A female WWE star has claimed that she was used by a former champion. This week’s edition of NXT had a few surprises for the fans. Myles Borne won the North American championship after beating Ethan Page, and another title match saw a massive turn.
Jacy Jayne put her NXT Women’s championship on the line against Sol Ruca. However, before the match could get underway, she was blinded by her tag team partner, Zaria.
Thanks for the submission!
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Zaria hit Sol with a Spear, followed by an F-5 on her. Despite this, Sol insisted on starting the match but was beaten quickly by Jayne. Zaria turning on her longtime in-ring partner shocked the fans.
Now, the 26-year-old star has responded to a post on X that claimed she was used by Sol Ruca. A fan posted that Zaria was not the villain and she did everything for the former WWE NXT North American Women’s champion.
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“Zaria is not the villain in this story. Sol was the one who wanted zaria to team with her from the beginning, and once Zaria finally let her guards down, Sol used her. Zaria did everything for Sol and not once did Sol do the same. Once Sol lost her titles, the real her came out,” the fan mentioned.
Zaria replied, saying the fan took the words right out of her mouth, seemingly agreeing with the opinion.
Sol Ruca was labeled “toxic” by a WWE star
Tension had been building between Zaria and Sol Ruca for weeks. Zaria had been unhappy at her former tag team partner getting bigger opportunities than her.
Sol competed against Bayley at Saturday Night’s Main Event and was also a part of the Women’s Royal Rumble. These chances created friction between the two stars.
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A few days ago, a fan posted a video of the two women, highlighting their issues and also paying tribute to their work together. This led to WWE SmackDown star Jordynne Grace commenting that Sol Ruca was “toxic” and gaslighting Zaria.
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Stripped of its context, it seemed an ordinary moment. A player tumbling to the ground. A referee’s whistle. A penalty scored. An early lead.
But, as Manozh Noori raised a fist to the sky to celebrate her first international goal in her first international game, the significance to her and her teammates was overwhelming.
“It was the moment of happiness for everyone,” Noori told DW after the match.
“All of my teammates came to me and hugged me,” she said. “It was such a great moment for all of us. I dedicate this goal to all of those in Afghanistan, because they deserve happiness.”
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It has been a long time in the making. Afghanistan’s women’s football team last played an international match in 2021, before the Taliban returned to power in the country later that year. The Islamic fundamentalist nationalist movement has relentlessly repressed women since regaining power and, according to the United Nations, “is closer than ever to achieving its vision of a society that completely erases women from public life.”
Women and girls in Afghanistan see no hope for the future
All of the players on the pitch in late October were forced to flee, with playing sport in public placing a target firmly on their backs. Just over half of the squad eventually found a home in Australia; other playes settled in various European countries.
Sport a faraway, but achievable, dream
Since they were exiled, regaining their status as international footballers — which means recognition from the game’s global governors FIFA — has been the preoccupation for many. Though they are driven by playing at the top level, their deeper motivation is always front of mind.
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“Girls in Afghanistan don’t have any rights right now. Playing sport is maybe a faraway dream, but just a very simple one is studying and having education and they don’t have it,” goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi told DW.
“It’s just the biggest motivation for us to do this for all those girls,” Yousufi said. “We’re showing them that their dreams are valid.”
Fatima Yousufi was between the sticks for Afghanistan on SundayImage: Ann Odong/FIFA
Those thoughts and memories of their homeland were etched on the faces of the players as they saw their flag fly and heard their anthem play before kickoff against Chad, who eventually won 6-1 on Sunday, with tears flowing freely.
While FIFA started the process of recognizing the team in May, they are currently playing as Afghan Women United, a name picked in conjunction with the players that replaced their old status as the Afghanistan women’s refugee team. As such, the tournament they are playing in is composed of friendly matches, with Libya and Tunisia also involved. Afghanistan’s men’s team continue to compete on the global stage under Taliban control.
Yousufi was one of those who played in the team’s last fixture as Afghanistan — before the Taliban retook control following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Women’s football has moved on rapidly since then, with increased professionalization, booming ticket sales in many countries and increased media interest.
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Afghanistan have lots of catching up to do
With players scattered across the globe and having also to concentrate on building new lives in unfamiliar lands, Afghanistan have plenty of catching up to do. That process was not helped by the delay and last-minute change of venue for the tournament after the Afghan players’ visas were rejected by the United Arab Emirates, who had initially agreed to host, and play, in it. No official statement has yet been offered as to the reason for that rejection, but the UAE has strong diplomatic links with the Taliban.
