Sports
Aston Villa end decades long wait for major trophy with Europa League victory
Aston Villa ended their 30-year wait for a trophy as they strolled to an emphatic 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul.
After falling short in the Conference League semi-finals and Champions League last-eight over recent times, Unai Emery brought European success back to Villa Park at the third time of asking.
The Prince of Wales, 43, was in attendance to witness Villa’s first European final since he was born, and watched his beloved side win their first silverware since the League Cup in 1996.
Villa’s quality shone through with a pair of unstoppable strikes at the end of the first half from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia.
Villa started to flex their muscles and Morgan Rogers added a third which sparked jubilant scenes at the final whistle.
They made their intentions known from the outset and it took just two minutes for them to make their mark when Rogers unleashed an effort which forced a first save from Noah Atubolu.
Freiburg have been deadly from set pieces this season and almost made Villa pay from another when a ball into the box bounced favourably for Nicolas Hofler, but he dragged an effort wide.
And Emiliano Martinez, who seemed fine after a slight injury scare in the warm-up, was required to stop exciting talent Johan Manzambi from range.
All the focus was on Freiburg’s danger from dead balls, but the Premier League side are capable themselves, and they broke the deadlock four minutes before the break courtesy of a well-worked set piece.
The first corner of the game fell to Villa who played short to Rogers and he crossed it to the on-rushing Tielemans, who arrived in the area and fired a spectacular volley past Atubolu.
Villa then doubled their advantage seconds before the interval when Buendia had the space of Besiktas Park to tee up and bend a beautiful strike into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.
Villa’s confidence was up and Buendia tried a cheeky chip moments after the restart which Atubolu was alert to.
Villa did not rest on their laurels and had a third in the 58th minute; this time Buendia turned creator when he sent in a cross which deflected nicely into the path of Rogers, who slid home from two yards out.
John McGinn was then denied by Atubolu after Amadou Onana hit the post, which mattered little as Villa won their first European trophy since winning the European Cup 44 years ago.
Sports
Aston Villa win Europa League: Emi Martinez plays despite breaking finger
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez revealed he broke his finger during the warm-up before his side’s Europa League final win against Freiburg.
The Argentine suffered the injury moments before kick-off in Istanbul and had to be checked over by a physio.
But he managed to play the entire match on Wednesday as Villa won 3-0 to secure their first European trophy for 44 years.
The 33-year-old did not have much to do, as goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers ended Villa’s 30-year wait for a major trophy, but still managed to make two saves.
He said: “Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good. I’ve done this my whole life and I’ll keep doing it.
“Should I be worried? Well, I’ve never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”
The injury also did not stop Martinez from joining in the post-match celebrations as he jumped into the Villa fans before hoisting manager Unai Emery aloft.
Argentina will hope Martinez’s injury is not too serious with their World Cup squad set to be announced before next month’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The former Arsenal keeper has now won every final he has played in during his career, including the FA Cup final, the World Cup final, two Copa Americas and now the Europa League.
Sports
IPL 2026 Playoffs Scenario After KKR Beat MI: Fight For One Spot Gets More Intense
Kolkata Knight Riders, after five losses in their first six games, were virtually counted out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. However, they are now on a winning streak. Kolkata Knight Riders lived to fight another day with a crucial four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians after Sunil Narine-led bowlers once again delivered on a testing Eden Gardens surface to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive on Wednesday. Needing nothing less than a win to remain in contention, KKR rode on a clinical bowling effort to restrict the already eliminated five-time champions to a modest 147/8 after Ajinkya Rahane won an important toss.
All teams have now played 13 games. Three playoff spots are already sealed: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (18 points), Gujarat Titans (16 points) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (16 points). Five teams are vying for the one remaining spot: Rajasthan Royals (14), Punjab Kings (13), KKR (13), Chennai Super Kings (12) and Delhi Capitals (12). All of them need to win their last match to advance.
However, there is a remote possibility of RR qualifying for the playoffs even with a loss in their last game, but for that to happen, they need to have a strong run rate and hope that other teams in contention lose their matches. DC play KKR in their final match and the winner of that game must have lesser run-rate than RR for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s side to progress even with a loss.

In reply, veteran Manish Pandey (45 off 33 balls; 6×4) finally got an opportunity to bat at No. 3 with talented keeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi injured and anchored a tense chase with a 33-ball 45.
He, along with Rovman Powell (40; 30b, 4×4, 2×6), shared a crucial 64-run partnership to set it up as the hosts overhauled the 148-run target in 18.5 overs.
The victory lifted KKR from eighth to sixth in the standings with 13 points and kept their slim playoff hopes alive with six wins from 13 matches.
