch discussed links to Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.

While not the most advanced rumour, the conversation offered insight into how Liverpool may approach the market and what qualities they are looking to add.

Carlos Baleba link emerges in Liverpool discussions

Dave Davis raised the Brighton midfielder as a name “coming up quite a bit recently”, placing him among potential options as Liverpool consider reshaping their midfield.

David Lynch, however, was quick to clarify his own position on the speculation. “I can’t say I have [heard anything] personally, to be honest,” he said, admitting he had not heard anything concrete linking Liverpool to Baleba at this stage.

That cautious response reflects Liverpool’s broader recruitment approach, where multiple profiles are assessed without every link progressing into a serious pursuit.

David Lynch highlights key midfield need

Although he stopped short of confirming interest, Lynch did outline the type of midfielder Liverpool require, and his comments align with what Baleba could potentially offer.

“If he brings physicality at all, then that would be quite a good thing,” Lynch said, identifying a clear gap in Liverpool’s current midfield setup. He added, “I think that’s something that’s kind of lacking in that midfield.”

This focus on physical presence is notable. Throughout the podcast, Liverpool’s issues were repeatedly linked to being overrun in games, struggling to control transitions and lacking robustness in key areas.

Liverpool recruitment strategy under Arne Slot

The discussion also touched on how Liverpool might create space for new arrivals. Lynch suggested that changes in midfield personnel are likely.

“I’d be surprised if Curtis Jones sticks around,” he said, hinting that outgoings could open the door for additions like Baleba or similar profiles.

This reinforces the idea that Liverpool’s interest in players such as the Brighton midfielder is part of a wider reshaping process, rather than a standalone move.

Photo: IMAGO

Anfield Index view on Baleba and Liverpool future

Overall, the Anfield Index conversation positioned Carlos Baleba as a potential fit stylistically, even if links remain tentative.

Lynch was careful not to overstate the situation, reiterating, “That’s not to say that he’s not someone they’re looking at,” but maintaining that he had no direct information on a deal progressing.

For Liverpool, the key takeaway is less about one specific target and more about the profile required. Physicality, presence and balance in midfield are priorities, and any move for Baleba would need to align with that vision.

As Liverpool prepare for a crucial summer under Arne Slot, players like Carlos Baleba represent the type of solution being considered, even if the pursuit is still at an early stage.

Liverpool continue to be strongly linked with a move for Yan Diomande, but their chances of signing him could hinge heavily on one factor in particular.

Anfield chiefs have maintained regular contact with the representatives of the RB Leipzig winger, who’s become one of the most sought-after young players in European football and – as Paul Joyce explained recently – would fit the profile of wide attacker that the Merseysiders are seeking.

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However, Arne Slot’s side could be at risk of missing out on the 19-year-old to one of their biggest Premier League rivals, who as it stands would be able to offer him something the Reds might not.

Liverpool may need top-five finish to win the race for Diomande

According to transfer insider Mark Brus for CaughtOffside, Arsenal have also ‘reached out’ to Diomande’s entourage to ‘be kept informed over his future’, and one source explained why the Gunners might currently be in a stronger position than Liverpool in the race for the Ivory Coast international.

They outlined: “Diomande is Liverpool’s preferred Salah replacement, but the reality is that they’ll struggle to get him without Champions League football, and there is a huge amount of interest from all over Europe, with Arsenal very much in the race.”

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Yet another reason why Champions League qualification is a must

If indeed Champions League participation is a dealbreaker for the Leipzig starlet – as can often be the case for players excelling at clubs who aren’t involved in the competition – that serves to underline the importance of Liverpool qualifying for it next season.

Should the Reds miss out, not only will they be deprived of hundreds of millions in prize money and revenue – they could also find it harder to entice their primary transfer targets, who’d understandably be keen to join a club who are in Europe’s flagship tournament.

A scorer of 11 goals in 30 matches this season, Diomande would tick many of the boxes in terms of an ideal long-term successor to Mo Salah – he’s prolific in a major European league, his best years are still ahead of him, and he’d inject a spark into an LFC attack which has had very little of it in recent months.

Absence from the Champions League isn’t strictly a barrier to signing top players – Liverpool signed Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Bobby Firmino, Sadio Mane, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister when they didn’t have that carrot to offer – but it certainly helps to be involved in that competition.

The next seven weeks could be massive not just in terms of shaping how this season comes to be viewed retrospectively for the Reds, but also how competitive they may or may not be in subsequent campaigns.

If a top-five finish ultimately helps to attract Diomande to Anfield, it could be every bit as game-changing as the move which brought Salah to Merseyside nine years ago.

La Liga giants Barcelona have set sights on the signature of Juventus star Andrea Cambiaso ahead of the summer.

This comes amid the Blaugrana’s ongoing search for reinforcements at full-back.

In the thick of ongoing speculation surrounding the futures of both Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé, the Camp Nou brass are keeping a close eye on the market for potential replacements.

A shortlist of full-back targets has in turn been drawn up by Deco and co. And as alluded to above, early this week, the identity of one such target has been revealed.

As per a report from Italian transfer insider Gianluigi Longari:

‘Barcelona’s strong interest in Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso is confirmed.’

Cambiaso, for his part, is a 26-year-old Italian international, capable of playing on either flank as a traditional full-back, or wing-back.

Across the season to date, the former Genoa talent has racked up three goals and four assists across 40 appearances in all competitions.

Conor Laird – GSFN

In a recent report, journalist Graeme Bailey offered an update on Manchester City and their pursuit of Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate. It is believed that the Reds are on the verge of extending the French centre-back’s contract amid interest from the Mancunian club as well as Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Konate is having an inconsistent campaign at the Mancunian club, but has put in a string of impressive displays for them on the defensive end of the field. The French talent has featured in 42 matches for Man City this season, scoring two goals across multiple competitions.

The 26-year-old is currently among the best centre-backs in the Premier League despite not having his best campaign at Liverpool so far. Still, Man City should focus on luring him to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

His current contract at the Merseyside club will run out at the end of this campaign, which could give the Mancunian giants a chance to sign him on a free transfer later this year.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 20: Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

What Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Do With Regards To Konate?

Konate is a solid tackler of the ball and can read the danger well to secure possession back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when required and can play his way out from the back.

Standing at 1.94m, the French talent can use his strong frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air. He is already quite familiar with the Premier League and won’t take much time to adjust to life in the Premier League if Man City manage to snap him up this summer.

We can expect Konate to add more bite and steel to Pep Guardiola’s defence. He is more than capable of nailing down a regular first-team spot at the Etihad Stadium next season.

At 26, Konate is about to enter his prime and knows what it takes to win at the highest level. Therefore, Guardiola would be wise to step up his efforts to acquire his services even if Liverpool end up tying him down to a new contract as he would help Man City compete for some major honours in the coming seasons.

Here's Coach K's unfiltered reaction to UNC hiring Michael Malone originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The news of the day came fast and took many by surprise across the college basketball landscape. 

During a scheduled appearance on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show to preview tonight's National Championship Game between Michigan and UConn, former Duke Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski was one of the first to comment about North Carolina hiring Mike Malone as the Tar Heels' next head coach. 

McAfee tried to spark up the rivalry talk between UNC and Duke, but was quickly shut down. Malone makes his transition after being out of the NBA for a little over a season. But this starts a trend for UNC athletics. 

"They had an NFL champion hired as the coach and Duke beat Carolina in football this year." 🤣

Coach K reacted to @PeteThamel's report of UNC hiring Mike Malone on the @PatMcAfeeShow 🏀 pic.twitter.com/P5irdauRE3

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 6, 2026

"They had an NFL championship hired as the coach and Duke beat Carolina in football this year," Coach K told McAfee. "Doesn't mean coach Belichick isn't a great coach. There is time for adjustment. It takes longer if you ever get adjusted to coming from the pros to college.

"Mike is a terrific coach and a terrific guy. There's a learning curve." 

MORE MICHAEL MALONE NEWS:

• Why Tar Heels hired Michael Malone as next head coach
• UNC hiring Michael Malone over Billy Donovan is a better fit
• What UNC fans need to know about Michael Malone
• Why the Nuggets fired Michael Malone in 2025

Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA Championship in 2023. He was abruptly fired two years later and has been doing TV analysis since. Now with Malone and Belichick at UNC, the need for a pro-style approach seems to be a business model in Chapel Hill. It's one Coach K applauds in the NIL era. 

"If that is true, whatever the reasoning is that maybe they're changing," Krzyzewski said about UNC. "They now have two pro coaches in college. The infrastructure of their athletic department is now going to become more of a pro organization.

"Which I think if that's true, I think everybody should be doing that. And the fact that he knows how to do that. And so does Belichick? Maybe that's a sign that they're moving in that direction organizationally."

The details of Malone's deal with UNC weren't immediately known on Monday. 

More college basketball news:

• Two fans ejected from NCAA Tournament after bringing FAFO energy, lose $6
• NCAA basketball tournament reportedly expanding to 76 teams: What to know
• Dawn Staley says 'I will beat Geno's ass' in new video after heated exchange
• What UConn's Geno Auriemma said after ripping Dawn Staley
• Nate Burleson's wardrobe gets roasted during March Madness coverage

Chandler (Ariz.) Basha defensive lineman Anitoni Tahi has named his final six.

And it’s a heavy Big Ten and Big 12 list.

Tahi named a top six of, alphabetically, Arizona State, Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin.

He broke down those six schools with Rivals.

Arizona State: “ASU is a great school and coach (Vince) Amey and coach (Diron) Reynolds are great defensive line coaches.”

Illinois: “They are a great school and I like how their defense operates

Kansas State: “K-State has a lot of new coaches but I have a great relationship with them and they are also building something good.”

Minnesota: “Their defense is just different and I love how they treat their players. They are building something strong.”

Penn State: “Talking to the coaches, I love how their schemes are and I’m looking forward to seeing the school.”

Wisconsin: “I love how their defensive line plays and I love how the coaches are.”

Tahi has already visited Arizona State, Wisconsin and Minnesota and next heads to Illinois on April 11 for his first official visit then to Kansas State on April 18 for an unofficial.

His official visit slate continues with a visit to Arizona State on May 1, continues with Minnesota on May 28 with Kansas State a week later on June 5, Wisconsin the following week on June 11 and rounds out with Penn State on June 19.

Auston Matthews‘ future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been in the headlines. The Maple Leafs missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the direction of the franchise will ultimately decide if Matthews requests a trade or stays. If it goes in the wrong direction, the Toronto star has been linked to a surprising NHL organization.

Sportsnet’s Darren Dreger believes the Utah Mammoth will be a big player with Matthews moving forward, the insider said on Barn Burner. Dreger also said the San Jose Sharks would make some sense, but he wouldn’t call the organization a frontrunner to acquire Matthews in the future.

Since moving from Arizona to Utah, the organization has progressed yearly. In fact, the Mammoth made a big move at the deadline, acquiring defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames. Now, Utah is very likely to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first Wild Card team in the Western Conference.

The Mammoth were linked to several big-name players during the NHL trade deadline, such as St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas. Utah has the assets to pull off a big trade this offseason, making it one of many organizations that could be in the market for Matthews.

However, this will require Matthews to make a decision and request a trade from Toronto. For now, the Maple Leafs will likely attempt to bring the organization back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season. After all, it is hard to waste talent like Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies.

Utah is looking to make a big run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and don’t expect them to fall apart anytime soon. In fact, the Mammoth could end up with Matthews, if everything falls in the right direction for them.

Read More: Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Undergoes Surgery

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Before the international break, Liverpool trudged to a deflating draw to a Tottenham Hotspur side that had become the laughingstock of the league. Spurs fans had dreaded going to the match, the players seemed lacking in any drive or desire, and the matchdays primarily served as meme fodder.

Enter Liverpool, a side happy to add to your confidence. Spurs fans left with a reminder of what joy in going to the ground is like, not just because of the result (a draw isn’t quite the pinnacle of achievement) but the manner of it. The current iteration of Liverpool Football Club seems designed to collapse after a setback, to become easy to play against, to allow opponents to build their confidence against amenable opposition.

The FA Cup loss was all this, and also humiliating.

