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Roger Maltbie is back — again. Here’s why golf can’t quit him  

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Mitchell, Harden rally Cavaliers to win over Nuggets

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DENVER — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, including two free throws with 0.9 seconds left after James Harden’s tying 3-pointer, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-117 on Monday night.

Harden finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in his second game with Cleveland. Harden, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4, scored 23 points in his Cavaliers debut three nights later.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but missed a potential winning 3-point shot at the buzzer. Two nights after Jokic passed Oscar Robertson for second place in career triple-doubles, he notched his 183rd.

Monday night was the 14th time Harden has played against Denver since the start of the 2024-25 season, including a seven-game slugfest in the first round of the playoffs last year.

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“Even if you’re prepared for (Harden), his ability to go get 28 and 12, it’s historical,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before the game.

Harden keyed a Cleveland rally that cut Denver’s 11-point lead to 106-104 but Christian Braun, playing his fourth game back from a left ankle injury, drained a 3-pointer and Jonas Valanciunas hit two free throws to make it 111-104.

Mitchell’s lob to Jarrett Allen, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, for an alley-oop dunk made it a one-point game, and after Jokic’s hook shot, Harden hit a step-back 3-pointer to tie it 117-all with 32 seconds left. Tim Hardaway missed at the other end, and Jamal Murray fouled Mitchell, who calmly drained the winning free throws.

Mitchell added 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who have won eight of their last nine.

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Murray finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Denver, which has dropped four of its last five games.

Cavs: Hosts the Wizards on Wednesday night.

Nuggets: Host the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

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Incognito Holds Spot in 2026 Golden Slipper Contention

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Incognito, previously the market leader for the Golden Slipper, is still considered for the richest juvenile showdown globally, but modifications to his gear aim to steady his path forward.

The Breeders’ Plate champion came up short in the Canonbury Stakes on his freshen-up last weekend, jockey Tommy Berry suggesting afterwards the colt endured palate displacement.

Trainer Michael Freedman agreed post-vet exams lent credence to the assessment, adding the condition, while variable, is typically controllable.

“It can be displaced for a very short period of time then go back in place very quickly,” Freedman said.

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“It’s a bit of a frustrating one and they can do it once and never do it again. It’s one of those racing things that can happen sometimes. Hopefully we can just make a few subtle changes because he is obviously a lot better than that.

“I was, to some degree, quite happy to find an issue. If you go home with no issues, you think maybe we’re not good enough.”

Freedman stated stewards from Racing NSW see no need for Incognito to trial again, plotting his return in the Silver Slipper (1100m) at Rosehill on February 21.

Barring complications, the Golden Slipper a month along remains the goal.

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“He’s in good order so the plan will be to change a little bit of gear on him,” Freedman said.

“I’m not exactly sure what that will be, maybe a tongue tie and a different type of bit, and then go to the Silver Slipper, although if we decided we wanted to wait an extra week, we could.”

The trainer’s other youngster Outspan enters the Pierro Plate (1100m) next Saturday at Randwick, with the Bivouac colt building nicely since his Rosehill triumph.

“He will be here next Saturday, that’s the plan,” Freedman said. Fans can find competitive betting markets for the race via trusted online bookmakers.

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“I’m very happy with him. He did a nice bit of work (Saturday) morning, and he will have a gallop on Tuesday.”

The post Incognito remains in Golden Slipper equation first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

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Banished Viking Latches onto the Eagles

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Swoop, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot, joins fans at a tailgate before a Week 3 NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sept. 21, 2025. © Saquan Stimpson/Special to Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Former Minnesota Vikings offensive coach Chris Kuper failed upward. The Philadelphia Eagles hired Kuper on Monday, giving him the opportunity to thrive with a team that has a notable reputation for stellar offensive lines.

Kuper’s exit won’t settle the blame debate, but the landing spot in Philadelphia puts a bright light back on Minnesota’s OL results.

For their troubles, after the 2026 season, Vikings fans will get a firm verdict on whether Kuper was the problem in Minnesota or if something is systemically wrong with Kevin O’Connell’s offensive line operations.

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Chris Kuper Lands in Philadelphia after Vikings Exit

Few saw this relationship coming.

Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper on the sideline during the 2025 NFC wild card game in Glendale. Chris Kuper Eagles
Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper watches from the sideline during the NFC wild card matchup on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, as Minnesota faced the Los Angeles Rams in a high-stakes playoff environment. The moment captured Kuper between series, scanning alignments and personnel as the Vikings worked through protection adjustments. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kuper to PHI

Kuper’s unemployment did not last long. CBS News Tom Dougherty announced Monday, “The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly found Jeff Stoutland’s replacement. The Eagles will hire Chris Kuper as their next offensive line coach, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Kuper spent the past four seasons coaching the Minnesota Vikings’ O-line, where he briefly crossed paths with Sean Mannion, Philadelphia’s new offensive coordinator.”

“The 43-year-old played eight seasons with the Denver Broncos before starting his coaching career in 2015. He spent one season coaching the O-line for Columbine High School in Colorado before making the leap to the NFL. He began his pro coaching career as an offensive quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2016 and was later promoted to assistant O-line coach.”

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While the Eagles’ offensive line personnel may undergo some offseason upheaval, the franchise has featured arguably the league’s best OL over the last few years. It’s a sweet arrangement for Kuper, especially this soon.

The Athletic‘s Zach Berman noted on the Kuper hire, “By hiring Kuper, the Eagles found someone with experience coaching in the expected scheme and also playing experience that could bring credibility to a veteran group.”

“Kuper started 80 games (including the playoffs) over eight NFL seasons with the Broncos, beginning his career under Mike Shanahan and finishing his career with Peyton Manning as quarterback. He started coaching in the NFL under Adam Gase in Miami, where he overlapped with new Eagles passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard.”

Kuper’s OL Rankings in Minnesota

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With Kuper in charge since the start of 2022, the Vikings finished with these OL rankings:

Vikings OL Rankings,
per PFF,
Last Four Seasons:

2022: 13th
2023: 12th
2024: 18th
2025: 18th

Minnesota also allowed the second-most sacks in 2025, as interior pressure consistently collapsed pockets at one of the league’s worst rates. That happened despite an offseason built around premium offensive line investment, with Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill forming a unit that looked strong on paper and expensive in practice.

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The results were underwhelming.

That disconnect grew deeper when the Vikings moved 2022 second-round pick Ed Ingram to Houston last March after three uneven seasons. In a different environment, Ingram graded out as a Top 15 NFL guard by year’s end. Developments like that fueled the sense that the problem lived higher up the chain, and why fans increasingly questioned whether Kuper’s seat had cooled past the point of recovery.

The Almighty Verdict Awaits

Regarding those theories — “fire Kuper” chants began midseason 2025 — it won’t be difficult to get an answer. Kuper will strut into a foundationally sound system, and if the Eagles’ trenches don’t struggle with him in charge, it will seem like Minnesota got an offseason decision wrong again. Look no further than Sam Darnold winning the Super Bowl on Sunday night as an example.

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Broncos guard Chris Kuper blocks during the 2013 AFC divisional playoff game in Denver.
Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper lines up in pass protection during the AFC divisional playoff on Jan. 12, 2013, at Sports Authority Field in Denver, as the Broncos hosted the Baltimore Ravens. The image reflects Kuper’s playing career, capturing him engaged at the line of scrimmage during a tense postseason contest. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On the other hand, if Philadelphia’s offensive line finally takes a step back, Vikings fans will point and laugh at Kuper, feeling vindicated for making the face of the 2025 offensive line problems.

It’s all teed up for Kuper to prove it or succumb to the suspicion.

Avoid Injuries at All Costs

Kuper didn’t exactly get a smooth situation in 2025. Minnesota cycled through 25 offensive line combinations as injuries stacked up and continuity never had a chance to settle.

Darrisaw’s ACL recovery stalled, forcing the Vikings to shut him down in mid-December. Kelly dealt with three concussions. Rookie left guard Donovan Jackson played through a broken wrist. O’Neill missed time as well. That many injuries basically mandate that a fivesome can achieve no momentum or continuity.

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Vikings players huddle during pregame warmups before facing the Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Minnesota Vikings gather in a tight huddle during pregame warmups on Oct. 19, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, ahead of their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Players clustered together near midfield as final instructions were shared, setting the tone for kickoff under the indoor lights. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In Philadelphia, Kuper will be banking on better health. The injury bug buried the 2025 Vikings, and no amount of coaching wizardry could fix that reality, at least not enough to propel the unit to Top 10 numbers.

Meanwhile, Minnesota promoted Kuper’s lieutenant, Keith Carter, to run the offensive line show in 2026. O’Connell also brought former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith on board last month, who has an extensive offensive line background. Smith is the new assistant head coach.


