Sports

Clashes spark safety concerns for World Cup in Mexico

Published

2 months ago

24 February 2026

Although none of Germany‘s group-stage matches at next summer’s World Cup are to be played in Mexico, government officials in Berlin are already thinking about the impact the recent clashes between security forces and suspected members of a drug cartel could have on the men’s national team.

“FIFA must work with the governments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico to ensure that fans are not endangered and that the host countries comply with safety regulations,” Christoph Ploss, the German government’s tourism coordinator, told the Handelsblatt newspaper.

He also stressed that protecting German tourists was a “very high priority” for Berlin.

Germany’s Foreign Office is among the national authorities of many countries, which have updated their travel advisories for Mexico. It now urgently advises its citizens to avoid travel to affected areas in the country and calling on Germans in the country to shelter indoors.

More than 70 killed in clashes

The advisory was issued shortly after the news broke of the killing of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or “El Mencho” by security forces on Monday – and the ensuing clashes that have left more than 70 people killed.

Following reports of his death, suspected cartel members also blockaded highways with burning cars ⁠and torched businesses in more than half a dozen states. No civilian deaths were reported.

Burned-out buses are seen in Puerto Vallarta — Burned-out buses were used by suspected drug cartel members to set up roadblocks during the clashesImage: Arturo Montero/AFP/Getty Images

Cervantes was the head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Carte. Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, is slated to host four World Cup matches. Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron is one of three Mexican venues set to host World Cup matches this summer. The stadium is also to host playoff matches between Congo, Jamaica and New Caledonia from ‌March 26 to 31.

Mexico home to 13 World Cup matches

In total, world football‘s governing body, FIFA, has scheduled 13 matches to be played in Mexico, including the prestigious opening match in the capital on June 11. The bulk of the 104 matches are to be played in the United States (78), with Canada hosting the remaining 13.

The current wave of violence has foreign governments worried about sending their teams and fans to Mexico, and has locals concerned about how the violence could impact their businesses.

‘It will have an impact’

Maria Dolores Aguirre, who owns a corner shop in the town of Tapalpa in Jalasco state, told the Associated Press that her business is highly dependent on tourism.

“The government is going to have to have a lot of security. I think it will have an impact because everyone just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming,” she said. “Yes, it will have an impact.”

The violence has already had a major effect on football in the country, with four matches in the top divisions of the women’s and men’s leagues called off on Sunday.

However, the Merida Open women’s tournament in the eastern part ‌of the country was reportedly proceeding as planned.

FIFA boss Infantino takes a selfie with Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum and Mark Carney — The 2026 World Cup is the first to be co-hosted by three countries, the USA, Mexico and CanadaImage: Amber Searls/Imagn Images/IMAGO

“The WTA is aware of security incidents reported in parts of western Mexico,” the WTA said in a statement, adding that police presence around the tournament venue had been stepped up.

Friendly against Iceland

Meanwhile, the Mexico national team are due to face Iceland in a friendly at Queretaro on Wednesday.

The head of marketing for the Icelandic FA, Omar Smarason, told DW via email that they were keeping “well informed” about the situation on the ground.

“As far as we are concerned, the schedule for today and tomorrow remains unchanged. Security is tight as it should be, and the safety of everyone connected to the game is what is most important,” he said.

“Our main concern is for the people here in Mexico who have been affected by this unrest.”

FIFA ‘closely monitoring situation’

Until the violence that broke out in Mexico on Monday, most of FIFA’s concerns will have been about the main host, the United States, which has faced calls for a fan boycott, largely over the actions of ICE immigration officers in places like Minnesota.

As for Mexico, with more than three months still to go before the World Cup kicks off, FIFA appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach.

“At FIFA Mexico, we are closely monitoring the situation in Jalisco and remain in constant communication with the authorities,” a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters.

“We will continue to follow the actions and directions from the different government agencies, aimed at maintaining public safety and restoring normalcy, and we reiterate our close collaboration ‌with federal, state, and local authorities.”

For now, the German Football Association (DFB) isn’t panicking either.

