NHL fans on social media were stunned after Lindy Ruff narrowly lost the Jack Adams Trophy to Jon Cooper. The Jack Adams Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL’s best head coach.
This year’s voting was extremely close, with Tampa Bay Lightning boss Jon Cooper receiving 226 points to edge out Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff by just three points. Ruff finished with 223 points.
The Montreal Canadiens eliminated Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. Lindy Ruff, meanwhile, guided the Buffalo Sabres to the postseason, ending a 14-year playoff drought. The Sabres advanced to the second round before also being eliminated by the Canadiens.
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Here’s how fans on X (formerly called Twitter) reacted to the Jack Adams winner. One tweeted:
“Lindy Ruff was robbed. The turnaround in Buffalo was impressive.”
Here are some of the other top reactions on X:
“36 people don’t know what they’re doing. The Lightning was picked to win the Atlantic. Most if not all voters had the Sabres missing the playoffs, many of which thought that Lindy Ruff was the next coach to be fired back in November. Fans see it. Why can’t they?” a third fan wrote.
“Jon Cooper getting the lifetime achievement award here…Congrats…I guess..Muse and Ruff were more deserving,” one X user opined.
“How does Jon Cooper get this award? I think Ruff deserved it the most, Sturm should’ve been top 5 easily,” another chimmed in.
“Embarrassed for the men and women who didn’t vote for Lindy Ruff!!! Robbed of all his hard work and dedication to this team and organization. Shocking,” added another.
“Never thought this day would come” – Jon Cooper shares his thoughts after winning the Jack Adams Award
Cooper during a game – Source: Imagn
Notably, Jon Cooper won his first Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best head coach. After receiving the award, Cooper admitted he had never considered winning the prestigious accolade.
“Okay, you got me,” Cooper said via NHL. “I never thought this day would come. It was a magical group, and to think that we had one win in our first seven games, but nobody questioned what was happening. Nobody questioned our belief in what we were doing. And then we slowly took off. There were times with doubt, especially when a lot of the players went down the way they did.”
Cooper guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to 50 wins and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division. The team finished fifth overall in the league standings with a 50-26-6 record.
Lindy Ruff had a historic season with Sabres
Ruff during a game – Source: Imagn
Despite falling just short in the Jack Adams Trophy, Lindy Ruff delivered one of the strongest coaching performances of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.
The 66-year-old guided the Sabres back to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, ending a long postseason drought. The team advanced to the second round before being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens.
The Sabres won the Atlantic Division with 109 points. The historic season helped fuel Ruff’s near-miss in the voting, just three behind eventual winner Jon Cooper.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws passes during pregame warmups before a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Oct. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, McCarthy went through his routine throwing session as fans and media closely monitored the young quarterback ahead of kickoff against one of the NFC’s top contenders. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Just because the Minnesota Vikings appear to be on track for a Kyler Murray season at QB1 does not mean that J.J. McCarthy will be on the trade block.
That’s the message from The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis this week, as McCarthy trade rumors have swirled in recent days after some thought McCarthy sounded disgruntled at Vikings organized team activities. Minnesota controls McCarthy’s contract through the end of 2027 — and 2028 if it exercises his fifth-year option.
Vikings Should Keep the Two QBs in the Picture
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) goes through warmups before a preseason matchup against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Aug. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, McCarthy prepared for another opportunity to lead Minnesota’s offense as anticipation continued to build around the young passer entering his first season as QB1. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
McCarthy Trade Theories Dialed Back
Plugged into the Vikings more than most, Lewis said this week, “My conversations with people internally have not been about trade. They have not been about those comments. They have been about wanting to maximize every single day in the field and making sure that happens. The chips will fall how the chips will fall.”
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And truth be told, the comments make a lot more sense than Minnesota being in a big hurry to trade the quarterback they once viewed as their franchise guy.
How They Started in the First Place
The moment Murray signed in Minnesota three months ago, a McCarthy trade rumor mill grew legs, at least little ones. Because NFL media and fans lack patience for a quarterback’s development, they interpreted Murray’s signing as a cue that McCarthy could be on the way out.
