Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz goes through pregame warmups before a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The veteran passer prepared on the field prior to kickoff while serving as a depth option for the Vikings during the 2025 season. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
How does J.J. McCarthy as the QB3 sound? Some readers will bristle, others rejoice, and then some may be rolling their eyes. Regardless of where you land, there’s a simple reality: the idea is out there.
Check out what Mike Florio had to say over on Pro Football Talk: “Last week, the question was whether Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy would be No. 1 or No. 2 on the depth chart. This week, it’s fair to wonder whether he’s in a fight that will determine who’s No. 2 — and who’s No. 3.”
Some further thoughts from Florio as background on how McCarthy played against the Giants: “McCarthy handled three drives, generating zero points. The first and last were three-and-outs. One ended with an off-target throw on third down. The other ended with a sack.”
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Could Carson Wentz actually leapfrog the kid?
J.J. McCarthy as the Possible QB3
So far, Mr McCarthy has been through quite a lot. Most notably, the knee injury, ankle injury, wrist injury, and concussion have constrained him to just ten games across a possible thirty four (alongside that added playoff game at the end of 2024 and the missed preseason action).
But then there’s been what has taken place on the gridiron rather than the infirmary. McCarthy has improved but still struggles. Nobody questions his arm talent, commitment, and/or potential. However, the young fella can struggle out there, creating a scenario where questions can arise. He can shutdown any and all speculation by sizzling but that’s not yet something that has occurred.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) tosses the ball to a teammate during a preseason opening game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. – Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Rolling with Carson Wentz as the QB2 would be a bold, controversial decision.
The veteran passer is very well respected inside of TCO Performance Center. Coming in, Wentz’s experience, size, and brains impressed. But then he was so tough last year that it’s hard to find anybody around the team without good things to say about the No. 2 pick who is now a journeyman.
Signing him was with an aim of fully solidifying the QB3 job; after all, he’s the definition of low maintenance, meaning he can be thrown into the mix with zero preparation and still do well.
On Sunday, that QB3 job can be referred to as the emergency QB3 position. These two jobs sometimes get close to being a single circle on the Venn diagram but there should still be some room where the circles don’t overlap.
An emergency QB3 can only enter the game due to an “emergency.” What that means is that both of the QB1 and QB2 went down with injury. The emergency QB3 is dressed as an extra active player who can only be inserted for that specific scenario. Seeing the top pair of arms play terribly isn’t good enough reason to insert that QB3.
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Alternatively, the Vikings could dress a trio of quarterbacks, leaving that “emergency” tag to languish unused. Doing so means not getting the extra body in uniform but it does come with flexibility. In theory, Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy could both bomb, prompting Kevin O’Connell to bench the top two guys for the gritty veteran.
Or, perhaps, the Vikings try to have the best of both words (have they ever tried such a thing?). List McCarthy as the QB2 and Wentz as the QB3. Proceed as if that’s the reality. But then what happens if Wentz gets included in the normal allotment of dressed players rather than being sent into the mix as the extra? That action would say a ton without any words being said.
On October 23, 2025, in Inglewood, California, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz dropped back to pass during first-half action against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The veteran passer commanded the offense with poise while scanning the field under pressure, aiming to build early momentum for a Vikings team seeking consistency on the road in primetime. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
Failing to use the emergency QB provision would leave the Vikings with the freedom to insert Wentz for whatever reason they desire. That would be an almighty litmus test that strains the public chatter about confidence in J.J. McCarthy to the limits, were that situation to ever arise.
In the scenario being considered, Murray could need to step away for a series to fix a minor issue. Designating Wentz as the QB3 who gobbles up one of the normal active spots would involve the freedom of inserting him in that moment, bypassing McCarthy along the way.
At the heart of the issue is whether Minnesota desires a higher ceiling or a higher floor. J.J. McCarthy has far more potential and possibly a lower floor. Carson Wentz has way less potential and possibly (probably?) a higher floor. Think a boom or bust candidate versus a sturdy game manager. Who among these two options best allows the Minnesota Vikings to compete?