“Let’s hope this war-like situation calms down quickly and doesn’t escalate further,” Andreas Rettig, the DFB’s managing director told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper. “My thoughts are with all of the Mexicans suffering due to the unrest.”

Additional reporting by Alima Hotakie.
Edited by: Jonathan Harding

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Irish 1-2 in G1 Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree

Published

13 minutes ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The 2026 Randox Grand National Festival got underway on Thursday afternoon with an Irish 1-2 in the opening Grade One Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle.

Mange Tout (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy, 5-1) and Selma De Vary (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend, 9-4 favourite) fought out the finish if the two miles and one furlong contest, with the former prevailing by three-quarters of a length.

Successful trainer Gordon Elliott said of his filly:

“I thought he gave her a great ride. I thought winning or the losing of the race was done from the third-, fourth-last to the turn in. Jack had to ride to settle her – she was very keen at Leopardstown and he rode her to win rather than to settle her there, and it took its toll.

“It was hard not taking her to Cheltenham, because you want as many bullets as you can have, but now Cheltenham’s over I’m glad we kept her for here. Just the flatter track would suit her and she’s just got a bit of boot. Jack said she didn’t do a stroke in front, she was very idle.

“We thought we’d have her out early in the season for Down Royal – she was very keen there, but she’s a nice mare and she’ll jump a fence as well in time. That will be her for the year now – she’s not the biggest girl in the world.”

Winning jockey Jack Kennedy told ITV Racing:

“She was good. She can overrace a little bit, but I got a bit of cover on her today.

“She was still a bit keen but not as bad. She’s a big frame of a filly – she’s not small but she’s narrow, and I’d say bypassing Cheltenham helped.”

“She’ll definitely jump a fence and she probably has a bit of filling out to do, so she can be a nice mare.”

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

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Begg filly Dirty Look chasing 2026 Caulfield restricted prize

Published

26 minutes ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

While trainer Grahame Begg excels in detailed strategizing, even top-tier arrangements can occasionally unravel.

Begg was confident in his choice of apprentice Logan Bates for Dirty Look aboard in the Saturday Up & Coming Stars Series Final at Caulfield.

Usually a $300,000 affair bars apprentice claims, but as a Class 3, this event welcomes them.

Bates earned a ban at Caulfield the previous Saturday, benching his 1.5kg allowance.

Jockey availability tightened with the Sydney Autumn Carnival peaking and Adelaide Carnival ramping up.

In a stroke of luck, Begg locked in Harry Coffey to ride Dirty Look Saturday, recalling their prior victory on Nonconformist in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington back in 2023.

“I thought I had been very clever,” Begg said.

“I had Logan Bates booked to ride her, and it was a claiming race.

“People probably didn’t take much notice of that, and she would have got in with 53-½ (kilos) on her back, but he got suspended last Saturday, so that put an end to it.”

The filly approaches Saturday’s race in her fourth appearance, up against battle-hardened foes.

Her maiden win came at Sandown on March 11, followed by second place at Sandown on March 25.

“We’re very happy with how she has progressed,” Begg said.

“It’s the fourth start of her preparation and after she runs on Saturday, she’ll be going for a break.

“She’s done everything we have asked her to do. She ran very well at her last start on the Sandown Lakeside course, where she drew out and got back, but she hit the line very well in what was a very much leader dominated race.

“She’s been learning her craft, and she looks quite handy and we’re certainly looking forward to Saturday.”

Visit betting sites to find the keenest betting markets for the race at Caulfield.

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Viktor Gyokeres opens up on Arsenal ‘nerves’ amid Man City title race

Published

39 minutes ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Manchester City are locked in a title race with Arsenal and Gunners star Viktor Gyokeres isn’t ruling out further twists in the Premier League run-in.

Ross Jackson Head of Football and Tom Canton Arsenal Reporter

18:30, 10 Apr 2026

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres doesn’t believe any nerves in the Arsenal camp are a sign of weakness as they enter the home stretch of their title race with Manchester City, claiming such feelings could help the Gunners if used in the correct way.