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Instead, the Vikings’ brass has said every step of the way that it still believes in McCarthy and is willing to be patient with his maturation.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy participates in his first NFL preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. In August 2024, McCarthy made his highly anticipated debut before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury, delaying his development until returning to claim Minnesota’s starting quarterback role in 2025. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
The wildcard is McCarthy’s mindset. If he expressed discontent — telling the Vikings he wanted to be traded — their hands could be tied. Last week, McCarthy spoke to reporters and compared Murray’s arrival and his role on the team as “two guys in high school” on the other side of the room. Those comments only intensified the trade fodder, and here we are.
Just Keep the Murray + McCarthy Setup
In 2025, the Vikings faced a critical decision regarding their quarterback. They had several options: Sam Darnold, who had just led them to a 14-3 season before a late-season collapse; Daniel Jones, a potential challenger for the starting role; or the tempting veteran, Aaron Rodgers. Alternatively, they could have opted for a more gradual approach with McCarthy, allowing him a gentle transition into his first year as a starter.
The Vikings bypassed all these possibilities. They committed solely to McCarthy, hoping for the best. The gamble proved unsuccessful. Minnesota missed the playoffs, McCarthy failed to establish himself as the long-term solution, and by February 2026, the team was still without a solid answer at quarterback.
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That’s when Murray’s arrival became a game-changer. He provides the Vikings with something they lacked last year: a genuine backup plan. While McCarthy can still earn the starting job, so can Murray. Minnesota no longer has to stake its entire season on the development of a single young quarterback.
With both players, the likelihood of securing a stable QB1 appears quite higher than it did during last year’s all-in bet on McCarthy.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) exchanges congratulations with head coach Kevin O’Connell after a made field goal against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. On Dec. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, McCarthy and O’Connell shared a moment on the sideline as Minnesota battled for positioning during the season’s final stretch. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last week from OTAs, “Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy. Nothing McCarthy did was objectionable, and one of his few incompletions — a pass to the flat that cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. nearly intercepted — occurred when two receivers drifted far too close to each other.”
“And while McCarthy’s post-practice comments about their relationship delivered headlines, it was Murray who might have said the most notable four words of the afternoon: ‘My confidence is unshakeable.’”
As an Endgame, Which Teams Might Want McCarthy
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Pretend momentarily that McCarthy does fuss and demand a trade. If that happened this summer, he might be looking at a shortlist like this of suitors:
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ironically, the Cardinals — Murray’s former employer — might make the most sense if Arizona cannot resolve its current and befuddling holdout ordeal with Jacoby Brissett.
Sportsnaut‘s Andrew Buller-Russ noted on the Steelers as a McCarthy trade destination last week, “The Pittsburgh Steelers have a 42-year-old starting quarterback. Eventually, they need to plan for a future after Aaron Rodgers.”
“The Steelers do have a pair of developmental options in 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, plus third-round rookie Drew Allar. Between the two, there could be a future starter in there, but adding a former first-round pick with a winning pedigree can’t hurt either.”
On the whole, though, expect the Vikings to keep McCarthy. There is no real upside to trading him, especially since two of the last three Vikings seasons have been sullied by quarterback injuries. Minnesota needs the quarterback depth.
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Capital1 selects Detdet Pepito with the second pick in the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft. –PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Bella Belen wasted no time welcoming childhood friend Detdet Pepito to Capital1, even joking that the prized rookie libero would have to find a different jersey number.
Moments after the Solar Spikers selected Pepito with the second overall pick in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft on Wednesday night at Novotel, Belen playfully reminded her new teammate that No. 4 already belongs to her.
“I’m not giving it up. I’m No. 4,” Belen said in Filipino with a laugh. “If she wants No. 4 too, she can wear 04 or 44. This is my number already. Det, bahala ka na sa buhay mo.”
The lighthearted exchange highlighted the excitement surrounding Capital1’s revamped roster as Belen teams up with former college rival Pepito for the first time since elementary school, aside from their stint in the national team pool during the pandemic.
Kidding aside, Belen knows exactly what the University of Santo Tomas captain brings to the table.