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J.J. McCarthy, 23, is going to look to send the idea about further demotion to the graveyard. He can do so by shredding a very impressive Ravens team in joint practices and then in the preseason.
Royal Mayfair Golf Club, by all accounts, deserves its first word — royal. There’s its history — it’s been around for 104 years. There’s its location — it’s in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta. There’s its golf — it’s tree-laden course has hosted men’s and women’s professional events, including this week’s LPGA stop, the CPKC Women’s Open.
Nelly Korda can certify its standing. The world’s top-ranked player said she’s found good coffee shops and restaurants. She said she’s been enjoying her time on the golf course. She’s also just been looking around. “The golf course is beautiful,” she said. “I mean, you kind of have the skyline of kind of downtown Edmonton, too, on the golf course, which is really pretty.”
Only Royal Mayfair — and all of Edmonton, for that matter — has been besieged this summer by rainfall, which is mostly manageable.
And so is what has come with the precipitation, as long as you can bear itching and losing a bit of blood.
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“The mosquitoes have been really liking me,” Korda said earlier this week at Royal Mayfair.
“I will say that was a little bit of a shock to the system.”
So what gives here?
For an explanation, a pair of stories written earlier this year by CBC News will help. One of the stories — written by Kelsie Johnston and headlined “Edmonton has 15 times more mosquitoes now than at same time last year, city scientist says” — reported that Edmonton has been stung by its biggest skeeter population since the 1980s. The other story — written by Wallis Snowdon and headlined “Blame it on the rain: Record downpour in Edmonton will bring monsoon of mosquitoes (hey, a Milli Vanilli reference!) — said that heavy rains in June would create hordes of mosquitoes. For the science behind all of that, the story talked to Mike Jenkins, the city scientist noted in the first headline. Wrote Snowdon:
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Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in moist soil or standing water. Depending on the species, they will hatch within days or lay in wait for the perfect flooding conditions before they are “activated” and begin to hatch, Jenkins said.
Within a week or so, the females who have hatched will be ready to draw blood. That means more rain will bring more mosquitoes, and the bugs are in for a banner, blood-sucking summer.
“They can lay dormant in some cases for up to a decade until they’re actually activated by that precipitation,” he said. “And so they’ve been waiting, they’ve been inundated and now have been activated.”
And they’ve been active at Royal Mayfair. Over two days of pre-tournament press conferences, the mosquitoes were, well, all the buzz.
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Said Kiara Romero, who is making her pro debut this week: “Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to wear a jacket out there. The mosquitos are not great. It kind of gets better throughout the afternoon and stuff.”
Said Brooke Henderson, the tournament’s defending champion: “Everyone is finding it very buggy. So far I haven’t been finding it too bad. Maybe I’m more used to it. Yeah, that will definitely be a factor this week.”
Then there were the thoughts of Lydia Ko, the LPGA hall of famer who is one of pro golf’s most personable players. During practice rounds, she said she had been applying spray. For tournament rounds, she said she would dress for the occasion.
“Yeah, I’ve got like white stains on my hat and my pants. I bought three different types of insect repellant yesterday and still trying to figure out which one actually works; don’t know if there is one that actually works,” Ko said.
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“Yeah, I said to myself the only goal this week is to survive long sleeves and long pants and long socks, because I am not showing skin where it’s unnecessary. I’m pretty known to wear a lot of sleeveless shirts, so there will be no arms showing this week. I’m just trying to be as covered and not become like buffet meat for the mosquitoes.”
Buffet meat. What a quote.
Only Ko’s approach didn’t seem to work Thursday, when play started.
The bugs simply treated longer clothing as players treat longer grass — they were maybe slowed, but they managed.
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Huang said the mosquitoes were biting through her sleeves.
