Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
David Mirkovic poured in 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 8 Illinois to a 71-51 Big Ten victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.
Keaton Wagler contributed 18 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 14 as the Illini (21-5, 12-3) snapped a two-game losing streak by turning 15 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points and committing a season-low two turnovers.
Kylan Boswell added nine points and seven rebounds as he returned to the Illinois lineup after missing seven games with a fractured right hand. Andrej Stojakovic sat out his second straight game with a high ankle sprain.
Lamar Wilkerson paced Indiana (17-9, 8-7) with 21 points, while Tucker DeVries posted 13 points and Sam Alexis added 11. However, the Hoosiers scored their fewest points since Dec. 3, 2022, at Rutgers as they hit 6 of 24 from 3-point range and lost the rebound battle by a 38-25 count.
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Both teams’ key players showed up immediately. While Wilkerson and DeVries canned their first 3-point attempts for Indiana, Wagler produced seven points in the first five minutes to forge an 11-11 tie.
Then, Mirkovic asserted himself. He cashed a 3-pointer on a pick-and-pop with Wagler at the 11:17 mark to highlight a 10-0 run that gave the Illini a 24-15 lead with 9:46 remaining. After Indiana’s Jasai Miles and Wilkerson answered with 3-pointers, Mirkovic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and fed Ivisic for a layup to restore a 32-23 lead with 5:28 to go.
Mirkovic posted 15 points in the first half, and Wagler added 11 to offset Wilkerson’s 14 and give Illinois a 38-31 halftime lead.
Ivisic scored the first five points of the second half to produce the game’s first double-digit lead, but Wilkerson responded with five of his own. Then Illinois reeled off 11 points in a row — highlighted by a Wagler 25-footer and a Mirkovic running bank — to claim a 54-36 lead with 12:33 to play.
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Wilkerson was the only Hoosier to score in the first 10 minutes of the second half as the rest of the squad went 0-for-6 from the field with four turnovers. Though Alexis finally broke through with a dunk at the 9:31 mark, Indiana never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.
Brad Keselowski called out Riley Herbst for causing the final lap pileup during Sunday’s Daytona 500. Keselowski didn’t hold back in his assessment and called it a ‘pretty stupid’ move on Herbst’s part.
Heading into the final lap, the top-5 consisted of race leader Chase Elliott, eventual winner Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, and Zane Smith. Herbst came to Reddick’s aid and pushed him on the inside lane, while the rest faded on the outside.
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When Reddick dropped out of Elliott’s draft, Herbst followed suit and was poised to overtake on the outside. However, the No.35 driver was moving into Keselowski’s path, resulting in a contact that took out every frontrunner on the chase.
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Reflecting upon the wreck, Keselowski had some choice words to say.
“Oh, the 35 just wrecked me out of nowhere for no reason. That was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. He had no chance of blocking my run. I had a huge run. I don’t know if I could have got the 45 or 47 but I would’ve liked to found out because my run was coming fast and the 35 just wreck us and himself. Pretty stupid,” he said via X/Kelly Crandall.
Brad Keselowski ended up with a fifth-place finish, while Riley Herbst finished three spots behind. The result marks Herbst’s first top-10 result in three years.
Following Tyler Reddick’s maiden Daytona win, former winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was credited with the runner up placing. Meanwhile, Herbst’s misstep derailed Chase Elliott’s chances at the Harley J. Earl trophy.
Brad Keselowski finds positives despite Daytona near miss
During a post-race interview, Brad Keselowski rued a disastrous end to his Daytona bid, but found a silver lining amidst the chaos. Notably, the RFK Racing driver is returning from a leg fracture that sidelined him from the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
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“Tore up the 9, tore up the 22, a bunch of cars that didn’t deserve to be wrecked, so that was a big bummer and really stupid. Still a decent day for us to come home with a top 5 and to be competitive and have a shot to win,” Keselowski said while reviewing the final lap footage.