In many cases, the best way to evaluate your own side is to consider what your opposition thinks about the experience of playing you. Manchester City fans, who have had their own challenges this season, were overjoyed by what Liverpool provided for their team’s development.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, City supporter Gene felt that Liverpool gave Erling Haaland a great opportunity to work on his struggling form: “Overall fine performance against a team that looks like a shell of its former self, especially defensively. Haaland needed a game like this to help get back in a groove. Statistically, this was an even match, but the individual battles were weighted towards City, which was evident during the game.”

Needless to say, these are not encouraging words when it comes to evaluating the overall performance. Liverpool have been at the bad end of a big scoreline without the underlying performance being as bad: the 3-0 loss to Barcelona that famously got turned over in the second leg was one such occasion. Less and less this season, however, are the Refs losing games they don’t deserve to lose, and lose badly.

Liverpool badly need to arrest the rot, badly need to become difficult to play against even when not quite in form. Needing these massive changes in a make-or-break week of football is not good news, but if you struggle for as long as the Reds have I suppose you should be grateful that your matches still have meaning in them.

There’s still time to turn things around, but such a tight window for regaining mental strength in the face of challenges is a big ask. Here’s hoping Liverpool can remind us what’s good about watching the match again, instead of just helping remind the opposition.

NEW YORK (AP) — The anticipation of winter weather has forced the New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox to change scheduled night games to afternoon starts on Tuesday.

The Mets announced Monday that scheduled night games against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday have been changed to afternoon games because of expected cold and windy conditions.

The Mets scheduled the first pitch for each game for 4:10 p.m. ET. The games had been set for 7:10 p.m. starts.

Tuesday’s game between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians has been moved up five hours to a 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch. The change was made because temperatures are expected to be below freezing at night.

The time change was also made to avoid a backlog in the schedule or another doubleheader early in the season. Kansas City had a twinbill against Milwaukee on Saturday after Friday’s game was postponed, while Cleveland is coming off a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday when Saturday’s game was rained out.

Meanwhile, the White Sox moved up the first pitch for Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles from 6:40 p.m. CT to 2:10 p.m. because of expected cold temperatures.

The Mets said in appreciation for the fans' “understanding, commitment and flexibility” the team was offering a limited number of complimentary tickets to each game.

The Mets said the complimentary tickets to the afternoon games will be offered on a first-come, first-served bases. Fans can log onto Mets.com/Tickets and enter code THANKYOU to claim up to four tickets for each game.

Additionally, the Mets are offering vouchers to a future game to fans who have already purchased tickets for the Tuesday or Wednesday games. The vouchers will be good for home regular-season games scheduled for Monday through Thursday.

All tickets for the previously scheduled night games will be valid for the afternoon games.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Scottish Premiership returned after the international break and delivered drama at both ends of the table once again.

Heart of Midlothian dropped points in Livingston but remain top of the pile, Rangers swept Dundee United aside and Celtic had to dig deep again to stay in the hunt in Dundee.

And, at the other end of the table, Kilmarnock fell to another defeat while St Mirren impressed as they dragged Aberdeen further into the fight against the drop.

Across the season, BBC Scotland has been asking you for your views on the action through our live pages.

Here is a selection of what you made of another weekend of top-flight action.

Dundee 1-2 Celtic

Celtic left it late once again, with Kelechi Iheanacho's goal sealing three points that could be vital in keeping Martin O'Neill's reigning champions in the title race. Fans were left bemoaning familiar faults but still feeling hope.

Mark: This title might come down to individual players who want to win it the most. Martin O'Neill needs to be incredibly brave and drop players who checked out a long time ago. The substitutes completely turned the game.

Len: Winning the league after such disastrous decisions by the CEO and board would be remarkable. But the fact remains: Celtic need root and branch reform, starting with the CEO and board.

Hector: The most threadbare Celtic squad in 50 years is evidence of the gross mismanagement at boardroom level over several seasons. Millions squandered on unheard of imports, while youth development is ignored. O'Neill can't keep pulling rabbits out a hat.

Peter: Another dreadful performance in a long line of dreadful performances. It says a lot about the quality of Scottish football but good news we are still in title hunt. Win our last six league games and we are champions. Not impossible.

Ian: I've said it before on these pages, but if Martin O'Neill can win the title this year, honestly, I'll build the statue myself!

Dundee fans were left to take the positives from a performance that could have delivered much more.

Danny: We could and should have taken something from this match. Unfortunately, although [head coach] Steven Pressley is doing a decent job overall, he is just far too cautious in his approach to games.

Albert: Remarkable performance given the difference in resources. Our manager is doing wonders this season and everything is looking good despite the defeat.

Brian: Celtic won even though Kelechi Iheanacho had pushed Ryan Astley out of the way to score? Where was VAR on that incident? I am sure if it was at the other end it would have been disallowed. Yet again the referee and VAR fail Dundee.

John: This was a poor Celtic team and I felt Dundee were a bit unlucky not to sneak a draw. Dundee should be safe from a play-off place.

Michelle: Unlucky not to take something from the game. Second half we were the much better side and deserved it more than Celtic. We were very brave in possession and weren't scared to take the game to them.

Livingston 2-2 Hearts

Hearts moved back to the top of the table with their draw in Livingston, but it looked like two points dropped against the Premiership's bottom side. Supporters were left with a sense of frustration but remain positive.

Marc: We're still top of the league with six games to go. Every single Hearts fan would be happy with that position at the start of the season. Let's not look back but forward and ensure we win our home games. Silly goals to concede at Livi, but we move on with a point and stay positive.

Peter: We saw the benefit of having Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin back in the quality of our attacking performance, but we shot ourselves in the foot twice and this is happening too often recently. Felt that Craig Halkett looked slow and untypically unsure of himself, while the defence did not gel properly at any point in the game.

Andy: Definitely feels like two points dropped and not one gained. We lost two soft goals against Livi and will need to be much more clinical defensively for the run-in. Still top of the league though.

Patrick: No intensity and most attacks ending with the ball being passed backwards shows the players are not confident in winning games, let alone a league. We are set up to win by one goal and, when that doesn't work, we fall apart. We might not win another game this season.

Alison: [Head coach Derek]McInnes will tell you how we are overachieving and still one point clear and other teams have more money, blah, blah, blah - we chucked it and the ball was in his hands when it was fumbled. Too many games with poor management decisions and horrible tactics will see us finish third.

Larry: The team's chucked it. Poor game management. Poor individual performances. Too many excuses. Not good enough. Monumental bottle job from McInnes. His tactics and line-ups have taken a thriving team into a shell of who they were.

Livingston look nailed on for relegation, but one supporter thought they passed up a chance for a lifeline.

Darren: Poor team selection and tactics. Hearts were under pressure before the game. We should have attacked from the outset and made them nervous, but no. Defensive and slow.

Rangers 4-2 Dundee United

Rangers' home win over United took them top the top of the league for the first time this season, but only overnight, with Hearts regaining top spot. Supporters are in no doubt about where improvement is needed if they are to finish first.

Steve: Great result, but our defence is a worry. We cannot keep a clean sheet, putting more pressure on the team to score.

Ross: If we can eliminate the silly goals against then the league is ours to lose. Too many cheap goals given away, which if eliminated in the early days of the season, we would be celebrating the league win already.

Steven: Our inability to keep the opponent out will be our undoing. Irrespective of the centre-back partnership played, we look vulnerable. Our strikers blow hot and cold and not one of them has cemented their place in the starting line-up. All that being said, if you said we'd be challenging for the title after the start we had, I would have laughed.

Martin: Getting into the groove now. All the players and staff look to be real mates. This will help in the final push for [title] 56. Happy days at Ibrox.

Inconsistency has been a frustration for United fans this season and they were left ruing a mixed performance that could have delivered more.

Jenny: United didn't deserve to come away from Ibrox with nothing as they delivered a very entertaining and gutsy performance. The reason they did again was down to the defence and the goalkeeper. When is [manager Jim] Goodwin going to stop sticking with three at the back that's costs us countless points this season?

Tam: Good performance undermined by goalkeeping errors and poor defending, the story of much of our season. With a competent goalkeeper and half-decent striker capable of finishing the chances we create, we'd not only be in the top six but challenging for the European places. Must do better next season.

Sean: Ashley Maynard-Brewer does not look like a long-term solution in goal. Conceding four goals is not good enough. Really need to look at youngsters coming through and plan for next season.

St Mirren 2-0 Aberdeen

Aberdeen fans didn't mince their words after a limp display that deepened relegation fears. They are furious and it's not just the players in their sights.

Brad: This is the worst Aberdeen team ever. When you say a clear-out is needed, I think that means the very top. [Chairman] Dave Cormack, its time to sell Aberdeen to someone who will take it in the right direction.

Andy: No passion, no pride. Lack of desire to get the ball back when it is lost. Could we be relegated for the first time? Absolutely, but I would also worry about being able to bounce back up the following season if it happened.

Gordon: A dire performance knowing the situation we find ourselves in. Thought a strange starting line-up that started poorly and never got much better. Second-half changes made a bit of a difference, but just dire defending again. Reality check for all involved.

Allen: Get rid of Cormack and all his cohorts. This man has not got a clue about football or how a club should be run. He needs to do the decent thing and sell to someone who does know a thing or two about football and not kid the fans any more.

St Mirren fans took encouragement from an impressive performance under Craig McLeish after the interim boss was placed in charge until the end of the season.

Max: Wow! What a change in style and it's getting results. The intensity of that first half was incredible. A few players who [former manager Stephen] Robinson brought in, only to ignore them, is like having new signings. Thoroughly deserved victory overall. Gogic, Delaney, Campbell, Donnelly and others all excellent. Stephen who?

Douglas: It wasn't just myself that enjoyed watching that Saints performance. You could feel the positivity all around you as we played Aberdeen off the pitch in the first half. If this is how we are going to tackle the next six games, at least there is some fight in there and, from the terracing, an enjoyable change to watch.

John: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! A point made to a former manager who abandoned us when we needed him most. Not a single failure in that side. Superb.

Motherwell 2-3 Falkirk

After a stellar season so far, Motherwell are having a wobble just when rewards for their efforts are within reach. Fans expressed their disappointment at another uncharacteristic performance.

Crawford: Looked to be a yard off the pace all over the pitch and we missed Callum Slattery's presence. [Manager] Jens Berthel Askou needs to tell them that they don't need to play every ball out from the back. Second goal was unforgivable from an easily avoidable situation. Sometimes it's just too predictable.

Alan: This was a disappointing display, having got back into it when we equalised. We handed the second goal to Falkirk by being far too casual in the penalty box when an old-fashioned punt up the field might have been better. Emphasis must now be to get a European spot, which our efforts between October and now deserve.

Colin: Overall, a poor performance, especially defensively. We haven't been playing as well or had as much possession in recent games. I fear we may not pick up any more points unless we have a bit more improvement and all the good work and performances earlier amount to nothing.

David: The other teams in the league have realised how to deal with Motherwell. The man-to-man press that Falkirk put on us stopped us from creating chances. We badly need to be able to change our playing pattern when pressed.

James: Although the last few games have been disappointing, we're still fourth. Come on boys, keep your heads up, we can go again.

Falkirk have sealed a top-six place in their first season back in the Premiership and it's no surprise the fans are proud of their side.

Nathan: So proud of this team. You could tell right from the off that we were up for it and I feel [manager] John McGlynn schooled Jens Berthel Askou at his own game. We caused Motherwell problems right from the off with our whole squad putting in some magical performances to result in a top-six finish that we deserve. Now we fasten our seatbelts for the final stretch of the season and maybe even make a cup final as well.

Dougie: Thoroughly deserved victory in a fantastic season. To finish in the top six is a dream come true.

John: Falkirk played well. The first goal was very good. Motherwell seemed a bit off it, whereas Falkirk were in about them. A good game of football. Plaudits to the referee, he was not falling for the simulation.

David: A great way to secure top six. Let's keep the momentum going to Hampden. There's an opportunity to make this the best season ever.

Alan: Another fine win for the Bairns away from home versus one of the top teams who have only lost at home twice. Both Falkirk and John McGlynn are different class, with players who were in League 1 only two years ago. Well deserved.