“It’s pretty bad,” she said. “My arms are pretty red right now.”
Let’s try to finish this report positively, though. Could there be a silver lining?
Miyu Yamashita thought so. She also shot a blistering eight-under 62.
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And that was perhaps due to the mosquitoes.
“There is so many bugs on the course,” she said.
“But these things make me more focused on the game.”
Real Madrid striker Endrick has turned down an opportunity to join Liverpool on loan this summer, as per reports. The Brazil international faces stern competition for places in the Los Blancos squad for the 2026-27 season, following the signings of two new attackers.
According to ESPN Brasil, Liverpool have indicated that they would be interested in signing Endrick on a temporary basis this summer. The 20-year-old has no interest in leaving the Bernabeu this summer, as he wishes to fight for his place at the club.
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Real Madrid are blessed with a plethora of attacking options, particularly following the addition of Carlos Espi and Yan Diomande to their squad. This situation led Endrick to seek clarity about his immediate future in the squad, and Jose Mourinho assured him that he would get minutes to prove himself.
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Endrick endured a similar situation last season, barely getting any minutes before he headed out on loan to Olympique Lyon in January. There, he scored eight goals and provided eight assists in half a season before returning to his parent club this summer.
Unlike the Spanish giants, Liverpool are struggling to find the attackers to fill up their squad this summer. They are without the injured Hugo Ekitike and lost Mohamed Salah, leading to their interest in Endrick, who can cover both positions. They will have to turn their attention elsewhere as they look to bring in reinforcements ahead of the transfer window’s closure.
Former Liverpool star unveiled officially as Real Madrid player
Former Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been officially unveiled as a new signing for Real Madrid after joining on a free transfer. The France international has played once for his new club since arriving for pre-season this summer, playing 45 minutes in their last friendly against Schalke 04.
Konate reached an agreement to join the Spanish giants after his contract with the Reds expired at the end of the 2025-26 season. He played 51 times for the club across all competitions in his final season, more than he played in any of his four previous campaigns for them. He represented the club on 187 occasions, winning every domestic honour available in England.
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Ibrahima Konate has taken the number 16 shirt at the Bernabeu and has signed a four-year contract until 2030. He joins Dean Huijsen, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Raul Asencio as the senior centre-back options available for Jose Mourinho in the 2026-27 season.
Dec 5, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers minority owner and Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong reacts during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong does not intend to sell his minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers amid a high-profile sale of the franchise.
Soon-Shiong’s family attorney, Chuck “Tiger” Kenworthy, said in a statement to ESPN on Thursday his client is “absolutely not selling” his 4% stake in the Lakers following the sale to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.
Mark Walter sold his majority stake to Iger and Kushner in a transaction that valued the Lakers at $12.5 billion. Since then, the Buss family has also moved to sell its remaining 17.8%, though Jeanie Buss is attempting to block her five siblings from doing so.
“Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are good friends, and we will be joining them as supportive, active and engaged partners once they close the transaction with Mr. Walter,” Kenworthy told ESPN. “We are extremely excited about the Lakers’ future and look forward to many more championship years.”
Soon-Shiong, 74, is a medical doctor who invented a drug that treats lung cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. He founded a network of startups in the healthcare and artificial intelligence spaces and also purchased the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune in 2018.
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Soon-Shiong purchased his 4% stake in the Lakers from franchise icon Magic Johnson in 2010.
His decision comes against the backdrop of the Buss family’s infighting over the future of their Lakers stake. Jeanie Buss spearheaded the sale of the franchise to Walter last year on a U.S. sports-record $10 billion valuation. Part of the agreement was that Jeanie Buss would remain governor of the franchise through 2030.
Her siblings came out this week with their intention of selling the Buss Family Trust’s remaining share. Doing so would mean Jeanie Buss could no longer serve as governor, as there is a 15% ownership requirement to be a controlling owner or governor of an NBA team.