Brad Keselowski’s teammate, Chris Buescher, finished seventh on the final order. The No.17 driver had rallied from a tail end start and even led four laps, further underscoring the team’s momentum. The team hoped to field Corey LaJoie with their No.99 entry, but he got collected in a late-race crash during the duel qualifier.
However, the Clash was a momentus occasion for RFK Racing, as Ryan Preece won his maiden Cup race in a rain-affected event. Preece’s Daytona outing didn’t do him any favors, as he finished as the last driver on the lead lap.
Great Britain’s most successful Winter Olympics in history reached new heights on Sunday as skeleton racers Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker clinched gold in the mixed-team event.
The result meant that day nine of Milano-Cortina was Team GB’s most successful ever at a Winter Games, with two gold medals won in the space of around five hours, and three in 48, having never previously won more than one gold in a single Games.
“Pretty special to be a part of that, to be honest,” Weston said. “I’m extremely proud of what I’ve been able to achieve in the past couple of days, especially to win the first-ever team event. It’s absolutely amazing, and to win it with such a great teammate is just the icing on the cake. I’m a bit more in control of my emotions this time! I’m just absolutely over the moon.”
Weston’s two golds put him among Britain’s most successful Winter Olympians, but he said: “I think to even consider putting my name next to those is a massive honour. I don’t want to be the one to say what position I am in there, but to have my name next to those is absolutely amazing. A lot of those guys have been a massive inspiration, especially within the sliding sports. The success that they’ve had has only opened the door for us to come here today and excel.”
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Stoecker is an Olympic champion on her first appearance, improving on her fifth-place finish in the women’s event.
“What an honour, it’s incredible,” said Stoecker, still in disbelief. “The medal’s really heavy, it’s gold, I get to share it with Matt – it’s more than I could have ever hoped for.
“To be honest, I can’t even remember my run now. It’s just been such a whirlwind of emotions. I was trying to make some improvements on yesterday. I’m just really proud of myself to come away from my first games, a decent result yesterday and then a gold in the team event.”
Weston and Stoecker were the last team to set off in the inaugural mixed competition on a freezing night at the Cortina Sliding Centre. Stoecker was in the green for the first half of the track but lost time further down, leaving Weston with a 0.3 second deficit to overhaul.
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And claw it back he did, finishing in 58.59 as the pair set a new track record time of 1:59.36, 0.17 seconds ahead of the German pair of Susanne Kreher and Axel Jungk, who added team silver to both their individual silvers.
Stoecker and Weston in Cortina on Sunday (Reuters)
On watching Weston bring home the gold, Stoecker said: “I’ve got a lot of trust in him. He’s the individual Olympic champ before this, and his standard of sliding is insane. So I had a lot of faith that he was going to lay down another exceptional run, but also it’s always nerve-wracking when you have to watch the clock and the splits and you’re not sure like how it’s going to go, but the flow that he has on the sled, it’s just unmatched, so from about halfway down I could feel that it was gold.”
Weston had no knowledge of how much time he had to make up. He said: “When I’m at the top of the track, I kind of put my helmet just low enough that I can’t see what the splits are. All I was doing was listening to my coach telling me the timings, and all I could think of was don’t false start. So I was just staying very calm, and trying to be as collected and as boring as possible, just tick the boxes, get the job done.”
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Weston is famously a perfectionist, and asked whether this was finally a perfect run, he said: “I think corner nine, I wasn’t exactly smooth coming out.”
That didn’t matter, however, and the pair can now celebrate a hugely successful end to their Olympic campaigns with “a few pints and pizza”, Weston said, as well as with their families and friends, who all turned out to cheer them on despite minus 8C weather in Cortina.
Stoecker and Weston celebrated on the podium (PA)
Stoecker said: “I got to put my little my gold medal on my niece and nephew and they were saying how heavy it was, and that’s a moment that is going to last forever for me and hopefully for them too, so that was just incredible.”
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After a slow start to this year’s Games, Team GB enjoyed a “Super Sunday” with Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale winning the country’s first ever gold medal on snow earlier in the mixed snowboard cross.