Hibernian 3-0 Kilmarnock

A blistering start and quick Owen Elding goal put Hibs fans in a good mood and they saw plenty to like overall.

John: A pretty comprehensive win and what an excellent start - two goals in the first 12 minutes. When did that last happen? January's signings are having a great impact. Hibs will have quite a say where the championship ends up.

Sandy: We've got a star on the rise in Owen Elding. Man of the match in an excellent clean-sheet display.

Kenny: A lot of good football played and never looked like we were ever in trouble. We should now be full of confidence going into the Motherwell game next week and, if we can pick up a result, we will have great chance of fourth.

John: Another Jekyll and Hyde performance with 25 minutes of terrific football, then for some reason we allow Kilmarnock to dominate the second half.

There was a bit of doom and gloom in the Killie support after another defeat that had echoes of performances earlier in the season.

John: Back to the old Killie. All positive thoughts knocked out of us. We will just need to play in the play-off final and hope its Partick [Thistle] and not Dunfermline [Athletic].

Gerry: Once again, poor defending in an away fixture has cost us dearly. I'm afraid we are destined to finish 11th as our goal difference is absolutely shocking.

Bill: Back to costly defensive lapses; toothless in attack; lost more than half our matches; won only one match in five; huge goal deficit! It's clear this squad is not fit for the Premiership.

It’s been just over a week into the 2026 MLB regular season, and the New York Mets are already experiencing adversity. Star outfielder Juan Soto — who the team signed to a 15-year, $765 million deal in 2024 — was placed on the Injured List on Monday due to a calf strain.

The team announced the news on social media, noting that calf strains usually result in a two-to-three week absence for a player.

Soto, 27, originally sustained the injury during Friday’s 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. After singling and running the bases in the first inning of that contest, Soto was replaced by outfielder Tyrone Taylor in the bottom of the first inning.

With his injury status up in the air, Soto did not play Saturday or Sunday. The Mets won both contests without Soto.

Known for both his hitting prowess and durability, Soto hasn’t spent much time on the Injured List during his nine-year MLB career. The only two seasons in which he’s played in fewer than 150 games were his rookie year, when he was called up in May, and the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, when the MLB schedule was just 60 games.

That durability has allowed Soto to get off to a historic start to his career. Since being called up to the majors, Soto has a .282/.417/.531 slash line, with 245 career home runs. He’s a six-time Silver Slugger winner, four-time All-Star and a perennial contender for the MVP award.

Soto’s strong numbers have also carried over to the postseason, where he has a career .281/.389/.538 slash line in 191 plate appearances. His playoff excellence helped the Washington Nationals win the World Series in 2019.

With Soto sidelined, it will be on the Mets to prove they have enough depth to stay afloat. The team is off to a solid start so far this season, coming into Monday sitting at 6-4. Taylor will likely see more playing time with Soto sidelined.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Sporting CP at Estadio Jose Alvalade (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the latest team news, Arteta confirmed defender Gabriel is fit after coming off with a knock in the defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup.
• He added Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard are available for the game. However, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber have not travelled, but he said: "Hopefully, they'll be ready for the weekend [against Bournemouth] if everything goes well."
• On whether there is added importance on this game after the back-to-back losses, he responded: "This is the quarter-finals of the Champions League, it doesn't get much better than that, and we worked so hard throughout this season to be in this position in the competition."
• Arteta said: "We're going to play an opponent where we know their record, we know about what they've done. I'm hungrier than ever, very excited and very, very motivated for tomorrow's game."
• When asked about people questioning the mentality of his side, Arteta said: "That's never going to change when you play at this level for this club.
• The Spaniard said the expectations mean his players must "live in the present" and "deliver it every day".
• On Viktor Gyokeres' return to his former club, he said the striker is "very excited" and "full of gratitude" to all those who helped him in Portugal.
• Also on Gyokeres' exploits in the international break, where he scored four goals to help Sweden reach the World Cup, Arteta said: "Those are the experiences you put in your veins", adding the moments will stick with him "for the rest of his career".
• On facing Sporting: "When you know what they have done at home, the way they have behaved in this Champions League, the opponents they have beaten, we know the difficulties of this match and that is why we want it even more."

Listen to full commentary of Arsenal v Sporting CP on Tuesday at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Got a question about Arsenal? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

If you asked just about anyone, fan or media, about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason, most to all would give them a top-notch grade. After the notable additions of Michael Pittman, Jamel Dean, Rico Dowdle, and Jaquan Brisker, the Steelers are a better team on paper than they were when their 2025 season ended in January.

Pittsburgh still has shortcomings on its roster, specifically at wide receiver. Even after trading for Pittman, the Steelers have just four receivers on their roster, two of which are Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek. Because of this, many expect a receiver to be the pick for Pittsburgh in the first round of the NFL Draft. One name in particular is one the Steelers reportedly have circled.

NFL Draft insider Tony Pauline reports that Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper is “in play” for the Steelers with the 21st pick.

“I’m told Cooper is in play for the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 21 despite trading for Michael Pittman, and the New York Jets are also high on the speedy wideout, though they would only consider him with the 33rd pick,” Pauline writes.

Cooper caught 69 passes and 13 touchdowns for the Hoosiers in 2025, helping Indiana win the National Championship. He had 20 touchdown receptions in his final two seasons at Indiana.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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• Question of the day: Who are your favorite non-Hall of Fame Steelers?

Intel preps a huge socket for future CPUs with HUGE graphics chips Intel is reportedly working on a new CPU that aims to challenge AMD’s “Strix Halo” and Apple Silicon. With its huge 4326 socket, Razor Lake AX aims to bring together strong CPU and GPU hardware to deliver a strong single-package computing solution for […]

The post Intel Razor Lake-AX to challenge Apple Silicon appeared first on OC3D.

The CEO's annual shareholder letter warned that new tech is reshaping finance, with tokenization and blockchain competitors gaining as the bank scales its own network.

Acknowledging there was ”still a lot more work to do” before Congress could advance a market structure bill, Senator Bill Hagerty renewed attention starting next week.

While an Iran ceasefire favors stocks, Bitcoin’s path to $75,000 remains contingent on market trust despite Trump’s volatile diplomacy.

Bernstein says Figure may be undervalued as loan volumes surge and its tokenized credit platform expands, despite recent stock declines and market volatility.

Bitcoin found familiar resistance as it crossed the $70,000 mark to hit new April highs, with analysis blaming "profit-taking pressure."

Ahead of STALKER 2's upcoming Cost of Hope DLC, dev GSC Game World is releasing a free Sealed Truth content update for the open-world survival shooter.

Microsoft has been addressing the recent wave of "Microslop" criticism that has emerged online in response to the forced integration of AI into its products. Specifically, Microsoft has been promoting its Copilot applications, products, and even Copilot-branded hardware like Copilot+ AI PCs to consumers. However, this is just the scratching the surface, as the actual number of Copilot variants is much higher than what the average PC enthusiast might consider. If you've ever wondered how many Copilot applications exist, the official count stands at 80 Copilot applications, products, services, and hardware that the Redmond giant has developed. Across every Microsoft vertical, there is a Copilot icon in some form, even present on Copilot+ PCs with its own dedicated Copilot key. This represents the biggest branding overhaul in Microsoft's history, as the company traditionally distinguished products with unique features and names.

However, the popularity of its ecosystem is at an all-time low, particularly within the PC community, which interacts most with the Windows 11 operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of applications, formerly known as the Office package, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and others. Regular consumers are largely unaware of the extent of the Copilot branding, as Microsoft has extended its AI narrative to consumer and business chatbots, developer tools, desktop applications, Copilot applications within other applications, enterprise platforms, hardware, and business software serving the enterprise sector. At some point, the community narrative suggests that the branding is being pushed a bit too aggressively, as Windows 11 users, who interact daily with the world's most widely distributed operating system, have openly discussed the drawbacks of the forced Copilot integration.

That figure comes from Tey Bannerman, an AI strategy and design consultant, who undertook the challenging – but rewarding – task of counting all the Copilot products now embedded across Microsoft's ecosystem. He explained that he decided to do this after trying to describe Copilot to someone and realizing he...

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According to Microsoft's latest timeline, Windows 11 25H2 will soon be rolled out to all devices running the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 24H2. The latter is set to reach the end of official support on October 13, 2026, and Redmond is clearly aiming to move as many...

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China’s Cyberspace Administration has ordered Apple to pull Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat from its China App Store, citing regulations that require apps with “social mobilization” capabilities to pass a government security assessment before launch. Block CEO Jack Dorsey confirmed on X…

More than $273 million in bearish crypto positions were unwound in under 24 hours on April 6, as reports of US-Iran ceasefire talks triggered a sudden and sharp shift in market sentiment. Bears paid a heavy price on Monday. Bloomberg…

Coinglass data shows Ethereum trapped in a tight “liquidation corridor,” with $1.414b in longs at risk below $2,040 and $889m in shorts exposed above $2,253. If Ethereum (ETH) slides below $2,040, around $1.414 billion worth of long positions on major…

ETHGlobal Cannes 2026’s 10 finalists push AI agents, privacy infrastructure and on-chain prediction markets through projects like ENShell, DIVE, Corpus and VEIL VPN. ETHGlobal used a simple “Drumroll please…” tweet to introduce what is arguably one of its most technically…

Bitcoin climbed above $70,200 on Monday for the first time since March 25, as a report that the US and Iran are negotiating a 45-day ceasefire sent risk assets sharply higher across global markets. Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed $70,000 on Monday…

Chaos Labs is ending its three‑year Aave mandate after a $27m oracle fiasco, deep governance infighting, and mounting fears over who is legally liable when DeFi risk breaks. Chaos Labs, the risk firm that has “priced every loan initiated on…

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An Iran-nexus threat actor is suspected to be behind a password-spraying campaign targeting Microsoft 365 environments in Israel and the U.A.E. amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The activity, assessed to be ongoing, was carried out in three distinct attack waves that took place on March 3, March 13, and March 23, 2026, per Check Point. "The campaign is primarily

That lopsided split isn’t a one-quarter anomaly or a function of a single product cycle, but instead reflects three massive advantages held by TSMC.

Google's new offline-first dictation app uses Gemma AI models to take on the apps like Wispr Flow.

Netflix says the app gives children access to an "ever-growing" library of games for kids.

NHTSA closed its investigation into Tesla's "Actually Smart Summon" feature, saying that only a fraction of cases resulted in an incident, and that no incidents resulted in injury. Tesla has also issued a number of software updates.

Iran said it will target U.S.-linked data centers with new missile strikes, as the war between the U.S. and Iran escalates.

AI travel companion that generates day-by-day itineraries, then stays with you throughout the trip. Proactive morning briefings, smart packing lists, budget tracking, local insider tips, and a Spotify Wrapped-style trip recap. Free to try.

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co-parenting.ai is the AI family app for separated parents — an assistant that communicates and coordinates the logistics, a place for family context, a village hub for grandparents, nannies, and schools, and a dedicated space for kids that shields them from adult conflict. It works whether your co-parent joins or not. We built this for the kids. Every conflict de-escalated means two present parents instead of two stressed ones. Every caregiver and extended family member who shows up knowing the schedule is a child who feels held by a bigger family.

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Holland America Line has increased both its daily gratuity rate and its onboard service charge.

The daily crew appreciation fee is now $18 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins, up from $17. Suite guests will pay $20 per day, up from $19. Holland America last adjusted these rates in February 2024.

The one dollar increase breaks down to be a 5.9% increase for standard cabins ($17 to $18) and a 5.3% increase for suites ($19 to $20). 

Service Charge Also Increases

In addition to the increasing the daily gratuity that is automatically charged, Holland America raised its service charge on onboard purchases from 18 to 20 percent. That charge applies automatically to beverages, specialty dining cover charges, a la carte menu items, bar retail purchases, and spa and salon services.

The move mirrors what Carnival and Princess have recently done. Princess Cruises raised its service charge from 18 to 20 percent earlier this year, and Carnival made the same move.

No doubt aware that this type of change is never well received by the cruising public, Holland America opted not to make a formal announcement or send a press release. Rather, word began spreading amongst cruisers after they noticed an update to the line’s website outlining the changes.