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Capital1 selects Detdet Pepito with the second pick in the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft.–PVL PHOTO
“I’m happy because I know what Detdet is capable of, and I know she can help our team a lot. The last time we were teammates was back in elementary school — well, aside from the national team during the post-pandemic period. It’s nice that we’ve been given another opportunity to play together again,” said Belen, who was recently crowned as Rookie of the Year.
When her name was called, Pepito immediately thought of her reunion with Belen and UST teammate Pia Abbu.
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“While I was walking on the red carpet, I kept looking at Bella. It brought back a lot of memories because we’ve been teammates since elementary school. Now that I’m in the PVL, I get to be teammates with her again, along with Pia Abbu. I’m really happy and excited because I know I’ll learn a lot from them,” Pepito said.
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“I’m super happy and grateful. During my final playing year at UST, this was one of the things I worked hard for and dedicated my performances toward. So it means a lot,” she added.
Pepito will join Roma Mae Doromal and Rachel Jorvina in defending the floor for the Solar Spikers, who are now led by Belen and MVPs Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos.
The two-time UAAP Best Libero is putting a premium on teamwork as she looks to help Capital1 continue its rise in the PVL.
“I think the first step is to slowly build chemistry with my new teammates and adapt to the system they already have. Of course, we’ll dream big. Hopefully, a championship can eventually come our way as well,” said Pepito.
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For Belen, it’s simply another manifestation coming true after jokingly recruiting players during the All-Star Game and even after Pepito’s final UAAP appearance.
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Now, she finally gets to play alongside one of the teammates she had long wished for.
Italy’s Matteo Berrettini withdrew from his French Open quarter-final due to a hip injury, sending Matteo Arnaldi through to the semi-finals, where he will face compatriot Flavio Cobolli, who defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime.
A shock in the women’s draw saw Aryna Sabalenka lose to Diana Shnaider. The world No. 1 was just two points away from victory before completely collapsing and losing ten straight games.
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Algeria got their 2026 World Cup preparations off to a perfect start with a late win over the Netherlands (1–0).
MANILA, Philippines —Only 11 of the 38 aspirants were selected in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft on Wednesday night at Novotel, with no team making a selection beyond the second round.
PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo admitted the third edition of the draft was challenging, with several talented players left undrafted as teams opted to stick with veteran-laden rosters.
The situation was further affected by the leave of absence of Cignal, the third PVL team to go on hiatus after Chery Tiggo and Petro Gazz, which led to more players being absorbed by the remaining clubs.
“There were a lot of new talents, but what stood out this year was that most teams are still loaded. I guess teams aren’t ready to let go of their veteran players yet because they still bring a lot of value,” Malonzo told the reporters in Filipino.
“At the same time, some teams went on leave of absence, so their players were dispersed among the remaining nine teams. I think that’s also a factor in why fewer players were selected this year. There were still quite a few picks, but compared to previous years, the number was lower.”
For the first time in draft history, a team passed in the first round as Akari opted not to use the fifth overall pick. Deputy coach Eddieson Orcullo said the Chargers had specific targets in mind, but both prospects were taken before their turn.
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“Actually, we had our first and second options. The problem was that we weren’t able to get either of them, so those were probably the two players we really needed for our team,” Orcullo said in Filipino.
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“But since they were selected by teams drafting ahead of us, we decided to pass. The management, Coach Tina Salak, and the rest of the coaching staff all discussed it thoroughly. So far, we’re okay with the outcome.”
Lams Lamina was picked first by Galeries Tower, followed by Detdet Pepito (Capital1), Tin Ubaldo (Creamline) and Alyanna Ong (Zus Coffee).
Malonzo and PVL president Ricky Palou also offered words of encouragement to undrafted players, including Jade Fuentes, Xyza Gula, Joan Monares and Taks Fujimoto, noting that teams can still sign them as free agents.
“Most teams selected players based on specific needs. If you look at the numbers, about one-third of the applicants were drafted this year. Last year, it was around half. The same thing happened the year before. Again, I think it comes down to teams still not being ready to move on from their veteran players,” Malonzo said.
“There are cases where undrafted players become free agents and can be directly hired by teams. They no longer have to go through the draft. There are still a lot of talented players left unselected, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we suddenly see some of them joining teams in the future.”
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“We’ll also have to wait and see what happens with the number of teams in the league,” he added.
