It isn’t hard to spot the potential biggest liability of “The Masters Wait,” Amazon Prime’s new documentary on the inside story of Rory McIlroy’s stirring Grand Slam victory at Augusta National last April.
It’s right there in the credits and paragraph one of the doc’s press release: Firethorn Productions.
Firethorn, a nod to Augusta National’s famed par-5 15th hole, is the name of Rory McIlroy’s production shop, which McIlroy’s team launched to produce content around the five-time major winner. McIlroy is not the first athlete to create a production company. He’s not even the first golfer to do so— Rickie Fowler started his own studio in 2022, following a slew of other famous athletes (LeBron James, Steph Curry, Peyton Manning) seeking to own a piece of their own likenesses and narratives.
For athletes, the benefit of a media apparatus is multifold — launching new TV shows, amplifying their brands, creating a post-career career — but in the case of documentary filmmaking, the goal is usually singular: editorial control.
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The logic is simple. There’s tremendous upside to creating a celebrity documentary: Money to be made from streaming companies, networks and sponsors, fame to be accrued from fans, influence to be generated from telling your story. But there’s also tremendous risk: If you say something the wrong way, or if your story isn’t quite as squeaky clean as it appears, your moment in the sun could quickly turn into reputational suicide, with several weeks of roasting on the coals of the internet.
For the celebrities at the center of these films, editorial control is the skeleton key. If you’d like to make a documentary about, say, John Stamos — that’s fine! Just give him the opportunity to tell you what to include and what to leave out; that way he can ensure his reputation remains intact. In return, the streaming company or network will receive all the access they need to execute the vision for the film, which in many cases would be impossible (or unprofitable) without the subject’s inclusion.
The liability here is that celebrities (and their handlers) often have the risk tolerance of hydrogen-bomb technicians, unwilling to let anything that might encroach within 100 miles of “interesting” into the final edit of the film. This can lead to stories that are bleached of essential texture and subtlety, and present somewhere between uninteresting and unbelievable.
Thisis the result I feared when I heard McIlroy’s company was involved in the production of “The Masters Wait,” which will begin streaming on Amazon Prime on March 30. I worried the greatest sporting moment I have witnessed in the flesh would be reduced to a story that felt flat and preordained. That it would not have any of the nausea, horror and disbelief that accompanied the experience of watching it live. That McIlroy’s approval of the story meant it would be, in some essential way, diminished.
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But I’d made one crucial error in my accounting: the sensibility of the show’s star.
In “The Masters Wait,” McIlroy is jarringly self-effacing and bracingly honest. In his interviews, which were shot over several sessions with director Drea Cooper, McIlroy is not whitewashed or particularly protective of his image. He candidly addresses the lows of his major drought, acknowledging he came to “resent” the majors for their role in the sport. He speaks about his previous major failures with painful specificity, admitting that some of the residual anguish from his 2011 Masters collapse probably still lives in his subconscious. He even shares a story of a previously unreported 2025 Masters Sunday standoff with Bryson DeChambeau that makes both golfers look slightly petty.
“For us, at the outset, it was very much about very clearly setting some ground rules and understanding where everybody sits,” Cooper, the director, told me. “To his credit, we made this film independently. Rory’s contribution was very much about helping with access, helping connect us to others.”
To those ends, McIlroy worked the phones — setting up shoots in Northern Ireland and Augusta with film crews in late 2025, and convincing three famously media-shy characters to participate: Augusta National and Rory’s doting parents, Gerry and Rosie. The latter two voices are the strength of the film.
“After we did Rory’s first big sit‑down interview,” Cooper said, “he turned to me and our producer and said, ‘Look, that was a great conversation. And, you know, I really think this film could benefit from hearing from my mom and dad. So let me see if I can work on them.’ And he did.”
Even McIlroy’s persuasiveness has its limits, though, and caddie Harry Diamond is a glaring absence. Diamond, who is one of McIlroy’s oldest friends, is famously media shy, and turned down his boss’s request for an interview. Diamond’s recounting of one of the most memorable rounds of the 21st century is reduced in the film to CBS’s on-course microphones.