How the Daily Gratuity Works

The daily fee is automatically added to each guest’s onboard account and pooled with charges from across the fleet. 

The cruise line’s website says, “Crew Appreciation is Holland America Line’s approach to gratuities, designed to recognize the many team members who support your journey, including those you see every day and those working behind the scenes.”

Guests can request an adjustment at Guest Services before their account is finalized prior to disembarkation.

How Holland America’s Rate Compares

For context, Princess Cruises currently charges $18 per day for standard cabins and $20 for suites, putting it on par with Holland America’s new rates. 

Celebrity Cruises charges $18 per day for most cabin categories, rising to $19 for Concierge Class and AquaClass, and $23 for The Retreat suites. Carnival Cruise Line’s updated rates also took effect April 2.

For a seven-night cruise, two guests in a standard cabin will now pay $252 in crew appreciation charges, up from $238 at the previous rate.

Read full article: https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/breaking-cultural-news-krewe-of-europa-to-march-in-edinburgh-tartan-parade-bringing-a-global-touch-to-scotlands-celebrations/

Breaking Cultural News: Krewe of Europa to March in Edinburgh Tartan Parade, Bringing a Global Touch to Scotland’s CelebrationsTampa-based Krewe...

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South Africa’s Limpopo Gains Global Attention, Big Five Wildlife, Ancient Mapungubwe Civilization, Marakele Biodiversity, and Eco Tourism ExperiencesRead full article:...

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South Korea’s Game-Changing Airline SUM Air Orders 8 ATR-72-600s How This Fleet Will Revolutionize Regional Flight to Remote Islands Like...

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Read full article: https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/new-york-to-southampton-crossings-spark-travel-frenzy-as-cunard-reveals-a-ground-breaking-entertainment-journey-at-sea/

New York To Southampton Crossings Spark Travel Frenzy As Cunard Reveals A Ground breaking Entertainment Journey At SeaCunard boosts 2026...

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Samsung has rolled out new no-trade-in instant credit offers across its Galaxy S26 lineup, and for the first time since launch, buyers can pocket real money off these phones before they even hit checkout.

For buyers who don’t have a device to trade in, or who sold their last phone privately, or who simply don’t trust carrier trade-in estimates, this is the cleanest path to an S26 that has existed since the lineup launched.

The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus each get $100 off. That brings them to $799 and $999, respectively. The S26 Ultra drops $200, landing at $1,099 to start.

These cuts apply across every memory tier, every color option. Samsung isn’t hiding the discount behind some upsell. That’s a meaningful move, even if Samsung won’t frame it that way.

Samsung’s early S26 incentives were mostly pre-order credits. However, those credits came with strings: spend them on wearables, spend them on accessories, spend them inside Samsung’s ecosystem or lose them.

That’s not a discount, but a coupon. Well, this is different; this is money off the actual phone before you pay. Samsung didn’t announce this with fanfare; it just appeared, first spotted by our folks at SamMobile.

Which means either demand is softer than that company would like, or someone in pricing finally did the math and realized they were leaving buyers on the table.

The no-trade-in framing is deliberate; Samsung knows how trade-in deals work. The headline number looks generous until you actually try to redeem it, and your four-year-old phone gets quoted a fraction of what you expected.

This offer skips all of that: you don’t need to hand over anything, you are just paying less.

The post Samsung drops Galaxy S26 Ultra prices by $200 in the US appeared first on Sammy Fans.

Apple has reportedly entered the trial production phase for its first foldable iPhone. Moving past the rumor stage, the device is expected to launch in December, following the iPhone 18 Pro series release this fall. In other words, the iPhone Fold might be Apple’s first “Christmas present” launch.

Deal | Samsung if offering a limited time discount on the Galaxy S26 lineup and it’s an instant discount at checkout. Those who chose the trade-in option can save even more, up to $720, depending on the model.

With a high-resolution 3.2K E Ink panel, Modos Flow is one of the most interesting mobile monitors on the market. This is because E Ink guarantees first-class readability in the sun and low power consumption. With stylus support, color display and a frame rate of 60 Hz, the display is nevertheless extremely versatile.

Among all the AI fakes currently circulating around Hasselblad’s flagship camera phone, there are still a few highlights that appear to be real after all. That includes a first short hands-on video of an apparently powered-on Oppo Find X9 Ultra in a phone store.

A new developer board offers numerous connectors and supports not only power delivery via a battery but also wireless connectivity on two different frequency bands. The SparkFun Thing Plus board supports Bluetooth and is available now.

Deal | The MSI Vector 16 HX AI gaming laptop with an RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a 20-core Core Ultra 7 255HX CPU is on sale on Woot with 90-day Woot Warranty. Based on the specifications, the MSI Vector 16 HX AI is designed for QHD and high-refresh-rate FHD gaming.

For the Raspberry Pi: A new motherboard is intended to significantly expand the capabilities of the single-board computer and give makers a very wide range of options for experimentation. It makes it possible to use a Raspberry Pi with standard components. PCIe can also be used. The Sentinel Core is now available for pre-order via a crowdfunding campaign.

Digital cameras such as the Fujifilm X100 VI or the Leica M11 have long had useful smartphone apps. Pellica now complements analog cameras with a corresponding app, allowing analog photos to be supplemented with digital metadata, while the app is also intended to help with film development.

A compact new computer system and, depending on the definition, a single-board computer or barebone system uses Intel SoCs and should offer quite solid computing performance. The Advantech MIO-5356 is also compatible with various operating systems.

Thanks to the TESS satellite, astronomers have discovered a hot Jupiter orbiting a rare star in the universe. And further studies will need to be conducted in the future to better understand this stellar system, which remains largely unknown.

A multitude of Google Pixel smartphones have been unable to boot into Android after installing the March 2026 update. Google has acknowledged the issue and says it is working on a fix.

Last week, a report suggested that Oppo was planning to launch its F33 series in India in the third week of April. Now, a fresh leak has revealed the specifications and pricing of the F33 Pro 5G, while also indicating that the lineup will be unveiled on April 14. According to the leak, the Oppo F33 Pro 5G will feature a 6.57-inch display and be powered by the MediaTek 6360 Max chipset. The device is also tipped to weigh 194 grams and carry an IP69K rating. The handset is said to sport a 50MP primary rear camera alongside a 2MP depth sensor, while the front is said to house a 50MP...

After defining an era at Barcelona, Ronaldinho stands as one of the club’s most important legends. However, the Brazilian has chosen to praise Lamine Yamal’s impact on the Blaugrana roster, acknowledging his talent.

Amid an era that seemed hopeless, Ronaldinho emerged as the team’s most important player, completely transforming Barcelona’s impact. The Brazilian not only won two LaLiga titles but also lifted the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, leaving a historic legacy. As a living legend of Los Blaugranas, he remains closely attentive to the team’s current situation, praising Lamine Yamal and his impact.

In a recent interview with Diario Olé, Ronaldinho was asked if he thought the historic number 10 jersey was in good hands with Lamine Yamal. In response, the Brazilian said: ”Without a doubt. He is one of the best in the world, still very young, but he already does incredible things. It is very well taken care of.“

Despite being only 18 years old, Lamine Yamal has already played 147 matches for Barcelona, becoming an undisputed starter under Hansi Flick. Moreover, he has made a real impact, scoring 46 goals and providing 50 assists, making him one of the team’s most productive players. With this influence, the Spaniard finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, making it clear that his talent is on another level.

Beyond the statistics, Lamine has lived up to the historic number 10 jersey, inherited from Lionel Messi. With his versatility and game intelligence, the Spaniard provides reliability to the team, not only excelling in dribbling but also contributing to the attacking midfield role, unlocking matches against defensively solid opponents like Newcastle United or Atlético Madrid. With this, he is on track to build a historic legacy at Barcelona.

Lamine Yamal tipped as breakout star of 2026 World Cup

Although Lamine Yamal has proven to be one of the best players in the world, he is still often regarded as a potential talent, having won the Kopa Trophy in 2024 and 2025. However, he has not yet led Barcelona to a Champions League title as a key figure, nor Spain in the UEFA Euro, as he did not score in the final. For this reason, he could consolidate his status at the 2026 World Cup with his national team.

Unlike other editions, Spain arrive at the anticipated tournament as a clear favorite to win the trophy. Not only do they have players with extensive experience, but they also boast young talents capable of making the difference. If Lamine Yamal manages to emerge as the tournament’s top scorer or MVP, winning the trophy, he would immediately be considered a generational player—something that already happened with Mbappé.

In case he shines at the 2026 World Cup, Lamine Yamal would have nothing left to prove, as he would have demonstrated his impact in decisive moments. With this, the Spaniard would become a clear favorite for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, potentially establishing as the best player in the world, becoming the youngest Barcelona player to win both awards in the same season.

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Azərbaycan Basketbol Liqasında (ABL) 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün pley-in mərhələsinin növbəti oyunları keçirilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu gün daha iki oyun baş tutub.

“Şəki” pley-in mərhələsinin ikinci oyununda “Quba” ilə üz-üzə gəlib. Qarşılaşma “Şəki”nin qələbəsi ilə bitib – 120:77. İlk görüşdə də qalib gəlmiş kollektiv (101:89) pley-offa yüksəlib.

Günün ikinci matçında “Sərhədçi” “Naxçıvan”la münasibətlərə aydınlıq gətirib. İlk oyunda naxçıvanlılar qalib gəlmişdilər – 98:87. İkinci qarşılaşma da “Naxçıvan”ın qələbəsi ilə bitib – 93:80. Nəticədə bu komanda pley-offa yüksələn tərəf olub.

Qalan oyunlar aprelin 7-də keçiriləcək. Zərurət yaranacağı halda, əlavə oyunlar aprelin 9-10-da təşkil olunacaq. Bu qarşılaşmalar pley-in mərhələsində qaliblərin müəyyənləşməsi üçün həlledici rol oynayacaq.

Sonda onu da xatırladaq ki, ABL-də yarımfinal seriyaları da 2 qələbəyə qədər davam edəcək. Final seriyasında isə ən tez 3 qələbə qazanacaq komanda Azərbaycan Basketbol Liqasının çempionu olacaq.

“Qarabağ”ın baş məşqçisi Qurban Qurbanov Premyer Liqanın 26-cı turu çərçivəsində “Karvan”a qarşı keçirdikləri oyunu şərh edib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, sözügedən komandların bu gün Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika stadionunda baş tutmuş görüşü Ağdam təmsilçisinin 7:0 hesablı qələbəsi ilə yekunlaşıb.

Qurban Qurbanov oyundan sonra baş tutmuş mətbuat konfransında bunları söyləyib:

“Vacib qələbə qazandıq. Oyunumuzu yaxşılaşdırmaq üçün şans idi. Füzuli Məmmədova və “Karvan”a uğurlar arzu edirəm.

Komandada xatakter olmasa, nəticələr olmazdı. Çünki uğursuz seriyamız olub, sonra geridönüş edə bilmişik. Amma alınmayan vaxtlar da olub. Daxili problemlər olub, futbolçuların çoxu istədiyimiz formada olmayıblar. Futbolçuların potensialı var, təcrübəli komandayıq. Sona kimi çalışırıq ki, qələbə qazanaq. “Sabah” yaxşı balanslaşmış komandadır. “Neftçi”, “Zirə”, “Turan Tovuz” oyunlarını yaxşılaşdırıblar, stabil oyun və nəticə göstərirlər. Hər oyuna hazır olmalıyıq”.

Qurban Qurbanov hazırda ən çox müzakirə olunan məsələlərdən birinə – hakimliyə də toxunub:

“Hakimlər bilmirlər nə qərar versinlər. Bilmirəm tələb çoxdur, yoxsa dünya futbolunda da hansı yeni qaydalar olur. Hakimlər bir az tərəddüd içindədirlər. Məndə də olur, bəzən təcrübəsiz futbolçudan oyunun gedişatında çox şey tələb edirəm. Bəzən görürsən ki, təcrübəsizlik ona mane olur. Birində düz edir, o birində yox. Bir qayda olmalıdır. Futbolun dili birdir, hakimliyin də. Ola bilər tam formalaşmaq lazımdır. Bizim öz hakimlik məktəbimiz olmalıdır. Avropa nə qədər desə də, bizim də öz dəst-xəttimiz, qanunlarımız olmalıdır. Hakimlər sanki bir az təzyiq altındadırlar. Allah köməkləri olsun. Çünki ən çox müzakirə olunan onlardır, basqı onlardadır. Allah işlərini asanlaşdırsın”.