Until a few days ago, some of Afghanistan’s players and staff hadn’t even met, now they are proud to be back on the international stageImage: Ann Odong/FIFA
“It’s very difficult, when you’ve not played international football for four years, to understand what the level is, because even in that time the game has changed a lot,” said the team’s Scottish coach, Pauline Hamill.
“I think you can see that there’s a level of potential there,” Hamill said. “I think it was a case of ‘Welcome to international football’ [in the first game], and now: ‘How do we improve moving forward? I think that’s the key message.”
FIFA promises ongoing support
After another defeat, to Tunisia, the Afghan side showed that improvement with a 7-0 win over Libya to end the tournament on a high. But, after fighting so hard to be heard and recognized for four years, the Afghan players see this as merely a first step on the path back to a sporting existence somewhat like the one they had before their lives were upended.
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FIFA president, Gianni Infantino turned up to the team’s second match, posing for pictures and declaring the tournament the start of a “beautiful, beautiful story”. He has also promised to “continue to stand by all Afghan women” and “work tirelessly to ensure that every one of them receives the support they deserve to play the game they love.”
But what happens next is not yet clear. With a government unwilling to support them, competetive fixtures are currently impossible and none are arranged as the year ends.
While they may not yet be representing their country in quite the way they want, this group of exiled women has shown their resilience time and time again. As Yousufi puts it, complete with a hint of Australian twang: “Never give up on your dreams, girls.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold. This article is part of DW Sports’ Best of 2025 series in which we revisit some of our outstanding features from the past year. The article has been updated to reflect the latter stages of the FIFA Unites tournament.
Turns out this baseball quote, which has been going around the pastime for half-century now, can be applied to golf, too: “There’s nothing more limited than being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner.”
Not George Costanza’s boss in Seinfeld. The real-life George Steinbrenner, bombastic and effective late owner of the New York Yankees.
For Reed Dickens, this is all familiar territory. Reed Dickens ran a bat manufacturing business and before that he that worked for a man who was once a baseball team owner. (The Texas Rangers, late Nolan Ryan years.) For most of the past decade Dickens has been the owner and CEO of LA Golf, a high-end shaft-and-club manufacturer in Southern California. But to gearheads across the United States and beyond, Dickens is background scenery in this L.A. story.
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The real star here is Bryson A. DeChambeau, former SMU physics student and current LIV Golf star, for whom LA Golf is his personal club-making lab, where conversations between DeChambeau and Jeff Meyer, LA Golf’s top engineer, can go on for hours as they talk about optical launch angles in different wind conditions, the golfer’s eyes flaring with excitement.
When DeChambeau won the Covid-delayed 2020 U.S. Open, he did it with 14 LA Golf shafts. The shafts in the irons were all the same length and about as stiff as a White House flagpole. Golf’s core gear-centric fans, watching this XXL golfer have his way with the celebrated West Course at Winged Foot, were all agog about Bryson’s shafts. Nobody was talking about Reed Dickens, understandably. It was DeChambeau who went around in 274, winning by a touchdown.
When DeChambeau won the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, the same: 14 clubs, 14 LA Golf shafts. He owned the No. 2 course that day, and that night he owned the town. At the 2025 Masters, where he played the final round with the eventual winner, Rory McIlroy, DeChambeau had 14 LA Golf shafts in his plus-size green Crushers G.C. golf bag. DeChambeau talked about LA Golf at the drop of a hat.
Then, last year, DeChambeau played not just LA Golf shafts but LA Golf heads, too. These heads were made to his exact specifications, with faces that had a pronounced and distinctive bulge and roll. DeChambeau all but demands bespoke clubs for his distinctive one-plane swing with its extraordinary speed, clubs that match his one-of-one personality. A line of LA Golf drivers, with DeChambeau’s fingerprints on its simple and shiny design, were introduced last year, and you can find them easily enough (with some help from Google). A handsome $600 driver. You won’t find it in your neighborhood PGA Tour Superstore, but they are available at pro shops at Discovery Golf’s swank properties, should you ever find yourself at one. That’s because the founder of Discovery, Michael Meldman, is an 11 percent owner of LA Golf.