“We tried our hardest. We thought we came close, and then we didn’t, and then we tried again and again,” Cooper said of Diamond. “To Rory’s credit, he asked. But it’s not what Harry does.”
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In the end, McIlroy’s vulnerability is the documentary’s biggest (and most pleasant) surprise. And yet, strangely, McIlroy himself also represents the film’s biggest challenge — which is that his story isn’t yet complete.
Yes, McIlroy’s Masters triumph wasthe culmination of his career to this point. It would be negligent to tell the tale of that Sunday without touching on all the history that preempted it, from McIlroy’s boyhood dreams through to his nightmares of the last decade and a half. But McIlroy’s career didn’t end on that magical Sunday — and he was understandably weary about the documentary being framed through that lens.
“I was probably a little reluctant at the start because I was like, you know, I’m still not finished with my career, and maybe I want to do a documentary at the end,” McIlroy said. “But I talked to a few people who have been through that process, different athletes, and I think the common theme was: It doesn’t have to be a tell-all of your whole life; it can just be a snapshot in time of this certain moment.”
That thinking drives the narrative arc of the story, but it is also explains why the film feels incomplete.
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“It’s a moment in time,” McIlroy said. “It’s a snapshot. It’s not about my entire life. It’s just about my journey to try to complete the Slam. Again, I think it would have been a miss to not document it in some way, and we felt like this was the best approach.”
For those seeking a closer look at the golfer and tournament that tilted the sport on its head, “The Masters Wait”is a thorough and excellent account of that history. But if you want to know how the win really felt, and why it felt that way, a 90-minute look-back does not suffice.
Maybe some day the time will come to capture the entirety of the Rory McIlroy’s story in all its gory verisimilitude. Should that day come, one can only hope a similarly open-minded star arrives to the set to capture it.
RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande has been linked with a move to Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window
Manchester United are reportedly expressing an interest in signing RB Leipzig starlet Yan Diomande as the club’s summer transfer plans begin to emerge. United are looking to finish the season by securing qualification for the Champions League, which would provide a boost to their summer transfer budget.
United are third in the Premier League table and have just seven matches left to play as they remain the overwhelming favourites to be guaranteed a Champions League qualification spot this term.
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Finishing in the top four or five would help United be able to go into the transfer market and try to sign the best talent available, and it seems that plans are already in place for this summer.
Sky Sports have reported that Diomande is one of several targets that United will look to sign once they have qualified for the Champions League.
Diomande has also been linked with Liverpool over the last few months, which means the Reds could have a battle on their hands to sign the talented Ivory Coast international.
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The 19-year-old is mentioned in the report as being a player of interest to United, but he is expected to also be wanted by several other clubs across Europe.
United are also being credited with an interest, once again, in signing Brighton star Carlos Baleba. The Reds were linked with the Cameroon international last summer, with the midfielder valued at around £100million at the time.
The report claims that United want to sign Baleba as soon as possible, as they look to take advantage of the fact that the 22-year-old will not be taking part at the World Cup this summer, which could lead to some transfers being delayed until later in the summer.
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Diomande and Baleba are not the only players to be linked with United in the same report. Newcastle defender Lewis Hall, Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson and Everton playmaker Iliman Ndiaye also mentioned on United’s transfer shortlist.
Midfield is likely to be an area of the squad that United look to strengthen this summer, with Casemiro already expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
There have also been reports over the last few weeks claiming that Newcastle duo Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes could also be players of interest to United when the summer transfer window opens.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
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Five of the Top Six Rookie RBs in the 2026 NFL Draft Class: Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, Mike Washington Jr., Emmett Johnson, and Nick Singleton
Since Kevin O’Connell took over the Minnesota Vikings four years ago, he’s never quite nailed rushing offense efficiency, and he may have to do precisely that for long-term job security. Accordingly, all the evidence is mounting to suggest a rookie running back for O’Connell and friends in next month’s draft, probably before the end of Round 4.
Kevin O’Connell could soon get a new toy in the backfield.
And, of course, Minnesota is wildly overdue to spend draft capital on a halfback.
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Vikings Look More Likely Than Ever to Draft a RB
A longstanding request from fans may be answered.
