Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) signs a fans jersey against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The NFL Draft is in the rearview by two weeks, a couple of free agents have signed here and there, and rookie minicamps are blooming around the country. That means it’s time for power rankings, courtesy of VikingsTerritory.
The draft and free agency reshuffled the league, but Minnesota still lands in the middle tier.
We’ll publish one more batch before Week 1, but here’s our pecking order in May.
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Minnesota Checks in behind the NFL’s Clear Contenders
Who’s your No. 1?
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) walks off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sep. 15, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Harrison quickly became one of the NFL’s most closely watched young receivers because of his polished route-running and immediate offensive impact. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
32. Arizona Cardinals
Heading into a regular season with Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck as proposed quarterback solutions is wild — and screams “We want Arch Manning, please.”
31. Cleveland Browns
Heading into a regular season with hasn’t-been-good-since-2020 Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green as proposed quarterback solutions is wild — and screams “We want Arch Manning, please.”
30. New York Jets
The roster talent is there, but Aaron Glenn just overhauled his entire coaching staff. In the end, we don’t trust the Jets to be any different than last year. Geno Smith as the fix-all is lunacy.
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29. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ roster just doesn’t have the firepower to hang with its peers. Not yet, anyway. Go look at the wide receivers here. The group could be the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, and that’s not an exaggeration.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders will stabilize, mainly because Klint Kubiak has the mind to be an effective head coach. It just won’t happen as soon as 2026, especially when Las Vegas will play Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Denver six times.
27. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have the perk of living in a division that isn’t gangbusters. But Cam Ward quietly had worse efficiency metrics than J.J. McCarthy in 2025, and nobody cared. This feels like a year where the Titans go 6-11, and that’s considered a step forward.
26. Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will split starts, which has all the makings of a 7-10 finish.
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25. New Orleans Saints
This may be too low; we’ll admit it. But we have to see Tyler Shough turn the corner into a stable QB1 to believe it. Thankfully, the Saints finally removed themselves from salary cap hell.
24. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts started the season hot, but when they faced serious opponents in 2025, they began losing. We believe the true Colts identity came to light last December — not September.
23. Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) stands on the field during first-quarter action on Jan. 7, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Horn later emerged as one of the NFL’s most respected young defensive backs when healthy, showcasing physical coverage skills and versatility in Carolina’s secondary. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports.
Carolina reached the postseason in 2025. Its defense ranked 22nd in the NFL per DVOA. Our perception is that the Panthers were lucky to wiggle into the postseason.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike McCarthy will make sure these boys will finish 9-8. Is that good? That’s up to Steelers fans to decide.
21. New York Giants
If Dart develops in Year No. 2, the Giants can finish 10-7 and reach the playoffs. Versus the Vikings, though, he played an imbecile, and we just can’t shake that lasting memory.
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20. Washington Commanders
If Jayden Daniels stays healthy, this will be a 9-8 club at worst. Somehow, Dan Quinn coached the NFL’s fifth-worst defense in 2025. That’s scary, and it keeps them out of the Top 15 of power rankings.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another one that’s probably too low — the Buccaneers have the perk of an “easy” division, where each team is about the same caliber. They’ll be 8-9, 9-8, or 10-7, and keep their current status: not a serious Super Bowl contender.
18. Chicago Bears
In 2022, we watched as the Vikings won nearly every close game, convincing the fan base that they were a “team of destiny.” The 2025 Bears did the same thing. Like Minnesota in 2023, Chicago’s close-game luck will return to this solar system, and the Bears will finish in last place in the NFC North at 8-9 or so.
17. Cincinnati Bengals
It’s all about the defense, baby. Every year, folks wonder if the defense will catch up to the offense and if Joe Burrow will stay healthy. Here we are again.
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16. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings finished 2025 with a winning record, despite the NFL’s fifth-worst quarterback performance per EPA/Play. Now, they have Kyler Murray. With Brian Flores’s No. 3-ranked defense, Murray and the Vikings will finish the season with an 11-6 or 12-5 record.
15. Green Bay Packers
If the Packers didn’t have Micah Parsons, Minnesota would leapfrog them in these power rankings. It remains mind-boggling that of all 31 NFL teams Jerry Jones could’ve shipped Parsons, it just had to be the Packers.
14. New England Patriots
The Patriots had a strength-of-schedule oddity that analysts will study for years. A book may be written about it. New England will face the real world in 2026 without a cakewalk schedule.
