Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears enter the 2026 season carrying significant expectations, and one of the boldest predictions surrounding the franchise centers on its young quarterback. Despite renewed discussion about the so-called Madden curse following his selection as the cover athlete for the popular video game franchise, an NFL analyst has projected Williams to capture the league’s Most Valuable Player award this season.The prediction reflects just how quickly perceptions have changed in Chicago. Williams arrived in the NFL with immense expectations and has steadily progressed into one of the league’s most intriguing young quarterbacks. His combination of arm talent, athleticism and playmaking instincts has given Bears fans reason to believe the organization may finally have its long-term answer at the most important position in sports.Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes against the San Francisco 49ers in the first half at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn ImagesWinning the MVP award would require a dramatic leap, but there are reasons why optimism continues to grow. Quarterbacks typically dominate MVP voting, and success often follows those who can combine impressive individual statistics with team accomplishments. If Williams can guide Chicago into serious playoff contention while producing at an elite level, he could quickly emerge as a legitimate candidate for the honor.The Bears have also spent considerable effort building a roster capable of supporting their franchise quarterback. Improvements across the offense have created an environment designed to maximize Williams’ strengths and accelerate his development. A stronger supporting cast, combined with another year of experience in the system, could allow him to operate with greater confidence and consistency throughout the season.NFL Analysis Projects Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams Winning the MVP in 2026 SeasonFeb 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams watches in the second half of the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesWilliams is predicted to overcome the Madden curse and win the MVP award for the 2026 season. This is detailed more in an analysis by Matt Bowen for ESPN.Caleb Williams will win the NFL MVP awardWilliams threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2025, his first season under coach Ben Johnson. With another offseason to develop in Johnson’s system, the Bears QB is primed to play at a high level in 2026. Plus, he has a versatile and explosive group of pass catchers. The arrow is pointing up on Williams — and Johnson’s playcalling.Of course, earning MVP consideration means competing against some of the best players in football. Established stars across the league will once again enter the season among the favorites for the award. Williams must demonstrate not only statistical excellence but also the ability to elevate Chicago into the upper tier of NFC contenders. That challenge is substantial, but it is one that many believe he is capable of meeting.The prediction may seem ambitious, yet it underscores the excitement surrounding both Williams and the future of the Bears. Expectations continue to rise as he develops into one of the league’s most promising young stars. If he takes the next step in his progression and leads Chicago to sustained success, conversations about MVP honors may shift from speculation to reality by the time the season reaches its conclusion.The post What Madden Curse? NFL Analyst Predicts Big Season for Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

Karl-Anthony Towns' Knicks fandom, explained: Inside New York big's roots and ties to hometown NBA club originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.It's common to see children dream of playing in the NBA Finals for their favorite team. Rarely do they get this opportunity. Except for Karl-Anthony Towns.Towns, the New Jersey native, grew up as a major Knicks fan who dreamed of suiting up to play in Madison Square Garden. Since a midseason trade in 2024, Towns has gotten the chance to live out this very dream.However, the NBA Finals drought has been lengthy for the Knicks. The last time the Knicks made it this far, Towns hadn't even begun elementary school. Here's what to know on how Towns became a major Knicks fan.MORE: When was the last time the Knicks won an NBA Championship?Is Karl-Anthony Towns a Knicks fan?Growing up in New Jersey, Towns was a New York Knicks fan as a child. He was born in November 1995, meaning he was just three years old the last time the Knicks made the NBA Finals. Now, he's playing in it. "Playing knightly at the Garden, the Mecca of basketball, has been a longtime dream," Towns told Sports Illustrated in 2025. Towns was eager to join his local team, and has enjoyed the chance to play in front of his family more often. The moment that cemented his intense fandom for the Knicks was the "Linsanity" run of 2012, where Knicks guard Jeremy Lin went on an underdog rise to stardom before crashing back down to Earth. Inside Karl-Anthony Towns' Knicks fandomWith the Nets in town as well, growing up in New Jersey doesn't always make a Knicks fan out of every child. For Towns, it was his family that instilled that love. His father, Karl Sr., was invited to the Knicks' training camp before Karl Jr. was born, but did not make the team. Towns also grew up loving the Knicks because of his mother, who passed away due to COVID in April of 2020. "I am honored to play for the team my mother loved; she was a huge Knicks fan and my father’s past relationship with the team is a full-circle moment for me. I am proud to be a New York Knick." Towns told SI. Towns cites Jeremy Lin as a childhood favorite, especially after a recent video of Lin wearing a Towns Knicks jersey. "[Lin] made me so passionate about the Knicks and it's crazy now that I'm in this position, in this chair, talking to you as a Knicks player," Towns said in a recent press conference.The rivalry between the Knicks and Spurs is nothing new to Towns. While he may hardly remember the 1999 NBA Finals, he wore a 1999 Finals shirt to his first game as a Knick back in 2024. Karl-Anthony Towns arrived in a 1999 NBA Finals shirt tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/H4QOuLzAn1— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) October 6, 2024Where is Karl-Anthony Towns from?Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey, but grew up in Piscataway. He attended high school in nearby Metuchen, New Jersey. Now, he's returned home with the Knicks. Madison Square Garden is about 35 miles from Edison. Where did Karl-Anthony Towns go to high school? Towns went to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. During his freshman season, he led the team to a New Jersey state championship. He would only spend three years there, however, reclassifying to graduate a year early and join Kentucky. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in his final season with St. Joseph.

Jonathon Brooks enters the 2026 season facing one of the most important opportunities of his young NFL career. The Carolina Panthers running back has been identified as a player poised for a breakout campaign, with one analyst predicting that Brooks will finish the year as the team’s top running back and surpass 900 rushing yards.The projection reflects the confidence many observers continue to have in Brooks despite the challenges he has faced early in his professional journey. Injuries and circumstances beyond his control have limited his ability to consistently showcase the talent that made him one of the most highly regarded running back prospects in recent memory. Now entering his third season, Brooks appears positioned to take on a significantly larger role within Carolina’s offense.Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) walks off the field after the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesThe Panthers have spent recent seasons attempting to establish a stronger offensive identity while supporting the development of their young core. A productive rushing attack remains a critical component of that process. If Brooks can secure the lead role in the backfield, his combination of vision, acceleration and playmaking ability could provide the offense with the consistency it has been seeking. A reliable ground game would also help create more favorable situations throughout the offense.Competition for touches is never simple in the NFL, especially at the running back position. Carolina has multiple options capable of contributing, and earning the designation of RB1 requires both performance and durability. Brooks will need to demonstrate that he can handle a larger workload over the course of a full season while maintaining the explosiveness that made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of college.NFL Analysis Projects Carolina Panthers’ Jonathon Brooks to Make 900 Yards in 2026 SeasonDec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesBrooks is predicted to finish the season as Carolina’s RB1 and make 900 yards. This is detailed more in an analysis by Liz Loza for ESPN.Jonathon Brooks will end the season as the Panthers’ RB1 and clear 900 rushing yardsHis red flags are bright, yet Carolina’s faith in his abilities has yet to wane. The team let Rico Dowdle’s contract expire and didn’t add to the position during the 2026 draft. With Chuba Hubbard as his main competition, and reportedly back to health, Brooks enters the season ready to capitalize.Reaching the 900-yard mark would represent a significant milestone and serve as evidence that Brooks is becoming a foundational piece of the Panthers’ offensive plans. Such production would not only validate the confidence surrounding his potential but also provide Carolina with greater balance as the franchise continues building toward long-term success. Strong rushing performances often help create momentum for entire offenses, particularly for teams looking to improve their consistency.While predictions made before the season remain speculative, the optimism surrounding Brooks is understandable. He possesses the talent to become a difference-maker, and the opportunity appears to be there for him to seize. If he stays healthy and capitalizes on an expanded role, Brooks could emerge as one of the Panthers’ most important players and establish himself as the clear leader of the team’s backfield in 2026.The post Panthers’ 3rd-Year RB Predicted to Have 900-Yard Season appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) defends against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 5, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)2026-06-08T10:00:07Z NEW YORK (AP) — Knicks fever has set the stage for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs to be a must-see event — inside Madison Square Garden and out on the streets and in bars across New York City.With the Knicks in the finals for the first time since 1999 and leading the series 2-0, their first home game this round is a hot ticket. The get-in price exceeds the average cost of rent in the biggest U.S. city.As of Sunday evening, the cheapest upper-deck seats available were going for over $6,000 on secondary markets like StubHub, SeatGeek and VividSeats. The experience of being courtside goes for more than $75,000.“I don’t care who you are, that’s a lot of money for a ticket,” said guard Jose Alvarado, a New York native who was planning a viewing party in Brooklyn and pointed out his Queens high school also is hosting one. “People that could afford it, we’re grateful with them coming out, and it just shows you our team is really special and we’re doing something here that hasn’t been done in a long time.” The Knicks are two victories away from their first championship since 1973, and the hoopla for Game 3 includes the anticipated appearances of President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Trump’s presence canceled a planned watch party outside the arena, where fans have gathered throughout this run that has included a 13-game winning streak. “Hope has been brought back to the city,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said. Teammate Josh Hart expects “it’s going to be rocking” but lamented the high cost just to get into the Garden. Read More “I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are,” Hart said. “I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building.”No NBA team has gone up 2-0 in the finals on the road and not won the series. The possibility of a sweep drove ticket prices up to over $10,000 apiece, and an if-necessary Game 6 is around the same cost. Under 20,000 people will get the opportunity to attend each night. Alvarado knows far more will be watching on television all over.“The people that can’t afford it, we improvise,” he said. “We’re New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, international hockey, NFL and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook BRIAN MAHONEY Mahoney is an editor on the AP Sports desk. He also is a pro basketball writer, primarily covering the two NBA teams in New York. twitter mailto

NEW DELHI: Manav Suthar announced his arrival on the Test stage in stunning fashion, producing a six-wicket haul against Afghanistan in his maiden appearance for India at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.The left-arm spinner finished with exceptional figures of 6/33 from 22 overs as Afghanistan were bowled out for 152 in response to India's imposing first-innings total of 564/8 declared.Suthar's spell not only put India firmly in control of the one-off Test but also earned him a place in the record books.The 23-year-old registered the best bowling figures in an innings on Test debut by an Indian in 38 years.The last Indian to better that mark in his debut Test innings was Narendra Hirwani, who produced a legendary performance against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988, claiming 8/61 and later finishing the match with 16 wickets.Suthar also joined an exclusive club of Indian bowlers to register six-wicket hauls on Test debut. Before him, only Hirwani, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dilip Doshi and Syed Abid Ali had achieved the feat in an innings during their first Test appearances.Furthermore, Suthar became the 10th Indian (seventh among spinners) to pick a five-wicket haul on Test debut.What made Suthar's effort particularly impressive was the control he displayed throughout a long spell. He conceded just 33 runs in 22 overs, including 10 maidens, while maintaining an outstanding economy rate of 1.50. His victims included Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Afsar Zazai, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Mohammad Saleem Safi.After picking up three wickets on the second day, Suthar returned on Day 3 to complete the milestone haul. His ability to generate drift, extract turn and vary his pace consistently troubled Afghanistan's batting line-up.ALSO READ: 'Rajasthan ka Jadeja': The making of Manav Suthar, India's newest left-arm spin hopeWhile Prasidh Krishna chipped in with three wickets, it was Suthar who stole the spotlight with a memorable debut performance.With Ravindra Jadeja entering the latter stages of his career, India's selectors will be encouraged by the emergence of another promising left-arm spinning option in the red-ball format.For Suthar, it was a dream beginning to what could be a long international journey. 131582496

Sam Matavesi returned to boyhood club Camborne this season, helping them win the National Two West title [Brian Tempest]Cornwall head coach Graham Dawe says "inspirational" captain Sam Matavesi was a key reason for his side's County Championship success.The Black and Gold won the Bill Beaumont Cup for the first time in four years when they beat Lancashire 39-24 at Twickenham on Saturday.Camborne's Fiji international forward Matavesi returned to the side this year, a decade after helping the Duchy win the 2016 title.In between, he won a Premiership title with Northampton, played for Lyon in the French top flight and featured in the past two World Cups."Sam Matavesi is an inspirational person, absolutely inspirational," Dawe told BBC Radio Cornwall."He's galvanised them [the squad] and he's demanded good standards. He knows I want good standards, I don't want to keep repeating that."It's the little things like in the tackle area, I work very hard to be good in that area, you don't need a lot of skill to do it, it's just hard working."Sam knows that and he instils it in the team, and the game is easier when everybody's on the same hymn sheet." Related internet links Cornwall RFU