Arkansas Razorbacks running back Mike Washington Jr. (4) carries the ball during second-half action against the Memphis Tigers, with the play unfolding on Sep 20, 2025 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, as Washington Jr. navigates defenders and pushes upfield in a competitive nonconference matchup on the road. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling: Vikings Probably Drafting a RB
Speaking with KFAN’s Paul Allen, Goessling was asked if we would be surprised by a running back selection by the Vikings early in the draft.
He replied, “I would not be surprised by that. I think there’s a very good chance that they do that. Yeah, because I think the concept of what they’re trying to do offensively with new assistant Frank Smith, some of the McDaniel stuff that they have been impressed by. I think it makes sense there.”
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“And you also have to think about the future. Aaron Jones, you know, is going to be 32 in December. So you’ve got to think about that going forward … Jones still has some speed, but we’ve seen it towards the end of seasons where he just hits a wall and the wear and tear slows him down a little bit.”
Jones, indeed, hit a wall in 2025 with pestering injuries.
Goessling added, “So I think it makes a lot of sense for the continued investment in that position. And I would not be surprised if one of those top one hundred pick is on a running back.”
The Vikings are also conducting pre-draft visits with tailbacks like Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Jonah Coleman (Washington), and Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest). The clues are there.
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The Contenders
Minnesota would need a blockbuster trade to obtain the top halfback in the class — Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame. In the off chance he tumbles down the board, Minnesota could perhaps scoop him around around Pick No. 10, but that feels like a long shot.
Therefore, if Love is not in play — he probably won’t be — the Vikings will have these runners on their radar sometime before the beginning of Round 5:
Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas)
Jonah Coleman (Washington)
Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)
Nick Singleton (Penn State)
Price will likely be a Round 2 pick, and his talent mirrors Tony Pollard from about five years ago. Washington Jr. set the Combine on fire with his speed, and he looks like a young Latavius Murray with his size and locomotion.
Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson (21) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins, with the moment taking place on Nov 8, 2025 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena during first-half action, as Johnson reacts to the score and energizes teammates in a road conference matchup. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.
Coleman is versatile and worthy of a bellcow role in time: think a bulkier Ray Rice. Johnson brings memories of Devonta Freeman from the Atlanta Falcons and actually ran a faster 40 (4.4) at Nebraska’s Pro Day this week than his disappointing 4.56 at the Combine.
Singleton cooked at Penn State, and Minnesotans should know him well from the University of Minnesota rivalry overlap. His toolkit is similar to Miles Sanders’s a half-decade ago.
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The Recent Numbers
The Vikings desperately need to fix their ground game once and for all. Each year under O’Connell, the unit improves but never enough to stand on business.
These are the numbers:
Vikings Rushing DVOA, NFL Ranking, in the Kevin O’Connell Era:
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2022: 27th 2023: 27th 2024: 20th 2025: 13th
While the 13th-best ranking in 2025 was impressive, Minnesota ran the ball 43% of the time, which ranked 19th in the NFL. The Vikings had a Top 13 rushing offense but ran the rock at a Bottom 13 clip.
The working theory suggests drafting Price, Washington Jr., Coleman, Johnson, or Singleton will “force” the offense to run more — and even more dynamically.
Time to Develop
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Whichever fighter Minnesota lands on in the draft, that youngster will have plenty of time to watch and learn. The Vikings re-upped with Aaron Jones, who will turn 32 in December, and have Jordan Mason (who turns 27 in May) lined up for the offensive backfield, too. Unless the rookie-to-be sets training camp and the preseason on fire, Mason and Jones figure to share the RB1 workload again.
Washington Huskies running back Jonah Coleman (1) carries the football against the Washington State Cougars, with the play occurring on Sep 20, 2025 at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman during first-half Apple Cup action, as Coleman cuts through the defense while advancing the ball in a rivalry matchup. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images.
But that doesn’t have to last. Perhaps the rookie tailback will be too good for the RB3 job. In that scenario, either Jones or Mason will slide to the back of the rotation.