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Malonzo is looking forward to the PVL on Tour starting next month, with northern and southern stops set.
The speed at which Dylan Menante plays golf seems fitting for a pace-of-play discussion.
“I’ve always been the fastest,” he said the other day.
Fastest as a junior in Nevada, playing so quickly his father had to step in and slow him down. Fastest in college, when opponents purposefully grouped him with one of their slowest players as a means of psychological warfare. Fastest on the Korn Ferry Tour, and now with hard data to prove it. Last month, the PGA Tour’s feeder circuit became the first major tour to publish “speed of play” times.
Ask around the KFT and everyone mentions Menante’s pace. (Do the same on the PGA Tour, and they talk about Ludvig Aberg.) Off the tee, Menante hits shots 16 seconds faster than the KFT average. On approach shots and around the greens, he’s 14 seconds faster. Putting is where he slows down, grinding to a glacial pace of 9.62 seconds faster than KFT average. The man absolutely cooks his way around a golf course.
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The only problem is that for every Dylan Menante — a true outlier on a distribution curve as you can see below — there is a grinder on the other side. And for every player even moderately faster than average, there are others moderately, or significantly, slower. Not many, but enough that the PGA Tour wants to do something about it.
“It’s only a very small percentage that each week seemingly could improve their pace of play,” says Jordan Harris, the KFT’s chief referee. “And that’ll be the interesting telltale sign, in my opinion, on how this all works. After it’s been posted for a bit, how those guys — do they change the behavior?”
Producing the dataset is simple in theory but reliant on tournament volunteers walking with groups and handling the scoring. Volunteers carry a phone on them, using an app that prompts them with a trigger. When players stand in over a shot, volunteers place their thumb on the screen, holding it in place until contact is made, at which point they release their thumb. The clock is perpetually ticking … for everyone. Once Player 1 plays a shot, that shot is time-stamped down to the second. Once Player 2 makes contact, that shot also is time-stamped. While the time between these stamps includes innocent gray areas — like, say, waiting for Player 1’s ball to land, or waiting for a caddie to quiet fans — in general these timestamps inform everything. If you’re a slow player, you’re going to be exposed.
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KFT rules officials can use the same app to track timestamps all over the course in real time. But every player’s stamps are aggregated to see how quickly (on average) they’re ready to play following the player ahead of them. They’re also broken down by shot-type: off the tee, approach, around the greens and putting. The system isn’t perfect — the first player to play is never timed, an issue for which the Tour is trying to solve — but it has produced a dataset that matches what officials (and even players) believe they’re experiencing from week to week.
“Every week, we look at the list and it confirms what we’re seeing with our own eyeballs,” Harris said. “We don’t see anomalies.”
Harris jokes that he’s become the “Pace of Play Guy” for the KFT, and he explains the system well. He has to, because he’s tasked with telling players when they’re dragging. He knows how finicky this outdoor sport played on hundreds of acres can be. For example, what happens if there’s a ruling that requires a drop? Those times are thrown out. The slowest 10 percent of times are also discarded for each player each week. Players in contention always play slower, Harris explained, adding that most KFT winners in recent years finished with an “average stroke time” infraction — playing their shots more than seven seconds slower than the field. The only recent winner who didn’t? Yep, Dylan Menante.
Menante is, in some ways, the crown jewel of the data. The KFT wants to create positive storylines about the pace of its players, and he’s a great example. But the three other objectives surround helping (or fixing) the slower pros. The KFT wants to (1) Provide better context to fans, (2) Support members who have been incorrectly labeled as slow, and (3) Inform the tortoises that it’s time to pick it up. That’s where things can get tricky.
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“If you ask the Korn Ferry guys, ‘Is pace of play a problem?’, I bet 80% of them say, ‘Yes,’” KFT pro Cole Sherwood said. “But then if you asked them, ‘How do we fix it?’, I think people just draw a blank because it’s not one thing in particular.”
Sherwood is on the slower side of the ranking, 113th out of 137, 3.45 seconds slower than average, or about 20 seconds slower than Menante. Sherwood’s not outrageously slow in any one category; just a bit sluggish across the board. But never to the point of it being a problem. When he views the data, one major theme sticks out.