13. Dallas Cowboys
Speaking of Jerry Jones, he rebuilt the defense in a single offseason. Dallas will reach the postseason.
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12. Denver Broncos
We’re still not on board with Bo Nix as a franchise quarterback. At some point, not being able to drive the ball downfield will mean something. The rest of the team is in great shape, though.
11. Los Angeles Chargers
Trusting Jim Harbaugh is wise, but one must ask if it will ever net a Super Bowl. Is Justin Herbert cut out for that? He seems to have eternal Matthew Stafford-like sympathy around the league.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s defense ranked sixth-best in the NFL last year per DVOA, and Trevor Lawrence is figuring it out in real-time. Look out.
9. Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) waves to fans after a 34-27 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 23, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Hutchinson continued building his reputation as one of the NFL’s premier young edge rushers during Detroit’s successful 2025 campaign. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
The Lions’ roster is too complete for another crummy season. Their Super Bowl window closed the day they coughed up the NFC Championship to the San Francisco 49ers, but Detroit will win the NFC North with a 12-5 record and lose in Round 1 or 2.
8. Houston Texans
This team’s defense is deadly. Utterly deadly. If C.J. Stroud does not rebound, DeMeco Ryans can toss Davis Mills in the lineup, and the Texans will still finish 11-6.
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7. Kansas City Chiefs
You’re going to find out that Kansas City’s woes in 2025 were a one-year pause. The dynasty can resume. There is no rule against it.
6. Baltimore Ravens
Like the Lions, the Ravens’ roster is wonderful. Just in case Lamar Jackson suffers a Cam Newton-like slowdown — the abrupt kind — Baltimore must try to win it all this year.
5. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers added Mike Evans, Osa Odighizuwa, and Christian Kirk this offseason. That will matter. 12-5 at worst.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
This is usually about the time on the Nick Sirianni lunar cycle when the Eagles start winning, and the weird strife behind the scenes vanishes. Howie Roseman’s roster construction keeps Philadelphia in the Top 4.
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3. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Darnold completed one of the NFL’s most surprising turnaround stories by guiding Seattle to a championship victory. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Tip of the cap to Sam Darnold for winning the Super Bowl and making the Vikings look like damn buffoons. Now, he has to stay consistent year by year to prove his staying power as a Top 12 quarterback.
2. Buffalo Bills
Is this the year?
1. Los Angeles Rams
There isn’t a single aspect of the Rams’ roster, coaching staff — or anything — to dislike. They have everything. They could even get away with reaching for a rookie quarterback (Ty Simpson) just for kicks and giggles.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
After trailing by as many as 29, the Knicks had yet another comeback — this one perhaps the greatest of all-time, to steal a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs and take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
The winning moment came at the fingertip of OG Anunoby, whose tip-in off a missed Jalen Brunson three-pointer put Madison Square Garden in an absolute frenzy.
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But it sure was a grind to get to that point.
New York Knicks PG Jalen Brunson shoots over San Antonio Spurs PG De’aaron Fox in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
Karl-Anthony Towns was hit with two fouls in just the first 62 seconds of the game, one which the Knicks faithful were not happy with. And while there was plenty of ball left after that, the game changed from that moment.
The refs certainly did not help the case, but the Spurs opened the game on a 41-20 run, mostly while Towns was off the floor. Combine that with the team knocking down 54% of its three-pointers in the first half, and you have a 76-49 Spurs lead at halftime, and they got up to a 29-point lead.
But we’ve learned to never count out New York. As they cut the deficit to 15 to close out the third quarter, the crowd that was dying to pounce was finally alive. A slow start to the fourth put San Antonio up 20, but the Knicks went on a 13-2 run to cut it to just nine with a little less than seven minutes to go. And then it was seven with 5:15 to go.
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Members of the New York Knicks celebrate their 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on June 10, 2026.(Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
The Spurs hit two free throws to regain the lead with 30.3 seconds left. Yet again — it’s the Knicks.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after making a three-point basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter of Game Four in the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on June 10, 2026.(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Then came what head coach Mike Brown dubbed the greatest play in the history of Knicks basketball.
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San Antonio was unable to get a shot off the inbound, and Madison Square Garden was the loudest it may have ever been, as the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history was complete.
After the game, head coach Mike Brown dubbed Anunoby’s tip-in the biggest play in the history of Knicks basketball.
Over the next month, the world’s best players will battle for football’s biggest prize, with national pride, history and immortality on the line.