However, their fate is no longer in their own hands as KKR will now closely follow Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Mumbai Indians on Sunday afternoon before they face Delhi Capitals in the evening clash.
A Royals win would seal their qualification and eliminate KKR, rendering Kolkata’s final league game against DC inconsequential.
For MI, it was their ninth defeat in 13 matches as the five-time champions remained second from bottom with one game left.
On a surface where strokeplay remained difficult, KKR began shakily and lost both openers inside the powerplay.
Finn Allen, coming off a blistering 35-ball 93 in the previous match against Gujarat Titans, started aggressively with two boundaries before Deepak Chahar cleaned him up for 8.
Ajinkya Rahane survived an lbw review via umpire’s call but never looked comfortable during his 17-ball 21 before edging Corbin Bosch in the final over of the powerplay.
Bosch struck again in the eighth over when Cameron Green (4) miscued a poor delivery down the leg side straight to fine leg as KKR slipped to 54/3.
Mumbai sensed an opening but let the game drift through sloppy fielding.
Jasprit Bumrah, enduring another forgettable outing, leaked 14 runs in his second over as KKR steadily rebuilt through Pandey and Powell.
There was further frustration for MI in the 10th over when Powell top-edged a pull off Hardik Pandya.
Deepak Chahar at fine leg appeared set for the catch but left it for Robin Minz running across from deep square leg, only for the ball to land safely between them.
Pandey, however, could not complete the chase and was cleaned up by Bumrah, while in the next over, Powell fell to AM Ghazanfar.
But with hardly any scoreboard pressure – KKR needed 19 from the last four overs – Rinku Singh (nine not out) and Anukul Roy (four not out) sealed their seventh win in the last eight matches.
Earlier, KKR’s bowlers had exploited the sticky conditions superbly as Cameron Green (2/23; three overs), left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey (2/34) and Sunil Narine’s exceptional figures of 1/13 choked MI.
Green was exceptional on the field and with the ball, striking twice in the space of three deliveries to remove Ryan Rickelton (6) and Naman Dhir (0).
He then pulled off a stunning running catch from midwicket to dismiss Rohit Sharma (15) off Dubey just when the Indian stalwart was looking to break free.
MI went on to lose three wickets for six runs in the space of eight balls.
After a one-hour rain interruption, KKR’s spin duo of Narine and Varun Chakravarthy tightened the screws further, conceding just 14 runs in their first four overs while bowling in tandem.
Narine, in particular, was menacing with his turn and variable bounce, repeatedly troubling Tilak Varma before taking the prized scalp of MI skipper Hardik Pandya (26; 27b), beating him with a delivery that drifted in and stayed low to crash into the stumps.
Chakravarthy was unlucky not to dismiss Tilak on 12 after spilling a return catch following a collision with wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Raghuvanshi hurt his hand in the process and had to walk off the field, with Tejasvi Dahiya coming on as a substitute.
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Sports
Dodgers vs. Padres MLB picks: Shohei Ohtani, off to historic pitching start, will be dual threat Wednesday

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani will be back on the mound Wednesday vs. the Padres
Sports
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers says 2026 will be final season
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL Wild Card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on January 12, 2026. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed in a press conference Wednesday that the 2026 season, his 22nd in the NFL, will be his last.
“Yes. This is it,” the four-time NFL MVP said when asked if this would be his final season.
Rodgers, 42, officially signed a one-year, $25 million contract to return for a second season in Pittsburgh on Monday after months of uncertainty about a potential retirement.
He led the Steelers to an AFC North title in his first season, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He admitted in the press conference that he thought former Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin’s retirement meant a similar end for his tenure and likely career as a whole.
But when the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers for 13 seasons in Green Bay, that line of thinking shifted.
“When the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers, the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by Green Bay, has made 10 Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams and led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV championship over his 21 seasons. He’s the active leader in career passing yards (66,274, fifth-most in NFL history) and passing touchdowns (527, fourth).