Class of 2027 three-star linebacker Eli Harris committed to the Huskers on Sunday afternoon. The prospect is ranked 139th in the state of Georgia, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.Harris had a pretty impressive offer sheet that included offers from Pittsburgh, Michigan, Auburn, and Ole Miss. However, the Huskers won out in the end.He had a breakout season last fall. He had 67 total tackles, including 17 tackles for loss. This included three sacks and 23 quarterback hurries, according to statistics from Maxpreps.com.Harris’s commitment marks the first of the day, in a class that has 15 commitments overall. The class itself ranks 19th in the country according to the Rivals Team Rankings.This is a solid pickup for a program that continues to add depth and talent at the linebacker position. The position is veteran-laden at the moment, but it will need talent for the future. In any event, the program is red-hot on the recruiting trail, and there may be more news to come.Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football lands commitment from Georgia linebacker Eli Harris

The week of May 31-June 6 saw the 2026 IHSAA boys state soccer tournament take place.Gilbert was the lone team from the Ames area to compete at state, and the Tigers made the most of their state experience by winning their second straight Class 2A state championship and third in four years.It was also an exciting week of high school baseball featuring teams from the Ames area. Roland-Story pushed its unbeaten record to 15-0 by the end of the week, and Ames and Ballard both had impressive showings during the week as well.Several high school male athletes from the Ames area stood out during the week. Here are the Ames Tribune male Athlete of the Week nominees for the week of May 31-June 6. AmesTrib.com readers vote to determine the winner, who will be announced at the end of the week.Logan Harswick, GilbertHarswick anchored a brilliant Gilbert defense throughout the 2026 IHSAA state soccer tournament, leading the Tigers to three shutout victories en route to the 2A state championship.He played a huge role in the Tigers shutting out Aplington-Parkersburg/Dike-New Hartford United in the 2A quarterfinals, 1-0, in a game that was settled by sudden-death PKs on June 1. He was also outstanding on defense during a 2-0 victory over Bishop Heelan in the semifinals on June 4 and a 1-0 triumph over Des Moines Christian in the championship game on June 6.Harswick was also a pivotal player on corner kicks offensively. His play earned him 2A all-tournament captain honors.Stetson Kane, BallardKane had a big week swinging the bat for the Ballard baseball team.He homered twice during a doubleheader with Carroll on June 1. He sent one over the fence and finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs during an 11-4 Ballard win, and he was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs during an 11-1 victory.Wyatt Ramus, Roland-StoryRamus threw a brilliant game for the undefeated Roland-Story baseball team during a 10-0 victory over Greene County on June 1.He went all six innings for the Norsemen on the mound. He tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and just two walks to pick up the shutout win.Cullen Smith, AmesSmith was a force at the plate for the Ames baseball team during a 10-0, 17-0 sweep of Marshalltown in a doubleheader June 1.He went a perfect 3-for-3 in both games. He had three doubles and two runs and two RBIs during the 10-0 victory and two doubles, one triple, two runs and six RBIs during the 17-0 triumph.Zachary Schrader, GilbertSchrader delivered one of the most clutch goals in the history of the state soccer tournament during Gilbert's 1-0 victory over Des Moines Christian in the 2A championship game on June 6. Schrader scored from the edge of the 18-yard box with just 2:50 left in the second half to break a scoreless tie and give Gilbert its third state championship in four years. He also dished out an assist during the Tigers' 2-0 semifinal win over Bishop Heelan on June 4.Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandlemanThis article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Vote for Ames Tribune male Athlete of the Week for May 31-June 6

The week of May 31-June 6 saw the field set for the 2026 IGHSAU high school girls soccer state tournament.One team from the Ames area made it through to the state tournament, with Gilbert headed back for the first time since 2023 after defeating Bondurant-Farrar in a regional championship game on June 5. Ames came close to qualifying for state in 4A. The No. 14 Little Cyclones fell to No. 4 Waukee in a 2-1 battle on June 5.It was also another busy week of high school softball featuring teams from the Ames area. Here are the Ames Tribune female Athlete of the Week nominees for the week of May 31-June 6. AmesTrib.com readers vote to determine the winner, who will be announced at the end of the week.Greta Platts, GilbertPlatts had an impressive showing for the 2A No. 5 Gilbert soccer team during a 2-0 regional semifinal win over Nevada on June 2 and a 3-1 regional final win over Bondurant-Farrar on June 5. She scored one goal against Nevada and assisted on all three Tiger goals during the victory over Bondurant-Farrar to help send the Tigers to state.Kate Badding, AmesBadding was clutch for the 3A No. 14 Ames girls soccer team during a 4-0 regional semifinal victory over Sioux City East on June 2.She scored two goals against the Black Raiders to send the Little Cyclones to the regional finals, where they dropped a 2-1 battle at No. 4 Waukee. Hope Casey, NevadaCasey had a nice night with the bat for the Nevada softball team during an 11-3 Heart of Iowa Conference victory over Perry on June 3. She went 2-for-3 with one run and three RBIs for the Cubs. She also was 2-for-4 during a 6-2 victory over Iowa Falls-Alden on June 2. Jayden Peters, Collins-MaxwellPeters turned in three strong shutout pitching performances for the Collins-Maxwell softball team during the week.She fired a one-hitter in a 4-0 victory over BCLUW June 1, gave up just three hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts in a 7-0 win over GMG on June 3 and allowed just one hit with 10 strikeouts and three walks in a 5-0 victory over Dunkerton June 5. Evelyn Carlson, Roland-StoryCarlson hit the ball well for the Roland-Story softball team during an 8-7 victory over Greene County on June 1 and an 8-0 shutout win over Forest City on June 2. She was 2-for-4 with a double, run, steal and two RBIs in the victory over Greene County. She went 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs and one RBI in the victory over Forest City.Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandlemanThis article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Vote for Ames Tribune female Athlete of the Week for May 31-June 6

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: Gerald Willhite #47 of the Denver Broncos runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL football game on September 21, 1986 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Willhite played for the Broncos from 1982-1988. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images Gerald Willhite was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1st round (21st overall) of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played for the Broncos from 1982 to 1988. In those 7 seasons, Gerald started 21 of 78 games. He ran for 1,688 yards and 17 touchdowns on 380 carries, a 4.4 average. Willhite also caught 207 passes for 1,767 yards and 5 touchdowns. On Special Teams, he returned 101 punts for 1,012 yards and one touchdown, a 10.0 average and returned 26 kickoffs for a 20.0 average. Head coach Dan Reeves liked to use Willhite on the occasional trick play and the halfback option pass was a play that Reeves brought over from his playing days with the Cowboys. Gerald didn’t fare too well in that capacity though, as he only had 2 completions in 13 attempts, including an interception.Back in May of 2011, former Mile High Report staffer Krik Davis wrote that about Gerald Willhite as part of MHR’s Greatest to Wear Series. Remember, until Terrell Davis, the Broncos were always looking for that workhorse running back to pair with John Elway. Gerald was supposed to be that guy… and he could return kickoffs! Unfortunately, despite the 1st round expectations, Gerald wasn’t able to live up to those expectations. He was a contributor, but was most underappreciated for what he brought to the game (and the fans) when he scored. Long befor the antics of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, there was Gerald.He was ahead of his time with his signature touchdown celebration – a standing backflip. For me, a child of the 1980’s, I grew up with my mother literally squealing with excitement every time he did it. Then, I also remember her total disgust with the NFL for cracking down on it it starting in 1984, making the celebration an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Yes, the NFL literally stole joy from my mother.Denver was just a few years removed from their Super Bowl run in 1977 and a young John Elway arrived in Willhite’s second year. While he went to just one of the Broncos three nightmarish Super Bowls in the 1980’s, he was a cornerstone of Denver’s offense while John Elway got his NFL legs underneath him… and he could return kicks! A hearty Mile High Salute to unheralded Denver Bronco, Gerald Willhite.

💣 Patrick Berger: Real Madrid open talks over Julián ÁlvarezThe transfer market is heating up once again in the Spanish capital. Real Madrid have made their first formal inquiries about the situation of Argentine forward Julián Álvarez, currently a player for Atlético de Madrid. The board led by Florentino Pérez holds the 26-year-old attacker’s profile in very high regard. The information, which has been confirmed in Germany by Sky Sport journalist Patrick Berger, places the 'Albiceleste' international on Real Madrid’s radar. The striker has established himself as one of the most sought-after assets on the continent thanks to his versatility across the entire front line.Florentino Pérez himself confirmed during the election campaign weeks that Real Madrid would make an offer of 150 million euros for a Champions League-level player. This statement fits perfectly with the demands coming from the Metropolitano camp.Atlético’s stance, an unknownFor their part, the ball is now in Atlético de Madrid’s court. The red-and-white club, which had initially already shown reluctance over a possible departure for their star striker, could see its stance change with this financial offer. Despite the difficulties always involved in a direct deal between the city’s two biggest rivals, Florentino Pérez is monitoring every move. The club is looking to strengthen its squad with a star who already knows what it means to rule Europe.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

The Buffalo Bills looked to improve their "triples" this offseason and it has been reflected.In a quarterback-driven league, Josh Allen carries a lot of weight. But Buffalo does sport the reigning rushing champ in their backfield as well in James Cook. Sports Illustrated tossed wide receiver DJ Moore, acquired this offseason via trade, into the trio and ranked the Bills as the fourth-best grouping in the NFL heading into 2026.The only teams ahead of the Bills are the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams at the top, respectively. SI's breakdown on the Bills can be found below:Triplets: Josh Allen, James Cook, DJ MooreAllen has an argument as the best player on the planet with Mahomes. He’s certainly put up the regular-season stats to support his case, winning MVP honors in 2024, and then amassing 4,199 total yards and 39 touchdowns last year. Of course, he has ample help in Cook, who led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards. The open question is whether Moore can regain his Carolina form. Over his past four years, Moore has eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier once, but with Allen as his quarterback, he could surge in production.This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Buffalo Bills' triples crack top-five on list of NFL's best in 2026