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Jeanie Buss’ lawyer Adam Streisand wrote in a letter to the siblings that a court ruled in 2017 that any sale of the Lakers required approval from the co-trustees, Jeanie Buss among them.
“Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order,” Streisand wrote, “the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner.
“Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”
There is probably no other sport in the world that has experienced a boom like Hyrox in recent years. What started as an idea in 2017 has, within just a few years, evolved into one of the fastest-growing fitness movements in the world.
The format was developed by event organizer Christian Toetzke, communications expert Michael Trautmann, and Moritz Fürste, a former member of the German national field hockey team that won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Their basic idea was very simple: to create a competition that combines the atmosphere of a running event with the intensity of functional strength training that many people know from time in the gym. Hyrox consists of eight functional stations interspersed by eight 1-kilometer (0.62 miles) runs.
Moritz Fürste went from national field hockey player to Hyrox founderImage: Peter Hartenfelser/Hartenfelser/IMAGO
“People love to either challenge themselves or compete against others, take part in a contest and battle their own inner demons,” Fürste told DW.
People were already doing this. Hyrox standardizes it as a competition format.
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Hyrox gives people a new purpose
To develop their concept, the founders analyzed the global sports landscape and found a gap in the established sports market.
“Most sports — such as tennis, football or ball sports in general — are very clearly defined,” explained Fürste.
“They’ve all been around for hundreds of years, but the one area of the sports world that was never really defined was the world of the gym. We wanted to give these people a goal to train for, aside from being healthy or looking good in the mirror.”
Hyrox is not the only attempt at creating competition around gym work. CrossFit is perhaps its most famous rival. It started back in 2007, changes daily and features Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics.
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Hyrox is the same each time, offering more functional fitness development. The closest in style to Hyrox is DEKA Fit, although the latter’s global reach is affected by its focus on local US affiliate gyms.
For Fürste, the definition of success is what happens at the end of races.
“No one finishes a race with any energy left; everyone is completely exhausted. But everyone thinks about being faster next time,” Fürste said.
Why young men are obsessed with lifting weights
Clearly, Hyrox isn’t the only way to train, but Fürste believes it is a good way to train for competition.
The standardized format means that events are comparable worldwide, regardless of whether you compete in Hamburg, London, New York, or Sydney. As a result, there has been a surge in interest in recent years.
Hyrox growing 100% in all markets
In a 2025 interview with Sports Illustrated, Fürste spoke of two pivotal moments for Hyrox; first, when 650 participants turned out for their first-ever event and second, when they sold out an event in London in 2022, after the COVID pandemic. It was clear then that they were on to something.
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In the 2022–23 season, around 90,000 athletes took part in Hyrox competitions. By 2025, that number had already risen to more than 650,000.
Hyrox is also successful in ChinaImage: China News Service/VCG/IMAGO
“No matter where we’ve gone so far, we’ve seen tremendous growth in the first two to three years,” Fürste said.
“There wasn’t a single market that didn’t grow by 100% from one event to the next. This shows that the product works. It’s a great experience for those who take part.”
Next stop: 2032 Olympics
With more than a million athletes set to compete in Hyrox events worldwide this season, it looks like there’s no sign of the boom ending anytime soon.
“This shows that we’re neither a trend nor a niche,” Fürste said. “It shows that we’ve made our mark in the sports world.”
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Hyrox is now present in more than 85 cities in around 30 countries across the world. Studies confirm the series’ extraordinary growth, with more than 278,000 finishers recorded by the end of the 2023-24 season alone.
“I invested a lot and met with people who have been working in the industry for years,” said Fürste, who believes Hyrox is like the modern sports version of a music festival.
“I had to risk everything to get where I am now and to be part of this team.”
While he never doubted Hyrox’s success, he also never imagined it would become so big. And now the next goal looms on the horizon. Fürste told Sports Illustrated that he aims to make Hyrox part of the Olympic program in Brisbane in 2032, taking the popular fitness event to the world’s biggest sporting stage.