Every tournament begins with a handful of favourites, a few dark horses and several nations hoping to spring a surprise. While the expanded format means more opportunities for shocks, history suggests the eventual winner is usually found among a select group of elite teams.
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Here are SportsRation’s five leading contenders to lift the World Cup trophy.
1. Spain
If there is one team entering the tournament with the fewest weaknesses, it is Spain.
The European champions have blended youthful brilliance with proven experience, creating arguably the most balanced squad in international football.
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Lamine Yamal has emerged as one of the game’s brightest stars, while Pedri continues to control matches with his intelligence and composure. Behind them sits Rodri, the midfielder many consider the most important player in world football.
Spain do not simply win games; they control them.
Their ability to dominate possession, dictate tempo and suffocate opponents makes them the team everyone will want to avoid in the knockout rounds.
2. France
France arrive at another major tournament carrying familiar expectations.
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They reached the 2018 World Cup final, won it, then returned to the final again in 2022. No nation has been more consistently successful on the biggest stage over the last decade.
Kylian Mbappé remains the headline act, but France’s strength lies in their incredible depth.
Ousmane Dembélé is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career, while players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, William Saliba, Michael Olise and Eduardo Camavinga’s replacements ensure Didier Deschamps has quality in every area of the pitch.
France know how to navigate tournament football, and that experience makes them genuine contenders once again.
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3. Argentina
Writing off Argentina would be foolish.
The reigning world champions arrive with the confidence of a team that knows exactly what it takes to win football’s greatest prize.
While Lionel Messi may no longer be at his physical peak, his influence remains enormous. More importantly, Argentina are no longer dependent on him.
Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez have become world-class performers in their own right, while manager Lionel Scaloni has built one of the most cohesive units in international football.
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The motivation is obvious too.
Many within the squad have spoken openly about wanting to give Messi one final World Cup triumph before the curtain falls on his international career.
4. Portugal
This may be Portugal’s best opportunity since Cristiano Ronaldo first burst onto the international scene.
The spotlight naturally falls on Ronaldo, who is likely playing in his final World Cup, but Portugal’s strength extends far beyond their iconic captain.
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Vitinha enters the tournament after a sensational season that has placed him among the world’s elite midfielders. Bruno Fernandes remains one of football’s most creative forces, while João Neves and Nuno Mendes have developed into world-class talents.
Portugal are no longer a team built solely around Ronaldo.
Instead, they possess quality throughout the squad, with the added emotional motivation of trying to deliver the ultimate prize for their greatest-ever player.
5. Germany
Germany are flying under the radar.
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That is usually when they are most dangerous.
While Spain, France and Argentina dominate the headlines, Germany quietly possess one of the most exciting young cores in world football.
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are capable of deciding matches on their own, while Germany’s tournament pedigree remains unmatched by most nations.
Few teams understand World Cup football better.
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If Germany gather momentum, they have the quality and experience to beat anyone.
Dark Horse: Colombia
Every World Cup produces a surprise package.
This time, Colombia could be that team.
Led by Liverpool star Luis Díaz, Colombia possess the attacking quality needed to trouble the world’s best sides.
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They are physically strong, tactically disciplined and enter the tournament without the pressure facing traditional powerhouses.
A favourable draw could see them become one of the stories of the competition.
Why England and Brazil Miss Out
The absence of England and Brazil may surprise some readers.
England possess outstanding talent, but injuries and squad balance concerns leave questions unanswered. Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden are capable of carrying the Three Lions deep into the tournament, but compared to Spain, France and Argentina, England still feel incomplete.
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Brazil remain Brazil. They have stars, quality and history.
However, recent performances have lacked the consistency and cohesion that characterised their greatest World Cup-winning sides. Until they prove otherwise against elite opposition, they sit just outside our top five.
Prediction
Spain enter the tournament as the team to beat.
France have the depth.
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Argentina have the belief.
Portugal have the emotion.
Germany have the pedigree.
One of those five nations is likely to be celebrating when the final whistle blows.
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The only certainty is that football’s biggest stage is ready for another unforgettable chapter.
As Mexico City prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, teachers have pledged to continue their protests for increased wages and better labor conditions in the area surrounding the capital’s legendary Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) as part of a national strike announced June 1 by the CNTE education workers union, which is demanding a 100% pay-rise.
Over the past week, thousands of teachers have occupied the iconic Zocalo, or main square, blocked intersections and marched through the streets of the capital. Media report that security forces deployed tear gas against teachers who were attempting to occupy the Education Ministry.