Even though the 2026 college softball season is over, it's never too early to look ahead to 2027.So, before the transfer portal opens Monday, let's take a look at The Oklahoman's way-too-early college softball Super 16. Even though the movement of players could change a lot, the team at the top will likely have a strong case even after the portal closes.Let's get to the way-too-early Super 16.More: With Texas repeat following OU softball four-peat, it's clear sport runs through Red River1. Texas2026 record: 53-12, 16-8 in SEC2026 finish: National championsThe Longhorns lose some senior leaders, including Reese Atwood, but they return Katie Stewart, Kayden Henry and yes, Teagan Kavan. It will be a roster capable of a three-peat.2. Alabama2026 record: 56-9, 19-5 in SEC2026 finish: National semifinalsThe Crimson Tide bring back arguably the best one-two pitching punch in the country with Jocelyn Briski and Vic Moten. Add some offensive firepower? Watch out.3. Oklahoma2026 record: 52-10, 20-4 in SEC2026 finish: Super regionalThe Sooners have tons of big bats on the roster, led by Kendall Wells and Ella Parker, and if Audrey Lowry continues to develop, the pitching staff should be improved.More: What will OU softball's roster look like in 2027? Breaking down Sooners' potential lineup4. Tennessee2026 record: 49-12, 16-8 in SEC2026 finish: National semifinalsKarlyn Pickens is no longer a Vol. (Weird, right?) But Tennessee still has as strong a returning pitching staff as any team in the country with Sage Mardjetko and Erin Nuwer.5. Florida2026 record: 52-12, 17-7 in SEC2026 finish: Super regionalKeagan Rothrock was a workhorse in the circle, and with a little help, she’ll be even more effective. Even though the offense loses some pop, Taylor Shumaker is a good building block.6. Florida State2026 record: 52-10, 21-3 in ACC2026 finish: RegionalBounced out of their own regional, the Seminoles will still be a force next season as they likely return some major pieces, including infielder Isa Torres and pitcher Jazzy Francik.7. UCLA2026 record: 53-10, 20-4 in Big Ten2026 finish: Women’s College World SeriesThe Bruins have lots of holes to fill, namely Megan Grant, Jordan Woolery and Taylor Tinsley. But the cupboard isn’t bare. It never is at UCLA.8. Texas Tech2026 record: 61-10, 21-3 in Big 122026 finish: WCWS finalsNiJaree Canady is gone, but Kaitlyn Terry is not, and at times this past season, she was the Red Raiders’ best arm. And most of those big-name transfers? They’re expected back.More: OU softball transfer portal primer: What are top roster needs for Patty Gasso, Sooners?9. Georgia2026 record: 41-20, 12-12 in SEC2026 finish: Super regionalThe Bulldogs will lose four of their top five hitters to graduation but have three underclassemen who hit .327 or better. Plus, Addisen Fisher and Randi Roelling are nails in the circle.10T. Arkansas2026 record: 47-13, 15-9 in SEC2026 finish: Women’s College World SeriesAfter making their first WCWS appearance, the Razorbacks lose eight seniors. But they likely build back around infielder Ella McDowell and pitcher Payton Burnham.10T. Nebraska2026 record: 52-8, 23-1 in Big Ten2026 finish: Women’s College World SeriesThe Huskers lose a dozen (!) seniors, most notably Jordy Frahm. But the USA Softball Player of the Year helped rejuvenate the roster, and pitcher Alexis Jensen is a pillar piece moving forward.12. Oregon2026 record: 41-14, 20-4 in Big Ten2026 finish: RegionalThe Ducks didn’t survive their own regional, and now, they must replace their top two pitchers and top two hitters. But Melyssa Lombardi has built a program that’s always in the mix.13. Virginia Tech2026 record: 48-12, 18-6 in ACC2026 finish: RegionalThe Hokies were up and down this past season, and that trend cost them in regionals. But they likely return one of the best arms in the country; Bree Carrico had a 1.88 ERA this year.More: Oklahoma State softball offseason primer: What are five biggest questions for Cowgirls?14T. Oklahoma State2026 record: 41-17, 16-8 in Big 122026 finish: Super regionalWho replaces Ruby Meylan? That remains to be seen, but the Cowgirls likely have some bats to build around, including Tia Warsop, Rosie Davis and Karli Godwin.14T. Washington2026 record: 37-20, 16-8 in Big Ten2026 finish: RegionalThe Huskies had a disappointing end to their season, losing twice to USF in regionals, but pitcher Morgan Reimer and her 2.73 ERA likely return next season.16. Mississippi State2026 record: 43-21, 9-15 in SEC2026 finish: Women’s College World SeriesThe only unseeded team to make the WCWS, the Bulldogs made their first trip to OKC. Pitcher Peja Goold is gone, but Alyssa Faircloth provides a solid foundation in the circle.Voters: Jenni Carlson, columnist; Joe Mussatto, columnist; Jeff Patterson, sports editor; Colton Sulley, OU beat writer; Scott Wright, OSU beat writerThis article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Who's No. 1 in early 2027 college softball rankings after WCWS?

The New York Jets landed 20th in Sports Illustrated's ranking of the NFL's best offensive triplets. At first glance, that feels disappointing. Upon closer inspection, however, the ranking has less to do with playmakers Garrett Wilson or Breece Hall and far more to do with one player: Quarterback Geno Smith.Sports Illustrated acknowledged as much while discussing the Jets' ranking. The question isn't whether Wilson is talented. He's already produced three 1,000-yard seasons and established himself as one of the NFL's better young receivers.Hall has also proven he can be a productive feature back when healthy. The uncertainty revolves around Smith. Which version of the veteran quarterback will show up? Will it be the player who threw for more than 4,300 yards and helped revive his career with the Seattle Seahawks? Or are we discussing the quarterback who struggled through a disappointing 2025 season and led the NFL in interceptions?None of this should shock anyone. Geno Smith is the wild card. He's the question mark hanging over New York's season. The encouraging news for Jets fans is that his supporting cast appears stronger than the one he played with a year ago. The offensive line looks improved. Wilson remains one of the league's most reliable weapons. Hall is capable of producing chunk plays whenever he touches the football.If Smith rebounds, the Jets will outperform this ranking. If he doesn't, a ranking of 20th may actually prove generous. Sports Illustrated's ranking isn't really a judgment of New York's offensive talent. It's a reflection of the uncertainty surrounding the game's most important position. Until Smith answers those questions, the Jets will continue hearing the same doubts.Jets Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 offseason. This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets land among bottom half in ranking of NFL offensive triplets

Nature, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01795-zCommonwealth Fusion Systems published several papers detailing the design of its ARC fusion power plant.

Nature, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01820-1Artificial intelligence is not replacing human intuition in these fields, but reimagining how questions are asked, explored and understood.

NEW DELHI: Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has been elected president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. The 37-year-old secured an overwhelming victory, receiving 73 of the 75 votes cast by councillors during the election held at the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium.Tamim will serve a four-year term and takes charge after previously leading the BCB's ad-hoc committee. He assumed that role in April following a corruption investigation that resulted in the removal of the board's previous leadership.Speaking after his election, Tamim stressed that any major changes to the BCB's constitution would require broad support from stakeholders."There are a lot of things, loopholes, and if we all agree together (about constitutional reform) we will discuss them in the next AGM. This is not like a board of 12 or 13 people where one person says something and it is done," he said, as quoted by Cricbuzz. "We have to deal with 1972 councillors. So they also have to agree. But for the betterment of Bangladesh cricket, if any constitutional changes are needed, we will definitely discuss and consider them."The former opener, who represented Bangladesh in 70 Tests and 243 ODIs during a 15-year international career, said he would need time to understand the board's workings before implementing reforms.Tamim acknowledged that he is still getting familiar with many members of the cricket administration and urged patience as the new leadership settles in."It is very new for me because I still have to mix with all these people. I may not know more than half of them. I met them for the first time. So give us some time, let us discuss, and then we will find out where improvements are needed," he said.He also pledged to run the board transparently and avoid controversies."I hope we can be as transparent as possible. Because I am sure I do not want any of my board members to do anything that makes us controversial. From my side and from the whole board's side, we will try to act with full honesty," he added.

Ian Cathro to be named Saint-Étienne managerAS Saint-Étienne are set to appoint Scottishman Ian Cathro as their new manager, as per a report from L’Équipe. Saint-Étienne opted against extending Philippe Montanier’s contract at the end of the season. This came following the club’s failure to secure promotion back to Ligue 1, despite succeeding in retaining their key players at the start of the campaign. Cathro, who managed Hearts and who has also had roles as the assistant manager at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Valencia, has managed Portuguese side Estoril since July 2024. The Scot led them to an eighth and a tenth place finish in his two seasons. After days of negotiations, a deal has been reached with Estoril to buy Cathro out of the last two years of his contract. With a deal agreed, his arrival at Saint-Étienne is now imminent, L’Équipe understands. He is set to sign a two-year deal with the Ligue 2 club.GFFN | Luke Entwistle

It is a given that the NFL will expand at some point, and with all of the talk of International Series games, we often wonder if a team could expand into Europe. That discussion itself sparks a ton of great topics and controversies, and it's a real possibility that a destination across the pond could see an NFL franchise come to fruition. Today, though, we will focus on a follow-up article written on the Touchdown Wire in October of 2025 titled Five cities that deserve the NFL's next expansion team." Let's concentrate on domestic-only cities that could land a franchise at some point, beyond what was already presented. St. Louis, Toronto, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and Portland.San Antonio, TexasIt is highly possible that as long as Jerry Jones still has breath in his body, he would not allow another team to come anywhere near his Dallas Cowboys. San Antonio could support an NFL team, and the fans would welcome one with open arms, but the chances are slim.Honolulu, HawaiiThe NFL is very familiar with Hawaii, after hosting its Pro Bowl there from 1980 to 2009, and a couple of sporadic years after that. Population-wise, it far outweighs a few NFL cities, but the television market is much smaller. But hey, at least the weather is beautiful. Would you have a problem with being drafted to a team in Hawaii?Sacramento, CaliforniaIf the Sacramento Kings of old are any consolation, an NFL team would be a huge hit in "Sack Town." With the Raiders departing for Las Vegas, leaving a bad taste in Californians' mouths, the state capitol and its population make great sense.Orlando, FloridaAlthough the state of Florida already has a ton of collegiate teams, a bunch of MLB teams, the Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic. Let's just give them another NFL team. Competition is a great thing right? They have hosted the Pro Bowl, and they attract millions of tourists. The question is... How would the residents feel?Louisville, KentuckyThis one may be the most far-fetched on the list, but I can assure you that the fans would adapt to it and welcome it with open arms. Louisville is a great town, and Kentucky residents are very passionate about their teams. I think that it could work.This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFL Expansion: Five more cities that should be considered domestically

Wisconsin landed an early building block for its 2027 recruiting class through a commitment from wide receiver Steele Harris, a high three-star prospect out of Great Falls, Montana.Harris brings the kind of size the Badgers have prioritized on the perimeter. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wideout profiles as a big-bodied target with a large catch radius, giving Wisconsin a natural option for contested throws and red-zone work as the staff stacks pieces for the future. Harris also showed run-after-catch ability in his scouting profile, a trait that fits Wisconsin’s push for receivers who can turn short completions into explosive plays.Let’s Work #badgerspic.twitter.com/2sMff7iN8l— Steele Harris (@harris4_steele) June 7, 2026The offer list added weight to the win on the trail. Harris held offers from California, Arizona State, Illinois, and Michigan State, among others, and Wisconsin beat out that mix to pull a talent from Big Sky country. For a program that recruits nationally but still leans on fit, Harris checked boxes as a physical, downhill receiver who can win through contact.Harris’s commitment also gave Wisconsin a long runway to develop him, both physically and within the route detail required in the Big Ten. The Badgers will keep working to round out the 2027 receiver board, with camp performances and junior-season film likely to shape which targets join Harris next.Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badgers secure commitment from Montana WR Steele Harris

The Washington Huskies have built a strong foundation along the defensive line in the 2027 class, and Jedd Fisch's coaching staff is looking to add to it when it hosts a highly-ranked defensive tackle for an official visit on Monday.Defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi was able to convince four-star defensive tackle Sam LeJeune, who took an official visit to California over the weekend, to head north to Seattle for a few days. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound prospect from Poplarville, Mississippi, who is ranked as the nation's No. 105 overall prospect and No. 10 defensive lineman by the 247Sports Composite, received an offer from UW in mid-May, and the Huskies have been able to build a relationship with him quickly.The visit is one of four officials scheduled for LeJeune, with Auburn and California now in the rearview mirror. He'll round things out with a trip to Florida State on June 12 as he looks to narrow down his list of 25 offers.While compiling 58 tackles, 14 for loss, with 4 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and 5 field goal blocks during his junior season, LeJeune demonstrated all the traits that Kaufusi and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters are looking for to pair with four-star commits Jon Ioane and Tevita Nonu along the interior of the defensive line.LeJeune plays with impressive physicality and a quick first step that make him disruptive against both the pass and the run. His athleticism could also allow him to move all over the formation, as far inside as a three-technique defensive tackle or as far outside as a true even front defensive end if Walters wants to deploy a four-man front.Washington also holds a commitment from versatile three-star defensive lineman Matamatagi Uiagalelei, and as the Huskies look to upgrade their front to compete with the Big Ten's elite, earning a commitment from a player of LeJeune's caliber would be an impressive win.This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies welcome four-star Mississippi DL on official visit

Don Kelly Explains Decision To Use Mason Montgomery As An Opener originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Pittsburgh Pirates opted to use an opener in the series finale on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.Pittsburgh was looking to avoid being swept, and just hours before the game, the Pirates announced Mason Montgomery would serve as an opener, with Bubba Chandler coming in later.Although the Pirates ended up losing 3-2, Pirates manager Don Kelly explained the decision to use Montgomery as an opener.“We just thought it was a good opportunity to get (Montgomery) in there and have him go through the lineup and get Bubba in down towards the bottom, so when we come back through multiple times, he’s not facing the top of the order,” Kelly said postgame on Sunday.Montgomery went one scoreless inning before giving the ball to Chandler, who went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs, and was solid.“I thought it was the best he’s thrown the ball,” Kelly said. “(He was) efficient. He threw strikes there until that last inning. I thought with multiple pitches, the fastball command was much better.”Although Kelly felt like Chandler pitched well, he does admit that pitching out of the bullpen is a bit different.“I think coming in from the bullpen is a lot different,” Chandler said. “There’s a little different adrenaline. It was overall pretty good. I just can’t let stuff affect me. My best pitches beat those hitters that I walked. I was not happy about that. I’ll move on.”With the Pirates losing 3-2 on Sunday, Pittsburgh was swept and fell to 34-32 on the season.