“If you look at the middle 50%, take away the outliers, ” he said, “it’s maybe a seven-second difference.”
Not even! The middle 50% — players 34 through 103 — are separated by about a five-second difference across all shots. KFT officials feel mostly fine about that group. They’re more concerned about the 10 to 15 slowest players. Each week, the data is shared, and any players who take seven seconds or longer to play than the field average receive an “Average Stroke Time violation.” When a given player receives five of those violations, the KFT steps in with a simple message.
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“Hey, we don’t want you to have to pay to play golf, right?,” Harris said. Translation: Upon the 10th violation, players incur a $50,000 fine. For their 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th violations, it’s $5,000 each week. And beyond that, $10,000 more for each violation. It’s a system that penalizes players only when they’ve consistently played at a woefully slow pace and not changed much about their processes to play more quickly.
As ever, it’s an easy topic to misperceive. There’s no shot clocks in the fairway. Or buzzers like you’ll find at TGL. Sherwood played with Ian Gilligan recently, who ranks as the second-slowest player on the KFT this year and no doubt is working his way toward a season-long fine. But…
“There was never one time that I thought he was slow,” Sherwood said. “Never even crossed my mind.”
Sherwood is a bit more accepting of golf’s fate as a bit of a slog; he doesn’t see a solution like baseball enjoyed with the introduction of a pitch clock. But like baseball did with its minor leagues, the PGA Tour is trying to use the KFT to create change. Harris is quick to cite how it took more than a decade for pitch clocks to graduate from baseball’s feeder leagues to the bigs. He’s seen enough from the data that he thinks it would be a good thing for the PGA Tour also to implement. (The PGA Tour has said it wants to, but it hasn’t yet.)
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And how about our speed demon?
“It seems like on the bigger tour it’s a bigger issue,” Menante said. “And I think it’s coming out more and more where guys are getting recorded by fans of Oh you took a minute and 20 seconds to hit a six-footer. Like, come on.
“It should just be faster. I think on our tour, they’re really doing a good job. I hope it gets moved up to the PGA Tour just for the fact that accountability is key. Everyone should get a level playing field. It shouldn’t be unfair.”
On May 29, the top court permitted Phogat to participate in the selection trials to be held on May 30 and 31 for the Asian Games 2026
2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2026 | 11:42 AM IST
The Supreme Court on Thursday said the plea of the Wrestling Federation of India against the Delhi High Court order allowing wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in selection trials has become infructuous in view of subsequent developments.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar, which refused to go into the observations made by the high court, said this court should not be taken as having reiterated the findings and observations made in the order.
The bench said all the issues are left open.
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Senior advocate DN Goburdhun, appearing for the WFI said that Phogat was allowed to participate in the selection trial but she did not succeed.
“She did not succeed but she created havoc over there,” the senior counsel told the bench.
The bench told him that the issue has now become infructuous.
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Goburdhun submitted that there were certain observations made by the high court with regard to decisions of the Federation and terming them “malafide” and “deplorable”.
“All these observations will have to go as the matter is pending before the single bench,” the senior counsel submitted.
The top court then left the questions open and disposed of the plea as infructuous.
On May 29, the top court permitted Phogat to participate in the selection trials to be held on May 30 and 31 for the Asian Games 2026.
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The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had challenged the Delhi High Court order of May 22 allowing Phogat to participate in the selection trials.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Real Madrid presidential challenger Enrique Riquelme has made bold transfer claims about two Man City players
Manchester City players Erling Haaland and Rodri have been mentioned as potential targets for Real Madrid. A challenger for the presidency at the club has revealed bold ambitions to usher in a fresh era of Galácticos at the club.
Enrique Riquelme, the Spanish businessman opposing current Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, has made striking statements regarding potential marquee signings bound for the Bernabéu.
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During a Spanish television interview, while Perez was announcing Jose Mourinho’s possible comeback to the club, Riquelme immediately overshadowed his opponent’s proposals with two sensational transfer targets.
He openly stated his intention to pursue ‘galactic’ signings, with Haaland and Rodri at the top of his wishlist.
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There is no suggestion that either of the City stars are prepared to move to Real Madrid or that the club would be prepared to sanction their departures.