–Field Level Media
Sports
IPL 2026 | Will MS Dhoni play CSK’s final league match vs Gujarat Titans? Franchise shares big update | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: When will MS Dhoni return for Chennai Super Kings this season? It is a question that has followed the franchise throughout IPL 2026, but there is still no definite answer.CSK, currently placed sixth on the table with 12 points from 13 games, will face Gujarat Titans in their final league-stage fixture on Thursday. Ahead of the match, batting coach Michael Hussey once again addressed Dhoni’s availability. Hussey confirmed that Dhoni will miss the GT clash because of a thumb injury but added that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter could return if CSK qualify for the playoffs.A victory against Gujarat Titans would take CSK to 14 points, though they would still need favourable results from other remaining league fixtures to stay alive in the playoff race.“I can confirm he is not here with the team, but if we do happen to qualify, then he will definitely join back up with the team. He has got a bit of a sore thumb, so it is recovering nicely, but he would not be ready for this match. But hopefully, if we can manage to get through to the playoffs, then hopefully he will be alright,” Hussey said.CSK head into the game against GT on the back of consecutive defeats. They first lost to Lucknow Super Giants before suffering a five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Speaking about the loss to SRH, where Ishan Kishan starred with a match-winning half-century in a successful chase of 181, Hussey admitted the result was disappointing but stressed the need to move on quickly.“Obviously, it has made it more difficult for us to get through to the top four. Individually, everyone will take a few little learnings from it, but we have to move on quite quickly. We were all very disappointed, obviously, after the match,” he said.“We were a bit flat in the dressing room. But coach spoke to us about, OK, come on, we have got one more game, one more chance, so we have got to make sure we move on from this very quickly. It is all about our attitude moving forward,” he added.
Sports
Colts’ free agent running back reportedly signs with new team
Former Indianapolis Colts’ running back Salvon Ahmed has signed with a new team.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Ahmed is signing with the Chicago Bears. Ahmed was a free agent this offseason.
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Ahmed suffered a season-ending ankle injury in training camp last summer, following a hip drop tackle that was made during practice.
Ahmed was signed to the Colts‘ practice squad in October of the 2024 season. Before joining Indianapolis, he spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
There, Ahmed appeared in 38 games and made four starts. He has 163 career rushing attempts, averaging 3.6 yards per carry with five touchdowns. He also caught 40 receptions for 274 yards.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Former Colts RB Salvon Ahmed signs with Bears
Sports
2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds, predictions, field: PGA picks this week from 10,000 simulations
Two majors are now in the books, and up next on the PGA Tour schedule is the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. Play begins on Thursday, May 21 with the first tee times at 8 a.m. ET. Some of the PGA’s top players have opted to skip this tournament, but Dallas-area natives Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are both in the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson field. They’re also two of the top three favorites in the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds, with Scheffler, the defending champion, favored at +160 (risk $100 to win $160) and Spieth third at +1600, with Si Woo Kim at +1500.
Brooks Koepka is next on the PGA odds board at +2200, with no other golfer lower than +3500, leaving plenty of longshots on the board to consider. Before locking in any 2026 Cj Cup Byron Nelson picks, or any PGA DFS picks or One and Done selections, be sure to see the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 17 majors entering the weekend, including the 2026 Masters — its fifth Masters in a row — as well as last year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
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Now that the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson field is set, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, which you can use for PGA picks, one and done contests or PGA DFS lineups.
2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026: It is fading Spieth at +1600, saying he finishes outside the top 5 despite playing a course he’s very familiar with. Spieth’s game has shown some promising signs this year as he’s finished inside the top 20 in both majors. However, he’s still looking for his first top-10 in any event since the 2025 Memorial Tournament and his first win since 2022, so the model isn’t confident backing him with the third-lowest odds this week. See who else to fade here.
Another surprise: The model is high on Pierceson Coody as a +4000 longshot. The 27-year-old Texan has seven top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including a pair of top-10s as he’s putting together his best professional season. He’s extremely strong off the tee, ranking 26th in strokes gained in that category. He’s also 14th on tour in average driving distance. His ability to shrink the course is a big factor in why the model projects him as a top-5 contender this week. See who else to pick here.
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How to make 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson picks
The model is also targeting several other longshots, including one going off around 70-1 who makes a stunning run for the title. You can only see the model’s picks here.
Who will win the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors, including three in 2025.
2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds, favorites
Get full 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson picks, best bets and predictions here.
(odds via FanDuel and subject to change)
Scottie Scheffler +160
Si Woo Kim +1500
Jordan Spieth +1600
Brooks Koepka +2200
Ryo Hisatsune +3500
Michael Thorbjornsen +3500
Taylor Pendrith +4000
Davis Thompson +4000
Pierceson Coody +4000
Keith Mitchell +4500
Austin Eckroat +4500
Rasmus Højgaard +5000
Wyndham Clark +5000
Tom Kim +5500
Eric Cole +5500
Michael Brennan +6000
Sungjae Im +6000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6500
Blades Brown +6500
Mac Meissner +6500
Max Greyserman +7000
Stephan Jaeger +7000
Jordan Smith +7000
Richard Hoey +7000
Matti Schmid +8000
Beau Hossler +8000
Adrien Dumont de Chassart +8000
Max McGreevy +8000
Johnny Keefer +10000
Taylor Moore +10000
Zecheng Dou +10000
John Parry +10000
William Mouw +10000
Thorbjørn Olesen +10000
Patrick Rodgers +10000
Chris Kirk +10000
Kevin Yu +10000
Tony Finau +10000
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +10000
Karl Vilips +10000
Haotong Li +10000
Kevin Roy +10000
Doug Ghim +10000
Sports
Ex-WWE announcer pulls back curtain on one of the best jobs she’s ever had
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Former WWE broadcaster Kayla Becker spent eight years with the company before departing to broaden her outlook on the sports spectrum in general.