On the Paseo de la Reforma (Promenade of the Reform), teachers tore down meter-tall statues of soccer stars that had been erected ahead of the World Cup, ripping the jerseys off the plastic players and burning them.
“Without a solution, the ball won’t roll,” the teachers wrote on some of the fallen statues.
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Vandalism at the Ministry of Education where a fire was quickly extinguishedImage: Haaron Alvarez/AFP
Mexican teachers calling for higher salaries to cover cost of inflation
The teachers are protesting the education and pension policies of Claudia Sheinbaum, who was elected president with broad labor support as the successor to Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, founder of the anti-neoliberal National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party. In May 2025, Sheinbaum’s government announced a 10% raise for teachers by September 2026 — which the unions had rejected as wholly inadequate.
Salaries vary widely by region and according to education levels. Early-career teachers in public schools in Mexico receive 8,000-14,000 pesos (€390-690/$460-800) per month.
The rival SNTE teachers union, which has long enjoyed close relations with Mexico’s various ruling parties, has called for a 13% raise in 2026 to cover the increasing costs of inflation.
Protesters trying to break down the gates of the Ministry of Education using dismantled lampposts as police reportedly deploy tear gasImage: Paola Garcia/REUTERS
Protests in the international limelight
With its protests at the World Cup site, the CNTE is attempting to use the national and global focus on Mexico City for leverage. As one of the tournament’s three co-hosts, alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico is expecting about 5 million international tourists in June and July.
According to the administration of Mexico City, the Zocalo can accommodate up to 55,000 people for public viewings — though thousands more may attempt to cram in when the national team plays. The teachers’ protest camp threatens to disrupt those plans. The global football governing body, FIFA, has already called off a training for World Cup volunteers on the square.
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Sheinbaum won’t ‘fall for provocations’
In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum accused the teachers of trying to provoke the government while the international spotlight is on Mexico, but also ruled out a heavy-handed clampdown.
“We aren’t going to fall for provocations, ” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum: ‘I don’t believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation’Image: Luis Barron/ZUMA/IMAGO
Instead, her government is negotiating with the teachers. The 100% raise has been ruled out as “incompatible with the federal budget.” The most probable compromise between the government and the teachers would be a package that combined raises with pension increases.
Historic center teeming with protesters
Mexico City’s chamber of commerce has claimed that the disruptions to business in the area around the Zocalo and the blocking of traffic on main streets and to and from the airport have cost the private sector nearly €20 million. Some residents of Mexico City who oppose the protests have written on social media that they feel like they have been taken hostage by the teachers.
The government has not blamed the union or the majority of the teachers for damage and destruction caused by affiliated groups. “There was a lot of provocation yesterday,” Sheinbaum said following the march. “The truth is that I don’t believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation.”
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Many media outlets in Mexico have defended the protests as a legitimate form of social expression. The right-wing press, on the other hand, has criticized the teachers. In his column for the newspaper Milenio, the journalist Hector Aguilar Camin accused the teachers of a “pedagogy of violence.” He said the Morena party was partly at fault because it had empowered the CNTE union in its efforts to win teachers’ votes.
Man Utd have shifted their approach to recruitment over the past 18 months and there is now something transfer targets need to take into account.
One of the attractions for Manchester United when signing Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford last summer was just how clear he had made it that he wanted to come to Old Trafford.
Fresh off the back of a 20-goal season in the Premier League for the Bees, the Cameroon international had options, including a reunion with boss Thomas Frank at Tottenham. That also offered an immediate avenue into the Champions League.
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But Mbeumo only had eyes for United, and he made that clear throughout the process. In the end, a deal for an initial £65million, with £6million in add-ons, was secured in the third week of July.
That is a lesson that the transfer targets United are eyeing up in this window would do well to heed. United place considerable weight on just how keen players are to sign for them and that has been evidenced again with the decision to step away from the pursuit of Elliot Anderson.
The 23-year-old’s priority is to join Manchester City this summer, but United could have complicated matters. Had they outbid City and done a deal with Forest, Anderson could have easily ended up at Old Trafford, just as Harry Maguire, Fred and Alexis Sanchez did.
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Instead, United’s recruitment chiefs baulked at the idea of paying more than £120million for a player who wasn’t all-in on joining the club. As City raised the stakes, United’s director of football Jason Wilcox and the people in charge of transfers at Old Trafford stepped back.