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Riquelme even startled viewers by confidently displaying a new Real Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name with the number nine on the reverse. He also made unverified assertions that Haaland possesses a release clause and desires to join Real Madrid.
Speaking on El Hormiguero to presenter Pablo Matos, Riquelme said: ” I promised that I would have it notarised that if I become president, nothing from the club will be sold; it will belong to its members. And besides, I don’t have Florentino’s track record; I haven’t been president.
“That’s why I’m committing to signing a personal notarised guarantee for the two players I’ve announced. If I fail to do so, I will pay 100% of the membership fees of all 100,000 Real Madrid members. Haaland has a clause in his contract and wants to come to Real Madrid.”
On the subject of Rodri, he stated: “He’s a tremendous player who plays in a position that Madrid needs to strengthen. We’ve spoken with his agent; we have to respect his club, but if I were president, he’d be playing for Real Madrid. I’ll do everything I can.”
Claims that an agreement has been reached with Haaland has been refuted.
Haaland’s father Alfie and agent Rafaele Pimeta have told Fabrizio Romano. “All very entertaining but NOT true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections”.
Riquelme also took aim at rival candidate Perez’s proposals, after Perez announced that Mourinho would return to the club should he win the election.
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Without directly naming him, Riquelme acknowledged Mourinho’s credentials as a manager but insisted “we don’t like him for our project”.
He confirmed he would reveal his preferred managerial candidate on Friday 5th June, just two days before the Real Madrid presidential election on 7th June.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Game 1 lived up to the billing thanks to a dynamite performance from its biggest star, Jalen Brunson.
The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t hang with the Knicks in Game 1, as New York took a 1-0 series lead with a clutch 105-95 victory.
The Knicks have now won 12 consecutive postseason games. The Knicks’ 12-game postseason winning streak is tied with the 1999 Spurs for second all-time.
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Only the 2017 Warriors won more at 15, putting New York within reach.
Most Knicks fans had “winning on the road” on their championship bingo card. Their team did not disappoint.
Jalen Brunson attacks the basket during the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 victory over the Spurs in the NBA Finals (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)((Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images))
Brunson rose to the occasion against Victor Wembanyama, helping New York outlast the young and inexperienced Spurs.
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Game 1 delivered drama early.
In the first quarter, Brunson exited with an apparent leg injury, frequently grimacing and favoring his right knee.
The scare over Brunson’s knee was short-lived.
After a brief trip to the locker room, Brunson quickly returned to the bench and eventually re-entered the game.
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The Knicks came out of halftime sluggishly, falling behind by 13 points in the third quarter. But New York never looked rattled.
Brunson, already a postseason hero, took several hard knocks throughout the night, including a minor ankle tweak after colliding with Luke Kornet. Any concerns about his health faded as the game wore on. Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs’ defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.
San Antonio relied heavily on the three-point shot, but with little success. The Spurs connected on just 11 of 43 attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite boasting a 7-foot-4 freak in Wembanyama, San Antonio repeatedly fired from deep and came up empty.
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New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson battles for rebound against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)((Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images))
Brunson eventually returned to heroic form, leading the Knicks with 30 points and taking over the fourth quarter when it mattered most.
Social media quickly lit up with praise for the Knicks star. “Brunson is the best fourth-quarter performer I’ve ever seen,” one reaction read, echoing the sentiment of fans watching another clutch postseason masterpiece.
The Knicks’ supporting cast delivered alongside their star.
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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson rises for a shot against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)((Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images))
“Wasn’t really my night most of the night. But we just kept chipping away. Kept finding a way,” Brunson said after his MVP-worthy performance.
“Our chemistry, knowing that we have each other’s backs,” Brunson said when asked about the team’s comeback from a 13-point deficit.
“I’ll be alright,” Brunson added after getting banged up in Game 1.
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby combined for 35 points. New York’s bench backcourt also made key contributions.
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José Alvarado played crucial minutes while Brunson was in the locker room being evaluated. Landry Shamet added 13 points off the bench, while Miles McBride scored seven points in 11 minutes.
The Spurs missed more production from De’Aaron Fox, who turned in an unremarkable performance (seven points), leaving San Antonio to lean heavily on its young core.