The Vikings are one smart running back draft pick away from owning the deepest RB room of O’Connell’s tenure. It will also help to have Kyler Murray at quarterback, who rushes for about 600 rushing yards every 17 starts.
Legendary athlete Mary Rand, the first British woman to ever win Olympic gold in track and field, has died at the age of 86.
Great Britain’s original “golden girl”, Rand topped the podium in the long jump at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, doing so with a world-record leap of 6.76m.
She then went on to achieve a feat that wouldn’t be replicated until Emma Finucane’s heroics at Paris 2024, adding pentathlon silver and 4x100m relay bronze to her Tokyo haul to become the only British female athlete to win three track and field medals in a single Games.
Rand was voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year for her success in 1964 before being awarded an MBE in the 1965 New Year Honours.
Mary Rand, Britain’s first golden girl, has died aged 86 (Getty Images)
Born in the Somerset town of Wells on 10 February 1940, Rand passed away in the United States, where she lived for many years alongside husband John Reese.
“UK Athletics is saddened to hear of the death of Olympic, European and Commonwealth champion Mary Rand, at the age of 86,” a statement from British Athletics read.
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Tributes were led by Mary Peters, one of her four room-mates at the Tokyo Games, who won Olympic pentathlon gold at the 1972 Games.
“She was the golden girl of her era and the most gifted athlete I ever saw,” Peters said.
“She worked hard and played hard, and she was a very talented all-around athlete. She could swim, she could she could play netball, she was a hockey player. And if you put her on the trampoline she would do front and back flips.
Mary Rand during her glory-laden Tokyo 1964 campaign (Getty Images)
“I even went with her to dart tournaments once at Crystal Palace, and whoever threw the first bullseye won a free set of golden darts. Naturally she got a bullseye with her first dart.”
Two years after glory in Tokyo, Rand took home long jump gold in the 1966 Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica, going one better than the silver she had achieved eight years earlier at the event in Cardiff, when she was just 18. She also won two bronze medals at the 1962 European Championships.
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Rand retired from the sport just before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics after seriously damaging an Achilles tendon, which saw her miss out on the squad.
But her fame had soared beyond sport in the the 1960s, with Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger famously declaring Rand to be his ‘dream date’, though she insisted she was more of a Beatles fan.
Rand and first husband Sidney Rand at Buckingham Palace (Getty Images)
GB teammate Ann Packer, who similarly took home gold at the Tokyo Games and also shared a room with Rand, branded her as “the most gifted athlete I ever saw”.
“She was as good as athletes get, there has never been anything like her since. And I don’t believe there ever will,” Packer said.
Rand won the first medal of the 12 Team GB collected at Tokyo 1964, and later recalled: “If you talk to Ann Packer, she will say, ‘Mary came back and she’d won a gold and it inspired everybody’. They all thought, ‘If Mary can do it, we can do it’.”
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Rand also held the world record in the triple jump from 1959 to 1981, albeit an unofficial title as the women’s triple jump was not recognised by World Athletics until 1990.
She moved to the United States with her second husband Bill Toomey, the Olympic decathlon champion, three years after her divorce from rower Sidney Rand. Her marriage with Toomey lasted until 1991 and she later settled with Reese, holding UK/US dual citizenship.
Delhi Capitals Mitchell Starc, with captain Axar Patel, left, and Mohit Sharma (PTI Photo)
Injuries have already begun to reshape plans for several teams ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, with a number of key players unavailable at the start. Among the biggest concerns are the absences of Australian fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, all of whom are expected to miss at least the opening phase.While Hazlewood has already linked up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Cummins’ recovery is being monitored by Sunrisers Hyderabad, the situation around Starc remains uncertain. According to head coach Daniel Vettori, a decision on Cummins’ availability will be taken in the next 10 to 12 days. In contrast, Starc’s return timeline is still unclear, with Delhi Capitals awaiting clearance from Cricket Australia.The uncertainty around Starc sparked reactions from fans, one of whom questioned his absence on social media after spotting him at a golf course alongside his wife Alyssa Healy and other athletes.
Alyssa Healy response to a fan
“This is so unfair to us Delhi Capitals fan that Hazelwood and Cummins despite being injured will be available for their teams but you wont be,” the fan wrote.