Manchester United facing Aurelien Tchouameni blow as Jose Mourinho wants to keep midfielderIncoming Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is set to deal Manchester United a blow in their pursuit of midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, insisting the player remains at the Santiago Bernabeu. Following Florentino Perez’s victory in the club’s presidential election, Mourinho is poised to return to the Madrid dugout, and one of his first moves will be to prevent any departure for the highly sought-after French international. The Red Devils have identified Tchouameni as their ideal signing to anchor a revamped midfield as Old Trafford officials believe the 26-year-old has the physical presence and tactical discipline required to succeed Casemiro.Tchouameni’s future was cast into doubt late in the season after a highly publicised training ground altercation with teammate Federico Valverde. The incident resulted in a €500,000 fine for both players. However, any expectations of a Premier League move have now been crushed, as Mourinho, who monitored the squad’s internal tensions during his final weeks at Benfica, has no intention of sanctioning the Frenchman’s sale. Renowned for building defensively resilient teams anchored by dominant holding midfielders, Mourinho sees the ‘incredible’ Tchouameni as indispensable to his tactical system.With Perez officially securing his mandate until 2030, Real Madrid are fully aligned with their new manager’s vision. The club is under no financial pressure to sell key players, especially as substantial gains are planned through other squad adjustments. Mourinho has made it clear to the hierarchy that rebuilding the squad’s competitive edge starts with retaining its elite core. While Manchester United are ready to spend heavily on a world-class defensive midfielder this summer, they will have to look elsewhere, as Mourinho has locked down Tchouameni’s future in Madrid.

Real Madrid make enquiries about €150 million-rated Barcelona priority targetBarcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has dominated headlines for weeks. The Argentine forward has been identified as one of the club’s major attacking targets, and the Catalans have already tested Atletico Madrid’s resolve with a significant offer.Now, however, a new and unexpected rival may have entered the race.According to journalist Patrick Berger, Real Madrid have made enquiries about Alvarez and hold the Atletico Madrid striker in extremely high regard. It is a development that few saw coming, particularly given the player’s strong links to Barcelona and the fierce rivalry between the two Spanish giants.Yet when viewed alongside recent comments from Florentino Perez, the story suddenly becomes far more intriguing.The €150m clue that now makes more senseReal Madrid appreciate Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Before securing another term as Real Madrid president, Perez hinted that the club could make a major move for a world-class player valued at around €150 million.“I’m going to make an offer to a Champions League club soon, on Tuesday, which will be the biggest payment Real Madrid has ever made for a player, at least 150 million,” said the president.Since then, speculation has centred around several names.Midfielders such as Vitinha and Joao Neves have been mentioned, while Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise has also been linked. Yet Alvarez was rarely discussed despite being one of the most sought-after forwards in European football, and that may have been a mistake.Atletico Madrid would sell Alvarez for €150 million. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)Patrick Berger reports that Real Madrid have already explored the situation surrounding the Argentine international, while Atletico Madrid are willing to discuss a transfer if an offer in the region of €150 million arrives.Interestingly, that figure is identical to the valuation that has surfaced around Perez’s summer plans.So what now?At the same time, it must be noted that Barcelona remain interested in the player. In fact, the Catalan club are believed to have already submitted a €100 million proposal for Alvarez, only for Atletico Madrid to reject it without hesitation.So now, if Atletico are prepared to negotiate only at a much higher figure, Real Madrid may be one of the few clubs capable of seriously testing their resolve, as Barcelona just cannot afford to take such an outrageous financial risk.

NEW DELHI: South African batting legend AB de Villiers has thrown his weight behind India's decision to hand teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his maiden international call-up, describing the selectors' move as both "the right call" and a "brave decision".The 15-year-old made history on Saturday when he was named in India's squads for the tours of Ireland and England and the Asian Games, becoming the youngest player ever selected for the national side and eclipsing the mark set by Sachin Tendulkar in 1989.Speaking at an event in Mumbai, de Villiers said the selectors deserved credit for resisting the temptation to opt for experience."It's definitely the right call from the selectors. So well done to them for making the brave decision. It would have been easy to say that he's still too young and he's not ready, and go for more experience. He's broken down that door, and he deserves his place in the Indian T20 team, so I'm happy for him," the former South African captain said.‘No doubt Sooryavanshi's got the talent’While de Villiers refrained from making definitive predictions about Sooryavanshi's red-ball future, he expressed confidence that the youngster possesses the skill set to succeed across formats if he chooses that path."Yeah, he's a wonderful talent. The red-ball thing I absolutely cannot answer. I think he can if he wants to, but there's your answer, and there's the big question as well is does he really want to? Time will tell. There's no doubt he's got the talent and the ability to do so. It won't always be easy, and I've mentioned that a few times before," de Villiers said.The batting great acknowledged that Test cricket would present a different set of challenges, but backed the Bihar-born prodigy to overcome them."If he decides to play red-ball cricket, there will be some challenges, but he's got the skill and the ability to work through that and in my opinion, I hope he does try and play Test cricket, but I doubt it. We'll see in future," he added.Sooryavanshi's rise has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Rajasthan Royals opener dominated IPL 2026 with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30 and smashed a record 72 sixes. 131582289

When the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, they did what many championship teams dream of doing: they got even more aggressive. Already loaded with star power and considered the best team in MLB, the Dodgers attacked the starting pitching market and brought in several high-profile arms. One of the most intriguing additions was Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander widely viewed as one of the most talented pitchers in the world. Signing Sasaki was the easy part. Because he was under 25 years old, the Dodgers didn’t have to hand out a massive free-agent contract. The difficult part came afterward.MORE: MLB Power Rankings: 30 teams ranked worst to first Early Struggles Raised QuestionsMay 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesSasaki’s rookie season did not go according to plan. The electric right-hander struggled to consistently command his pitches and failed to live up to the enormous expectations placed on him. Things became even more complicated when injuries entered the picture, limiting his ability to find any rhythm.When he eventually returned, many expected the Dodgers to send him to the minor leagues or significantly reduce his role.Instead, Los Angeles made a bold decision. The Dodgers moved Sasaki to the bullpen and trusted him in meaningful situations during their 2025 postseason run. While the move helped the club capture another championship, it also showed how committed the organization remained to his long-term development.The Dodgers Double DownIf there were doubts entering 2026, Spring Training only amplified them. Sasaki was rocked for a 15.58 ERA over four starts, walking 15 batters in just 8 2/3 innings. Many organizations would have viewed those numbers as a clear sign that additional minor league seasoning was needed.The Dodgers saw it differently. Rather than sending him down, they handed him a spot in the starting rotation anyway. The results initially looked ugly. Sasaki surrendered 15 earned runs in 18.1 innings during April, and the criticism surrounding the young pitcher only grew louder. Yet Los Angeles never wavered.Finally Turning the CornerLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws during the first inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, May 23, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Patience appears to be paying off. While May started slowly, Sasaki finished the month by allowing just four earned runs across his final three starts. The improvement continued into June, when he delivered his most dominant outing of the season: seven scoreless innings, two hits allowed, and 10 strikeouts.More importantly, he finally looked comfortable. The elite velocity, devastating splitter, and swing-and-miss stuff that made him one of baseball’s most coveted international prospects are beginning to show up consistently at the major league level.For the Dodgers, this was always about the long game. They believed Sasaki could eventually become a front-line starter, even when the results suggested otherwise. Through injuries, poor performances, and mounting outside criticism, they continued to trust both the player and the process.Now, that faith is beginning to be rewarded. It’s still early, but all signs point toward Sasaki finally figuring things out. If that’s truly the case, the Dodgers may have added another ace to an already loaded roster, making their gamble look smarter by the day.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

Tennis fans who missed Roger Federer completely dominate the US Open for years will have one more chance to see him take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium … in an exhibition. Federer announced a special exhibition match titled “Roger Federer: An icon returns to New York.” The event will take place Aug. 25, during the US Open. He’ll be playing alongside his long-time rival Andy Roddick. Tennis legends Andre Agassi and John McEnroe will also appear at the event. Federer said he couldn’t wait to once again take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.“The US Open has always been one of the most special tournaments for me,” Federer said. “So many unforgettable moments of my career happened in New York, and Arthur Ashe Stadium is a place that means a great deal to me. I’ve missed being part of that atmosphere and feeling the incredible energy that the fans bring every year. To return to Arthur Ashe and share the evening with Andy, Andre and John makes it even more meaningful. I’m looking forward to celebrating those memories, seeing the fans again, and enjoying a very special night together.”Federer’s dominance at that venue is well documented. Between 2004 and 2008, Federer won five-straight US Open titles. During that stretch, he beat both Agassi and Roddick in the finals.Back in his playing days, Federer had immense success on the court against both Agassi and Roddick. Federer went 8-3 vs. Agassi and 21-3 vs. Roddick during his career. While the exhibition likely won’t rise to the same level of competitiveness, Federer will almost certainly want to pick up one more win over some of his biggest rivals. Federer hasn’t played much competitive tennis since he officially retired in 2022. Prior to that, Federer established himself as one of the best men’s players of all-time, winning 20 major titles. Toward the end of his career, Federer dealt with knee issues, which resulted in multiple surgeries. Following an appearance in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021, Federer announced he underwent yet another knee surgery, forcing him to pull out of the US Open that year. He did not appear at another Grand Slam in his career.

Cleveland Browns fans have gotten so used to being at the very top of just about every "most expensive ____" list. It didn't matter if it was offenses, defenses, quarterbacks, linebackers, or defensive backs; Cleveland was always near the top.That is no longer the reality.After the Myles Garrett trade, Cleveland's defense went from being one of the most expensive in 2026 to one of the lease. Cleveland's defensive roster costs a total of $114M, which, ironically enough, os one spot ahead of the Los Angeles Rams, who are $110M.This change in the payroll of the Browns' roster was the goal of this offseason. General manager Andrew Berry commented at the start of the offseason that the Browns were going to get significantly younger this year and, in doing so, they would trim some costs.The change from Garrett to Jared Verse was a change in production of several sacks, but a change in dollars of over $30M in 2027. Cleveland moved on from their generational star to add to their young foundation on that side of the ball.most expensive defenses in 2026$193.0M - Steelers$187.4M - Ravens$177.7M - Bears$174.7M - Giants$169.0M - Patriots$165.8M - Commanders$159.6M - Seahawks$148.3M - Titans$147.3M - Colts$147.0M - Raiders$145.5M - Panthers$142.1M - Broncos$141.6M - Chiefs$140.2M -…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 5, 2026Berry also hinted that this offseason wasn't going to be a huge money spending offseason, but that next offseason might be one where the Browns really go after the top guys. For now, Cleveland is going to hang its hat on all of their young players on rookie contracts.Mason Graham mans the line in year two, Carson Schwesinger is a future All-Pro linebacker in year two, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren joins undrafted free agent Ronnie Hickman at the third level of the Browns' defense, all on their rookie contracts.The biggest contracts left on the Cleveland defense are cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit. While those two guys have been foundational Browns for the last near decade, their time in Cleveland is certainly winding down.The shave of salary this offseason is all a part of the plan. It will absolutely reflect itself on Sundays in the fall, but the Browns are still going to be very competitive, maybe not quite as dominant. Regardless, Cleveland is finally not the most expensive roster, but it is all a part of the plan.This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns are finally not even near the top of this 'most expensive' list