Instead, they will look at targets below Anderson on the list, but crucially, some or all of those players have made it clear they want to come to Old Trafford. That is certainly the case for Carlos Baleba, who wanted to leave Brighton for United last summer.
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Mateus Fernandes has also given the impression that he would like to link up with his idol and namesake, Bruno, at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old West Ham midfielder now slots in at the top of United’s options in midfield.
This is another welcome change in United’s recruitment. For too long it has been back of the fag packet stuff, with little joined-up thinking in why players were being pursued and little to no discipline when it comes to fees and wages.
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That is changing under Ineos. The football executives blundered with Ruben Amorim, but transfer business last summer was excellent and the £35million deal for Ederson looks a bargain compared to some of the fees being quoted for other midfielders this year.
It’s easy to imagine the United of a few years ago pushing hard for Anderson and trying to make a statement against City. Instead, this version of the club have followed Omar Berrada’s instructions to be “really disciplined”.
United wanted Anderson to be the man to step into Casemiro’s shoes next to Kobbie Mainoo. He looks like an excellent player and a good fit in that midfield, but there are other options there, and it might be they can sign two midfielders for a little more than the Forest man would have cost on his own.
This is clearly the right decision from United, and another sign that the approach to transfers within Old Trafford is beginning to change.
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Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Burnley have been awarded in excess of £35million after a landmark legal success against Everton, a bombshell judgment that could ultimately prove to be bad news for Manchester City, if found guilty of alleged charges
Manchester City’s rivals could each demand more than 100million in compensation, it’s claimed, after Burnley’s landmark legal success against Everton.
The Clarets have been awarded in excess of £35million – plus interest – from Everton by an independent Premier League commission as compensation. Everton are appealing the decision, made after the commission concluded that the Merseysiders benefited from a sporting advantage for breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
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In the case, the commission awarded £26million for losses due to relegation and £9.1million in interest. According to the commission’s judgment, the Toffees “accepted that its breach of the PSR conferred a sporting advantage but disputes both the extent and effect of that advantage”
Everton provided an expert who stated “that Burnley had suffered no financial loss following relegation”. However, the Clarets’ expert witness claimed they had lost £51.7m before interest. Burnley’s expert witness claimed the club had lost £51.7million before interest.
It’s a landmark case because under Premier League rules its clubs cannot sue each other through the courts – but they can do so through arbitration.
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Now, if City are ultimately found guilty of serious charges among their alleged 115 breaches of Premier League rules, it could be a very costly affair.
Four clubs – Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs – served legal notices on City in 2024, reserving the right to seek compensation if City are found guilty. They served compensation notices after being advised by lawyers of a potential six year statute of limitation period, dating back to November 2018 – when the Football Leaks document were first published by Der Spiegel, the German website.
If that indeed does happen, it opens the door to compensation claims by those clubs, who can argue that the alleged breaches gave City sporting advantages over their rivals over numerous seasons, between 2009 and 2017.
According to The Times, sources involved in the process estimate some of those clubs “had calculated potential losses costing significantly more than £100m” – down to income losses, not least missing out on the Champions League.
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If you add interest, as in the Everton case, that figure would rise substantially higher.
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If you’re wondering how to best prepare yourself for the round ahead on the greens, Drew Stoltz has a simple routine worth copying.
In the latest episode of Emergency 9, the Subpar co-host shared how he dials in his putting before each round.
Up first: straight shorties, which he said helps him get a feel for his tendencies on a given day.
“I like to start off with just some short straight putts,” he said. “All I’m focusing on is ball position and alignment. Speed doesn’t matter. I want a dead straight putt just so I can get some feedback. If it’s going in the right side of the hole, I know I may be aimed a little right. Same with the left side as well.”
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Stoltz said he likes to see five or 10 short putts go in before moving to mid-range.
“I like to work my way around in a circle from about 6 to 8 feet,” he said. “That way, I’m getting putts that are right to left, I get putts that are uphill, downhill, left to right, you get all of it. It just gives you a good idea for the pace of the greens and how hard you need to hit it on your given line.”
After completing a circle around the hole, Stoltz moves on to the final stage of his putting warm-up: lags.
“Sometimes I’ll aim for the edge of the green, sometimes I’ll aim for a hole, whatever I can,” he said. “I just hit like, 40-footers over and over, uphill, downhill, just to get the pace dialed in for the longer putts. After that I try not to overthink it and head to the first tee.”
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And Stoltz’s current flatstick, Cobra’s 3DP Tour Agera, makes alignment easier than ever.