Marvel Stadium will play host to Thursday’s
Round 24 AFL game between St Kilda Saints and
Gold Coast SUNS. The game kicks off at 7:30 pm with St Kilda Saints heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the St Kilda Saints vs.
Gold Coast SUNS
game and give you our free tips and bets.
St Kilda closes its season with a chance to reward supporters after beating Richmond 94-45, although results elsewhere ended its Wildcard hopes. Max Hall produced a career-high 40 disposals in that win, Bradley Hill collected 41 and Mitch Owens kicked five goals, giving the Saints several strong avenues through the middle and forward of centre. Liam Ryan returns for the injured Jack Higgins, while Dougal Howard is also back. Gold Coast arrives after a 95-53 loss to Brisbane and has dropped 11 of its past 12 matches. The Suns won the Round 9 meeting 89-60, but Christian Petracca, Will Powell and Sam Collins are unavailable this time. St Kilda’s recent pressure and Gold Coast’s depleted side give the hosts the stronger platform at Marvel Stadium.
Former India captains Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal, along with 1974 women’s team skipper Ajinder Kaur, feature in JSW’s latest campaign
As India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams continue their respective campaigns at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, JSW Group has revived its flagship ‘Rukna Nahi Hai’ campaign to celebrate the country’s rich hockey heritage and the generations of players who have contributed to it.
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The campaign brings together some of Indian hockey’s most prominent figures, including former men’s captain Sardar Singh, former women’s captain Rani Rampal and Ajinder Kaur, who led the Indian women’s team at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1974.
Celebrating generations of Indian hockey
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The campaign looks back at some of the defining moments in India’s hockey history, from the country’s remarkable Olympic dominance beginning in 1928 to its historic men’s World Cup triumph in 1975.
Through the stories of former players and captains, JSW seeks to connect India’s illustrious past with the ambitions of the current generation.
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The central message of ‘Rukna Nahi Hai’ revolves around perseverance and the continuous pursuit of excellence, regardless of the obstacles faced along the way.
The campaign also aims to remind supporters that India’s relationship with hockey extends beyond individual victories and trophies, forming an important part of the country’s sporting identity.
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‘Hockey is deeply woven into India’s sporting identity’
Parth Jindal, Founder and Director of JSW Sports, said the campaign was designed to celebrate Indian hockey’s legacy while backing the current men’s and women’s teams.
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“Hockey is deeply woven into India’s sporting identity, and at JSW, we are proud to have played our small part in helping the sport and its athletes receive the recognition they deserve.”
Jindal added that the campaign represents JSW’s effort to stand behind both teams as they pursue their respective World Cup ambitions.
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“‘Rukna Nahi Hai’ is our way of celebrating the incredible legacy of Indian hockey and standing behind our men’s and women’s teams as they chase their respective goals.”
Men chase World Cup glory after 51 years
The Indian men’s team has made a strong start to its World Cup campaign. After opening the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Wales, India followed it up with a 5-3 win against Pakistan to book its place in the next round.
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The men’s team is now aiming to end India’s long wait for another World Cup title, having last lifted the trophy in 1975.
Jindal said the team has the backing of the organisation as it looks to bring the trophy home after more than five decades.
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“We wish both teams the very best as the men look to bring home the World Cup after 51 years, while the women aim to create history by winning their maiden World Cup title.”
Women eye historic maiden World Cup title
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The Indian women’s team has also produced encouraging results in the tournament.
India began with a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China, before producing an emphatic 6-1 victory over South Africa.
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The results have kept India firmly in contention for a place in the latter stages, with the team chasing what would be its first-ever Women’s Hockey World Cup title.
The campaign’s inclusion of Ajinder Kaur is particularly significant, connecting the current team with India’s pioneering women’s World Cup journey in 1974.
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A legacy that continues to inspire
With former captains from different generations featuring alongside the current national teams, the campaign seeks to underline the continuity of Indian hockey.