Becker recently partnered with BZZR as she continues her broadcasting career. Pro wrestling fans who tune into Becker’s sportscasts will certainly be reminded of the days she was behind the broadcast desk for pre-shows, backstage for interviews or even ring announcing.
She explained how she was able to get the WWE gig in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. She said she was hosting a travel segment for a local station before someone from WWE reached out to her and asked whether she would be interested in announcing.
“So, I knew someone who was working there and they knew who I was because I was an ‘Orlando personality.’ And they were like, ‘Hey, would you be interested in joining our announce team. And I never watched wrestling a day in my life. And I was like, I just don’t know that’s where my career is headed,” she said. “And they sent me there one day to Full Sail (University) where they were doing some tapings and immediately I was just enthralled.

Kayla Becker attends the “Five Nights At Freddy’s 2” premiere presented by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Dec. 2, 2025. (Savion Washington/Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)
PRO WRESTLING PODCASTER DWAYNE SWAYZE TALKS TEAMING WITH MVP FOR SHOW, PARTNERSHIP WITH BZZR
“I was like this is the craziest, coolest world I’ve ever experienced, been a part of. All the wrestlers who were superstars, behind the scenes they were so cool, so knowledgeable, so exciting. So, literally, I was like, let’s do it. Maybe I’ll be here for a year or two. And fast forward, eight years, basically, kicking and screaming, I finally had to walk out of those doors. That was the coolest part of my career bar none.”
For someone who had never watched wrestling in their entire life, getting thrust into WWE was like being thrown into the deep end of a pool when you’ve never swam before.
Becker was in for a treat.
She recalled to Fox News Digital the moment that got her hooked.
“I think the first pay-per-view I remember, maybe the first one that I attended, was the Royal Rumble,” she said. “At the time, I think I was just attending. I worked there but I still wasn’t on the main roster yet. So, I kinda just got to be there as a fan and the excitement in the building of a Royal Rumble, if you never experienced it, there’s nothing like it. In that moment, I remember getting goosebumps and then I was like, wait, I work here. I’m a part of this world now. One day, I’ll get to announce, which I did. I was a part of many Royal Rumbles. I think that was probably one of the first moments I was like dang, this is kind of a cool place to be.”
Becker’s job was way different from the athletes that perform in the ring.

Kayla Becker attends the HIM Training Camp Creator Event in Venice, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2025. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
She got a taste of doing in-ring announcing before becoming a backstage interviewer and hopping on pre-show broadcasts. She said she didn’t really enjoy her time as a ring announcer and felt like she performed better as a backstage interviewer.
“I think my first gig I was an NXT backstage interviewer and I did ring announcing for house shows. So, we’d go around to the small armories around Florida and I’d ring announce,” Becker told Fox News Digital. “And I never was a great ring announcer. Never really loved it. The fans, I’ve been gone for two years, they love to remind me on Twitter, that I wasn’t a good ring announcer. OK, pipe down guys. You try doing it. It’s not easy. But those days I think were some of the most stressful. Any ring announcer will tell you. You mentioned Alicia Taylor, we have Mike Rome, Samantha Irvin was there for a while, that is one of the most difficult jobs, I think, across the board. People underrate the ring announcers and the referees because that I think is so stressful, so on the fly. As a ring announcer, we don’t have cards. You have to memorize hometowns, weights, monikers, the cadence in which you say their names. I remember just like spending hours beforehand just kind of saying these things over and over to myself. And when you get in there, you’re live. I remember this one time, I was supposed to say, ‘The first one to incapacitate,’ I said, ‘decapitate.’ And you’re live and honestly, would also work. If you’re decapitated, you can’t continue wrestling.
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Kayla Becker attends the world premiere of “Black Phone 2” presented by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Oct. 8, 2025. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)
“But then as a backstage interviewer, as an actual ‘journalist’ of the company, it was a lot different. I think a lot more creative went into it in my part. I got to talk to the superstars, talk to the writers, how to best put forth the stories they’re trying to tell on screen. I think I had a lot more fun in that role because I think … I had a lot more fun trying to tell the story versus screaming into a microphone.”