Arsenal are currently nine points clear of City in the title race, though Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand and will host the league leaders next weekend. City could be 12 points adrift by the time they kick off at Chelsea on Sunday evening, with Arsenal playing in the Saturday early kick-off slot against Bournemouth. But after so long without a title, nobody is writing off a late Arsenal collapse.

The Gunners have wobbled of late, losing 2-0 to City in the Carabao Cup final and being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship club Southampton. Asked whether there are signs of nerves in the camp, Gyokeres shrugged off the question and suggested nerves could actually help his side overcome a 22-year league title drought.

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“I think if you feel nerves, I think it means that it matters for you,” Gyokeres told sister site Football.London. “I think it’s not bad if you take it in the right way and you put that energy in the right direction.

“So to have nerves, I think it’s not a bad thing. It’s just bad if you convert it into something negative, and it depends on how you handle those emotions.”

City’s title rivals have won just one trophy since their 2017 FA Cup triumph – although Arteta would argue there have been a couple of Community Shields added to the Emirates trophy cabinet in that time – but Gyokeres was keen to stress there are “a lot of players in the team who have won trophies”.

Despite Arsenal boasting a healthy lead in the title race, Gyokeres isn’t ruling out more twists and turns in the run-in, but says he is determined to enjoy it as best he can.

“You have to be so focused every game and take every game as seriously as you can, no matter who you play. All the points that you get count in the end,” he said.

“You have to think like that, but also not to get too frustrated if it doesn’t go your way because it’s always a long season and there’s still a lot to play for.

“Even now, when we’re in April, there’s a lot of games still to play, we just have to focus on doing our job and to enjoy it. Not think too much about what can happen or how the end result is going to be. I think the most important thing is to play football and to enjoy it on the pitch.”

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Justin Pippen commits to Ohio State: Son of Scottie Pippen returning to Big Ten after career began at Michigan

Published

52 minutes ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

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Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame player Scottie Pippen, has committed to Ohio State, 247Sports reported on Friday. Pippen is coming off a breakout season at Cal in which he averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 32 games.

Pippen started all 32 games for the Golden Bears and was their second-leading scorer behind Dai Dai Ames. Pippen, the No. 78-ranked transfer in the 247Sports rankings, is Ohio State’s first transfer portal commit of the cycle as the program looks to replace star guard Bruce Thornton and forward Devin Royal, who entered the transfer portal earlier this week.

Last year, Pippen entered the transfer portal days after Michigan defeated Texas A&M in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Pippen entered the portal last year amid the Wolverines’ run in the NCAA Tournament because the portal opened before the season ended.

This year, the transfer portal opened after the final game of the college basketball season between Michigan and UConn.

College basketball rankings: Michigan, No. 1 in way-too-early Top 25 And 1, lands Tennessee’s J.P. Estrella

Gary Parrish

As a freshman at Michigan, Pippen appeared in 28 games and averaged 6.6 minutes. Pippen was Dusty May’s first high school recruit when he got the job at Michigan during the 2024 offseason. Now, he will be playing for Michigan’s rival during the 2026-27 campaign.

Ohio State finished 21-13 during the 2025-26 season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to TCU. With star guard John Mobley Jr. testing the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, Ohio State can build around a backcourt of Pippen and Mobley to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

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Koktail Divin and Darragh O’Keeffe Claim G1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase

Published

1 hour ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Koktail Divin (3/1) was the second Irish-trained Grade 1 winner on day one of the Grand National Festival at Aintree.

Ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, the Henry de Bromhead-handled horse was a two and a quarter length winner over Blueking D’Oroux (22/1) in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase

The 1-2 favourite Lulamba, owned by Cork’s Joe and Marie Donnelly, unseated his rider Nico de Boinville at the 10th fence in the two and a half mile contest.

County Waterford winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said of his Grade 1 win this afternoon:

“It’s a great start to the meeting for us, I am delighted. Darragh was brilliant on him. I thought they went a real good gallop and our lad jumps amazing. I’m delighted for the Moloneys, who are great supporters of ours. It’s so good to get one here.