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Rather than focusing solely on the pursuit of silverware, ‘Rukna Nahi Hai’ celebrates the resilience, pride and determination that have defined Indian hockey across generations.
Jindal urged supporters across the country to get behind both teams as their World Cup journeys continue.
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“We hope the entire nation rallies behind them, believes in them and cheers them on every step of the way.”
The campaign arrives at a significant moment for Indian hockey, with both teams still chasing major milestones at the 2026 World Cup. For the men, it is an opportunity to reclaim the sport’s biggest prize after 51 years; for the women, it is a chance to create history with a maiden world title.
Aug 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino (9) slides safely into third against the Athletics during the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Bobby Witt Jr. homered among his two hits and scored three times, while Salvador Perez and Michael Massey each had three hits to propel the Kansas City Royals to a four-game sweep of the visiting Athletics with a 6-2 victory on Thursday.
Nick Loftin added an RBI triple in the Royals’ 12-hit attack.
Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler had two hits for the A’s.
Royals starter Randy Dobnak scattered six hits and four walks across four scoreless innings while striking out four. It was the Royals’ first four-game sweep of the A’s since 1994.
Athletics starter Gage Jump (5-8) allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts in four innings.
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With one out in the first, Witt hit a solo homer. Maikel Garcia followed with a double. Perez’s grounder then ricocheted off Darell Hernaiz’s glove at shortstop for an error and rolled into shallow left. Hernaiz recovered the ball and threw to third, where Garcia was tagged out after pulling up with what was reported to be a strained left hamstring. Garcia exited the game.
Cortes opened the second with a single before Brian Serven struck out swinging. Donovan Walton walked and Hernaiz’s infield single loaded the bases. But Henry Bolte struck out looking and Jeff McNeil grounded out as Dobnak escaped the jam.
Kansas City took a 3-0 lead in the third. Witt singled with one out and, after John Rave struck out, he advanced to third on Perez’s blooper to right. Vinnie Pasquantino walked before Isaac Collins’ two-run single scored Witt and Perez.
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The Royals’ advantage grew to 5-0 in the fourth. Loftin smoked an RBI triple to right center with one out. Later, with two outs, Perez bounced a run-scoring single up the middle.
In the fifth, the A’s cut their deficit to 5-2. Butler, Max Muncy and Cortes drew consecutive one-out walks. Serven singled to center and Butler scored. Kansas City lifted Carlos Duran for Connor Thomas (1-1), who allowed Walton’s RBI groundout before escaping the jam when he induced Hernaiz to line out to second.
In their half of the frame, the Royals made it 6-2 on Massey’s RBI double.
The new Premier League rule changes coming in are below:
Injured players
If play is stopped for an injury, the player is required to leave the field for at least one minute (this was previously 30 seconds).
Second yellow cards
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A VAR review can now take place when second yellow cards are awarded to a player but only when players are awarded a clearly wrong second yellow card and not if they have avoided a second potential booking.
Set-piece delays
A five-second countdown for delaying throw-ins and goal-kicks will take place and, if exceeded, it will lead in a restart reversal. This is a throw-in to the opposing side or a team being awarded a corner if a goal-kick is delayed.
Substitutions
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Players now have 10 seconds to leave the field when being substituted. If the time limit is exceeded, the substitute cannot come on until the first stoppage in play, after one minute has elapsed.
It is also worth mentioning that some of the new rules deployed at the World Cup will not be used during this season’s Premier League.
These are noted as including the following innovations:
Hydration breaks
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Matches will not be divided into quarters, as we saw in North America. The protocol for allowing a drinks break is only if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius at the time of kick-off.
Incorrectly awarded corners
VAR’s scope is not being increased to be able to overrule the on-field decision on these, following the benefit of replays.