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Tunisian Referee Haitham Guirat Suspended After Major Officiating Error

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Tunisian referee Haitham Guirat has been suspended indefinitely by the Tunisian football authorities after a serious officiating mistake in a domestic league match.

The suspension was confirmed on Monday following a controversial decision in a Tunisian top-flight fixture, which drew strong criticism from officials, fans and analysts. The referees’ committee launched an immediate review and decided to take disciplinary action.

Local officials described the incident as a serious refereeing error, although full details of the match incident were not made public. The football authorities said the move was necessary to protect the integrity of the league and restore confidence in match officiating.

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Guirat’s suspension has also renewed debate about his appointments at the recent Africa Cup of Nations, where he handled several matches involving Morocco. Some fans and experts had questioned the consistency of his decisions during the tournament.

The suspension is indefinite, and Guirat will face further assessment before any decision is made on a possible return to refereeing duties.

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What happened to Oscar Bobb at Man City – from bright beginnings to a fading finish

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Oscar Bobb returns to the Etihad with Fulham on Wednesday night just days after leaving Manchester City in a £27million exit.

Oscar Bobb lit up the Wembley turf with a breakout showing that seemed to cement his status as a Manchester City first team fixture. Days later, a fractured leg sustained in training ended his season.

It’s a sliding doors moment football often throws up and on this occasion Bobb was on the wrong side of it. The Community Shield victory over Manchester United in August 2024 saw Bobb named player of the match and continued a fine few months for the Norwegian.

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He’d hit a stunning late winner off the bench at Newcastle in the January which went a long way to helping City to the title, before playing a starring role on the summer tour of America.

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That earned him a start at Wembley and, but for injury, he may well have started the Premier League opener at Chelsea. Instead he was on the treatment table and staring at the long road to recovery.

He returned to first team action in April 2025 but Bobb has failed to hit the same heights since and despite 15 appearances for City this term, an exit to Fulham was sanctioned. He returns to the Etihad with his new club tonight.

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Pep Guardiola was looking for Bobb to kick on and, through injury, form and the arrivals of the likes of Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo in the last three transfer windows, the Norway international hasn’t managed to force his way into the City thinking.

“We want more,” said Guardiola after that 2024 Community Shield showing. “Sometimes he had the chance to take the ball and go and he was a little bit passive. He has something unique; be stopped then go, first one or two steps, right or left are unbelievable. The goal, how he turns and make the cross, huge quality. He has incredible values and work ethic. He has the ability to do it and he can do it more regularly.”

The regularity never arrived. Bobb worked hard to return from that serious injury but this season he never quite looked like he had the trust of his manager.

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Norway boss Stale Solbakken criticised the winger after a friendly with New Zealand: “He was very poor in the first half. He is lacking everything. If you ask Oscar, I think he’ll say that the first half was his weakest performance for the national team. The second half was the next weakest.”

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His confidence hit, Bobb then struggled to recapture it at City and never found a run of minutes. He was handed a start in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford which was prematurely ended inside the opening quarter through injury. From then on, with talk of his future intensifying, the writing seemed to be on the wall.

Guardiola spoke in Bodo of Bobb saying he was still injured so wouldn’t be involved in what felt a pointed answer. The City manager has cited preparation as being the main injury avoidance factor in the past and there seemed some internal frustration at Bobb’s latest issue.

But he left with a glowing piece on City’s website and with the club thinking enough of him to insert a clause into his Fulham switch that allows the Blues to match any bid that comes in for him, a clause they utilised to sign James Trafford in the summer.

Plenty will watch Bobb’s time at Fulham with interest, even if his bright City beginning ultimately fizzled into something of a sour exit.

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No. 9 Kansas beats No. 1 and previously undefeated Arizona

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LAWRENCE, Kan. — Flory Bidunga had a double-double and No. 9 Kansas defeated top-ranked and previously unbeaten Arizona 82-78 on Monday night.

Arizona (23-1, 10-1 Big 12) entered Allen Fieldhouse with the second-longest winning streak in Division I men’s basketball.

Kansas (19-5, 9-2) played without freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Peterson has missed 11 games with a combination of hamstring, calf and ankle issues.

Arizona held a three-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 11 before Kansas took its first lead of the game at the 9:32 mark in the second half.

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Bidunga put the Jayhawks ahead with a layup, which capped a personal seven-point run. He finished with 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds.