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IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan steals the show at captains meet
Healy responded sharply, defending Starc’s situation. “Probably cause he’s injured mate…if he can’t bowl how’s he supposed to play?!”She added, “If he was fully fit he’d be there.”Delhi Capitals had built much of their bowling strategy around Starc’s pace and ability with the new ball, and his absence has forced the team to reassess their plans. Despite that setback, the franchise believes it has the depth to compete, combining experienced names with new additions.Last season, Delhi Capitals started strongly with four consecutive wins but lost momentum later, eventually finishing fifth and missing out on the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.As IPL 2026 begins on March 28, Delhi will be aiming to end that run and finally push for their first title, even as they navigate early challenges with key players unavailable.
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Jordan Scott had no shortage of options regarding where he’d play college basketball. A consensus top-100 recruit with offers from across the country, he was looking for a differentiating factor. He found them during his visit to East Lansing for Michigan State Madness in October 2024.
Other programs have preseason fan events and hallowed student sections like the “Izzone.” But Scott found something more.
“[Tom Izzo] being a huge part of the community here, for lack of better words, you don’t see that everywhere — you don’t see that anywhere besides here,” Scott said. “He trusts his community, and his community trusts him. … Just comparing this place to other places, it was like night and day, just how they do things here. It’s a special culture.”
It’s a trust Izzo built over 43 years — 31 as the head coach — and a trust that is becoming increasingly rare. Izzo is the second-longest tenured active head coach at one school, behind only close friend Greg Kampe’s 42 years at Oakland University.
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“I’m not sure anybody will stay in one place 31 years,” Izzo said, mentioning Purdue’s Matt Painter as one he hopes proves him wrong. “I’m fortunate to have the job I have. I am fortunate for the 31 years of success. I do not think people are going to stay in the same place like Jim Boeheim did. Mike Krzyzewski had a long run there.”
In an era when players and coaches change colors more often than not, the on-court bona fides of the four coaches in the nation’s capital for Friday’s Sweet 16 are unimpeachable. Izzo, Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley and Jon Scheyer have combined for 2,026 Division-I wins, five national championships and, including this year, 37 Sweet 16s. For as good as the players are — and in Cameron Boozer, Zuby Ejiofor, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. and others, they are very good — the coaches are driving the star power for this 2026 NCAA Tournament East Regional site.
Each is a pillar of the sport, each in his own way. And the careers of Izzo and Pitino show the fork in the road that Scheyer and Hurley face as they build their own Hall of Fame résumés.
“I think that’s what makes it exciting, right?” said Scheyer, who is 38 and in his fourth year at the helm of his alma mater. “It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere, high-level basketball, high-level coaching for sure. … I just keep going back [to] having great respect and admiration, at the same time having great confidence when you step on the floor. That’s what I want our players to have, too.”
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The winding backroads to the HOF
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Scheyer’s sideline opponent, Pitino, was a forebearer of this era of movement. He got his head coaching start at Boston University, left for an assistant role with the Knicks, returned to the college ranks as Providence’s coach, left for the Knicks’ head role and then resigned to take the top job at Kentucky — all within a seven-year stretch.
He’d leave for the NBA one more time, taking the Celtics job, but not after lifting a Kentucky program mired in scandal to a 1996 NCAA title and a 1997 runner-up finish. But after four unsuccessful years in Bean Town, he returned to coach Louisville from 2001-2017, when he was fired amid multiple scandals (it was later re-worded to a resignation after a lengthy legal battle). After a brief stint in Greece, he returned to coach Iona and, in 2023, got hired by St. John’s.
“I’ve loved every place I’ve lived,” Pitino said. “I’m a different guy. I’m not a nester. Everybody is different. I don’t want to live in the same place my whole life. I enjoyed Greece probably more than any place I’ve ever lived for those two years, not knowing one person, just exploring all the islands. For me it was great. For Tom, it’s great being in East Lansing. He loves it there. Everybody is different.”