“This thing’s been a game changer for me,” Stoltz said. “This putter has been really consistent for me ever since I put it in. Super consistent off the face, you get a lot of feedback too, whether you hit it on the toe or the heel, but you also get that consistent rollout.
“The main reason I think I like this is these two stripes on top make it super easy for alignment,” he continued. “That’s the thing I struggle with most, and I think that’s what a ton of golfers struggle with most is just getting set up correctly.”
Interested in testing Stoltz’s putter for yourself? Check it out in detail by clicking the link below. You can also watch Stoltz explain his pre-round putting routine in the video above.
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Cobra 3DP Tour Agera Custom Putter
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An oversize blade shape combines a 3D printed nylon lattice cartridge-4g, a 304 stainless steel MIM frame–302g and a 3g carbon fiber crown that creates the ultimate design for stability.
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Adjustable weighting system gives the player the ability to interchange to a lighter or heavier weight to achieve a personal feel. All putters ship stock with nominal 15g weights and can move +- 5-10g in either direction. Additional weights sold separately. (5g, 10g, 15g, 20, 25g)
Texas A&M’s 2026 season ended at the hands of USC in the College Station Regional less than two weeks ago, and while second-year coach Michael Earely deserves credit for leading the Aggies back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the postseason during his first year at the helm, but after firing pitching coach Jason Kelley, it’s clear that the Aggies are in need of better coaching and talent on the mound.
Despite his struggles, junior LHP Shane Sdao could easily depart for the 2026 MLB Draft, while elite closer Clayton Freshcorn will also have a tough decision to make regarding his future, knowing that his stock has steadily risen after ending the season with an impressive 2.82 ERA with 56 strikeouts.
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Another name to watch is incoming senior Weston Moss, who also struggled early in the year but settled in late, capping his season off with a record performance against Texas State. Pairing with sophomore ace Aiden Sims, the right pitching coach hire should help Moss, Sdao, and several other pitchers, including Gavin Lyons, improve significantly next season.
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This week, it was revealed that the Aggies are in the mix for Texas State pitcher Wade Cooper, as On3 insider Pete Nakos confirmed that Texas A&M is now the leading favorite to land the standout freshman, who recorded five saves and 73 strikeouts last season.
“Cooper just finished his freshman season at Texas State with a 4.72 ERA, five saves in 66.2 innings pitched and 73 strikeouts. Sources tell On3 that Texas A&M is trending to land Cooper, and barring something unforeseen, he’s expected to land in College Station.”
Adding Wade Cooper would be the first step towards filling out the 2027 pitching rotation, but given the likely departure of Texas A&M’s top three hitters, Michael Earley and his staff have plenty of work ahead of them to rebuild the roster.
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NEW DELHI: Former India pacer S Sreesanth has urged teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to remain focused on cricket and avoid getting distracted by professional managers following his rapid rise to fame.The 15-year-old prodigy recently earned a place in India’s squads for the tours of Ireland and England, becoming the youngest player ever selected for the Indian men’s team. In doing so, he eclipsed a 36-year-old record held by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who made his India debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan in 1989.Speaking about the youngster’s success, Sreesanth showered praise on Suryavanshi’s commitment, discipline and the sacrifices made by his family.“Man, no matter how less we say about Suryavanshi… it won’t be enough. I mean, no matter how much we praise him, it will still fall short.”“So I will say that Sooryavanshi’s family… and the young kids who are watching and thinking ‘I want to be like him too’ – you can achieve it because he has shown the way. First, Sachin Paji showed us, then Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came along. But I would say what Vaibhav… what Vaibhav has shown, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that is a prime example of commitment and perseverance.”The former fast bowler recalled seeing videos of Sooryavanshi training relentlessly during the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted the role played by his father and coaches in shaping his journey.“Even during Corona times, they were showing his videos of practicing on the terrace. His father, man, lots of respect to him. Respect to all his coaches, respect to everyone because… as you know, I am from Kerala. And when people talk about ‘opportunities, opportunities’ – even in cricket today, that’s all we talk about, getting an opportunity.”“But traveling for four hours without even having an assured opportunity, practicing, staying back, going back every single day… and that too playing 750 to 1000 balls daily, doing drills… and he still says, ‘I don’t feel good when I get rest.’ I will learn from him. I… with all respect to all the legendary cricketers, respect to everybody, but what this kid has shown… just leave him be, man. Leave him as he is. A lot of managers will come around now.“Sreesanth then issued a word of caution, advising the youngster to stay grounded and let his family take care of off-field matters.“Vaibhav, if you are watching this, my request to you is to leave these managers aside and focus on yourself. Your father will handle things, and your family members will handle things. Stay away from these professional managers.”