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LA Golf and Bryson DeChambeau. Sounds like a match made in golfing heaven, doesn’t it?
Turns out, the parties needed a pre-nup.
The restless Bryson DeChambeau is in yet another period in which he’s evaluating every aspect of his golf and business life. His future with LIV Golf is an unknown. Already, as a result of this review, a report of collateral damage is in: Bryson DeChambeau and LA Golf are parting company.
In a phone interview Monday afternoon, Reed Dickens, speaking from his home in Newport Beach, Calif., said that DeChambeau made a pitch, through a new-to-the-team Bryson business advisor, to become LA Golf’s majority owner. Dickens, a 48-year-old native Louisianan and a former CEO of the baseball equipment company Marucci Sports, was not down with that. Turns out, in golf as in life, breaking up is hard to do.
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“Bryson and I actually have some of the same tendencies, and I have nothing but respect for him,” Dickens said during a 90-minute interview. You could not miss an intensiveness in Dickens that brought to mind DeChambeau. Dickens is a long-hitting 10-handicap golfer at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, and a scratch talker up and down Southern California’s 405 Freeway. “But he has this new consultant, a McKinsey-consulting type guy, and this guy says to me that Bryson is gonna walk unless he gets 51 percent. Bryson’s got 2 percent of the company. And I think the guy doesn’t realize that he’s dealing with a redneck. And I say, ‘There’s no path for that.’ They played chicken with me, and now we’re going to graciously part ways.”
Dickens has seen high-stakes chess before. Horseshoes, too. In his 20s, he worked in the George W. Bush White House for four years as an assistant press secretary and campaign spokesman. More than once he went to Kennebunkport, Maine, with 43 and 41 both on the scene. The senior Bush was a first baseman at Yale. The younger was an owner of the Rangers. Dickens is not a baseball guy or political but has found himself enmeshed in both in his adult life.
“Bryson needs someone serving him 24 hours a day, he needs somebody to build him his own clubs, and that’s not scalable for us,” Dickens said. In other words, you can’t have a small, almost artisanal manufacturing business where a single customer demands and gets vast amounts of attention. Dickens said his goal for LA Golf is to make high-end equipment for golfers who want clubs that perform better off mishits, because of their bulge-and-roll face designs. All the while he wants to simplify the shaft-fitting process. The LA Golf website comprises a single page, a moody black-and-white golf photo with single box to enter your email address. Callaway this is not.
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Dickens said that LA Golf had a “head count” of 75 employees but that he has more recently terminated 25 staffers as the company shifts from trying to be a premium wholesaler with high-end retail accounts to a direct-to-the-golfer company making exclusive products exclusively in the United States. He described his years with DeChambeau as one long R&D project, with DeChambeau making vast design contributions. “He challenges everything you do, and he makes you test your every assumption,” Dickens said.
Dickens was asked if Nike Golf’s experience with Tiger Woods had been instructive for him.
“I think what’s instructive about Tiger and Nike is this: The most difficult and expensive thing to do in consumer product sales is unaided name recognition, to use a phrase of politics,” Dickens said. Nike, he said, already enjoyed vast name recognition without Tiger Woods and had slightly more with Tiger Woods. What Nike Golf didn’t have, Dickens said, was a line of products that ordinary golfers wanted to buy in large quantities. An issue for Nike, he said, was that the public never really believed that the clubs Woods played were essentially the same clubs that ordinary golfers could buy.
For the last half-decade or more, LA Golf faced different issues. “We partnered with the golfer who is more active than any golfer on social media and I’m very grateful for that,” Dickens said. “Tiger gave Nike some magical moments, like that ball sitting on the edge of the hole before falling in.” Sunday at the 2005 Masters, par-3 16th hole, Woods’s second shot, his ball’s Nike swoosh available for all to see until it wasn’t. Woods won his fourth Masters that year. “But I don’t think any of that helped with Nike’s return on their investment,” Dickens said.
By 2016, Nike was out of the golf-manufacturing business. That same year, DeChambeau turned pro. Within a few years, he was helping LA Golf get into the golf business at its highest level. For ubiquitousness, LA Golf was nothing like TaylorMade or Titleist, but DeChambeau helped get the LA Golf name known to innumerable gearhead golfers, no question about that. You always have to start with a base, with your constituents. Every student of politics knows that, and every marketing executive does, too.