There was very nearly a third medal too as Britain’s second pair, Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit, finished fourth in Cortina.
In a sign of Britain’s strength in depth, Tarbit was the fastest female athlete on the night. The 25-year-old raced the course in 1:00.47 to shave 0.3 seconds off the previous leading time, set by China, with Wyatt maintaining their lead to shoot to the top of the standings.
The pair set a then-track record time of 1:59.65 and watched on nervously as Kreher and Jungk set off.
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Wyatt and Tarbit finished fourth, 0.29 off Weston and Stoecker (Getty)
Kreher finished a mere 0.12 seconds down on Tarbit and Wyatt crossed his fingers in the leader’s area as Jungk pushed off. The German clawed back precious milliseconds over the second half of the track, where he has been particularly strong this year, to push the British pair down the order by 0.12 seconds and guarantee a medal.
Germany’s Jacqueline Pfeifer and Christopher Grotheer – who both took bronze in their individual events – claimed another bronze, finishing 0.01 seconds down on their compatriots.
The mixed skeleton event sees the female athlete race down the track with the male athlete following immediately afterwards and their times added together, with the lowest aggregate time determining the winning team. Unlike in individual events, which are made up of four heats, every team only gets one run, with a Formula One-style reaction start and time penalties imposed for false starts.
Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts with cornerback Tavierre Thomas (37) before the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
On March 9th, the NFL’s “legal tampering” period begins, which means the Minnesota Vikings are 22 days away from signing new players — once they clear some cap space. And to get you ready for that week, a handful of under-the-radar decisions await.
Vikings free agency hinges on a few quieter choices that can swing depth, cap flexibility, and the next wave of starters.
The club will navigate free agency with interim general manager Rob Brzezinski running the finances and head coach Kevin O’Connell, along with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, evidently calling the personnel shots.
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Three Quiet Free Agency Calls That Could Affect Minnesota’s 2026 Roster
The first Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-less free agency in five years.
New York Giants cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (28) races upfield after securing an interception on Oct 9, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, during a fourth-quarter clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. Flott weaves through traffic as teammates set up blocks in a pivotal late-game sequence. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
1. Will the Vikings Cross CB — a Popular Draft Need — Off the List in Free Agency?
The Vikings successfully navigated the 2025 campaign with these cornerbacks: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Fabian Moreau, and Jeff Okudah. Murphy Jr. and Rodgers missed zero games, a remarkable feat for two starting cornerbacks.
The problem? Minnesota probably won’t get another pristine year of CB health. It’s rare.
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Therefore, the club needs another cornerback — someone more dependable than Okudah and younger than Moreau. Many fans have just assumed that a Round 1 cornerback will be on the way. While that could be true, Minnesota could also just as easily sign a CB from free agency and call it good.
The options will look something like this:
Montaric Brown (JAX)
Cordale Flott (NYG)
Greg Newsome II (JAX)
Alontae Taylor (NO)
Jaylen Watson (KC)
Tariq Woolen (SEA)
Does Minnesota prefer free agency or the draft for the new cornerback? The draft isn’t a foregone conclusion, contrary to popular belief.
2. Is the Ivan Pace Jr. Era Totally Over?
Pace Jr.’s diminished role was evident even before the 2025 season reached its midpoint.
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As veteran linebacker Eric Wilson gained traction as a starter, Minnesota quickly adjusted the snap counts. Within weeks, Pace Jr. transitioned from a full-time starter to a rotational player, with Wilson absorbing the majority of the workload. This shift was accelerated by a series of missed tackles by Pace Jr. in September, and Wilson’s consistent performance only solidified the change.
This timing was unfortunate for Pace Jr., who entered 2025 after a strong rookie campaign in 2023 and a solid follow-up in 2024. He posted a 77.1 PFF grade as a rookie and started 27 games across two seasons — impressive production for an undrafted free agent. However, his 2025 grade dipped to 42.3, dampening extension talks at a crucial time.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) reacts following a defensive stand on Jan 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during an NFC wild card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Pace gestures toward teammates as the playoff intensity builds in the second half. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
Although restricted free agency keeps Minnesota in control, that doesn’t guarantee a reunion. The Vikings have already demonstrated that their defense can function effectively without Pace Jr. in a prominent role, a reality that will influence their decision-making.