Do you think young players should focus more on training than on managing their public image?
Officially, historically, the craziest NBA Finals game of all time.
In the space of 48 minutes, you had the San Antonio Spurs setting an NBA Finals record for made threes in a half (14) and the largest lead by a road team through the first two quarters (27 points). It seemed like what had already been a remarkable Finals in so many ways was going to get just a little bit weirder: with the veteran New York Knicks and upstart Spurs heading into Game 5 tied at 2-2, neither team having won a game on its home court.
But the craziness was just getting started, with the Knicks eventually making the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history.
After allowing the Spurs to shoot 59.6 per cent in the first half — including 53.8 per cent from three — and forcing just two turnovers and absolutely killing the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden along the way, the Knicks decided to play some defence in the second half. That, combined with some regression in San Antonio’s shooting, a rising energy in the Garden and the youthful Spurs — for one of the few times in this post-season run — looking like a team that relies heavily on a rookie (Dylan Harper), a second-year player (Stephon Castle) and a third-year superstar (Victor Wembanyama). The possessions got rushed. Too many hasty threes were settled for, and suddenly the Spurs couldn’t hang onto the ball. The Knicks cut what was a 29-point Spurs lead with 9:40 to play in the third quarter to 15 to start the fourth.
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But even with that, the Spurs pushed their advantage to 20 with 9:33 left in the gam, when Wembanyama tipped in his own missed lay-up.
But then everything fell apart — for the Spurs at least.
The team that couldn’t miss in the first half made just eight field goals on 39 attempts in the second half, 4-of-19 in the fourth quarter. After setting an NBA record for three-point shooting in the first half, they shot 3-of-17 from deep in the second. After making just two turnovers in the first half, they made five in each of the third and fourth quarters.
It was a total collapse, punctuated in some ways by Wembanyama — an 86 per cent free-throw shooter through these playoffs — missing three free throws in the fourth quarter, including a pair with 1:47 left and the Spurs clinging to a one-point lead. He had 23 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots, but was just 9-of-25 from the floor.
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Meanwhile, the Knicks and Knicks fans will long celebrate the greatest single game in the history of one of the NBA’s charter franchises, going back to 1946.
It culminated in a hard-to-believe 107-106 win that gave the Knicks a 3-1 lead as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, where the Spurs will have to win to avoid elimination.
Most NBA players go their entire careers without making a meaningful play to decide an NBA Finals game. Knicks star OG Anunoby made two legacy-defining plays in the final 11 seconds of Game 4 that will make him the toast of New York for the rest of his life, should the Knicks close out the Spurs and win their first title in 53 years. On the first play, when he tracked down Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox in transition, it appeared that the speedy Fox was going to be able to take a long rebound and sneak by the Knicks’ defence for a lay-up that would have put the Spurs up by three with 11 seconds to play. Nope. Anunoby — as he does so many times on transition plays in the series — was able to turn away the certain seeming score.
That was only to set up the biggest play he’ll likely ever have in his career. With the Knicks down by one and just 4.3 seconds left, it was looking very much like their historic comeback was going to fall just short. Instead, Anunoby ran into the lane following a Jalen Brunson three-point attempt, timed his leap perfectly and managed to tip the long rebound gently back into the rim with his right hand at least one foot above it. Bedlam.
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The Knicks were able to defend the Spurs’ last chance off an inbounds pass with 1.2 seconds left.
The block and the tip-in capped as complete an all-around game as is possible to play for a (superstar) ‘role’ player who took just 15 shots but scored 33 points while going 7-of-9 from three. As well, he took turns guarding — to great effect — everyone from Wembanyama at seven-foot-four, fighting him at the rim, to Fox, squaring up the Spurs guard on the perimeter down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
The playoffs are, by definition, full of noisy information that gets overemphasized based on the outcome of each game. The Spurs led the first three games in the final two minutes but won only one of them. Would the information we’ve gleaned to this point in the series mean any less or any more had they won two of them, or all three? The difference splitting the Knicks and Spurs through six halves of the most intense basketball imaginable was seven points.
But what the heck, the games have to mean something, right?