Wembanyama, one of the marquee stars of this series, was his usual disruptive presence in the paint defensively but struggled to make a larger impact elsewhere. He still led San Antonio with 26 points.
At the end of the day, the lights appeared too bright for the Spurs, and the Knicks head into Game 2 with a 1-0 lead in the Finals.
Accor Stadium will play host to Monday’s
Round 14 NRL game between Canterbury Bulldogs and
Parramatta Eels. The game kicks off at 4:00 pm with Canterbury Bulldogs heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canterbury Bulldogs vs.
Parramatta Eels
game and give you our free tips and bets.
The traditional rivalry between Canterbury and Parramatta takes on extra significance on the King’s Birthday holiday, with both sides desperate to keep their fading finals hopes alive. The Bulldogs have won just once in their past seven matches and remain frustrated by missed opportunities following last week’s narrow loss to Wests Tigers. Parramatta’s recent record is similarly concerning, although the Eels earned respect with a spirited performance against Newcastle despite missing several key players. Mitch Moses remains unavailable, leaving Parramatta once again reliant on its depth in the halves. Canterbury will hope to draw confidence from its recent upset of Melbourne, while the Eels can point to their convincing victory over the Bulldogs earlier this season. With both clubs sitting outside the top eight and running short on time, expect a fierce contest fuelled by desperation and rivalry.
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Parramatta Eels Teams
Bulldogs team: 1. Jacob Kiraz 2. Jethro Rinakama 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Enari Tuala 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Kurt Mann 10. Leo Thompson 11. Sitili Tupouniua 12. Jaeman Salmon 13. Harry Hayes 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Jed Reardon 16. Jack Underhill 17. Josh Curran 19. Sean O’Sullivan 20. Logan Spinks 21. Lipoi Hopoi 22. Connor Tracey 23. Marcelo Montoya
Eels team: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Brian Kelly 3. Jordan Samrani 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Joash Papali’i 7. Ronald Volkman 8. Luca Moretti 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Jack Williams 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Jack de Belin 14. Dylan Walker 15. Sam Tuivaiti 16. Toni Mataele 17. Harrison Edwards 18. Apa Twidle 19. Teancum Brown 20. Charlie Guymer 21. Ryley Smith 22. Araz Nanva
Real Madrid is going through one of the most intense election days in its recent history. The presidential candidates have brought out the heavy artillery in a war of headline-making signings that promises to change the club’s course. While the institutional scene is boiling, the ball does not stop rolling for the Spanish national team.
The national side faces a key test as part of its World Cup preparations. Amid boardroom promises, unexpected returns, and international awards, football offers no respite on a day when strategy and emotion are playing out as much on TV sets as on the pitch.
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Florentino Pérez secures Konaté and lines up Mourinho’s return
In an exclusive interview with the newspaper AS, Florentino Pérez made a major statement by confirming that, if re-elected president, Ibrahima Konaté and José Mourinho will join Los Blancos. The president is looking to ensure defensive solidity and strong leadership on the bench for his next sporting project.
Florentino’s masterstroke to upstage the opposition
Madrid’s election campaign has entered its decisive phase with pure communication strategy. Florentino Pérez “counter-programmed” the TV appearance of his rival, Enrique Riquelme. At the same time, he released a video on social media in which José Mourinho himself confirmed his return with a simple but powerful “yes.”
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Riquelme hits back on television, promising Haaland and Rodri
Enrique Riquelme did not hold back and shook up the El Hormiguero set. The opposition candidate announced that, if he wins the election, Erling Haaland and Rodri Hernández will wear white. He also made a risky promise: he pledged to pay club members’ fees out of his own pocket if he fails to deliver those signings.
Spain tests its second string against Iraq ahead of the World Cup
Spain faces Iraq today at Riazor Stadium (21:00) in its penultimate test before the World Cup. Luis de la Fuente will be without key players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Zubimendi, which will open the door to a starting spot for the supporting cast.
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Lionel Messi makes history with the Princess of Asturias Award
World football pays tribute to an eternal legend. Lionel Messi has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. The Argentine star, who was chosen unanimously, has already confirmed that he will travel to Oviedo next October to receive the honor.
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