Pace Jr. likely views the open market as a clearer path to consistent starting opportunities. Minnesota might reconsider if Wilson’s performance declines, but the coming weeks should reveal whether this late-season shift was a temporary adjustment or a long-term change.
3. A Rookie RB or Veteran RB?
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Most Vikings fans expect Aaron Jones to be released in the coming weeks; he’ll be 32 next season, and the club could use the cap savings elsewhere on the roster. Jordan Mason is under contract, and at age 26, he’ll have a role on the 2026 squad.
But the club probably needs a high-profile running back to hopefully solve the longstanding rushing problem; Minnesota is just too damn run-heavy.
From free agency, O’Connell and counterparts could pursue a veteran like Travis Etienne, Breece Hall, or Kenneth Walker. In the draft, rookies like Jonah Coleman (Washington), Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), and Nick Singleton (Penn State) will probably be gettable after Round 1.
Our Janik Eckardt wrote this week, “Running back is on the wishlist of many Vikings fans, for good reason. Minnesota could move on from Aaron Jones after two seasons. He is under contract for another year, but the Vikings are about $40 million over the salary cap and releasing the veteran would save $7.75 million. Jones has been a decent back for the Vikings, but at 31 with an extensive injury history, getting some more juice in the room with Walker, perhaps even for a smaller 2026 cap hit, could be intriguing.”
Eckardt also mentioned about Walker, the Super Bowl MVP: “Having his explosiveness in the backfield is certainly a dimension the Vikings have missed in the Kevin O’Connell era. That upside, however, comes at the cost of traits Minnesota has leaned on heavily under O’Connell. The two things that could prevent the club from throwing the bag at the 25-year-old are pass protection and pass-catching.”
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If one assumes that Minnesota releases Jones in favor of a younger RB1 option, what’s the preferred method? Free agency or the draft?
Tyler Reddick secured a dramatic victory at the Daytona 500, clinching NASCAR‘s season opener in a car co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan. The win came after rival Chase Elliott crashed while battling Reddick for the lead.
Driving a Toyota for 23XI Racing, Reddick remarkably led only the final lap of Sunday’s race to claim the title. This marks a significant achievement for the team, a joint venture between NBA Hall of Famer Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
A jubilant Reddick, the 25th different driver to lead a lap – a new Daytona 500 record – expressed disbelief. “Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness,” he said. “I’ve already lost my voice from screaming. Never thought I’d be Daytona 500 champion.”
Jordan, who turns 63 on Tuesday, met Reddick in victory lane for a bear hug before they jointly hoisted the prestigious Harley J. Earl trophy. The basketball icon, revealing he wears a size 13, will receive a Daytona 500 ring as a birthday gift.
Reddick, a 30-year-old from Corning, California, won for the ninth time in the Cup Series and first time since late in the 2024 season. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,” Jordan said.
Reddick, a 30-year-old from Corning, California, won for the ninth time in the Cup Series and first time since late in the 2024 season. Winless last year, Reddick was primarily focused on his infant son, who was found to have a tumor in his chest that affected his heart. Reddick opened last year with a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500.
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He snapped the 38-race losing streak by finishing one place higher Sunday and winning to start a celebration that included multiple stars of NASCAR. Reddick is teammates with Bubba Wallace, who went to victory lane in tears after leading a race-high 40 laps before finishing 10th.
Jordan wrapped his arms around Wallace from behind and spoke closely into Wallace’s ear in a brief speech of encouragement.
“I don’t want my emotions to take away from the monumental day they just accomplished. Happy birthday, MJ. That’s a massive birthday present,” Wallace said. “I thought this was our week, the best 500 I’ve ever had, and come up short, sucks.