In all the games as UNC's head baseball coach, Scott Forbes led arguably his team's greatest postseason comeback on Sunday afternoon, in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional against USC.After trailing by two runs in the eighth inning, then later facing an 0-2 count with 1 out in the ninth, North Carolina stormed back for a 4-3, walk-off win against the Trojans to advance to Omaha.With their heart-stopping victory, the Diamond Heels make their second College World Series trip in three seasons. UNC swept West Virginia, a fellow 2026 CWS participant, in two 2024 Super Regional games for its last trip to Omaha.Owen Hull completed the North Carolina comeback, mashing his fourth double of the day on a 2-out, 2-1 pitch to left-center field, this time past the outstretched glove of Kevin Takeuchi. Carter French crossed home plate and the Boshamer Stadium crowd erupted in complete pandemonium.Diamond Heels left fielder Tyler Howe, who led off the ninth inning, grounded his first pitch to second base for the first out. Cooper Nicholson faced an 0-2 hole, then worked a walk onto first base. French grounded a hard ball through the infield, Jake Schaffner lofted a sacrifice fly to deep right and scored Nicholson, then Hull delivered the grand finale.UNC faced early trouble against the Trojans, with freshman star Caden Glauber balking and allowing a pair of solo shots. Nearly eight innings later, Glauber left the game with just those three runs and 11 strikeouts. Jackson Rose pitched a perfect inning, while Walker McDuffie allowed no hits in two-thirds of an inning to secure the win.Now, Forbes leads North Carolina to its second CWS trip in three seasons. Check out what the Diamond Heels' boss said postgame, courtesy of TarHeel247:Opening comments“I’ve been part of a lot of great games, that’s one of the most special games I’ve been a part of at Boshamer Stadium. First of all, I want to congratulate Southern Cal, very well-coached, heck of a team. One of the better teams we played all year, really good on the mound, good all around. Great kids, play the right way which is not surprising. Their head coach is an awesome human being, not just an awesome coach. I have a lot of respect for him and his staff. I know what it feels like to be in their shoes and that’s tough. They’re gonna keep going, they have a great program, so congratulations to a heck of a season to them. Most importantly, congrats to our players. The players make the program, the players are why we win all those games. They put in the work. I’ve been a player and I always tell these guys, you want to be able to look yourself in the mirror and say you’re the reason that you’re great. And this group can look themselves in the mirror and say, we are the reason we’re going to Omaha. And I couldn’t be more proud of a group, selfishly, I’m most excited just because I get to be around them more. That would’ve been the thing that I was most upset about, we talk about it all the time, winning will take care of itself if you do the things the right way. Culture, standards and these guys have done it the entire season, they’re well-led, they make me laugh, they work. And also real quick, a lot goes into getting to Omaha. You have to have a ton of support, things that people we say a lot of things don’t show up in a box score, a lot of things don’t show up, people don’t get the credit they deserve. So the support staff, administration, obviously the fans showed up big time. But the people that are here every single day, baseball’s a long season. We started August 17th, my coaching staff they’re phenomenal men. They make me better. Everybody, our support staff as well, we’re really close and I’m happy for them because they get to go. I’ve been to Omaha before and I get to see the joy on these guys’ faces, of coming back in here tomorrow and preparing, try to win UNC baseball’s first National Championship. Great win, we’re excited and on to Omaha.”On resiliency after a Game 1 loss“I told y’all earlier, we just wanted to make more money today. As hot as it was, I bet we made a lot. Yeah, but they’ve been like that all year. Showed it earlier when we lost to Virginia, we talked, it’s a weekend series. After we lost that first game, we had to move on quick and I just said hey guys, besides the first series we played, we had a tie there with East Carolina. But Virginia kicked us in the teeth pretty good. We found a way and we won every series the rest of the way. It wasn’t always pretty, but these guys, I told them like hey, it’s just how it’s sete up. We have a lot of guys in that room that knew what it felt like to be on the opposite end. That set you up. It helps you learn from those things and we had that Bosh Magic with us. That helps as well. But these guys, they’re a tough group, resilient group. They play 27 outs, they've bought in completely to the next play mentality and being process-oriented that we talk about every day.”On 2025 Super Regionals preparing UNC for 2026 Supers“Yeah, failure is the best teacher. I’ve learned as a coach to not let it take a loss to be focused on what I need to be focused on. But, you know, it can set you up for greater things. I remember Tony Bennett talking about it with Virginia. I’m a big fan of Tony Bennett. I have his pillars up in here, stole them straight from him. But he said that was a first-round loss, they won the National Championship the next year and it just set you up for that because you can handle in-game adversity, you can handle punches, you can handle a first loss like that. You figure if you get there enough toom you can knock that door down. And that’s what these guys did.”On what he told Owen Hull before walk-off“Just slowing the game down a little bit. Basically, I was surprised. I wasn’t sure if they werre going to pitch to him. Just hey, if you get something close, just put a good swing on it, slow the game down. Obviously, he did that and he got the barrel to it. I think they were trying to just throw an extra fastball away and slow the game down. Obviously, he did that and he got the barrel to it. I think they were just trying to throw an extra fastball away and he was aggressive. Reminded me of the same type of swing Michael Busch started to take as he progressed in his career. But man, that was an unbelievable moment for me to watch that ball fall and watch this guy, Dr. French, cross that plate. So that was awesome.”On Cooper Nicholson drawing a ninth-inning walk after being down 0-2“He gets hit by a ton of pitches and he walks. He was scuffling a little bit. Yesterday, I think he got hit by a pitch, so we were all talking about as a staff, okay Cooper’s getting ready to get going. And we actually discussed before if Howe got on, do we bunt, do we not, so I had that going through my head because it was a good matchup for Cooper. I felt like he could hit a bomb off that guy, the way the ball tailed into his swing. He’s got some unbelievable bat speed. But man, what an at-bat, to win that and get a baserunner up there. Only fitting that we get to that 3-2 count. I didn’t send Coop, but he’s worked really hard. He wasn’t a great baserunner in the fall, but he’s gotten faster, he’s gotten stronger and he didn’t hesitate. He picked me up right away and thankfully, I made that decision and thankfully, he got there. That was the at-bat of the game, towards the end for sure, besides every one Hull had today.”On Walker McDuffie redeeming himself after Game 1 struggles“Kid’s a stud. I saw his mom and dad coming off the elevator after Friday, they looked pretty dejected and I said hey, he’ll be out there in a big moment. You probably don’t want to hear that because your heart rate’s going to go up even more. That happens. I tell our guys all the time, you can’t be a late-inning reliever without a really short memory. Mariano Rivera has blow saves. You gotta have a short memory, you gotta be able to bounce back. We had a great feeling and we talked about, we kind of scripted out honestly, we thought maybe Matty (Matthijs) would get in there, maybe (Folger) Boaz would get in there, but Globe stepped up and threw so well. And Rose had been so hot and been so good for us. That’s hard to do. Two freshman, back-to-back like that. And then Duff coming in there and getting us out with a big out. Just had to make some tough decisions on intentionally walking some guys. But they make you look good as a coach when they make the pitches.”On Caden Glauber finishing strong after early troubles“Just an absolute stud. Solo home runs, we talk about, don’t beat you. He gave up those home runs because he was going after them, every single pitch. That’s what makes him so good. I’m just thankful that he, again, is not graduating high school today and he’s here, wearing our uniform.”On his postgame conversation with dad“I don’t want to make it about me. It’s about our team. But my dad, he’s the reason I’m here. He believed in me. A lot of people didn’t. He encouraged me to come here when I graduated from college. At home, I was literally mowing grass on the old Forrest Gump snapper. We had one of those. Coach (Mike) Fox called me and said do you want to come to North Carolina and be the volunteer assistant? I didn’t think anything of it. I coached with Coach, I went home and asked dad “It sounds like it’s literally a volunteer assistant. I don’t know where I’m gonna live, or have any money." He said hey, you don’t know if you want to coach, so you had a blast last year. Go give it a shot. My dad owned his own business and I feel like I needed to potentially be the next person that ran that business, but he gave me his blessing, hey I didn’t start this business for you to run it. If he hadn’t have told me that, I wouldn’t be coaching today. But he also is at the games, he loves the games. He’s competitive and I’m just thankful. He has some health issues, but he still gets out after it and still living every day. He’s a positive guy. I’m thankful I was raised the way I was and I’m just thankful too, been to Omaha eight times. And I’m just thankful because life’s short. You don’t know what’s coming your way. I’m gonna be able to spend time with him in Omaha, which is awesome. Memories that you just can’t get back. I was just taking the moment in for a second.”This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baseball: Head coach Scott Forbes reflects on Game 3 win vs. USC

The Iowa girls high school soccer season is winding down, which means it's almost time to crown a state champion in all three of the state's classes.On Monday, the state tournament kicks off, with 24 total teams vying for the title of state champion across Iowa's three classes. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will be played at the Lied Recreational Fields on the campus of Iowa State University. All three finals will take place Saturday, June 13, at the Cyclone Sports Complex, the home of Iowa State's soccer program.Stay updated below with a full schedule, the latest results and a live bracket of the IGHSAU state soccer tournament.Class 3AState quarterfinals - Tuesday, June 9, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesNo. 1 Waukee Northwest vs. Dubuque Hempstead, 12:00 p.m.- Field 1 No. 4 Waukee vs. No. 5 Bettendorf, 12:15 p.m.- Field 2No. 2 West Des Moines Valley vs. No. 7 Linn-Mar, 2:30 p.m.- Field 1No. 3 Ankeny Centennial vs. No. 6 Ankeny, 2:45 p.m. - Field 2State semifinals - Thursday, June 11, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesTBD vs. TBD, 5:00 p.m.- Field 1TBD vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.- Field 2State championship match- Saturday, June 13, at Cyclone Sports Complex in AmesTBD vs TBD, 5:30 p.m.More: Players to watch at the Iowa girls high school soccer state tournamentClass 2AState quarterfinals - Monday, June 8, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesNo. 1 Norwalk vs. No. 8 Lewis Central, 3:00 p.m.- Field 1 No. 4 North Scott vs. No. 5 Gilbert, 3:15 p.m.- Field 2No. 2 Waverly-Shell Rock vs. No. 7 North Polk, 5:30 p.m.- Field 1No. 3 Dallas Center-Grimes vs. No. 6 Bishop Heelan, 5:45 p.m. - Field 2State semifinals - Thursday, June 11, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesTBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.- Field 1TBD vs. TBD, 2:45 p.m.- Field 2State championship match- Saturday, June 13, at Cyclone Sports Complex in AmesTBD vs TBD, 2:30 p.m.More: Predicting state champions at Iowa high school girls soccer tournamentClass 1AState quarterfinals - Monday, June 8, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesNo. 1 Denver vs. No. 8 Iowa Falls-Alden, 10:00 a.m.- Field 1 No. 4 St. Albert vs. No. 5 Des Moines Christian, 10:15 a.m.- Field 2No. 2 Davenport Assumption vs. No. 7 Aplington-Parkersburg, 12:30 p.m.- Field 1No. 3 Hudson vs. No. 6 Treynor, 12:45 p.m. - Field 2State semifinals - Thursday, June 11, at Lied Recreational Fields in AmesTBD vs. TBD, 12 p.m.- Field 1TBD vs. TBD, 12:15 p.m.- Field 2State championship match- Saturday, June 13, at Cyclone Sports Complex in AmesTBD vs TBD, 11:30 a.m.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 2026 Iowa girls state soccer: Scores, updates, live tournament bracket

Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. © Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesThe Los Angeles Rams put together an interesting offseason with their roster moves, which included drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The team is widely considered to be in win-now mode, and the blockbuster trade they ultimately pulled off reflected as much. But how did it all come together in the end?How the Rams Plotted a Masterful Offseason Plan to Land Ty Simpson and Myles GarrettThe Rams entered the offseason with an axe to grind after narrowly losing out on the Super Bowl last season. With an aging franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford, the front office had a clear mission: win at any cost in 2026.They moved early in the offseason, acquiring two-time Super Bowl champion Trent McDuffie in a blockbuster trade with the Chiefs, and signing his former teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency to bolster the secondary. Among a series of other moves, they also shocked many on draft night by selecting Simpson 13th overall.With a quarterback for the future, a rockstar offense (that booked a 92.3 PFSN Offense Impact rating in 2025), and a loaded secondary, the front office still had one more move up its sleeve.Enter: June 1.In one of the biggest trades for a defensive player in NFL history, Los Angeles sent Jared Verse and draft capital to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for $204 million All-Pro Myles Garrett. The move sent shockwaves through the league, to the point of waking rumors about Rams legend Aaron Donald returning to join Garrett on the defensive line.Take a Quick Break. Run a Mock Draft! Before you keep reading, jump into the shoes of the GM of your favorite team.Powered by PFSN's NFL Mock Draft SimulatorSports Illustrated’s Albert Breer detailed how the offseason came together for the Rams, noting the significance of their draft strategy.“It’s not fortunate that you got to wait till June 1st to get Myles Garrett on your team if you’re the Rams,” he said on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “But the fact that they were going to have to wait for June 1st meant they couldn’t use a 2026 pick as part of the deal. So why not use that pick now to get your quarterback?”While the Rams are sacrificing a lot to win now, it’s seen as a win for them to have gotten a quarterback like Simpson.BE AN NFL GM:PFSN’s Ultimate GM SimulatorWhen they first picked the quarterback, the thinking was that the Rams knew they likely wouldn’t be picking in the top half of the first round again in the near future (since they would be too good), and they used the Atlanta Falcons’ pick to select Simpson. But they probably knew that they were going to go after Garrett, so they didn’t expect to have a first-rounder at all next year.“You weren’t going to touch [your 2026 first-round pick] as part of the Myles Garrett trade anyway,” Breer added. “And then you’ve got all those picks in the future to include as part of the deal. And, you know, obviously, it worked out for them that way.”There’s a lot riding on the 2026 season for the Rams, and it’ll be fascinating to see whether head coach Sean McVay manages to extract the maximum out of his loaded roster.