“I started to get a bit worried for a second (when the second came back at him) but it looks as if he was idling and he picked up again. It was relentless the whole way and they were all jumping so well. I’m delighted for everyone and it’s great for the horse.”

The victorious jockey, Darragh O’Keeffe, racing in Barry Moloney colours, gave a good insight following the race, admitting:

“We always felt he was up to Grade One standard, and it just took us a couple of runs to figure him out. He was very impressive at Leopardstown, we gave the Grade One at Cheltenham a go and we learned plenty about him that day. I think it was huge credit to the horse to come back today after having a grueler in the Brown Advisory. It was a good performance, and his jumping was superb again today.

“I jumped out nice and handy away and I said, wherever I am, I’m just going to get into a rhythm. I couldn’t really hear a whole lot going round, but I could just hear the commentators saying – there was gasp or something – and I knew Lulumba was disappearing from my inside. He was following Harry, so I just kept my horse in a rhythm.

“He was a bit idle even when he jumped the second last, which showed he’s still a bit raw. As soon as he heard the other horse coming to him again, I could feel him picking up. I’m delighted to get a Grade One winner here at Aintree – it’s a special meeting and it’s great for the owners, the Maloneys, and I’m very grateful to everyone.”

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

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Monte Carlo Masters: Jannik Sinner sets up semi-final with Alexander Zverev

Published

1 hour ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Jannik Sinner cruised past Felix Auger-Aliassime to set up a semi-final with Alexander Zverev in the Monte Carlo Masters.

The Italian second seed defeated his Canadian opponent 6-3 6-4 to extend his winning streak in Masters 1000 events to 20 matches – a run during which he has lifted titles at Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.

“I feel like it was a step forwards today,” said Sinner, who dropped a set at a Masters event for the first time in 186 days during his last-16 win against Tomas Machac.

“It was a very tough match. I knew I had to get better in certain areas. The serve is not there yet, where I would love it, but all things considered I’m very happy.

“But in any case, very happy to be back in the semis.”

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Man United discover Nico Schlotterbeck transfer fee as defender reaches Dortmund agreement

Published

2 hours ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Nico Schlotterbeck has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United – if the Reds are still keen on the Borussia Dortmund defender, they now know his transfer fee

Manchester United will have to fork out between £43.6million and £52.3m if they want to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund. The versatile defender has previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The Germany international appeared to be a cost-effective option for the summer, as he would have entered the final year of his deal in the summer. However, the goal posts have now moved as he has put pen-to-paper on a brand new contract at the Signal Iduna Park.

He had been negotiating with club officials for months before finally agreeing to a new deal. However, there is understood to be a release clause within his deal.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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According to German outlet Kicker, a fee between €50m and €60, which works out to between £43.6m and £52.3m. The left-footed defender is one of the most versatile defenders in Europe who is also known for being composed on the ball.

United’s current left-footed central defender options are Lisandro Martinez and sometimes Luke Shaw, but both players have endured numerous injury issues over the last two seasons. Schlotterbeck would provide cover for both central defence and at left-back, if he were to arrive at Old Trafford.

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Last week, reports from Germany claimed Schlotterbeck could be available for as much as £26m, but this new contract has surely ended that possibility. Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked with a move.

United director of recruitment Christoph Vivell, as a result of his vast knowledge of the Bundesliga, may still be interested in signing the 26-year-old. However, it’s likely any transfer move will not be made until United announce who will be in charge of them next season.

Nevertheless, there have been some key internal moves within Old Trafford. Harry Maguire recently signed a new deal which will keep him at the club until 2027.

This means United will go into next year with Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as their central defensive options. It’s understood Maguire took a wage cut to remain at Old Trafford.

When the deal was signed, he said: “Representing Manchester United is the ultimate honour. It is a responsibility that makes myself and my family proud every single day.

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“I am delighted to extend my journey at this incredible club to at least eight seasons and continue to play in front of our special supporters to create more amazing moments together.