“Led a lot of laps, lap leader, I believe. It was a good day for us, but damn. Try again next year.”
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Hamlin was also in victory lane after finishing 31st and falling short in his bid to become the third four-time Daytona 500 winner.
Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, was involved in the final caution when he and teammate Christopher Bell collided with nine laps remaining. It set up the final push to the finish over the final four laps.
Elliott had control on the final lap after leader Carson Hocevar was spun off the track and it appeared the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott would finally win his first Daytona 500.
Instead, Reddick made a huge surge with an assist from teammate Riley Herbst. He hit Elliott and sailed past to give Jordan a victory in NASCAR’s biggest event of the year.
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Jordan was the face of the December federal antitrust lawsuit that NASCAR settled on the ninth day of trial. The settlement changed the revenue-sharing model in the United States’ top motorsports series.
Jordan watched the win from a suite overlooking the superspeedway built by the France family — NASCAR founders and private owners — he just beat in federal court. NASCAR chairman Jim France, who was personally a defendant in the suit, went to victory lane to congratulate the winners.
“I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,” Jordan said of the victory. “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.”
The victory marked a Daytona sweep for three team owners heavily involved in the trial. Bob Jenkins, who joined 23XI in suing NASCAR, opened the weekend with a victory when Chandler Smith won the Truck Series opener on Friday night for Front Row Motorsports.
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Richard Childress, who testified on behalf of 23XI and Front Row and was the subject of disparaging text messages by since-departed NASCAR chairman Steve Phelps, was the winning team owner Saturday when Austin Hill won.
Then came “The Great American Race,” and Jordan and Hamlin, the two front-facing litigants, got their first Daytona 500 victory together.
Former race winners Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano finished second and third as Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford each placed a driver on the podium. Elliott wound up fourth and sat dejected and in disbelief on the outside wall of the track after climbing from his car.
“We ended up kind of getting gifted the lead … and then at that point in time, you’re just on defense. Man, that’s a really, really tough place to be, truthfully,” Elliott said. “Obviously looking back, you can run it through your mind 1,000 times, do you do something different?”
Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, left, looks at India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (AP Photo/)
There was no handshake after the match between India and Pakistan at the T20 World Cup clash in Colombo, continuing the icy stand-off that began during the Asia Cup last September.“I will break the suspense tomorrow. Wait for 24 hours,” Suryakumar Yadav had said on the eve of the match. Twenty four hours later, the message was clear and unambiguous. There would be no handshakes.
India vs Pakistan prediction: Greenstone Lobo reveals the winner
The frost between the two sides remained evident not only at the toss but also after the game. Just as in their meetings during the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, the players did not exchange handshakes once the contest ended on Sunday.On the field, India produced a commanding performance. Opener Ishan Kishan’s supersonic 77 off 40 balls powered India to 175 for seven after being asked to bat first on a tacky surface. He shared an 87 run stand with Tilak Varma, whose contribution was 11, as Kishan dominated the Pakistan attack.The match began on an unusual note with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha bringing himself on for off spin in the first over and dismissing Abhishek Sharma, who holed out to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Saim Ayub, who finished with 3 for 25, and Agha kept the pressure on during the power play.Kishan, however, turned the tide. He pulled Afridi for a towering six and then dismantled the spinners. Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan were struck for boundaries and sixes as Kishan raced to a 27 ball fifty. He eventually fell trying to carve Ayub over mid wicket, missing the ball and losing his stumps.Pakistan clawed back through Ayub, who removed Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya off successive deliveries to leave India at 126 for four. Suryakumar Yadav made 32 off 28 balls, while Shivam Dube added 27 off 17. A 15 run final over from Afridi, in which Dube and Rinku Singh attacked, carried India to 175 for seven.In reply, India’s bowlers never allowed Pakistan to settle. Hardik Pandya struck in the opening over to dismiss Sahibzada Farhan for a duck. Jasprit Bumrah followed with a double strike, removing Saim Ayub and Salman Agha as Pakistan slumped to 13 for three.Axar Patel bowled Babar Azam and later dismissed Usman Khan, who top scored with 44 off 34 balls. A brief 39 run partnership between Usman and Shadab Khan offered resistance before another collapse set in.Varun Chakravarthy claimed two wickets in the 16th over, and Hardik returned to take the final wicket as Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in the 18th over. Hardik, Bumrah, Axar and Varun took two wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma picked up one apiece.