Arizona closed within one point with 34 seconds left in the game, but senior guard Melvin Council Jr. shot 3 of 4 from the line in the final minute and 10 of 11 in the game to help seal the victory for Kansas. He finished with 23 points. Tre White also added a pair of late free throws.

Four Kansas players scored double digits. Bryson Tiller finished with 18 points and Jamari McDowell added 10.

Freshman guard Brayden Burries led Arizona with 25 points. Motiejus Krivas scored 14 and Ivan Kharchenkov 13.

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Kansas: At Iowa State on Saturday.

Arizona: Hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.

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Super Bowl 2026: Is Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold greatest NFL redemption story?

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Quarterbacks grab all the headlines, for good or bad, but they simply cannot do it all by themselves in this ultimate team sport.

Tom Brady regularly had, and needed, a top-10 defence on his side to win Super Bowls, while Patrick Mahomes lost two of them because he was soundly beaten up by opposing defences.

In Seattle, Darnold found the perfect storm of a team on the up and a defensive head coach assembling a crack unit that would go on to dominate the NFL, needing just a solid quarterback to steer the offence.

Having the league’s leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker also helped, and plenty will say Darnold did not have to do much.

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He became the first quarterback to enjoy successive 14-win seasons with two different teams – only Brady had managed it with one – but still there were questions as he led the league in turnovers, giving the ball away 20 times.

Around 80% of play-off games are won by teams with the fewest turnovers. In Super Bowls the record was 40-7 when winning the turnover battle.

Darnold has the fourth most giveaways in the NFL since being drafted (106) despite spending two years as a back-up, so once again he had to prove himself as he was written off as a liability before even entering the post-season.

The response was remarkable as Darnold’s Seattle became the first Super Bowl champions without a single turnover in the play-offs.

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He answered the mental questions of facing the Rams again with 346 yards and three touchdowns, before doing just enough in the Super Bowl itself.

Was it flashy? No. MVP worthy? Not even close. But Darnold, now 28, did what he had to – he kept hold of the ball, made plays when needed and managed the game without ego or trying to be the hero.

No quarterback has won a Super Bowl having played for five teams before, but then no quarterback has been counted out so many times and got back to the top.

Luck has played a part, teams like Minnesota and Seattle took a chance and the Seahawks have furnished Darnold with everything he could possibly want in a team – and maybe there’s a hatful of quarterbacks in the league who could have won a Super Bowl with them this season.

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None have been where Darnold has though and not many have done more to earn it. His redemption story really is one for the ages.

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Chris Gotterup just proved he’s not a ‘rising star’ anymore

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Olisa Ndah’s Agent Denies Libyan Transfer Rumours

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Olisa Ndah’s agent, Mike Makaab, has dismissed reports linking the Nigerian defender with a move to Libyan club Al Shomooa SC.

Speculation surfaced shortly after Ndah left South African giants Orlando Pirates, with claims that he was set to continue his career in Libya. However, both his agent and his father, Ndubuisi Ndah, have described the reports as false.

Makaab said there is no truth in the rumours and added that there are no immediate transfer plans for the 28-year-old defender. Ndah’s father also confirmed that his son has not agreed to any move to Libya.

  • Paul Onuachu has said that his first goal against Karagumruk on Saturday was not the best goal of his career, even though many fans were impressed by it.Paul Onuachu has said that his first goal against Karagumruk on Saturday was not the best goal of his career, even though many fans were impressed by it.

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Ndah recently ended his three-and-a-half-year stay with Orlando Pirates after joining the club from Akwa United in 2021. He established himself as a key centre-back and made 81 appearances in all competitions, winning the MTN8 Cup three times.

Injuries limited his game time in the past year, and he did not feature this season, with younger defenders also pushing him down the pecking order. Pirates confirmed that the club and player agreed to terminate his contract so he could seek regular football elsewhere.

Ndah is now a free agent and is expected to explore new opportunities as he looks to revive his career.

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Tim Bradley says one fighter will become bigger than Mayweather and Crawford

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and have flown the flag for American boxing over the past few decades but believes one active fighter can find more popularity than the talented duo. Mayweather became the face of the sport throughout the 2000s and 2010s, as he became a five-weight world champion and went on to retire with a perfect 50-0 record. […]

The post Tim Bradley says one fighter will become bigger than Mayweather and Crawford appeared first on Boxing News.

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