Becker credited John Cena’s mentorship with helping her become the best she could be in her position.
“Listen, John Cena will be synonymous with wrestling and Hollywood for all of time,” she said. “John Cena was one of the first mentor-type people I’ve ever experienced when I first started in WWE. I was ring announcing house shows and he was giving me advice on how to be better and it kinda went on throughout the years. He’s such a good mentor and example backstage.”
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Now, Becker gets to be front and center in all sports with BZZR as the new social media platforms looks to unite sports fans from all fandoms into one spot.
Sports
Scottie Scheffler eyes repeat at new-look CJ Cup Byron Nelson
May 4, 2025; McKinney, Texas, USA; Scottie Scheffler with his wife Meredith and son Bennett pose with the winner’s trophy during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Scheffler won with a score of 31-under par for the tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Scottie Scheffler bolted out of the blocks and didn’t look back last year at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Scheffler recorded a scintillating 61 during the first round and a 63 in the second and fourth rounds as part of his eight-stroke, wire-to-wire victory. The 29-year-old Dallas resident set the tournament scoring record and tied the PGA Tour scoring record by finishing at a robust 31-under par 253.
“Yeah, definitely good memories from last year,” Scheffler said on Wednesday, one day before the start of this year’s tournament at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
“I had a really nice week, just played a lot of really solid golf. I was fortunate to be the winner at the end of the week.
“In terms of just getting ready for this week, it was nice to have a home week, especially coming off a major championship. Got some rest Monday, did some practice at Royal Oaks yesterday, Pro-Am today, and go home and get some rest and get ready for an early one tomorrow.”
Scheffler made his PGA Tour debut in this event in 2014. The years have been kind to him, naturally, as he has fine-tuned his game to the point where he is the unquestioned top-ranked golfer in the world.
Now Scheffler’s back at the course which underwent a $25 million overhaul led by World Golf Hall of Fame member Lanny Wadkins.
“I actually came up and played the course a few weeks ago,” Scheffler said. “I think tee-to-green it is definitely better than what it was before. I think it’s a more interesting test. The greens have added a significant amount of slope to them, and some are a bit aggressive, but overall I think (Wadkins) did a really good job of creating some nice pin locations, and you definitely have to think your way around this place a lot more than you did before.” Scheffler will try his luck at repeating as champion at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson after seeing a few putts go awry during his 14th-place finish last weekend at the PGA Championship.
“Yeah, I think — I guess just putting specific … you kind of just go through ebbs and flows, and putting is something, especially when you’re putting in wind and on greens without much slope, there’s going to be variants and how things are going,” he said.
“Overall, I feel like I’m in a good spot. I’ve actually putted the best that I have in my career so far this year and just kind of get a reset, get on some new greens, work on my reads, make sure I’m checking all my fundamentals.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ben Simmons swaps NBA hardwood for open seas, wins fishing championship
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Ben Simmons finally captured a championship — just not in the sport that defined most of his professional career. This past Sunday, the former NBA player won the Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) Blue Marlin Open in the Bahamas.
Simmons competed as an angler for the South Florida Sails, a club he co-owns.
Simmons said his investment in sport fishing was driven by a longtime passion for the sport. “I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward,” Simmons, who last appeared in an NBA game during his lone season with the Los Angeles Clippers, said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons plays during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)
“Sport fishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is.”
Selected No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn in February 2022. He missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a contract dispute with the Sixers and a herniated disk coming to light after arriving with the Nets. Simmons later underwent back surgery following Brooklyn’s playoff exit.
Since becoming an NBA free agent following the 2024-25 season, Simmons appears to have shifted his focus from basketball to competitive fishing.
Simmons’ ownership stake in the Sails was announced last December. South Florida’s official SFC website lists the three-time NBA All-Star as the franchise’s controlling owner.
South Florida opened the event strong, aided by angler Alex Stanley’s blue marlin release worth 450 points.

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons looks on after Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 2018. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Stanley added another blue marlin release later in the day, helping the Sails close Day 1 at the top of the standings.
South Florida cruised to the title after a dominant Saturday created an intimidating lead entering Sunday’s final day. The Sails closed the event with 2,925 points, nearly 1,500 more than the New Jersey Sea Birds.

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 29, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Simmons’ victory came less than a year after fellow professional athlete Scottie Scheffler saw his Texas Lone Stars win the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. Scheffler is a two-time Masters champion.
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