Carrick, by contrast, has arguably taken a completely different approach, focusing on the fundamentals, with United appearing significantly improved compared to their performances under Ruben Amorim. Whilst he was only brought in as interim manager until the end of the season, Carrick has positioned himself strongly to potentially remain in charge beyond that point.
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A fifth straight win was the aim last Tuesday night, but United had to settle for a draw against West Ham following victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham. Meanwhile, United have been linked with several managers, including England boss Thomas Tuchel.
A contract extension for the 52-year-old, announced earlier this week, is anticipated to see interest from Old Trafford diminish. Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann are amongst other top-tier candidates being discussed, with Simeone’s name continuing to feature prominently.
Former Premier League midfielder Andy Townsend is the latest to back him for the role. Speaking to Boylesports, he said: “I think you have to be looking for an elite manager, someone that has dealt with the very biggest players and personalities and has handled pressure from above and the terraces
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“I don’t think Antonio Conte would be the right fit. Out of all of them, the one manager I would like to see at United is Diego Simeone.”
“I think his football and the way his Atletico Madrid team have played is kind of more suited to the Premier League. I don’t think his style of play would please the United fans. They want something more flamboyant.
“But at the moment, United need to get back on level terms with the likes of City and Liverpool and try to get ahead of Arsenal, I don’t think you want someone who’s talking about the beautiful game.
“You need someone who is prepared to put massive demands on the players on a consistent basis and drag performances and victories out of them. Only Simeone has those qualities.”
He admitted: “I think Michael Carrick has done a really good job since he’s come in. Some of the decisions he’s made have been very straightforward, like playing Kobbie Mainoo. He’s been naming unchanged starting line-ups and that’s never a bad thing.
“If you’ve got a winning team, don’t change it. Too many managers rotate players when their team’s been on a good run. All of a sudden, they’re giving this player a game, that player a game, but when you have a winning team, and they look like they’re enjoying things, just roll with it.
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“Keep going. Live in that moment. Suddenly, you’re five games unbeaten as United are. There’s a simplicity and an effectiveness to what Michael has done and he’s doing it in an understated manner.”
“I’ve said it for years, I’d like to see Atletico Madrid’s Simeone, I’d like to see him go in there,” he stated on Stick to Football back in October.
“I know his mate’s [Andrea Berta, sporting director] gone to Arsenal, but I think he would just create havoc, but good havoc.
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“I think he’d rock up to that place and say, ‘This is how you do things.’ No guarantee, but I’d just like to see his personality, and his track record..”
Keane continued: “People might think styles of football, they beat Real Madrid, they scored five last weekend. This idea that he’s defensive… Yeah, he doesn’t like his team giving up too many goals or chances, but they can play a bit.
“Liverpool a few weeks ago [3-2 defeat], the team aren’t as great as they were a few years ago but there’s still that fighting spirit. He’s on the sideline causing… He got sent off that night [against Liverpool], didn’t he? I’d like a big personality.”
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Recent weeks have brought contrasting fortunes for Simeone’s Atletico, with a contentious 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final victory over Barcelona sandwiched between losses to Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano.
The recent La Liga match resulted in a 3-0 loss for Atletico, with points lost against Levante late last month leaving them trailing leaders Real by 15 points.
Chris Waller proclaimed Joliestar the finished article after the mare strengthened her impeccable fresh record by securing the Expressway Stakes at Randwick.
Waller admitted doubt as Caballus ($4.60), once from the same stable, took a firm grip on proceedings mid-straight, unsure if Joliestar ($2.60 fav) had the measure.