A psychologist is speaking out about what it means that the president keeps taking cognitive tests, explaining that Donald Trump’s doctors are likely past the point of trying to figure out whether he is suffering from dementia and are now just monitoring his decline. Former Johns Hopkins University Medical School professor of psychology, Dr. John Gartner, spoke with The Daily Beast about the three Montreal Cognitive Assessments (MoCA) Trump has undergone this year and said they could be a sign of just how quickly Trump’s cognitive state is deteriorating. Related Trump’s lesbian niece explains president’s mental decline in just 4 words “You know, he kind of gave the game away, as he often does,” Gartner said, referring to Trump bragging about taking the test repeatedly. “You could maybe justify giving someone the MoCA once, just on their age, just as part of a physical. If you’re giving it to him three times, that means you’re not assessing dementia. That means you’re monitoring dementia.” Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Gartner also brought up the MRI Trump recently underwent in October. Trump claimed that he didn’t even know what body part the MRI scanned – a bizarre claim considering how long MRIs take, how noisy they are, how obvious it is which body part is getting scanned, and how doctors don’t order such tests without explaining their reasoning to patients. “Because if you keep feeling like, no, he’s still got the symptoms, we’ve got to see how bad he’s doing now, we’ve got to check again, see how bad he’s doing now… I think they’re giving him cognitive tests and MRIs every six months to monitor the progress of his dementia, and/or strokes,” Gartner said. “We have to judge people against their own baseline, and if somebody doubles their rate of speed, that’s a mental status change of some kind,” he continued. Trump bragged about the cognitive tests as recently as this past Friday during a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he stressed that his most recent cognitive test was “not easy.” “Nobody on that stand could answer, probably, and I got ’em, I aced ’em,” he added, pointing to a section of the audience. “The first question is like, ‘What is this?’ And they show a lion, a giraffe, a fish, and a hippopotamus. And they say, ‘Which is the giraffe?'” he recounted. “It then gets harder!” Trump: I took cognitive tests. By the way, not easy. The first question is like what is this and they show a lion, giraffe, fish and a hippopotamus. And they say which is the giraffe. pic.twitter.com/IQhU9pdnMj— Acyn (@Acyn) December 20, 2025 The White House later claimed that Trump’s October MRI was to monitor his heart and abdomen and was “preventative” in nature. The White House denies that there is anything wrong with Trump’s health. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

You'll want to paint your cabinets when you see this makeover. READ MORE...

🩺 D-day for Neymar! Monday scan decides Copa opener spotNeymar will undergo a decisive MRI this Monday (8).The scan will confirm the progress of his right calf injury and give head coach Carlo Ancelotti the final answer: will the No. 10 be fit to face Morocco in Brazil’s World Cup opener this Saturday (13) in New Jersey?The Brazilian national team’s medical staff is very optimistic.The forward has shown clinical improvement, has been pain-free for days, and appears very close to being cleared for on-field work with the rest of the squad.Neymar gave up his day off on Sunday and spent the entire weekend focused on double physiotherapy sessions and muscle-strengthening work.Plan A vs. Plan BIf today’s images confirm healing, he will rejoin training today or tomorrow and could be included in the squad against Morocco.If the scan indicates a need for more caution, the focus of his recovery will shift to the second group-stage match, against Haiti on the 19th in Philadelphia.Behind the scenes Neymar’s private jet landed in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. His family members will stay in Miami, the area chosen to accommodate the families of all Brazil players during the tournament.Brazil trains today at 6 p.m. (Brasília time).The big opener against the Moroccans at MetLife Stadium is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 Funny or nasty? France stars mock meme team-mateAt the French national team’s training camp, things seem to be a bit like summer camp. For the past few days, City star Rayan Cherki has been going viral online — because of his unusual pose in the photo taken during the footballers’ meeting with the French president. In an almost squatting and clearly uncomfortable position, the attacking midfielder quite obviously drew laughs not only from internet users, but also from his teammates.So much so that some of them imitated his pose after a win in training to poke fun at him. How does that saying go? With teammates like these... It’s probably safe to say that Cherki gets the joke and that the whole thing can be seen as a sign of the good mood in the squad, which is considered one of the favorites for the world title. Les Bleus’ first match is against Senegal on June 16. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

Backpacks have been placed in hibernation for a couple of months. But even with students being off from school for the sunny summer days, that doesn’t mean it’s time to move forward from the year that was. TCPalm is currently looking back at the Treasure Coast’s top performers with the release of Spring All-Area teams. But here, we’re going as far back as this past fall to examine the area’s top program during the 2025-26 athletic calendar. TCPalm Spring All-Area: Beach Volleyball's best on the Treasure CoastTCPalm Spring All-Area: Boys Tennis' best on the Treasure CoastWhich team, pound-for-pound, was the best? We want to hear the answer from you as a poll was set up below. Voting ends at 12 p.m. Friday. Here are the area’s 10 candidates:Team of the Year candidatesJensen Beach girls tennisThe Falcons earned state runner-up honors for the second year in a row. Their performance at the Class 3A state championship meet was the puncation to a season that saw the team cruise to a District 14-3A title and the Region 7-3A crown. Behind new head coach Alec McIntrye, Jensen Beach finished with a 17-3 record.Jensen Beach boys wrestlingSix Falcons wrestlers qualified for states, more than any other area program. Of those six wrestlers, four notched top-three placements in their respective weight class at the Class 2A state championships, leading to a fifth-place team finish. Jensen Beach had no trouble en route to the District 14-2A title and was the Region 4-2A runner-up, while also successfully capturing a district title in dual competition.Martin County baseballThe 2026 Tigers baseball team put together a year for the ages. County edged Dwyer to collect its first district title since 2022. Later, the team accomplished something it had not done 58 years: advance to a state semifinal. After sweeping top-seeded Bloomingdale in the regional semifinals, the Tigers rallied from a 0-1 deficit to beat Lake Minneola in a best-of-three series in the Region 2-6A Final. Their series comeback was highlighted by erasing a 9-1 deficit in the top of the sixth inning and 10-9 deficit in the seventh in Game 3. Martin County suffered an extra-inning loss to Buchholz in a 6A semifinal to finish with a 24-8 record. Pine boys soccerOf all the teams on the list, this is the only program that brought home a state title. Pine continued its dynasty by capturing its fourth championship in the last five years thanks to a 2-0 victory over Canterbury in the Class 1A state title game. Finishing this season undefeated at 22-0-2, the Knights outscored their opponents by a 94-9 margin. St. Edward’s volleyballThe Pirates stood at 11-10 near the end of the regular season before using a blistering run to not only capture the program’s first-ever regional title, but also take home state runner-up honors. Following a sweep in the regional quarterfinals, St. Edward’s took down top-seeded Geneva in the semifinals before avenging a district-title loss to Brevard HEAT in the region finals. The Pirates defeated Harvest Community in a five-set thriller in a 1A semifinal before falling to Boca Raton Christian in the state championship match to finish at 19-2.St. Lucie West Centennial girls basketballBehind the play of a veteran group, the Eagles broke a drought that lasted for nearly a quarter of the century. The area’s best girls basketball squad won the program’s first regional title since 2002. Additionally, Centenniall picked up its third consecutive district title while earning a top-10 ranking for much of the season. After bowing out in the 4A semifinals against eventual champion Doral Academy, the Eagles finished their campaign with a 23-7 record. Somerset College Prep boys bowlingThe Spartans enjoyed a near-perfect fall, finishing the regular season with a 15-0-1 record. Somerset narrowly missed out on the District 12 championship, settling for runner-up honors. But the team bounced back with a strong showing at the FHSAA State Championships, taking third overall. Vero Beach baseballLike Martin County, Vero Beach made the trip to Fort Myers. But unlike the Tigers, Vero returned to familiar grounds as the team earned its second state berth in the last three years. The team was carried by outstanding pitching, particularly at the top of its staff. Mix in a dangerous lineup from top to bottom and you have ingredients for the area’s top-ranked team. Winning its third district title in a row, Vero Beach pummeled Fort Pierce Central before sweeping Harmony and Park Vista to win the Region 3-7A title. The team was beaten by Venice in a 7A semifinal to finish the year at 24-5.Vero Beach beach volleyballRanked nationally among the very best teams in the country, Vero notched its fourth regional title in the last five seasons after beating Timber Creek, Dwyer and Winter Park in the postseason via sweeps. The program remains undefeated in district tournaments as it defeated Viera 4-1 for its fifth consecutive district championship. Vero Beach fell to St. Thomas Aquinas 3-2 in the 3A state semifinal to finish the season at 14-1. Vero Beach footballOne miracle play from a state championship, Vero Beach put together the best football season the area has seen in years.The program more than met its preseason hype, dicing through opponents with a prolific offense that averaged nearly 42 points per game and a stingy defense that relinquished 14 points per game. The team had a stretch of nine consecutive games of scoring at least 40 points.Vero Beach set the program mark for wins in a season, finishing at 14-1 and the 7A runner-up. The team won its first regional title in 27 years and reached its first state title game in 44 years. Vero also spent multiple weeks ranked at the top team in the state. Vote: Who was the best team on the Treasure Coast during the 2025-26 high school year?Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: VOTE: Which high school team was the best on the Treasure Coast

The Florida State Seminoles have four-star edge Anthony Cavallaro and three-star defensive lineman Eric Vaulx Jr. as their two commitments in the trenches for the 2027 recruiting cycle. Three-star defensive lineman Jason Lewis is another key target for the program.Over the last few months, FSU has received multiple predictions to land Lewis, with the latest coming last Friday. It was key for them to put their best foot forward on his official visit, and the Seminoles did just that."what a great OV experience at FLORIDA STATE 🍢 !!! GO NOLES !!!!!!," Lewis said as he posted photos from his Instagram page.Lewis has two more official visits locked in as he'll travel to see the Syracuse Orange on June 12 and the Kentucky Wildcats on June 19. So, Florida State's work is certainly not done yet when it comes to Lewis as his July 10 commitment date approaches.For Florida State, they have picked up three commitments in less than a month, which has been much-needed as they look to bolster a 2027 class that is currently ranked in the high 30's. Lewis would be another key addition for the Seminoles, and it would be an impressive one considering they didn't offer him until February.247Sports has Lewis deemed as the nation's No. 612 player and the No. 74 defensive lineman. In terms of prospects in the state of Florida, he's ranked No. 51 overall. 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 @StarConscienceThis article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Football: DL Jason Lewis praises official visit to Florida State