St. John’s is the fourth different program Pitino has led to the Sweet 16. He has mastered the ability to fit into new surroundings while still standing out. After all, beyond the coaching ingenuity, what 73-year-old — let alone a 73-year-old Hall-of-Fame coach — dons an all-white suit for big games, invites Bad Bunny to sit courtside and says his point guard, Dylan Darling, has “balls as big as church bells?”
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“Since he’s 73, you would think that he’s slowing down, but I think he’s only getting better,” Bryce Hopkins said.
“I think that coach still coaching at his age helps keep him young, honestly,” Oziyah Sellers said. “I remember he told me earlier in the year that he wouldn’t know what he would do with his life if he wasn’t coaching.”
Pitino has certainly taken the road less traveled, but perhaps that has given him the edge in identifying and courting players whose careers have taken several turns, too. The Red Storm’s top seven scorers are all former transfers.
“His resume, it speaks for itself,” said Sellers, who started his career at USC and transferred to Stanford before landing with the Johnnies. “He’s succeeded at every school he’s been at, and he’s ‘The Godfather’ in this college basketball world.”
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The open road ahead in youth
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Pitino’s junior by 35 years, Scheyer is his third Sweet 16 in four years as Duke’s head coach. The two are, in some ways, polar opposites. If Pitino is “The Godfather,” Scheyer is the prodigy. They will form the eighth-largest age gap between opposing coaches in any NCAA Tournament game. All Scheyer has known is Duke. He won a national championship as a senior in 2010 and, after a brief pro playing career, returned to Durham to be part of Krzyzewski’s staff before taking over the program in 2022.
Since then? The trajectory has him with the most wins of any head coach in his first four years on the job — and approaching that same record just in March Madness:
Krzyzewski fielded several NBA offers over his 42 seasons leading Duke and declined each. In 2023, Coach K said, “I love Duke, and I love college, especially how it was then. I’m not sure that if it was today, and I was that age, I wouldn’t have gone.”
The “then” Krzyzewski refers to is when top players often spent their entire careers at one program. Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, JJ Redick and Shane Battier stayed for all four years. Jay Williams stayed for three. It’s a long-gone era, and Scheyer knows it. And the transaction-driven nature makes even the offseason more of a grind.
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When asked if he believes coaches will continue into their 70s, as Pitino and Izzo are and Krzyzewski did, Scheyer smiled and shook his head.
“I know from Coach K, initially when you start coaching, you have months, you finish the season, your players aren’t going anywhere, you go to the beach, you go wherever you want for a few months, you come back in the fall, and you’re ready to roll,” Scheyer said. “That’s just not the world we’re in. As you all know, it’s right to recruiting mode the next day, as soon as the season ends.
“But I think it’s incredible what [Izzo and Pitino] have done. … You look at the reflection of both of their teams. They still have the identity of how they’ve always coached: the toughness, the defense, all those things, but they’ve done it a different way.”
After all, the 2020s have been marked by high-profile departures, not just from septuagenarians such as Krzyzewski, Boeheim, Roy Williams and Jim Larrañaga, but from Jay Wright and Tony Bennett, too.
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The exit ramps and left turns not taken
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Hurley could be the best example of the thin line between staying and going — and, as of now, choosing the former. He turned down Kentucky in early 2024 and the Lakers a few months later, though he admits that turning down the Lakers was a difficult decision, one that Izzo, now his Sweet 16 opponent, helped with.
His players were briefly in a lurch. Reed, who had transferred from Michigan just months before the Lakers’ courtship of Hurley, remembers the immense relief of finding out Hurley was staying in Storrs.
“I came to UConn to play for a coach like Coach Hurley,” Reed said. “When Coach said he returned, I remember that first practice when he leaked out to the media, posted it on Twitter, he was ready to go from there.”
Returnees such as Alex Karaban and Solo Ball remember the uncertain few days of that July — long after rosters and coaching searches had formed, leaving them with fewer options if they needed to pack up.
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“Whatever he wanted to do, whatever would make him happy, his family happy, that’s ultimately what we all wanted,” Karaban said. “For him to come back and want to stay at UConn was a blessing for us. We greatly appreciated that. We just want to repay with him with how we play on the basketball court.”