The mare responded by laying back her ears and grinding forward, collaring the Bjorn Baker charge and striding away to triumph by 1-1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Lady Shenandoah ($6), who was a head adrift in third.
“She is a true horse now. Last year we were saying we needed her to settle and relax and do the little things right, and she does that now,” Waller said.
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“James (McDonald) put her into a beautiful position and tactically, that was great because it was a sprint home.
“Tommy (Berry on Caballus) just about pinched the race. James didn’t go around them, he just stuck to the basics and rode her like a jockey should.”
Plans call for Joliestar to remain fresh throughout autumn, with the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on March 7 as her immediate aim, followed by the T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in April.
Royal Ascot looms large thereafter.
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“She is a foolproof horse. She runs well fresh and hopefully that will be her autumn – Canterbury Stakes, T J, and we might get on a plane after that,” Waller said.
Waller was excited by Lady Shenandoah’s strong finishing burst upon resuming, while Angel Capital ($2.90) needed vet clearance after misbehaving in the gates.
He crossed the line fourth, 3-1/2 lengths away, having pulled hard initially then closing off.
Waller shrugged off the run, insisting the entire suits quicker races.
Subjects undertook tendon vibration before their workout / Shuttterstock/Gerain0812
Vibrating tendons before cycling allows people to push harder without feeling mental strain, according to a study.
The research was undertaken by Benjamin Pageaux, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences at Université de Montréal, working with researchers from Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France.
Volunteers took part in lab tests on stationary bikes. Each completed two sessions – one after tendon vibration and another without.
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The device was strapped to Achilles and knee tendons and activated for 10 minutes before cycling. After that, participants cycled for three minutes at a pace they perceived as either moderate or intense, adjusting their effort to match their target.
After tendon vibration, participants produced more power and showed higher heart rates compared to sessions without the pre-exercise vibration. However, even though their bodies were working harder, their sense of effort did not increase.
Changing ‘effort signals’
While the precise biological mechanisms are still being studied, Pageaux has suggested possible explanations.
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“Depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, we can either excite or inhibit neurons in the spinal cord,” he said. “Prolonged vibration changes the reactivity of the neuromuscular spindles and alters the signal sent to the brain.”
By changing these ‘effort signals’ travelling from the muscles to the brain, vibration appears to reshape how movement and exertion are perceived.
This brain-body disconnect could help make exercise feel less intimidating for people who struggle to stay active.
The perception of how hard exercise is plays a role in whether people stick with it. When it feels overwhelming, they’re more likely to stop or avoid it, whereas if it feels manageable, it becomes more enjoyable and easier to continue over time.
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This raises the question of whether the feeling of effort could be reduced, helping people push past the sense that exercise is too hard.
Encouraging people to stay active
The research is still in its early stages, with the testing limited to these cycling sessions under controlled conditions.
“It hasn’t been tested in a marathon, only during a short, three-minute cycling exercise,” Pageaux says. “However, this is the first time the effect has been shown to work with this type of exercise.”
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The team will now examine brain activity more closely during exercise, using electroencephalography and MRI to see how tendon vibration influences neural activity during exertion.
The researchers are also studying the reverse process to understand how pain and fatigue amplify the feeling of effort and make physical activity feel more difficult.
Ultimately, the goal is to develop strategies that lower perceived effort and help more people become physically active, especially those who are currently sedentary.
“By gaining a better understanding of how the brain evaluates the link between effort and perceived reward during exercise, we hope to promote more regular physical activity,” Pageaux said.
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Prolonged passive vibration of Achilles and patellar tendons decreases effort perception during subsequent cycling tasks was published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science
Indicators from last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes were there, but the Black Caviar Lightning cemented the status, crowning Tentyris as Australia’s budding sprint phenomenon on Saturday at Flemington.
Trained by the Freedman duo of Anthony and Sam, the colt claimed a second straight Group 1 with a explosive run against top weight-for-age opponents in the 1000-metre sprint.