Portugal Football Team 2026 World Cup Preview: For Diogo, Ronaldo’s Final MissionThe resurgence of Portugal in world football is driven not only by the sheer magnificence of Luis Figo or Cristiano Ronaldo, but also by several ‘cult’ centre-forwards. João Pinto, Nuno Gomes, Pauleta and Helder Postiga had their true heir in Diogo Jota. However, a tragic road accident last year cost his life, leaving the squad in profound shock, deep devastation, and collective grief.While they still lack an outright goalscorer, the aura of 41-year-old Ronaldo makes Portugal one of the strong contenders for the World Cup glory. They have never conquered the coveted crown, but a team full of talent and experience might do wonders, as they did in the UEFA EUROs ten years back. Roberto Martinez’s stint as the Belgium boss was underwhelming. But the confidence must be sky high, having won the UEFA Nations League last year.Portugal Football Team Squad for 2026:The confirmed 26-man squad includes goalkeepers Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves) and Rui Silva (Sporting CP).The defence features Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), and Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain).DUBLIN, IRELAND – NOVEMBER 13: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Portugal at Aviva Stadium on November 13, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)The midfield consists of Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Joao Neves (Paris St-Germain), Trincao (Sporting CP), Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Vitinha (Paris St-Germain), Samu (Mallorca), and Francisco Conceicao (Juventus).Up front, Portugal rely on Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (Paris St-Germain), Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), and Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad).Strengths and Weaknesses of the Portugal Football Team:Portugal boast a world-class midfield, anchored by the back-to-back UEFA Champions League winners Vitinha and Joao Neves. Bruno Fernandes is in flying form, and his presence as an advanced playmaker would offer the fluidity in and around the attacking third.They have incredible fullback width, and the options down the wings are relentless with their marauding runs, cut-ins, and crosses. With Ronaldo spearheading the attack, they would try to create as many chances as possible for the iconic forward.Nevertheless, Ronaldo’s age is a major weakness, as he would slow down high-pressing systems and create tactical friction. He has never scored in the World Cup knockouts, and the manager might find it difficult to take him off, given his profile and stature.Martinez left Palinha out of the final squad, leaving them without an outright defensive anchor. Aggressive pressing might expose them during midfield transitions, and the lack of a dominant partner for Rúben Dias in the heart of the backline would trouble them heavily against crosses and physical sides.Best Playing XI and Formation:Martinez’s squad is tailor-made for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ronaldo’s presence up top might force them to play direct football rather than free-flowing football, but his lethal finishing and charisma must not be underestimated either.Best XI (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha; Silva, Fernandes, Leão; Ronaldo.Tournament Prediction:Portugal are likely to have a deep run in the competition, being one of the prime title contenders. They should finish as the group toppers ahead of Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan; however, their ultimate success ahead of teams like Argentina, Brazil or England would depend on how Martinez manages his talisman both on and off the pitch.

Almost 30 years ago a farming family deeded land to the City of Taylor, Texas, on the condition the city use it for a public park. For the nominal fee of $10, the farmers granted the 87 acres to a public trust in 1999. Taylor sold it to Blueprint, a data center developer, for $10 million in 2025. Now the land that was supposed to belong to the community will become a 135,000 square foot data center.Pamela Griffin and her family have owned homes near that land for generations. Griffin and her brothers and sisters played baseball on it, camped out on it, and then watched as their children and their children’s children did the same. Now a data center will be there, just 500 feet from Griffin’s home, nestled between a power substation and the nearby railroad tracks.Griffin told 404 Media that she and her family had lived in the area since her grandmother bought land there. “Back then, Black and brown people weren’t allowed to buy in the city limits of Taylor. So we had to buy on the outskirts,” Griffin, who is Black, said. Griffin’s father bought more land, including a vacant lot in the neighborhood for Griffin’s ten brothers and sisters to play in. Behind the lot was the property of a farmer called Mr. Bland.According to Griffin, Mr. Bland was friendly and would sometimes talk with her father. “We used to play baseball back there and our balls used to go on his property and he’d see us play and he’d throw the balls back to us and wave at us when he was on his tractor. One day he was talking to my dad […] and he said, ‘I see the kids don’t really have nowhere to play.’ He said, ‘I’m thinking about giving this land for parkland because these kids need somewhere to play.’”According to court records and real estate documents obtained by Griffin and reviewed by 404 Media, Bland and his family made good on that promise in 1999, granting the land to a public trust for $10 on the condition it be used as a park. That condition was included in the deed itself. Over the years, the land changed hands several times until 2025 when the City of Taylor sold it to data center developers for $10 million. When local organizers knocked on Griffin’s door last year she had never heard of data centers and didn’t know the city planned to build one in the field her family played in. “I was like, ‘what is a data center?’ So me and my sisters and my brothers, we all got together and we started looking it up and we said, ‘oh, this is not good for the neighborhood,’” she said.“Pam, if you’d been fighting an apartment complex or anything else […] you would have won that case.”Griffin went to a city council meeting to tell them she didn’t want a data center near her home. Like essentially everyone else in America, Griffin is worried about what the building will do to the air, water, electricity, and noise near where she lives. “We can’t afford it,” she said. “I got a lot of old people in our community that can’t afford to move.” She said the city council brushed off her concerns and said the data center builders would try to “minimize health risks.”According to information about the data center on Taylor’s website, the city is planning to address the community’s concerns. “Any noise from equipment will be contained within the building envelope and a solid barrier wall in the front and an earthen berm with landscaping, will also provide additional noise reduction,” it says. The site also claims the data center wouldn’t use a lot of water because of a closed-loop system and that developers would pay for a new power substation so as not to tax the local grid.The city’s website also says there’s nothing it can do to stop the data center, even if it wanted to. “Can the City just say no to data centers?” one part of the FAQ reads. “In short, no.”Daniel Seguin, Taylor’s executive director of community services, told 404 Media that Blueprint did not need the City’s explicit approval to build a data center. “Blueprint Projects did not require City approval to use the property as a data center because the property’s existing Employment Center zoning already allowed such a use,” he said. “The City of Taylor’s Land Development Code primarily regulates form, not function. The only approvals that our code requires are for the general layout of the buildings, landscaping, impervious cover, etc,” he added. “The developer has not advanced the project with the City beyond the Employment Center Plan. To break ground, the developer would still have to secure the City’s approval for platting and building permits. This process has not yet been initiated.”At a meeting with anti-data center activists after the city council meeting, Griffin told them the story from her childhood about Mr. Bland promising her father to give the land to the City for a park. Land deeds are strong legal documents in Texas, almost sacrosanct, and if Griffin’s memory was correct then the deed from 1999 could be grounds to stop the data center’s construction.One of the activists started digging through public records and found the original deed. It was just as Griffin had remembered. On July 7, 1999, Bland’s descendants granted 87.97 acres of land to the “Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation, a Texas non-profit corporation, to be held in trust for future use as parkland by Williamson County, Texas,” according to a copy of the deed reviewed by 404 Media. Griffin went to her family and said they needed to hire a lawyer. “We gotta get this park back for this community that should have been built a long time ago,” she said. Griffin used money from her family to hire a Taylor based lawyer named Chris Osborne.Osborne wasn’t optimistic at first. “He said, ‘Oh Pam, I don’t think you have a case,’” Griffin recalled. But Osborne went through almost 30 years of deeds, transfers, and paperwork anyway. In 2003, the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation granted the land to another non-profit called the Williamson County Park Foundation. A month later, that non-profit gave the land to the City of Taylor. Five years later, in 2008, the city of Taylor sold the land to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) for $15,000. In 2025, TEDC sold the land to Blueprint, the data center developers, for $10 million.It was quite the journey of ownership for a strip of land meant to be a park and quite the appreciation in value. “I guess they tried to bury it, because they put another deed on top of another deed,” Griffin said. She and four family members filed a lawsuit, but Blueprint filed a motion to dismiss and the judge granted it. Griffin’s lawyers also asked for an injunction against the construction of the data center while the case worked its way through the appeals process. The judge denied it.Griffin’s lawyer told her a data center is hard to fight. “He said, ‘Pam, if you’d been fighting an apartment complex or anything else […] you would have won that case,” she said.“At its core, this is a property rights dispute: a generous family set aside land for a future park, and this change of use directly impacts a largely working-class community,” reads a statement on Facebook from local activists after the request for an injunction failed. “Although the injunction was denied and the case dismissed at the trial court level, the plaintiffs are already filing an appeal with the Third Court of Appeals in Austin, Texas.”“Data centers create a significant net financial benefit for cities because they generate a lot of new tax revenue without also increasing demand on city services and infrastructure. Because they don’t employ many people or attract many visitors, the facilities don’t increase traffic or emergency service calls. They also don’t increase the need for housing and classrooms.”“I keep trying to tell everybody, if they start messing with deeds in Texas? Allowing deeds to be not upheld? What’s going to happen to all of us? When we got deeds? What people leave behind? They’re going to start saying, ‘oh that person left you that but you can’t have it,’” Griffin said. “That’s the scary part. I’m not fighting just because of a data center. I’m fighting because this land was deeded for park land.”Right now the Blueprint data center is moving forward. “What do you do in a situation like that? Citizens go to your city council, who have to approve zoning [...] and they’re supposed to be the one who protects or helps or be the stopgap and they shrug their shoulders,” Carrie D'Anna, a community organizer in Taylor, told 404 Media. “Sorry we didn’t give you gas lines. Sorry we gave you a park in the wrong spot. Sorry we didn’t follow through on what we said we’d do. But could you just deal with this huge data center?”The land that should have been a park. Carrie D'Anna photo.Griffin and her family don’t want to move and even if they did, selling their homes would be difficult because no one wants to live next to a data center. On the FAQ page for Taylor, the city attempts to address this concern. “Do data centers affect property values nearby?” it asks. The answer: “Available evidence from peer cities such as Round Rock does not show that data centers decrease nearby residential property values.”It’s a ridiculous comparison. Round Rock is a suburb of Austin with a population of more than 100,000 people and close access to the capitol city of the state. Taylor’s population is 16,267. The median value of the homes near the proposed data center in Taylor is around $90,000. In Round Rock the median house is worth half a million dollars.Seguin from the City said Taylor expected to generate $30 million in tax revenue from the data center over the next decade, $20 million of which he said would go to the school district. “Data centers create a significant net financial benefit for cities because they generate a lot of new tax revenue without also increasing demand on city services and infrastructure,” he said. “Because they don’t employ many people or attract many visitors, the facilities don’t increase traffic or emergency service calls. They also don’t increase the need for housing and classrooms.”“It's very obvious to me that the choices that are being made are going to throw many people into poverty, and they’re going to be trapped there because they won't be able to sell their land, they won't be able to get out and go somewhere else, and people who are benefiting from this are going to move on,” D’Anna said.For Griffin, it’s not about the money. It’s about her family continuing to enjoy the area she grew up in. “My family didn’t hire the lawyer to sue the company to get money,” she said. “We’re suing for the deed to build a park for this community.”Asked about the lawsuit, Seguin said the City wasn’t a party to it. Which is true, the defendant is Blueprint’s parent company. Blueprint did not return 404 Media’s request for comment.

Nature, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01689-0The snowballing ability of artificial intelligence to trawl open data sets has some scientists worried about losing control of their information.

Nature, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01837-6Enjoy the month’s best science images. Plus, a smartphone’s selfie camera can monitor your heart rate and whether AI will drag astrophysics down to Earth.

Nature, Published online: 04 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01828-7Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis appears to be linked to a receptor that’s responsible for keeping bacteria in check. Plus, scientists’ thoughts on Microsoft’s newest quantum chip and what drives us to want to socialize.

A meta-analysis of existing research found that cat owners had an increased risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, concluding that those exposed to cats had twice the likelihood of developing psychosis. What do you think? “You try not developing a few schizophrenic tendencies when your best friend moves as if they’re nothing but smoke and shadow.” Leandro Archuletta, Trapeze Repairman “So? Have you seen how cute Oreo looks in a bow tie?” Elijah Perez, Unemployed “They’ll fuck up your vertical blinds, too.” Morgan Joiner, Twig Snapper The post Cat Ownership Linked To Schizophrenia appeared first on The Onion.

PETALUMA, CA—Nervously drumming his fingers as he reviewed the information one more time, local 20-year-old Kane Parsons reportedly attached the file Backrooms.mov to his film school application Monday. “Alright, here goes nothing,” said Parsons, who told reporters that he had so far applied to six undergraduate film school programs, including Drexel University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Ithaca College, but that he would probably apply to three to four more to maximize his chances of getting accepted anywhere. “Going to film school has always been my dream. I don’t have many extracurriculars on my resume, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this Backrooms project is good enough to pull it off. We’ll see. CSUN’s probably a bit of a reach, but I have a good feeling about San Francisco State. At least I have James Wan down as a reference.” Parsons added that he was just hoping the director of Obsession wasn’t applying for the same scholarships. The post Kane Parsons Attaches Backrooms.Mov To Film School Application appeared first on The Onion.