“Karvan”ın baş məşqçisi Füzuli Məmmədov isə matçdan sonra qısa danışıb:

“Oyun haqda çox danışmağa ehtiyac yoxdur. Hər şey bəllidir. Bu gün ağır oyunda acı məğlubiyyət aldıq. “Qarabağ”a qarşıdakı matçlarda uğurlar arzulayıram”.

Human-written content dominates Google’s top rankings, appearing in the No. 1 position 80% of the time versus just 9% for purely AI-generated pages, based on a Semrush analysis of 42,000 blog posts.

The details. Semrush analyzed 20,000 keywords and their top 10 results, classifying content with an AI detector.

• Human-written pages outperformed AI and mixed content across all top 10 positions.
• The gap was widest at Position 1, where human content was 8x more likely to rank.
• AI content appeared more often lower on Page 1, nearly doubling from Positions 1 to 4.

Yes, but. AI detection tools are widely known to be inconsistent and can misclassify human and AI-written content, creating some possible “fuzziness” in these classifications.

Why we care. AI-generated content works, until it doesn’t. Yes, AI can help you rank, but this data suggests human insight still drives the best performance. For competitive queries, originality, expertise, and editorial judgment remain your unfair advantages.

Perception vs. data. 72% of SEOs said AI content performs as well as or better than human content, yet ranking data showed a clear human advantage at the top.

How teams use AI. No surprise, AI is widely adopted and often used in a hybrid approach:

• 87% of teams keep humans heavily involved in content creation.
• 64% use a human-led, AI-assisted workflow.
• AI is most common in research, drafting, and optimization.
• Use drops sharply for multimedia, localization, and higher-judgment tasks.

What’s driving adoption. AI accelerates output, but doesn’t reliably improve it.

• 70% cite faster production as AI’s top benefit.
• Only 19% say it improves content quality.

About the data: The analysis examined 42,000 blog pages from 200,000 URLs tied to 20,000 keywords, using GPTZero to classify content. It also includes a survey of 224 SEO professionals working in content and search.

The study. Does AI content rank well in search? [Survey + Data study]

Erkekler AXA Sigorta Kupa Voley Dörtlü Final'de Galatasaray HDI Sigorta, Fenerbahçe'yi 3-1 mağlup ederek adını finale yazdırdı. Sarı-kırmızılıların finaldeki rakibi Ziraat Bankkart.

Bir efsanenin geri dönüşü her zaman büyük bir hikayedir. Serena Williams için de durum farklı değil: karar henüz netleşmedi, ancak tenis dünyası bu ihtimali dikkatle takip ediyor....

İtalya Serie A'nın 31. haftasında Juventus, sahasında Genoa'yı 2-0 mağlup etti.

Atletico Madrid, Atalanta forması giyen orta saha oyuncusu Ederson için teklifte bulundu.

Türkiye Hentbol Federasyonu, Federasyon Kupası'nda "Sekizli Finaller"in kuraları çekti.

Fenerbahçe'nin tecrübeli oyuncusu Mert Hakan Yandaş, yaşadığı sürecin ardından dikkat çeken ve duygusal ifadeler içeren uzun bir açıklama yayımladı.

“Naxçıvan” Azərbaycan Basketbol Liqasında pley-off mərhələsinə vəsiqə qazanıb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bölgə təmsilçisi pley-in mərhələsinin ikinci oyununda “Sərhədçi” ilə qarşılaşıb.

Oyun “Naxçıvan”ın 93:80 hesablı qələbəsi ilə başa çatıb. İlk görüşdə də qaləbə qazanan komanda (98:87) pley-offa yüksəlib.

 

Misli Premyer Liqasının XXVI turunun “Qarabağ” – “Karvan-Yevlax” oyunundan (7:0) sonra meydan sahiblərinin baş məşqçisi Qurban Qurbanov fikirlərini bölüşüb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis jurnalistlərin suallarını belə cavablandırıb:

– Adətən “Qarabağ” liqada üstün olur və bu qədər xal fərqi ilə geriyə düşmür. Komanda hazırkı vəziyyətə lazımi reaksiyanı verə bilir? 

– Əlbəttə ki, verir. Komandada xarakter olduğu üçün nəticə qazanırıq. Bəzən uğursuz gedişatdan sonra geridönüş edə bilmişik, amma alınmayan zamanlar da olub. Daxili problemlər olub, futbolçuların çoxu istədiyimiz formada olmayıblar. Potensiallı futbolçularımız var, təcrübəli komandayıq. Sona kimi çalışırıq ki, qələbə qazanaq. “Sabah” yaxşı balanslaşmış komandadır. “Neftçi”, “Zirə”, “Turan Tovuz” da oyunlarını inkişaf etdiriblər, stabil oyun göstərir, nəticə qazanırlar. Hər oyuna hazır olmalıyıq. Çalışmalıyıq ki, nəticə vermək üçün düz nədirsə, ondan əl çəkməyək.

– Hakimlik məsələsi çox danışılır. Çempionatın bu vəziyyətinə hakimliyin nə dərəcədə təsiri var? 

– Fikir bildirmək bəlkə, düzgün deyil. Amma ümumən kənardan görünür ki, hakimlər bilmirlər nə qərar versinlər. Bilmirəm, tələb çoxdur, yoxsa dünya futbolunda da hansısa yeni qaydalar olur. Hakimlər bir az tərəddüd içindədirlər. Məndə də olur, bəzən təcrübəsi az olan futbolçudan oyunda çox şey tələb edirəm. Bəzən görürsən ki, təcrübəsizlik ona mane olur. Birində düz edir, o birində yox. Konkret qayda olmalıdır, futbolun da, hakimliyin də dili birdir. Ola bilər ki, tam formalaşmaq lazımdır. Bizim öz hakimlik məktəbimiz olmalıdır. Avropa nə qədər desə də, bizim də özümüzə aid dəst-xəttimiz, qanunlarımız olmalıdır. Hakimlər sanki bir az təzyiq altındadır. Allah köməkləri olsun. Çünki ən çox müzakirə olunan da onlardır. Allah işlərini asanlaşdırsın.

Adil Nəhmətli

Misli Premyer Liqasının XXVI turunun “Qarabağ” – “Karvan-Yevlax” oyunundan (7:0) sonra qonaq komandanın baş məşqçisi Füzuli Məmmədov fikirlərini bölüşüb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis məğlubiyyəti belə şərh edib:

“Oyun haqqında çox danışmağa ehtiyac yoxdur, hər şey göz önündədir. Komandamız bu gün ağır məğlubiyyət aldı, “Qarabağ”ı təbrik edir, qarşıdakı oyunlarda onlara uğurlar arzulayıram”.

Adil Nəhmətli

Futbol üzrə Azərbaycan II Liqasında XXI tura start verilib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu gün iki görüş keçirilib.

“Ağdaş” səfərdə “Göygöl”ü məğlub edib, “Araz Saatlı” isə evdə “Ağstafa Gəncləri”nə böyük hesabla qalib gəlib.

 

II Liqa, XXI tur

6 aprel

 

“Göygöl” – “Ağdaş” 0:2

Qollar: E.Süleymanov, 18, 39

 

“Araz Saatlı” – “Ağstafa Gəncləri” 7:1

Qollar: X.Bədirov, 30, 90, R.Rüstəmov, 48, M.Məsimov, 54, 68, N.Səmədov, 75, E.Xəlilli, 77

Juventus closed to within a point of Como in fourth place with a 2-0 victory over Genoa, as Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie scored, substitute Michele Di Gregorio saving a penalty.

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The Bianconeri were feeling the pressure after a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo left them in joint fifth place, although Como’s draw in Udine gave them the opportunity to close the gap on fourth. While they finally had a full squad to choose from, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik were only ready for the bench. Genoa missed Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Maxwel Cornet and Benjamin Siegrist after a run of three wins in four games was ended by a home defeat to Udinese. It was a touchline reunion for Luciano Spalletti and his former Roma player Daniele De Rossi.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took just four minutes to break the deadlock, as after the first Gleison Bremer header was charged down, Khephren Thuram and Lloyd Kelly knocked it back into the box for another Bremer header, this one wrong-footing Justin Bijlow with a deflection off Johan Vasquez.

Thuram flashed just wide and Ruslan Malinovskyi’s powerful free kick was deflected for a corner, but Juventus added a second with a well-worked move.

Weston McKennie started it in the centre-circle sending Francisco Conceicao down the right, continued his run and was ready to sweep home the return pass from 12 yards off the inside of the right boot.

However, McKennie was booked soon after for a clumsy sliding tackle on Vasquez and will be suspended for the big match with Atalanta.

Kenan Yildiz had a couple of weak efforts straight at Bijlow, but McKennie wasted an astonishing chance on the stroke of half-time.

Conceicao’s cross to the far post was acrobatically knocked back at the by-line by Kenan Yildiz, but McKennie somehow turned over from point-blank range.

Moments later, Conceicao went for goal himself, an angled drive flashing across the face of goal to skim the back stick.

Michele Di Gregorio came on for the second half, as Mattia Perin sustained a slight calf issue.

Juve continued to pour forward, as first McKennie was sliding in unable to fully meet the Thuram knockdown in a free kick routine, then moments later Jonathan David’s screamer from the edge of the area thumped the inside of the far post.

Tommaso Baldanzi fired straight at Di Gregorio, while the Vasquez strike was charged down, along with a Vitinha volley from a corner.

Vlahovic was getting ready to come on when he felt a calf twinge in the warm-up, so Milik was introduced instead.

Bremer brought down Aaron Martin for a yellow card, but VAR confirmed the contact was on the line, which is part of the penalty area. Martin stepped up, but Di Gregorio marked his unexpected return with a huge double save, first on the Martin spot-kick, then the follow-up volley too. It means Genoa have failed to convert four of their eight Serie A penalties this season, with four different players missing.

Baldanzi made a big difference since coming on for Genoa and was brought down by Thuram this time inches outside the box.

Arkadiusz Milik spotted Bijlow off his line and attempted an audacious lob from the centre-circle, which the Genoa goalkeeper scrambled back to claw away.

Juventus 2-0 Genoa

Bremer 4 (J), McKennie 17 (J)

Saved penalty: Martin 75 (G)

It’s a huge Scudetto battle between third and second, as Napoli lose Rasmus Hojlund, so Giovane, Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay start, while Milan revamp with Niclas Fullkrug, Christopher Nkunku and Luka Modric.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a decisive crossroads in the campaign, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season.

Napoli are still missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara, with Lukaku frozen out of the squad as punishment for refusing to return early from international duty, seeking instead to continue treatment in Belgium.

The situation took a totally unexpected turn today when Hojlund came down with a stomach bug and fever, so he is not even fit for the bench, having started the last 29 games in a row.

Antonio Conte can finally start De Bruyne, McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa together after their injury problems.

They need to provide support for makeshift centre-forward Giovane, who joined from Verona in January.

Miguel Gutierrez is preferred to Matteo Politano, who struggled for Italy in the World Cup play-offs, as Napoli seek a fifth straight Serie A victory.

Milan have quite a few problems to deal with after the hard-fought 3-2 win over Torino, because Rafael Leao is still not fully fit after a hip inflammation, while Christian Pulisic returned fatigued from international duty with the USMNT.

With that in mind, Max Allegri launches a brand new front pairing of Fullkrug and Nkunku, neither of them entirely accustomed to starting, let alone together.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the bench for the first time since suffering facial fractures in a collision with the Parma goalkeeper in February, so only Matteo Gabbia remains out of action entirely.

Davide Bartesaghi is chosen ahead of Pervis Estupinan, with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.

These teams have already met twice this season, as Milan won 2-1 at San Siro in Serie A in September, then Napoli sealed a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on December 12.