It was his initial appearance since outclassing his contemporaries in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during Derby Day, as Sam Freedman shared how his seasoned father – ex-member of the famed ‘FBI’, Freedman Brothers Incorporated – rated this horse highly.
“He has been in the game for so long and he said to me at the end of the spring campaign, this might be the best horse you ever train,” Sam said.
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“(I said) I thought you might be suggesting you trained one better back in the 1990s and 2000s – there was a bit of cheek there, they had Mahogany and Schillaci – but he’s building his own record that will hopefully be right up there with some of the best.”
Street Boss-sired Tentyris ($2.60 fav) flew late from last among eight starters to duplicate the Coolmore quinella, placing John McArdle’s filly My Gladiola second once more.
In the Lightning, $7 elect My Gladiola closed the 2-1/4 length Coolmore deficit to three-quarters, Benedetta ($26) third by identical measure.
After steering Tentyris to second in the prior year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, Damian Lane returned Saturday replacing sidelined Mark Zahra and dubbed him an ‘incredible talent’.
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“We just only had the one play with him with how he steps out of the barriers, it was just a risk whether the 1000 was going to be too short (but) it certainly wasn’t,” Lane said.
“Mid-race I had to ask him to pick up the bridle and when he did, he really joined in well and as had become his trademark, that last bit of his race was outstanding.”
Lane celebrated four wins via the Lightning, adding Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes on Sixties and Listed races on Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.
Freedman eyes the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington March 7 where Tentyris sits $2 favourite, his favoured option pending weight, and racing fans should examine racing betting markets for upcoming action.
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“I would love to come to the Newmarket if he was not heavily penalised for the victory. It’s not easy for a three-year-old to carry a big weight like that,” he said.
“We’ll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it’s a very good problem to have.”
Most current and former stars are at the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, except former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan. Instead of participating in the league’s annual event, Jordan was seen at the Indy 500 on Sunday. After his sighting, fans revealed some of what they think about the six-time champion.
In the 2025-26 season, the league returned to NBC, and Jordan had some involvement to celebrate. The Bulls star was introduced as a special contributor for the network’s commentary team. However, fans were disappointed that it was just a one-on-one interview with Mike Tirico via the “MJ: Insights To Excellence” series.
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Fans erupted on X, and here are some of what the fans said about Jordan.
“Hilarious that he cares about NASCAR more than the nba,” a fan said.
@big_business_ Hilarious that he cares about NASCAR more than the nba
“NBC would have paid 5 million for this, he’s giving it out to FOX for free,” one fan said.
More fans noticed how Michael Jordan puts NASCAR ahead of the NBA.
“It’s pretty clear at this point MJ loves NASCAR way more than the NBA or NBC. He won’t even do a live segment for the NBA on NBC but he does it for NASCAR and FOX didn’t even pay Mike for this,” someone commented.
@NASCARONFOX It’s pretty clear at this point MJ loves NASCAR way more than the NBA or NBC. He won’t even do a live segment for the NBA on NBC but he does it for NASCAR and FOX didn’t even pay Mike for this.
“That’s odd, didn’t go to the @NBA #AllStarWeekend doe 🤔” a comment read.
“Top 3 ever, been on NBC all season and he at the Racetrack during NBA All-Star weekend. Their old heads don’t care about it why they expect us to?” one fan commented.
Streamer IShowSpeed missed out on meeting Michael Jordan
Although his playing days have been over since 2003, Michael Jordan still attracts younger fans. One of the fans who was close to meeting him was streamer IShowSpeed. The online sensations recently wrapped up his tour in Africa and revealed that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered to introduce him to Jordan.
Unfortunately for Speed, the meetup didn’t happen, and he revealed why during an interview with Yahoo Sports Mail on Thursday.
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“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. That didn’t happen,” Speed said. “I was on tour, and it was like a risk of, like, I would have to pause my tour for five days. And I would just mess up too many logistics and it just would have been, like it just would have been a hassle just to clean it up. But there’s always another try.”
However, Speed remains optimistic that he will meet Michael Jordan next time.
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