June is time for Pride and time for travel. The Onion shares tips for helping LGBTQ+ Americans stay safe while traveling this summer. Use discretion when conversing with strangers on apps who list their job as “Secret Police.” Make sure the destination you’re heading to isn’t somewhere that persecutes LGBTQ+ people, like Dubai or Boston. Use the restroom that you feel most comfortable having dysentery in. If a language barrier makes it difficult to tell if a local is also gay, listen for key universal phrases like “Laurie Metcalf.” Travelers to Europe should pack a Type-C penis adapter. Be absolutely certain your Pride flag doesn’t resemble the flag of any local insurgent groups before flying it. It may be safer to tell hoteliers that your partner is your sibling, cousin, or a U.S. marshal escorting you to prison. Denmark seems fine, if we had to guess. Use hook-up apps with caution by only agreeing to sex in public places like cafes. Remember that, unfortunately, many countries still persecute bisexual women in cishet relationships. If questioned by locals, do not reveal that Ellen DeGeneres is also gay. The post Tips For LGBTQ+ Travelers appeared first on The Onion.

Water-Inefficient Landscaping: Featuring lush, non-native tropical plants, a pool, a fish pond, and a private putting green, this home spits in Mother Nature’s face and dares her to do something about it. Reference #815233 The post Water-Inefficient Landscaping appeared first on The Onion.

The post Kissing Practiced On Wife appeared first on The Onion.

North America is preparing to host the World Cup, and with it comes an influx of soccer fans from across the globe – bringing their unique lexicon for the beautiful game. Phrases like 'squeaky bum time,' a 'false 9' executing a 'nutmeg,' or a 'worldie' hitting the 'top bin' might initially baffle local audiences. This piece will explore colorful terms traveling supporters introduce, examining their origins.North America is preparing to host the World Cup, and with it comes an influx of soccer fans from across the globe (Getty Images)Squeaky bum timeImagine the nail-biting climax of a World Cup final: Argentina and Brazil are deadlocked at 1-1 with just five minutes remaining. This is precisely what football fans and players alike refer to as "squeaky bum time."The evocative phrase, coined by legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, perfectly encapsulates the intense tension and nervousness that grips individuals during the critical closing stages of a match, season, or even an entire tournament.Its widespread adoption even led to its official recognition by the Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary defines "squeaky bum time" as "a reference to the sound of someone shifting restlessly on plastic seating during tense closing stages of a contest."Parking the bus"Parking the bus" is a familiar soccer phrase, unrelated to stadium travel, describing an ultra-defensive strategy. It's typically heard when an underdog faces a top team, especially at the World Cup, or when a team, perhaps down a player, shows no attacking intent, focusing solely on preventing goals. The expression gained widespread use after Portuguese coaching great Jose Mourinho, managing Chelsea in 2004, famously complained that Premier League rival Tottenham "might as well have put the team bus in front of their goal."False 9The tactical innovation known as the "false nine" is a legitimate and effective strategy in modern soccer. This role sees a player, initially positioned as a traditional striker, frequently drop into deeper areas of the field. The primary aim is to make them more difficult for opposition defenders to mark and to sow confusion within the defensive line. Lionel Messi famously mastered this position during his time at Barcelona under coach Pep Guardiola. Similarly, Cesc Fabregas successfully deployed the tactic for Spain's title-winning squad at the 2012 European Championship. Looking ahead, England's Harry Kane could potentially adopt a similar role at the upcoming World Cup.WorldieA "worldie," a British slang term, describes a truly spectacular, "world-class" soccer goal. These are typically long-range shots that rocket into the top corner of the net.Total footballA "worldie," a British slang term, describes a truly spectacular, "world-class" soccer goal. These are typically long-range shots that rocket into the top corner of the net.NutmegIt’s one of the simplest tricks in soccer — and a humiliation for those on the receiving end. A “nutmeg” is the act of kicking the ball between your opponent’s legs to either run round and gather it yourself or to pass to a teammate. It has derivatives around the world, from “petit pont” (“little bridge”) in French to “caño” in Spanish and “tunnel” in Scandinavia.SitterA striker clutching his head in despair at the World Cup often signals a missed "sitter." This term describes an incredibly easy scoring opportunity, typically from close range, that a player inexplicably fails to convert. Its origins likely lie in cricket, where a "sitter" refers to a catch so straightforward it appears impossible to drop – so simple, one could theoretically remain seated while making the grab.PanenkaIn the high-stakes world of football penalty shootouts, few moves are as audacious – or as potentially humiliating – as the "Panenka" kick. This iconic technique, where a player gently chips the ball straight down the middle of the goal, was born in 1976. Czech player Antonín Panenka immortalized the move during the European Championship final against West Germany. With the title on the line, he approached the ball at a regular pace, then subtly floated it into the net, correctly anticipating the goalkeeper would commit to a dive. It's a high-risk, high-reward maneuver that, if misjudged, can leave the penalty-taker looking foolish as the ball lands safely in the keeper's hands.Clean sheetFor a goalkeeper, securing a "clean sheet" is a mark of success, signifying their team has prevented opponents from scoring. This achievement, known as a "shutout" in the United States, has a straightforward origin rooted in early sports journalism. Historically, reporters used paper notebooks to meticulously record game incidents, including goals. If a team conceded none, the section dedicated to their opponents' scores remained entirely blank. This "clean" page gave rise to the enduring term.Top binThe top corners of a soccer goal, the ultimate targets for a precise shot, have earned special names among fans. "Top bin," a term now in the Oxford English Dictionary, emerged this century, possibly from practice targets resembling bins (the British term for a trash can) placed in those spots. Another popular descriptor is "postage stamp," evoking the small, precise area on an envelope. This linguistic creativity isn't unique to English; Brazil offers a particularly vivid image, referring to the top corner as "onde a coruja dorme" – "where the owl sleeps."12th manThere will be 11 players in each team at the World Cup. There’s a way of getting 12 — kind of. The “12th man” refers to the team’s fans, who — if they are loud or intimidating — can act as an extra player. Or so coaches say, anyway.

Barcelona priority target favours Camp Nou move despite Real Madrid enquiry – reportBarcelona’s hopes of signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid this summer have received a significant boost.The Argentinian superstar continues to be linked with several elite clubs around the world, with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid said to have made enquiries over a potential move.However, according to journalist Gianluigi Longari, Alvarez’s first choice is Barcelona. The 26-year-old dreams of wearing Blaugrana and would prefer to join Flick’s team.It has also been mentioned that a move could happen only if Atletico are willing to open the door this summer.So far, they have rejected Barcelona’s first big bid for the talented striker and also taken to social media to mock the Catalan club over the same.Alvarez is a dream profile for BarcelonaAlvarez prefers Barcelona over Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)There are few forwards in the world who fit Barcelona’s style of football better than Alvarez.The Argentine forward is extremely intelligent, knows how to operate between the lines, has an excellent finish and is also very adept without the ball at his feet.He is intense with his pressing and can play anywhere in attack, as well as a second striker, making him an invaluable profile for Hansi Flick.Although he may not be able to replicate Robert Lewandowski’s box presence, he more than makes up for it with his other strengths.Without a doubt, he is capable of inheriting the No. 9 jersey from the Polish veteran and leading the line for Barcelona for the foreseeable future.Atletico Madrid-sized obstacle in the wayReal Madrid have enquired about Julian Alvarez. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)The biggest obstacle is undoubtedly the player’s club itself. Even though Alvarez favours Barcelona, Atletico have shown no signs of being open to negotiating.Given the player’s importance and market value, any operation would likely require a huge financial commitment.It has been a while since an Argentinian has donned the Blaugrana and played at Camp Nou, and the romanticism of this deal simply cannot be ignored by a Barcelona fan.To sign Alvarez, Barcelona will have to bring out the chequebook this summer, and let’s wait and see if Laporta is prepared to do that to bring Flick’s dream striker target to Camp Nou.

The leg tattoos on midfielder Leandro Paredes of Argentina. Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesAs the 2026 FIFA World Cup starts on June 11, 2026, traditional news and social media channels will be full of pictures of the players. Many of them will be showing their tattoos. Body art has become increasingly part of international soccer, although its prevalence can vary across geographical regions. A study of athletes participating in the 2018 World Cup found that Latin American players were the most heavily tattooed, followed by those from Oceania and Europe. African and Asian players are the least tattooed. I have been studying tattoos and their spiritual and religious roles since 2018. Tattoos are an investment of time and money; they tend to symbolize something important in the person’s life. For professional athletes, however, they take on another level of meaning. These athletes operate in controlled environments in which what they do and say with their bodies is highly regulated. A player cannot freely ski, ride, work out or take vacations without considering contractual obligations to companies and other investors. Most of the professionals playing in the World Cup have also signed sponsorship agreements that regulate what they can display on their social media. Against this backdrop, tattoos remain one of the few spaces of personal freedom. As my colleagues and I found in our research, those who get them are choosing to reveal what is important and sacred to them.Breaking the codeSociologists Sam Belkin and Dale Sheptak argue that tattoos are often a way for athletes to express their humanity in environments where they may be subjects of unreal expectations or treated as an asset. Belkin and Sheptak write that visible tattoos are a type of “nonverbal communication” that enables players to be honest about their personal feelings and what matters to them.My colleagues and I analyzed the tattoos of the Argentine men’s national team that won the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022. We looked at about 200 pictures and found that 20 of the 26 players on the roster had a total of 226 tattoos. Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul, left, and Lionel Messi at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar, on Dec. 9, 2022, with their tattoos visible. Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty ImagesWe analyzed the team’s demographics and the tattoo designs and placement on the players’ bodies. We also analyzed interviews where some of them had talked about their lives and, in some cases, the stories behind their tattoos. By placing these tattoos in the broader context of their professional paths and religious and popular culture, we were able to better understand what the body art meant to them.A majority of players expressed their religious beliefs through their tattoos: 75% of them – 15 out of 20 – featured body art of religious figures connected to Catholicism, like the Virgin Mary, Jesus and saints; some also had tattoos of doves associated with the holy spirit, and churches.We also saw religious diversity. There were tattoos of the Buddha, folk saints and spiritual objects. One player had a tattoo of a dream catcher – a handcrafted willow hoop with a woven net that resembles a spider’s web, typically hung above a bed to offer protection; another had the word “energía” – energy – inked on his body.Seventy-five percent of the players had tattoos depicting what they achieved in their careers. Some of the symbols they used were trophies, jerseys and numbers. Usually the numbers they got corresponded to the jersey numbers they wear. Eighty percent – 16 players – had tattoos that portrayed what they loved. These tattoos include designs of numbers – usually dates of their children’s births – names of beloved ones or their partner’s eyes or lips. Some tattoos expressed their extended family, including parents, grandparents, people who helped raise them, and even pets.Placement was also important. About 60% of the tattoos were on the arms and head, locations that were easily visible when they are performing on the field. But the design of the tattoo also decided its placement: Religious symbols were usually placed on the entire shoulder or biceps, or on the upper or lower leg. Tattoos related to professional careers were usually located on the player’s dominant leg. Animal tattoos were usually placed on backs, and not visible during games.Not all tattoos are the sameMany scholars who study soccer have examined its relationships with politics and explored how the sport has been a venue for politics. Diego Maradona, for example, got the Argentine Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Che Guevara tattoo on his right arm and Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro on his calf, expressing his revolutionary political view. Our research team did not find political tattoos among current players. Gender is also important when looking at tattoos. Female players are often subjected to greater scrutiny than their male counterparts. When Argentina’s national women’s team captain Yamila Rodriguez revealed tattoos of Cristiano Ronaldo, she faced intense criticism from fans and media for having the Portuguese superstar and not Argentinean Lionel Messi depicted in tattoo. Rodriguez’s experience highlights that women’s bodies are subjected to personal judgment in a way that men’s are not. A tattoo of Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo on the leg of Argentina women’s team captain Yamila Rodriguez ahead of a match against Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Oct. 28, 2025. Eitan Abramovich/ AFP via Getty ImagesThis World Cup, with its unprecedented global outreach, offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that players choose to display on their bodies. In some ways, tattoos can be seen as a small window into the players’ souls.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Gustavo Morello, Boston CollegeRead more:Cincinnati, where Vance converted, gives a glimpse of Catholicism’s history in America’s heartlandTattoos have a long history going back to the ancient world – and also to colonialismTattooing has held a long tradition in Christianity − dating back to Jesus’ crucifixionGustavo Morello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.