“I thought he was going to be gone, to be honest, when it first came out,” Ball said. “Over time, when you get to know Coach, how he is as a person, all he wants to pour into is college athletes. It’s been great.”
The long road home
Perhaps the difference between staying and going can come down to personalities. Pitino has always wanted to move around. Izzo values the ability to “pump your own gas, wave to a neighbor, be around.” He had the same NBA rumor mill, the same opportunities to jump to marginally bigger college programs.
Or perhaps there’s more. The pressure of one spot can be downright grating. The nationwide monetary arms race gives more programs more opportunities to offer big paydays, better NIL, upgraded facilities and impressive support.
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“It’s nice to be in the same place,” Izzo said. “There’s pressure being in the same place, too. I don’t think most people are going to want to do that. I hope they do. I think it’s good for the university. I think it’s good for the players.”
Future offers will come for Hurley, one of the premier basketball minds at any level, and for Scheyer, who ticks the boxes of youth, smarts and experience coaching NBA players in-waiting. Both acknowledged the immense challenges they face.
“We talked about his opportunity with the Lakers and other places,” Scheyer said of Krzyzewski. “Down the road, that’s something you cross that bridge when you get there. For me, it’s 100% being at Duke, the place I want to be. We have unfinished business. That’s what this is all about for me.”
Hurley admitted it’s been a challenge, that turning down the Lakers two summers ago wasn’t easy and that coaching, period, even as a two-time reigning national champion, wasn’t easy.
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“Listen, I wanted a gap year last year,” Hurley said with a laugh that belied his serious answer. “I don’t know how Coach Izzo has done it. I don’t.
“I hope I’m looked upon when my career’s over, I don’t know that I’ll have his longevity, I can just only hope that people look at me as a coach the way they look at him and the way I look at him.”
Four disparate but remarkably successful coaching paths converge at Capital One Arena on Friday night. By Sunday night, one will continue to the Final Four, and three will return home. Where any of those four paths go — in the short and long terms — could be anyone’s guess.
The mother of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin made an emotional plea this week for increased fire department funding before Gaston County officials after she nearly lost her life in a North Carolina blaze that killed her husband in December.
Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, delivered a heartbreaking account of the Dec. 28 house fire that killed her husband, 75-year-old Dennis Hamlin, and reduced the family home to ruins.
Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“I’m sorry, I was trying not to cry,” a tearful Mary Lou Hamlin said as she spoke before the Gaston County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
“Dec. 28 was one of the saddest days of my life. It was the last time I saw my husband of 52 years when I pulled him out of our burning home. In addition to losing my husband, I lost everything from my entire life.”
Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were found outside the two-story home near Stanley, suffering from what officials at the time called catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at a hospital, while his wife was transferred to a specialized hospital in Winston-Salem for treatment of her burn injuries.
“I didn’t understand at the time that the firetrucks were there, but not the water,” Mary Lou Hamlin continued Tuesday.
“There was no water to put out my house. I am advocating for funding to be included on this year’s budget – training on emergency response, additional equipment, staffing as you just heard, are just a few things to help strengthen the fire protection in our area in which funds are desperately needed.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona.(James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin’s sister, Lisa Chapman, also appeared before the board, recalling her shock after arriving on the scene.
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“There’s nothing worse than pulling up to the house on fire and seeing everybody standing in the road,” she said through tears. “No water being thrown on the fire.”
Adopt Me is a pet simulator in which you unlock different Pets, fulfill their “Needs”, and help them grow bigger. On March 27, 2026, this Roblox title released its Sugarfest: Jerboa Jam update, which introduced a new limited-time minigame in which you can participate to earn Candy Eggs. Moreover, you can unlock two new pets, several pet wears, and a vehicle.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything that’s important to know about this update.
Patch notes for Sugarfest: Jerboa Jam update in Adopt Me
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On March 27, 2026, the developers of Adopt Me released the Sugarfest: Jerboa Jam update along with these official patch notes:
Sugarfest: Jerboa Jam notes
“Explore Candy Cliffs as Jiggly Jerboas to pick up Cheesecake in Jerboa Jam.