Napoli vs. Milan official line-ups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Juan Jesus, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gutierrez, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Giovane

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Fullkrug, Nkunku

Juventus had dropped Michele Di Gregorio as their first choice goalkeeper, but he replaced Mattia Perin at half-time in today’s game with Genoa.

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You can follow all the action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Juventus forced into goalkeeper change

The Bianconeri have seemingly changed their hierarchy of goalkeepers due to recent form, as coach Luciano Spalletti had started out picking Di Gregorio, but switched to Perin after a series of errors.

The former Monza man was benched for six games in a row between Serie A and the Champions League, not featuring since the 2-0 home defeat to Como on February 21.

He was also on the touchline for this evening’s Week 31 fixture against Genoa, but surprisingly came on for the second half.

Sky Sport Italia report this is because Perin felt a twinge in his calf muscle and it was decided not to risk further damage, so Di Gregorio came on in his place during the break.

Crysencio Summerville has been linked with a move away from West Ham United at the end of the season.

The London club is currently struggling for safety in the Premier League, and it remains to be seen whether they can survive in the top flight.

According to a report from TuttoAtalanta, multiple Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on his situation, and they could look to make a move for him in the summer. Tottenham, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, and Everton are all keen on securing his signature. The player could cost around €30 million, and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.

Tottenham need more quality on the flank, and the Dutch attacker could be a useful acquisition. He is well settled in English football, and he could make an immediate impact. The opportunity to join Spurs will be exciting for him. Summerville has 11 goal contributions this season.

However, Tottenham are fighting for survival as well. They have had a disastrous season, and it remains to be seen whether they can stay up.

They will need to improve the attacking unit in the summer, and investing in Summerville could be a wise decision. The 24-year-old will want to compete at a high level and fight for trophies. Even though Tottenham are struggling right now, they have quality players at their disposal and have brought in a quality manager like Roberto De Zerbi. There is no reason why they cannot bounce back strongly next season and compete towards the top end of the table.

They have the resources to pay the asking price as well. The Netherlands international could justify the investment and help them improve going forward.

The post Tottenham join five-way tussle for €30 million-rated Dutch International appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool and Chelsea continue to be linked with Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig.

The 19-year-old has been excellent in the Bundesliga, and he is on the radar of multiple clubs this summer. Spanish Champions Barcelona are also monitoring his situation. It remains to be seen whether they decide to make an approach for him in the summer.

According to a report from SPORT via SportWitness, the player could cost around €70 million. The two Premier League clubs are prepared to offer over €60 million to get the deal done, and it remains to be seen whether Barcelona can match that. The report claims that Barcelona are facing financial constraints and will only be able to afford the 19-year-old African winger if they sell any of their existing attackers.

Financially, the Premier League clubs are clearly well placed to get the deal done, and it remains to be seen where Diomande ends up. He is a young player with a lot of potential, and he could develop into a star in future.

The move to the Premier League could be the ideal next step in his career. He has shown his quality in the Bundesliga, and he has the technical attributes to make an immediate impact in England as well.

Liverpool and Chelsea need more pace and unpredictability in the final third. The 19-year-old could be the ideal investment for them. He has 19 goal contributions this season, and he will only improve with coaching and experience.

The 19-year-old has previously admitted that he would love to play for Liverpool in future. He is a boyhood Liverpool fan, and his father dreams of watching him play for the Premier League champions. The Reds might have an advantage in the race for his signature.

The post Liverpool and Chelsea ready to pay over €60m Barcelona target who idolises the Reds appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are looking to strengthen their defensive units in the summer, and they have identified the Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic as a target.

The defender has impressed with his performances in Italy with Sassuolo, and he could prove to be a quality addition for the two English clubs. According to reports via SportWitness, the player could cost around €30 million.

The Italian club signed him for €5 million and is now looking to make a substantial profit. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League club will come forward with an official offer to get the deal done.

Tottenham could use more quality in depth in the defensive unit. Cristian Romero has been linked with a move away from the club, and they need to replace him properly. Muharemovic could be a quality long-term investment for them. The opportunity to join the Premier League club will be exciting for the 23-year-old as well. He is a young player with a lot of promise, and they could groom him into a future star.

On the other hand, Aston Villa need a quality long-term replacement for Tyrone Mings.

They are pushing for Champions League qualification in the upcoming campaign, and they could be an attractive destination for the young defender.

It will be interesting to see which of the two clubs comes forward with an official offer to design the player. They have the resources to pay €30 million for him, and the young defender might be able to justify the investment in future.

Muharemovic has the physicality and technical attributes for English football, and he will look to establish himself as a reliable defender in the Premier League if a transfer goes through.

The post Tottenham and Aston Villa lineup move for 23-year-old defender, club set for 6x profit appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The University of North Carolina reportedly intends to hire former Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone as its next men's basketball coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

This story will continue to be updated.

Player Red Sox Traded Away For Caleb Durbin Is Off To Great Start With Brewers originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox traded for Caleb Durbin this offseason, and one of the players they traded away is off to a great start.

Durbin was the centerpiece in a six-player deal between the Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox gave up left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton for Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. Harrison was acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, but he only appeared in three games for the Red Sox.

Harrison made 12 minor league starts for the Red Sox as well. He had a 3.75 ERA with Triple-A Worcester and a 3.00 ERA with the Red Sox. He has a great fastball, and on the Brewers, he has looked like a star. Through two starts, he has 14 strikeouts and has allowed just three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings of work.

His strikeout rate is the highest it has been in the big leagues, and part of that is due to the changes the Brewers have made with his delivery. He has issued three walks, but overall looks much different than he did with the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox organizations.

Meanwhile, Durbin has gotten off to a very slow start. He is 2-for-28 to start the season, and right now it looks like the Red Sox are on the wrong end of this trade. However, there is plenty of season to go, and Durbin could start to heat up and look more like the player he was last season.

Harrison is not scheduled to pitch when the Brewers come to town on Monday, but this could be a great opportunity for Durbin to turn things on. What better team to do it against than the team that shipped him off?

More MLB: Alex Cora Doesn't Commit To Lineup Spot For Slumping Red Sox Star

The 2026 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away and the New England Patriots continue the process of finishing their board. Things will look quite different for the team this draft picking 31st overall after back-to-back years selecting in the top-five. While Drake Maye is a big reason in that, New England is expected to add a developmental quarterback behind the 23-year-old at some point during the draft weekend.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at some of the prospects that might make sense for the Patriots at the position.

Patriots’ current quarterback situation

The aforementioned Drake Maye has established himself as the team’s franchise quarterback after a season in which he finished as the MVP runner-up while being named a second-team All-Pro. Maye’s development both on and off the field allowed the team to part with veteran backup Joshua Dobbs this offseason, which promotes Tommy DeVito into the primary backup position.

With just Maye and DeVito on the depth chart, the team will add a third quarterback this offseason — likely late on Day 3 or as an undrafted free agent

“We need a third arm. And we’ll try to find a young guy that we can develop,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “We’ll potentially add to the roster, whether that’s on the 53-man roster or practice squad.”

Patriots NFL Draft fits at quarterback

Sawyer Robertson (Baylor): The fifth-year senior is coming off a season in which he finished fifth in the FBS with 31 passing touchdowns and sixth with 3,681 passing yards. Robertson has good size to succeed in the pocket and is a strong athlete at the position to extend plays and pick up yards as a scrambler. His accuracy will need to improve but he may have the best developmental upside on Day 3 of the draft. | Consensus ranking: 212

Haynes King (Georgia Tech): After starting his career at Texas A&M, King spent the last three seasons at Georgia Tech where he was a three-time captain and earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year last season. The 25-year old rookie will have work to do as a passer but is a threat as a runner due to his speed (4.46-second 40-yard dash) and toughness. He can pick up dirty yards and finished his collegiate career with 37 rushing touchdowns. New England showed some interest in King at his Pro Day. | Consensus ranking: 292

Taylor Green (Arkansas): Speaking of athletes, it’s almost impossible to find a better one than Green at the quarterback position. His game is built around his athleticism as he posted one of the fastest ever 40 times for a quarterback (4.36) while breaking the positional record with a 43.5” vertical. That ability shows as he recorded over 2,000 career rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, but that ability and urge to escape out the back of the pocket often leads to sacks while accuracy and turnover issues will need to be corrected. | Consensus ranking: 153

Carson Beck (Miami): Once viewed as a top overall prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, Beck had a disappointing 2024 campaign for the Georgia Bulldogs that ended with a UCL injury in his elbow requiring surgery. Beck then transferred to Miami and helped lead the Hurricanes to the National Championship behind a career-high 30 touchdowns, but again struggled with turnovers —throwing 12 interceptions in each of his last two seasons while. He lacks top physical traits but his size and accuracy make him an intriguing depth option. | Consensus ranking: 115

Jack Strand (Minnesota State Moorhead): A largely unknown prospect in this year’s QB class coming from Division II, Strand fits the bill of a developmental quarterback. He stands 6-foot-5, 240 pounds and has a lively arm, good athletic ability, and leaves the NSIC holding career records in pass completions (1,147), passing yards (12,134) and passing touchdowns (115). The jump in competition will be major for the engineering physics major, but Strand has plenty of enticing tools. | Consensus ranking: N/A

In addition to those players, other names to watch include: Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Joe Fagnano (Connecticut), Brady Olson (Central Connecticut State), and Cole Payton (North Dakota State).

Things might end up looking a lot different to the Cowboys offense when they line up twice this year against the defense of one of their divisional rivals.

The New York Giants could find themselves without three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, as the seven-year veteran and former first-round draft pick has reportedly requested a trade, per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

"Lawrence and the Giants have been through two offseasons attempting to negotiate a contract reflecting his value to the Giants over the last three years," Schefter wrote in an X post Monday, "but there has not been any progress, per sources."

ESPN sources: Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade and he will not be participating in the team’s off-season workout program that opens Tuesday.

Lawrence and the Giants have been through two off seasons attempting to negotiate a contract… pic.twitter.com/WUSTNxmeGh

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 6, 2026

Lawrence, 28, will reportedly not participate in the Giants' offseason workout program, which begins Tuesday.

The 2026 season will be the Giants' first under new head coach John Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Now it appears they will kick off their offseason preps without the 102-game starter who has anchored Big Blue's defensive line since coming out of Clemson in 2019.

"He's super, super important," Harbaugh said of Lawrence as recently as February. "He's a cornerstone football player -- not really a cornerstone, more like the middle stone. He's right in the middle. He's a very big stone, and he's a very active, athletic one."

Lawrence's Giants teams have not fared well versus the Cowboys, posting just a 2-14 mark in head-to-head meetings since he joined the roster. But in those 16 games, Lawrence has posted 44 tackles and nine QB hits.

The 6-foot-4-inch 340-pounder should command plenty of attention in the pre-draft trade market, but Dak Prescott and the Cowboys likely wouldn't be all that sorry to see Lawrence leave the division.

Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys rival could lose DT Dexter Lawrence after late trade request

During my tenure at Pinstripe Alley—hell, during my entire time as a baseball fan—I’ve never been shy about delving into the team’s history and exploring the lives of its long roll call of players, both incredible and regrettable. We provide plenty of other coverage on the current-day activities of the teams, so I like having one spot per day on the schedule to open the ol’ books and tell a story.

Whether it’s remembering championship teams, Top 100 players, or notable free agent signings, there’s always something out there to explore. For the pastthreeyears, we’ve celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1998-2000 Yankees dynasty by doing a diary on all their regular season and playoff activity. The final pages were written this past October, so it’s time for a new daily project.

With that in mind, we’ll ring in the new year by beginning the Yankees Birthdays series. Every day in 2026, we’ll have a new Yankees figure to discuss whose birthday happened to fall on that day. Some days will feature far more famous stars than others! But that just adds to the challenge and our interest in the exercise. As a spoiler for today, that’s exactly what you’ll see soon for January 1st.

Happy new year and happy 365 days of Yankees birthdays!