Mistaken identity being used for diving
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Although we saw Switzerland’s Breel Embolo sent off against Argentina for simulation, earning a second yellow card, this was a misinterpretation of the IFAB rule. A yellow card wrongly awarded can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offence. The offence itself cannot be reviewed or changed.
Red cards for players covering their mouths
There remains a three-step discrimination protocol in the stadium for player-reported abuse.
Changes to VAR are among the new rules Manchester United must be aware of next season(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
MCG will play host to Friday’s
Round 24 AFL game between Collingwood Magpies and
Brisbane Lions. The game kicks off at 7:40 pm with Brisbane Lions heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Collingwood Magpies vs.
Brisbane Lions
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Brisbane reaches the MCG as one of the competition’s form sides after beating Gold Coast 95-53 for its ninth win in 10 matches. Will Ashcroft drove that result with 31 disposals and a goal, and the Lions can secure third place with another victory. Collingwood drew 92-92 with Hawthorn last week, the second tie between those clubs this season, as Nick Daicos gathered 36 disposals and Beau McCreery delivered a career-best 22 touches, 12 tackles and a goal. The Magpies have effectively secured a Wildcard berth and may manage players, while Isaac Quaynor is unavailable. Brisbane won the Round 4 meeting 119-65 and brings the more settled side, though Collingwood’s pressure game can still make the contest uncomfortable.
Former UConn and current Dallas Wings teammates Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd opened up about the beginning of their romantic relationship in a new Apple TV three-part documentary called “The Dynasty: UConn Huskies” premiering on Friday.
“Paige and I are a couple, and everyone close to us that was important knew,” Fudd said at the time of the recording. “But it was just kind of one of those things, it’s just private, not a secret, but private.”
Until now, they had been very quiet about being a couple,and the only confirmation they gave publicly had been Bueckers doing a “girlfriend reveal” in a Wagtalk video last July. When Fudd was asked about their relationship shortly after she had officially joined Bueckers in Dallas as the No. 1 overall pick in April, it was clear that was not a topic they wanted to discuss.
In fact, a representative of the team shut down a question from a reporter asking if they were still a couple and if they had talked to other couples in the league about the dynamic of also being teammates at a professional level. Bueckers later addressed it by saying she and Fudd had always conducted themselves in a professional manner as teammates at UConn and they wanted to choose how much to share with the world.
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“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own, and what we choose to share is completely up to us,” Bueckers said at the time. “But as media members, I understand you guys have a job to do and you guys have to ask questions about the basketball aspect of it, so that’s what I will be addressing today. Me and Azzi have always been the utmost professionals, we’ve always conducted ourselves as such and we’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
They had not been asked about it since, although that didn’t stop “Pazzi” fans from talking about them online, so the spotlight never really left them. As this new documentary comes out, we now have more insight on their relationship — though, to be clear, they don’t go into many details in the documentary and there is not an episode devoted to just them. However, they do speak about the importance of being there for each other during difficult times.
Here is a look at the official trainer:
It was well known that the two of them met as teenagers at a USA Basketball camp and quickly formed a close bond. Bueckers joined the Huskies in 2020 and she helped recruit Fudd, who joined the year after. However, Bueckers said in the documentary that they felt a “spark” that was different from a friendship, and Fudd became someone she knew she could confide in.
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“It kind of just meshed as soon as we met,” Bueckers said. “She’s sweet. She’s genuine. She has a huge, caring heart. We kind of felt like a spark a little bit different than what would just be considered a normal friendship.”
Both players dealt with hardships in college, from injuries to the mental pressure and challenges of playing at the most successful program in college basketball history. However, everything they went through eventually led them to the 2025 national championship.
They have already shown that they can win together at the professional level, as the Wings are set to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2023. Unfortunately, Fudd won’t get to experience the WNBA playoff atmosphere; she recently announced that she will be undergoing knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season. As she goes through the procedure and starts the healing process, Fudd posted on social media that she was grateful for her team, family and close circle for their support.
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