“You can feel the ambition and potential of this exciting squad. The determination throughout the whole club to fight for major trophies is clear for everyone to see and I am confident that our best moments together remain ahead of us.”

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Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Round 3 pairings at Augusta

Published

2 hours ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The 2026 Masters gets serious on Saturday, April 11, with the third round at Augusta National Golf Club. You can find full Masters tee times for Round 3 at the bottom of this post once they are determined Friday night.

Masters Round 3 tee times: What to know

While we don’t yet know when they’ll tee off on Saturday, we do have a good idea who the primary competitors will be. Defending champion Rory McIlroy is chief among them, hoping the win rare back-to-back green jackets.

But two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Jason Day and more are planning to give McIlroy a tough contest over the weekend at Augusta.

Robert MacIntyre seen making obscene gesture during Round 1 of the 2026 Masters at Augusta National. — Masters pro reprimanded by Augusta National for obscene gesture: Report

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We won’t know the exact third-round tee times for this year’s Masters until the second round is complete on Friday evening. Once that happens, the cut will be made, and the surviving players will be organized into two-player pairings. The leaders will tee off last on Saturday afternoon. The players who just made the cut will open the third round Saturday morning.

We can look to the past to get a better idea of what the Masters Saturday tee times will be. On Saturday at the 2025 Masters, Rose and Bryson DeChambeau teed off in the final pairing at 2:40 p.m. ET. Tom Kim opened Round 3 at 9:50 a.m. ET. We can this Saturday’s tee times to be similar.

You can watch Saturday’s third round of the 2026 Masters on TV via CBS, with coverage scheduled for 2-7 p.m. ET. Paramount+ and Masters.com will provide early streaming coverage from 12-2 p.m. ET. You can watch other streaming coverage all day Saturday via Masters.com, the Masters app, the ESPN App, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+ and DirecTV including exclusive early action, featured group coverage and much more.

You can check out the complete Round 3 tee times for the 2026 Masters below once they are released

2026 Masters tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)

(TBD)

Kevin Cunningham

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As senior managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined; Bucks, Nets playing out season

Published

2 hours ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Apr 08, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and forward Alex Antetokounmpo (29) after the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks will wrap up their home slate this season when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night in a rematch of a game earlier this week.

It will not be a potential final sendoff for Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, as the superstar already has been ruled out for the game because of “left knee hyperextension, bone bruise,” according to the injury report.

The NBA continues to investigate the dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (31-49) regarding his injury status, as he has voiced his desire to play despite the Bucks not medically clearing him.

“You have to make tough decisions in tough circumstances, and the lens, again, is to make the best professional judgment that we can that’s best for him and us regarding his health,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst told The Athletic.

“Of course, I care about what he feels and what he cares about. And I have his entire career. There’s no gamesmanship here. There’s no angling. We just care about doing what’s right for him and for us.”

Antetokounmpo’s brothers, Thanasis and Alex, are on the Bucks’ active roster. Had they played in a game with Giannis, they would have become the first trio of brothers to do so in NBA history. They already have made history by being on the same active roster.

Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 13th consecutive game on Wednesday. Milwaukee fell for the second straight game as the Pistons won in Detroit 137-111.

Ryan Rollins returned from injury to lead the Bucks with 23 points. Ousmane Dieng added 17 while Jericho Sims contributed a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

“It was awesome, it was good for Jericho. In a rough season, a rough night, playing the best team in the East. I thought our guys did well,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.

Both Milwaukee and Brooklyn have been eliminated from postseason contention.

The Nets (20-60) come into Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back set after a 123-94 blowout loss at home Thursday to the Indiana Pacers.

The setback ended a two-game winning streak for Brooklyn, its first since early March. E.J. Liddell led the way with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, and Ben Saraf added 19 points.

The Nets played with just a seven-man rotation, with five players playing at least 37 minutes. Thursday also marked the NBA-leading 26th game Brooklyn has scored under 100 points this season. The Bucks are second in the NBA with 16 games of less than 100 points.