---

January 1: Charlie Devens
January 2: David Cone
January 3: Luis Sojo
January 4: George Selkirk
January 5: Art Fletcher
January 6: Don Gullett
January 7: Alfonso Soriano
January 8: Jason Giambi
January 9: Ralph Terry
January 10: Del Pratt
January 11: Loren Babe
January 12: Iván Nova
January 13: Darrell Rasner
January 14: Chet Brewer
January 15: Matt Holliday
January 16: Jack McDowell
January 17: Chili Davis
January 18: Michael Pineda
January 19: Fernando Seguignol
January 20: Kevin Maas
January 21: Andy Hawkins
January 22: Brian Dayett
January 23: Johnny Sturm
January 24: Neil Allen
January 25: Les Nunamaker
January 26: Brian Doyle
January 27: Fred Heimach
January 28: Lyn Lary
January 29: John Habyan
January 30: Hipólito Peña
January 31: Duke Maas

February 1: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
February 2:George Halas
February 3: Chicken Hawks
February 4: Lefty Davis
February 5: Roger Peckinpaugh
February 6: Babe Ruth
February 7: Dámaso García
February 8: Fritz Peterson
February 9: Clete Boyer
February 10: Allie Reynolds
February 11: César Cabral
February 12: Todd Frazier
February 13: Nathan Eovaldi
February 14: Dámaso Marte
February 15: Russell Martin
February 16: Barry Foote
February 17: Wally Pipp
February 18: Joe Gordon
February 19: Chris Stewart
February 20: Tommy Henrich
February 21: Oscar Azócar
February 22: Ryne Duren
February 23: Elston Howard
February 24: Mike Lowell
February 25: Paul O’Neill
February 26: Johnny Blanchard
February 27: Ron Hassey
February 28: Bill Holland

March 1: Oswaldo Cabrera
March 2: Miguel Andujar
March 3: Willie Keeler
March 4: Lefty O’Doul
March 5: Doug Bird
March 6: Francisco Cervelli
March 7: Mike Armstrong
March 8: Jim Bouton
March 9: Aaron Boone
March 10: Steve Howe
March 11: Bobby Abreu
March 12: Darryl Strawberry
March 13: Home Run Baker
March 14: Butch Wynegar
March 15: Mike Pagliarulo
March 16: Curtis Granderson
March 17: Tim Lollar
March 18: Brian Fisher
March 19: Fritz Brickell
March 20: Paul Mirabella
March 21: Frankie Montas
March 22: Rich Monteleone
March 23:Dellin Betances
March 24: Ernie Shore
March 25: Lee Mazzilli
March 26:José Vizcaíno
March 27: Miller Huggins
March 28: Vic Raschi
March 29: Herb McQuaid
March 30: Dick Woodson
March 31: Chien-Ming Wang

April 1: Phil Niekro
April 2: Jon Lieber
April 3: Art Ditmar
April 4: Cameron Maybin
April 5: Wid Conroy
April 6: Ken Clay

To say that Dexter Lawrence’s career has been wasted up to this point would be a massive understatement. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro has been with the New York Giants since 2019, languishing for seven long years in an organization that has been constantly rebuilding, now on its fourth coach since Lawrence was drafted.

It’s not wholly surprising that Lawrence is demanding a trade, but the timing is bizarre. This is the first time Lawrence has had a competitive team that could actually win — and now with John Harbaugh at coach, the Giants look actually poised to do something. However, this could be attributed to Lawrence routinely being in trade discussions with contenders, only to see them fall apart at the deadline, coupled with the sides not being able to agree on a new contract.

Lawrence is currently on a rookie extension he signed in 2023, which is set to run through 2027. He has a cap hit of $27M this season, though it’s probable he would sign a contract extension with a new team, which could reduce his cap number. Let’s look at the teams who could afford this move, and who needs an All-Pro defensive tackle.

Los Angeles Chargers

From one Harbaugh to another, Dexter Lawrence would be an ideal fit to anchor the Chargers defensive line in their 3-4. Right now the team is hoping that short-term free agent pickup Dalvin Tomlinson can hold the middle, and he was atrocious in 2025, rating as one of the worst tackles in the league at the position.

The Chargers have the cap space and the need to add some superstar talent, which is where Lawrence fits in. He can open up pass rush lanes on the edge for Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, while adding a much-needed veteran presence.

New England Patriots

The Pats showed how talented they were last season, but we saw in the Super Bowl how a lack of interior pressure hurt them when everything mattered the most. Lawrence would give Mike Vrabel the interior force he needs, and a critical veteran to bring up some of New England’s younger talent.

There’s a very good chance that the Pats could be holding their cap space for a potential A.J. Brown trade to bolster the offense, but they might actually be better suited by trying to get Lawrence to complement the already excellent Patriots pass defense.

Seattle Seahawks

Let’s make 31 other teams groan. There aren’t a lot of weaknesses on the Seahawks, but one of them is nose tackle. Jarran Reed is fine, but there’s nothing really impressive about him and adding a pop in the middle like Lawrence would make an already terrifying Seahawks’ defense into an all-consuming black hole.

They won a Super Bowl, so now it’s time to try and turn this into a dynasty by giving them one of the best 3-4 nose tackles in the NFL.

The UFC is back in sunny South Florida this week, home base for hundreds of fighters. 

Here's how to watch UFC 327, where the vacant light heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 327 has a main card that streams at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+. The prelims stream on Paramount+ at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for additional broadcast details later this week.

Main event: Jiri Prochazka

• Record: 32-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC
• Opponent: Carlos Ulberg (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC)
• Division: Light heavyweight
• Key wins: Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, Aleksandar Rakic, Glover Teixeira, Dominick Reyes, Volkan Oezdemir 
• Misc.: Prochazka won the light heavyweight title nearly four years ago with a dramatic fifth-round submission of Glover Teixeira, but he had to vacate the belt before he could defend it due to an injury. He lost to Alex Pereira for the vacant title fight in 2023, but bounced back against Rakic. But in a title rematch with Pereira in 2024, he was knocked out again in the second round. Now that Pereira and his kryptonite have gone to heavyweight, Prochazka has a shot at the belt without the tough Brazilian in the way.

Main event: Carlos Ulberg

• Record: 13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC
• Opponent: Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
• Division: Light heavyweight
• Key wins: Dominick Reyes, Jan Blachowicz, Volkan Oezdemir, Alonzo Menifield, Da Woon Jung, Ihor Potieria
• Misc.: The 34-year-old New Zealander lost his promotional debut in 2021, but since then has rattled off nine straight wins – including consecutive decisions over former title challenger Oezdemir and ex-champ Blachowicz, as well as a bonus-winning first-round knockout of ex-title challenger Dominick Reyes in his first UFC main event. 

Co-main event: Paulo Costa

• Record: 15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC
• Opponent: Azamat Murzakanov (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
• Division: Light heavyweight
• Key wins: Roman Kopylov, Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Uriah Hall, Johny Hendricks
• Misc.: After a rough stretch of four losses in five fights starting with a middleweight title loss to Israel Adesanya in September 2020, Costa got back on track this past July with a decision over Kopylov. He had to pull out of a fight with Brunno Ferreira set for March, but now is back – and up 20 pounds at light heavyweight.

Co-main event: Azamat Murzakanov

• Record: 16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC
• Opponent: Paulo Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
• Division: Light heavyweight
• Key wins: Aleksandar Rakic, Brendson Ribeiro, Alonzo Menifield, Dustin Jacoby, Devin Clark
• Misc.: The unbeaten 36-year-old Russian had back-to-back first-round knockout wins in 2025, giving him six finishes in his seven UFC appearances, if his DWCS first-round contract-winning KO is included from 2021. 

UFC 327 lineup

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 9 p.m. ET)

• Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg – for vacant light heavyweight title
• Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit
• Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker
• Nate Landwehr vs. Cub Swanson

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount, 7 p.m. ET)

• Patricio Freire vs. Aaron Pico
• Randy Brown vs. Kevin Holland
• Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics
• Loopy Godinez vs. Tatiana Suarez

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

• MarQuel Mederos vs. Chris Padilla
• Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque
• Francisco Prado vs. Charles Radtke

UFC 327 main card betting odds

• Prochazka -125, Ulberg -100
• Costa +150, Murzakanov -185
• Blaydes -150, Hokit +120
• Reyes -100, Walker -125
• Landwehr -140, Swanson +110

UFC 327 preliminary card betting odds

• Pat -115, Petersen -105
• Costa -400, Nicoll +310
• Flowers +180, Vannata -220
• Cowan -125, Pereira +105
• Bekoev -190, Gore +160
• Barbosa -150, Gatto +125

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 327: How to watch Prochazka vs. Ulberg, Miami lineup, odds, more

The news just keeps coming on prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft who will be visiting the Green Bay Packers. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is working hard on the beat today, reporting a third visitor of the day to bring the total number of reported visitors up to 10 out of the maximum 30.

The latest name is another likely late-round or undrafted prospect, but one who comes with an impressive array of physical tools as well as big production in a Group of Five conference. The player is linebacker Jaden Dugger out of the University of Louisiana, and his RAS card is practically one giant green flag.

Dugger is an imposing physical figure at the linebacker position. He measured in at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds at his Pro Day then put up excellent numbers in every movement drill available; his workout reportedly included times of 4.60 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 7.00 seconds in the 3-cone to go with a broad jump of 10-foot-6, all of which are excellent numbers for his position. Dugger also measured in with whopping 35 inch arms, making him one of the longest linebacker prospects in this year’s draft.

Although he was not invited to this year’s Scouting Combine, Dugger participated in the Shrine Bowl where, according to APC’s Tyler Brooke, his impressive size and length stood out more than his on-field performance.

The Pittsburgh native originally enrolled at Georgetown University at the FCS level before he transferred to Louisiana prior to the 2024 season. Dugger started just three games in his first year in Lafayette but moved into the lineup full-time as a senior. The 2025 season was a strong one for Dugger on a statistical perspective, however, as he led the Sun Belt conference in solo tackles with 64. He also added 13 total tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. One of his best games came against Louisiana’s biggest competition as well — he recorded 11 total tackles, including two TFLs and a sack in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ game against SEC foe Missouri in mid-September.

Ranked 311th on the consensus draft board at present, Dugger is likely to be a priority free agent signing after the 2026 NFL Draft concludes. Still, his size and athletic ability may make him an early candidate for special teams snaps while learning the ropes of the linebacker position. His frame could also make him a viable a candidate to bulk up with the intent of to eventually moving to an edge rusher position instead.

Arsenal Injury Update Ahead of Sporting Clash

Arsenal’s FA Cup exit has done more than dent silverware ambitions, it has sharpened focus on a growing injury list that could shape the club’s European hopes. As preparations continue for the Champions League quarter final first leg against Sporting CP, attention centres on key names such as Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Mikel Arteta finds himself balancing recovery timelines with the urgency of a defining week.

Gabriel Concern Offers Mixed Signals

Gabriel’s situation captures the current mood around Arsenal, cautiously optimistic yet far from certain. Having withdrawn from Brazil duty earlier in the international break, the defender returned to start against Southampton. His influence was evident, even if indirectly tied to Viktor Gyokeres’ equaliser.

However, his afternoon ended early with what appeared to be a left knee issue. The sight of him departing after 72 minutes raised immediate concern. Encouragingly, he was back in training on Monday, suggesting the problem may not be severe. Availability for Sporting remains a realistic possibility, though far from guaranteed.

Photo IMAGO

Bukayo Saka Fitness Question Continues

For Bukayo Saka, the situation feels more measured. The winger stepped away from England duty with workload management in mind, a decision that speaks volumes about his importance to Arsenal’s season.

He was absent against Southampton and did not train ahead of the Sporting fixture. That absence points towards a cautious approach from the club. Arteta hinted before the weekend that Saka was close to involvement, yet not quite ready.

The expectation is that Arsenal will not rush him back, particularly with a demanding schedule ahead. His potential return may be better aligned with the following fixture rather than immediate European action.

Declan Rice Balancing Fitness and Fatigue

Declan Rice finds himself in a similar position. After returning for “medical assessment” following England duty, his condition highlights the physical toll of a relentless campaign.

Arteta offered a revealing insight into Rice’s mindset, saying, “He is just now on the edge, where he thinks, ‘Does this make sense, what I’m doing here, to push through with 70 per cent [fitness] and push myself and push myself?’ And the same with Bukayo.”