Jerboa Jam minigame
Native to the Candy Cliffs, Jiggly Jerboas burrow through the rock candy to find Cheesecake. Delicious treats sure to feed the entire family.
Collect as much Cheesecake as you can as a Team.
Pick up the Speed Boost to go faster, Jump Boost to jump higher, and Range Boost to be able to collect Cheesecake from further away.
All Boosts stack and last for the rest of the round. Enjoy the speeeeed.
Find the special Cheesecake Tokens to earn a bonus to your final score.
You’re finding Cheesecake as a team and sharing the final score. But the Boosts only work on the Jerboa that picks them up.
A limited-time team minigame where you play as Jiggly Jerboas and collect Cheesecake across Candy Cliffs. The goal is to gather as much as possible to boost your team’s final score.
What are Cheesecake Tokens?
They are special collectibles that give bonus points on top of regular Cheesecake. Collecting them helps your team achieve higher scores faster.
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What rewards can you get from this update?
You can earn Candy Eggs to unlock new pets, pet wear, and a vehicle. One premium pet is also available through Robux.
Iran are among the countries who have qualified for this summer’s World Cup but their participation in the tournament, to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada from 11 June, remains in doubt.
They are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before their final group game against Egypt in Seattle.
Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, then said the country will not travel to the US for what would be a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
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“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” Taj said in a post, external on a social media account belonging to the Iranian embassy in Mexico.
Taj said Iran were negotiating with Fifa to hold their matches in Mexico but the governing body appear to have ruled out that possiblity.
Iran, who were beaten 2-1 by Nigeria on Friday, will face Costa Rica in another friendly in Turkey on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the country’s women’s national team players declined to sing the national anthem during an AFC Women’s Asian Cup match, leading to a host on Iranian state TV calling them “traitors”.
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A number of the players had initially sought humanitarian visas to stay in Australia after concerns they would face repercussions for their protest but all members of the team eventually returned to Iran after dropping their bids for asylum.
Alabama guard Aden Holloway, who was arrested on felony drug charges, was granted permission by a judge to leave the state on Friday as his team prepares to face Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Chicago.
It’s unclear whether the travel permission opens the door for Holloway to play in the NCAA Tournament game that is scheduled to tip off at 7:35 p.m. Eastern. Alabama listed Holloway as out on the availability report given to the NCAA on Thursday. That report is allowed to be amended up to two hours before the game.
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The university removed him from campus last week “pending further investigation by the UA Office of Student Conduct.”
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Holloway, Alabama’s No. 2 scorer, was arrested March 16 after authorities found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment. He was suspended indefinitely following the arrest, but coach Nate Oats has not ruled out the possibility of his return in the NCAA Tournament.
Holloway’s attorney, Jason Neff, had requested his client be allowed to travel “on a trip out of the state” — without specifying where — departing Friday and returning Tuesday. Tuscaloosa County District Court Judge Joanne Jannik approved that travel Friday morning, according to court documents.
If Alabama were to win Friday night, it would play in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
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Additionally, Holloway’s sister, Mila Holloway, is set to play for Michigan in the women’s Sweet 16 on Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas, and could be playing in an Elite Eight game there on Monday.
Among the charges Aden Holloway faces is a count of first-degree marijuana possession, not for personal use, which is a Class C felony and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000. The amount of marijuana authorities said they found was just below the 2.2-pound threshold for a drug trafficking charge.
Neff has said there is no proof his client was selling the drugs.
The Winnipeg Jets are bringing up two forwards to bolster their squad.
Parker Ford and Danny Zhilkin have been recalled from the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, under emergency conditions, the team announced on Friday.
Ford has already appeared in 11 NHL games with the Jets this season. Over that span, he has recorded one assist and averaged just under 10 minutes of ice time per game.
Zhilkin has played two games with the team while recording no points this season. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 8.
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The emergency recalls indicate the Jets do not have the requisite 12 forwards available to dress.
Forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter are both out with lower-body injuries while left-winger Morgan Barron is unavailable to play due to a concussion.
The Jets are 30-30-12 on the season, good for sixth in the central division. Winnipeg is set to take on Colorado on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+).
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