“The effort and the purpose was there, we took the right shots, they just didn’t go in. I was happy with the shots that I saw,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said.

On the injury front, Milwaukee’s report outside of Antetokounmpo is still lengthy with Kevin Porter Jr. (knee surgery) out for the season and Bobby Portis (wrist), Myles Turner (ankle) and Kyle Kuzma (Achilles) each listed as out.

Brooklyn was without Nic Claxton (illness), Noah Clowney (ankle), Egor Demin (plantar fascia), Terance Mann (patella tendinosis), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring), among a list of 10 players.

The Nets have the chance to win the four-game season series over Milwaukee for the second consecutive season with a victory as they lead 2-1.

The Nets won a tight one over Milwaukee 96-90 on Tuesday in Brooklyn, led by 21 points from E.J. Liddell and 19 from Ben Saraf. AJ Green led Milwaukee with 20 points while Taurean Prince added 16 with 11 rebounds.

–Field Level Media

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Adam Schefter Grilled Over Russini-Vrabel ‘Scandal’

Published

2 hours ago

10 April 2026

NewsAdmin

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The Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel (alleged) SCANDAL is now on Day 3, with no end in sight.

The two spoke about it after the poolside pictures went viral. They both denied anything nefarious happening. And now, we haven’t really heard a peep from anyone of importance since.

Until, of course, 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia had Adam Schefter on their show Wednesday, and absolutely GRILLED ESPN’s top insider about the whole thing.

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Broadcaster Adam Schefter of ESPN’s Monday Night Football Countdown is seen on the sideline prior to the NFL International Series game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, on Nov. 21, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

And I mean grilled. Poor Schefty. Or, I guess, not poor Schefty? I don’t know. He chose to go on the show, so I assume he knew what was coming.

Still, this is 10 straight minutes of absolute peppering, and 10 minutes of hemming and hawing from Schefter.

Take a look!

Adam Schefter did his best, but the Big Js are taking on water

Thoughts? First impressions?

I don’t know. I think it’s fine, if we’re being honest. Again, what do we expect Adam Schefter to say here? At least he said … something? The Big Js are being real quiet on this one. Too quiet. They never shut up, and now all of a sudden nobody is really talking about it in the media? Seems fishy to me.

Now, Schefter didn’t really give us anything of substance. Like, at all.

“I didn’t report it. I saw it like everybody else did. And uh, I guess my thought would be, I don’t know what’s right. I don’t know what’s wrong. Uh, I feel bad for the families involved. It’s unfortunate, you know? Um, I know both individuals.

“Um, and yeah, I guess my first thought would be they went to the families of the people involved and, you know, I just wish everybody the best and hope everything works out with everybody.”

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DEFENDS MIKE VRABEL, NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER OVER LEAKED PHOTOS

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel walks on the field before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Moving stuff, Adam. Poetic. Quite the wordsmith!

Again, I’m not sure what I’d say here, either. Russini isn’t an ESPN employee, so Adam certainly had runway to talk about this, and he sort of clammed up and kicked the can down the road every time these guys asked him about it.

Obviously, Russini used to work at ESPN, so she and Schefter go way back. He probably doesn’t want to break some sort of Big J code by dragging her, which I understand.

But, let me just remind everyone here, that the Big Js LOVE to act holier-than-thou … when it’s convenient for them. They have no problem speaking up when they have the chance to virtue-signal about something, as long as it fits their narrative.

Remember the Liam Coen press conference incident back in January after the Jags got bounced from the playoffs? The sweet old lady reporter from some small Duval newspaper with a circulation of 10 told Liam Cohen how great he was after the season, and all the Big Js FREAKED out.

They acted like she had just committed murder. They wanted her banished from the beat FOREVER.

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Dianna Russini standing at the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco

Dianna Russini attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

And now, three months later, when a fellow Big J is caught taking a swim with an NFL head coach at a romantic resort, they’re all quiet?

OK. Sure thing!

PS: the tampering question in this interview was among the dumber questions in the history of time. I’m with Schefter on that one. Unfathomably stupid question.

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