That quote underlines a broader theme at Arsenal, managing elite players who are operating close to their physical limits. Rice could feature against Sporting, though it may depend on how much risk Arteta is willing to take.

Photo IMAGO

Defensive Depth Tested by Timber Absence

Jurrien Timber’s absence continues to test Arsenal’s defensive options. The Dutch defender has not featured since the win over Everton and remains sidelined with an ankle issue.

Despite earlier optimism, his lack of involvement in training suggests Lisbon will come too soon. Arsenal will need to reshuffle accordingly, placing further emphasis on those available.

Elsewhere, Leandro Trossard and others remain uncertain, while longer term concerns such as Mikel Merino add another layer of complexity to squad planning.

Arsenal Facing Defining Selection Decisions

This is where seasons often tilt. Arsenal must weigh short term necessity against long term risk, particularly with players like Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice central to both domestic and European ambitions.

Arteta’s approach so far suggests caution over haste. Whether that proves decisive will become clearer under the lights in Lisbon.

Manchester City assistant coach Pep Lijnders has confirmed that captain Bernardo Silva will leave the club at the end of the season.

The Portuguese has been a key player for the Cityzens since joining from Monaco in 2017, winning six Premier League and one Champions League titles.

Silva has been linked with a move to the MLS, while Juventus also have interest in him.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano, via his YouTube channel, now claims that Silva will be open to joining Barcelona.

He said: “Barcelona wanted Bernardo Silva a few years ago, but were unable to complete the deal. I understand that the prospect of living in Spain would be very attractive to Silva.

“Bernardo would be open to joining Barcelona, but it depends on the club’s priorities.”

Barcelona are unlikely to sign Silva

Barcelona have sufficient depth in midfield and are unlikely to pursue a move for Silva.

Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez have impressed in attacking midfield— Silva’s preferred position — while Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Marc Bernal, and Marc Casado provide quality options centrally.

Gavi is also expected to strengthen the midfield when he fully recovers.

Silva could also demand a substantial salary which may affect Barcelona’s pursuit of other top targets, such as Alessandro Bastoni and Julian Alvarez.

A move for Juventus is more plausible if the Portugal international wants to keep playing at the highest level of European football.

The Italian giants are preparing for a major squad overhaul, which will allow them to sign Silva.

The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of a full-scale rebuild. With a new coaching staff, plenty of free agency moves, and the 2026 NFL Draft right around the corner, Nashville has been abuzz with everything that Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh are doing.

While many analysts try to predict who the Titans will select with the No. 4 overall pick, the remainder of the draft isn't quite as clear. We ultimately won't know what the Titans are going to do until the draft actually happens. The draft is unpredictable, which is why 104.7 The Fan is hosting its fourth-annual installment of The Install with Greg Cosell.

This is a live taping event held at the Hutton Hotel in downtown Nashville, featuring longtime NFL analyst, NFL Films senior producer, and ESPN’s NFL Matchup executive producer Greg Cosell.

Cosell will provide in-depth breakdowns of the Titans' free agency moves and draft class, deep-diving into film and what Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh's process was. There will be special guest appearances and detailed conversations on Titans' storylines and broader NFL trends in this unique event you won't find anywhere else.

The live event is scheduled for May 1 at 7:00 p.m. CST, and tickets went on sale on April 1.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Live one-of-a-kind Titans draft show announced

NFL Reporter Left Owners Meetings With Confident A.J. Brown-Patriots Prediction originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

One NFL reporter is more confident than ever about the possibility of the Patriots landing A.J. Brown.

Tennessee Titans reporter Easton Freeze, who works for A to Z Sports, left last week's NFL owners meetings convinced New England eventually will trade for Brown. Of course, numerous offseason rumors have identified the Patriots as the clear favorites to trade for the Philadelphia Eagles receiver.

"One thing I'll be leaving the owners meetings way too sure of: A.J. Brown will wear a Patriots jersey this fall," Freeze wrote in an X post.

One thing I’ll be leaving the owners meetings way too sure of: AJ Brown will wear a Patriots jersey this fall.

— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) March 31, 2026

Freeze didn't elaborate further, but it's fair to assume he made his prediction after speaking with sources at the meetings. Regardless, his post added more fuel to an ever-growing fire.

Whether Brown is traded to the Patriots remains to be seen. However, at this juncture, it's hard to envision him returning to the Eagles for another season, as all signs point toward both sides wanting to move on.

Though undeniably on the decline, Brown remains a true No. 1 receiver. The 28-year-old posted 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games last season. Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion.

More NFL: Stefon Diggs Reunion? Patriots Exec Apparently Still Isn't Ruling It Out

Mavericks reveal exact details of Kobe Bryant trade offer they made Lakers in 2007 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban revealed the exact details of the Kobe Bryant trade offer they made to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. 

In a recent appearance on the Club 520 podcast, Cuban revealed that the Mavericks were set to trade for Bryant in exchange for two first-round picks, Josh Howard and Jason Terry. 

“It was 2007, Kobe was ready to get out," Cuban said. "And I was on Dancing with the Stars. Google me. I didn’t win. There was a dude named Elvis who was a production assistant, right? And he was just Kobe love everything. I’m between breaks, I’d be like, Elvis, I need a quiet spot. And I would talk to Rob Pelinka, his agent at the time, and he’s like, “Okay, if you can get Dr. Buss to approve. And I talk to Dr. Buss and he was ready to do it. And it was like two first, Josh Howard and Jason Terry for Kobe. And I thought, “Okay, this is done. And I told Elvis, “This is done.” And I went to practice on my jive or whatever. And then we got a call from Rob that Mitch Kupchak, right? Had talked Kobe out of it. That close. And I was telling Dirk the whole time. He goes, “You can trade me. I would trade me for Kobe, too. And I’m like no Dirk the whole point is y’all two.”

Mark  Cuban Nearly Landed Kobe Bryant Before Lakers’ Dynasty Took Off

Bryant had expressed frustation withthe Lakers organization at the time and demanded a trade out of Los Angeles. He was adamant on a trade, and no team was closer to trading for the Black Mamba than Cuban and the Mavericks.

However, the late great Dr. Jerry Buss and then Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak ultimately convinced Bryant to give the Lakers another chance. 

A season later, Bryant led the Lakers to the NBA Finals appearance and eventually led L.A. to back-to-back titles. 

As for the Mavericks, they won their lone championship in 2011. In the playoffs that season, they defeated Bryant and the Lakers in the second round of that Finals run, sweeping them in the process. 

PHILADELPHIA -- There is no doubt that the Philadelphia 76ers have one of the more talented rosters in the league. Led by Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George all now healthy and building chemistry down the stretch of the season, there is a sense that the Sixers can make some serious noise in the playoffs.

At the moment, the Sixers are fighting to stay in the top 6 in the East so they can avoid the play-in tournament and have the week off, but wherever Philadelphia ends up, it will have a great chance at pulling off an upset thanks to the talent it possesses.

Not only does Philadelphia have a strong starting 5 on paper, but there is some scoring depth off the bench with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes providing a spark and Dominick Barlow doing whatever it takes to help a team win.

:I feel like we’re scary," said Grimes. "We’re pretty deep at every position. We have a lot of talented, talented guys. So, I feel like whoever comes in the game, there’s really no drop off where there’s a sub for anybody in the starting unit or whoever comes in. I feel like in the playoffs, I really wouldn’t wanna see us. We’ll try to get that 6 seed and not be in the play-in."

After being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks at the 2025 deadline, Grimes is playing meaningful basketball for the first time since he made the playoffs with the New York Knicks in 2023. The 5-year guard, obviously, joined the Sixers at a tough time when considering all of the injuries that decimated the roster in the previous season so this is a big difference for him.

"It feels great," Grimes stated. "It’s what you kinda work the whole summer for, the whole training camp, and then early on in the season. Just building up that chemistry, that intensity for when you get to these games, that there’s no drop off. There’s nothing new about it, so right now, the intensity is at a super high level the last couple two, three games so it’s been good to see. Gotta keep carrying it over."

When considering all that he and the Sixers went through in 2024-25, it is a satisfying feeling that they have been able to turn things around.

"For sure," he finished. "Just with all the expectations that people have and knowing how loaded we are as a team. We have a lot of guys that can do a lot of things on the court so it’s good to see everybody slowly getting that groove and kinda slowly get in that trying to be peaking come playoff time."

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Quentin Grimes issues confident statement about 76ers' playoff chances

What does history say about Islanders, Golden Knights late-season coaching change? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For most of the NHL’s 2025-26 regular season, the coaching carousel was slow, almost too slow. As we approached the end of March, it was looking like we might get through a full season with just the one coaching change. 

But in a span of only eight days beginning on March 29, we’ve had two coaches fired, with the Vegas Golden Knights first firing Bruce Cassidy and hiring journeyman coach John Tortorella – then, on Sunday afternoon, the New York Islanders pink-slipped Patrick Roy, replacing him with former Dallas Stars bench boss Peter DeBoer.

Although there is a history of NHL GMs making late-season coaching changes, is there a track record of success that should reassure Golden Knights and Islanders fans that these moves will pay off? From this writer’s perspective, we’re not entirely sold. 

To begin, the Columbus Blue Jackets replaced Dean Evason with veteran Rick Bowness this season and received a major bump. While the timing differs from that of the Golden Knights and Islanders, the Blue Jackets went on an outstanding run from January onwards, putting them in a playoff spot recently.

They now sit two points back of a playoff spot while competing with six other teams. The verdict remains undetermined if their move completely pays off, but at the very least, it gave them a chance, something they didn’t have before.

Furthermore, legendary New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello indeed made the right choice when he fired coach Robbie Ftorek with only eight games left in the 1999-2000 regular season. Under replacement Larry Robinson, the Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, underscoring Lamoriello’s ruthless brilliance – something he would show again in the 2006-07 season when he fired Devils coach Claude Julien with just three games left. But the move did not pay off that time, as the Ottawa Senators eliminated New Jersey in the second round of the playoffs.

MORE: Islanders Fire Patrick Roy With Four Games Remaining; Name Pete DeBoer Coach

So, while the addition of DeBoer and the structure he’s provided to multiple teams over the years will probably help Isles stars Matthew Schaefer and Mathew Barzal, we’re more skeptical of Tortorella’s impact on the Golden Knights.

Vegas did win its first three games under Tortorella, beating the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers. Still, the Golden Knights are likely to have a much tougher road in the first round when they take on either the Oilers or the Anaheim Ducks. There’s a reason why Tortorella has bounced between five different NHL teams since his debut in 2001 – his coaching style tends to wear thin with players fairly easily.

At the same time, Tortorella has been able to get the best of his players in short instances. When players buy into his play style, immediate results seem to follow.

In any case, the firings of Roy and Cassidy show that no NHL coach is 100 percent secure at any time. You can see why GMs might buy into the idea that changing the person in charge of the players will provide the jolt needed to ensure players perform at their best. Still, if that’s all it took to motivate players into winning a Cup, every team in the league would be doing it every season. 

The truth is that firing a coach toward the end of the season is an enormous gamble. You do it out of desperation, or because you think the coach has lost the room. Bringing in someone with experience who can provide a boost to players with a mere handful of days left to turn things around.

The Islanders and Golden Knights took different approaches to their new coaching situations: Vegas hired Tortorella on a shorter-term basis, while the Isles gave DeBoer a multi-year contract. But who’s kidding whom – if DeBoer can’t coax a better performance out of Islanders players, he won’t be around Long Island for very long.

MORE: John Tortorella coaching timeline: Golden Knights are shocking addition to fiery coach's lengthy resume

The coaching business is cutthroat. Everywhere you look, there’s a potential pitfall that could get you fired as a coach. As we’re seeing once again this season, you could be fired at virtually any moment. It’s no wonder coaches feel pressure, but that’s the world in which we live.

You are hired in coaching to be fired in coaching, and that’s as true as ever. So the next time someone is fired, maybe in the second round of the playoffs this year, or maybe this summer, don’t act surprised. The coaching carousel continues, and nothing is going to change it.

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