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There were at least three data points that seemed correlated to each team’s success heading into Game 4. The first was the ratio of Wembanyama’s shots in the restricted area to shots from the three-point line. In the Spurs’ two losses, it was 4:3. In their Game 3 win, it was more than 2:1. In Game 4? Wembanyama took eight threes (making just two) and 11 shots at the rim, so it would seem that when Wembanyama is more focused on getting shots off around the restricted area, the better off the Spurs are.
Another was turnovers. It’s been a low-turnover series, given how physical the defence has been, but in the first three games, the team that came out ahead in the turnover margin won. That the Spurs turned it over only eight times total — less even than the paltry 13.5 they averaged during the regular season, which was the fourth-best mark in the NBA — was one of the key underlying reasons the Spurs won in Game 3.
In Game 4? Turnovers were arguably the story of the game. When the Spurs jumped out to a 27-point first-half lead, they had a 7-2 advantage in turnovers. When the Knicks beat the Spurs by 28 points in the second half, it was New York that had the turnover advantage, 10-7.
One trend that was constant through the first three games was the Knicks’ advantage on the offensive glass. They came into Game 4 with a 36-20 edge in that category, winning the battle in all three games, with a commensurate edge in second-chance points. That trend reversed itself in Game 4, with the Spurs having a 12-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, but missing 31 shots in the second half probably had a lot to do with that. And then again, the Knicks got the most important offensive rebound of the series on Anunoby’s soaring, game-winning tip-in.
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Brunson in a no-win situation, but still wins
Prior to meeting the Spurs, and as the Knicks were layering onto one of the most dominant runs in NBA playoff history, Brunson was just his typical superstar self. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Knicks star was averaging 26.9 points over 14 games, along with 6.6 assists and 2.3 turnovers with an effective field goal percentage (capturing the value of two and three-point field goals) of 54.1, all numbers very close to his season averages (26/6.8/2.4 with an eFG of 53.3). As well, his usage rate stayed pretty constant — 30.4 per cent in the regular season compared to 30.7 in the first three playoff rounds. But against the Spurs and the relentless defensive pressure they can put on him, Brunson’s efficiency has cratered.
If the Spurs were able to knock two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander off his game, it makes sense that Brunson — about five inches shorter than the Thunder star — would struggle. He came into Game 4 with an effective field goal percentage of 41.4. Among qualified players, the lowest eFG during the regular season was New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears at 48.5. But what has possibly hurt the Knicks more is that his usage rate has skyrocketed, jumping from 30.7 over the first 14 playoff games to 39.6 in three games against the Spurs. The reason is that the Spurs don’t have to trap him and can put pressure on him without automatically sending a second defender. Brunson has to put in more work to put up worse shots.
But Brunson finds a way. He got rolling in Game 4, delivering his best game of the series when the Knicks absolutely needed it, as he finished with a game-high 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting. He scored 19 seemingly inconsequential points in the first half when it seemed like they were just going to be empty calories. To his credit, Brunson kept his foot on the gas. And then — as he does — he delivered clutch score after clutch score down the stretch in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the Knicks going to a smaller lineup, spreading the floor and dragging Wembanyama from the rim. It was Brunson’s driving floater with 1:22 left that gave the Knicks their first lead and set the Garden on fire.
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Wembanyama picked up a flagrant foul in the third quarter for an inadvertent elbow to the jaw of Karl-Anthony Towns. There was no intent and Wembanyama instantly apologized for catching Towns as he tried to break free of the Knicks star’s meaty hands. But the NBA doesn’t allow for a lot of leeway for contact to the head that isn’t a result of a play on the ball. But it was a non-call on a very intentional shot to the head — in this case, Brunson’s head — in Game 3 that could have an outsized role in the series. One of the NBA’s disciplinary measures is that, as flagrant fouls accumulate, they can result in an automatic suspension. A flagrant 1 — like the foul Wembanyama was called for on Game 4 — is worth one point. A flagrant 2 – where a foul is deemed intentional and dangerous — results in an instant ejection and is worth two points. A player who accumulates four total flagrant foul points over the course of the post-season is suspended for the next game.
This is why — some might remember — Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals in 2016. It wasn’t because he kicked LeBron James in the groin; it was because the flagrant foul gave him four flagrant foul points for the playoffs. Since Wembanyama picked up a flagrant 2 for a nasty elbow to the head of Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, his elbow to Towns’ jaw now gives him three flagrant foul points. If he picks up one more flagrant foul in Game 5 or 6, he’ll be suspended for the following game (the suspensions don’t take effect until after the game). The Knicks would argue that he should already have been suspended for his shove on Brunson in Game 3.
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