Dickens believes the company has an innovative product line (and he notes that Sergio Garcia is playing LA Golf clubs this year). But what LA Golf will do now is go forward without its Tiger Woods, without arguably the most influential golfer in the world. He knows it won’t be easier.
In the meantime, DeChambeau’s 4.3 million Instagram followers, among others, will be itching to know about Bryson’s next move, what with spring not even a month away and Bryson DeChambeau broadly enjoying the title, with a wink or not, as the Most Interesting Man in Golf.
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Yo, Bryson: What gives, dude?
***
II. SPRINGTIME FOR BRYSON
Your fill-in gear correspondent sent a text Tuesday morning at 9:15 to DeChambeau’s longtime agent, Mr. Brett Falkoff, senior vice president of GSE Worldwide, noting that Reed Dickens had outlined the state of affairs between LA Golf and the golfer. Would Bryson like to discuss their years together and his equipment future? (Not that he needs this GOLF.com megaphone, what with the millions who follow him on the Instagram, the X, the YouTube, the TikTok.) Seventy minutes later, a response from Falkoff landed:
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“Bryson is no longer an ambassador for LA Golf. He remains a customer and still has the shafts in his bag.”
If we hear something more, Part II of this report will be expanded and updated.
Until then, the first round of the 2026 Masters (on this fourth and last Tuesday in February) is just 45 days away. Bryson’s in the field and he’ll have 14 clubs at his disposal. DeChambeau in Augusta will be interesting because DeChambeau most anywhere is interesting. What clubs, and what shafts, will he use? Always a question with Bryson, though this is likely a good time to share this observation from Reed Dickens: “Bryson could win with a rental set.”
Three years ago, a team of exiled Afghan women looked on with frustration as the Women’s World Cup took place in the Australian cities where they lived.
The displaced players have come a long way since then, but the Women’s Asian Cup, which starts in Australia on March 1, is both an inspiration and a reminder of the many hurdles they must still clear to play international matches.
“I couldn’t stop crying the entire time as it reminded me of a time that I was able to take that pride and play for my country [before the return of the Taliban in 2021],” defender Mursal Sadat told DW of her memories of the 2023 World Cup, at which point Afghanistan had no women’s national team. “Hopefully, Afghanistan will be competing by the next qualifiers.”
The team’s first major step on the path to international recognition from football’s governing body was an emotional and sporting milestone after a four-year battle to be heard. But four months later, they have yet to play another fixture.
“Morocco was a big milestone, but for us it is only the beginning,” UK-based goalkeeper Elaha Safdari told DW. “As players, we are always eager to represent Afghanistan again. Of course, we want more international matches, but we have stayed disciplined, training hard and improving as a team. We know the staff is working behind the scenes to create more opportunities so we remain ready and motivated.”
After a period of silence, FIFA announced on Monday that Afghanistan will play two unnamed opponents in the June international break, with further information to follow “in the coming months.” Those players based in Europe were involved in a training camp in Doncaster, England, earlier this month, while those based in Australia are set for something similar later in the year.
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Elaha Safdari is keen to play more international footballImage: Ann Odong/FIFA
Given the team’s struggles for recognition, trauma and the development gap that has emerged after missing four years of international competition, the World Cup in Brazil next year, was always going to come too soon. March’s Asian Cup will decide which Asian teams qualify for Brazil 2027 — the semifinalists will make it automatically, while the losing quarterfinalists will go into a series of playoffs for the remaining four Asian spots.
Taliban and UAE ties ‘logical explanation’ for visa rejection
Like Afghanistan, the UAE will not be at Brazil 2027 after failing to qualify for the Asian Cup. It’s fair to say they also won’t be the Afghan team’s opponents in June either, after the Gulf state refused to allow the Afghanistan players to enter the country in October, forcing a last minute change of host country to Morocco.
FIFA has since repeatedly refused to answer any questions from DW on why the UAE, who had agreed to host and play the team, reneged on the deal. It appears more than likely that the UAE’s relationship with the Taliban was the reason for the refusal.
“That appears to be the most reasonable and logical explanation,” Alison Battisson, the Australian human rights lawyer who helped the team find asylum in Australia and maintains close contact with the players, told DW. “The UAE can turn around visas in hours for a team. If it is true that they went quiet on FIFA in that week beforehand, withdrew visas that had been granted or didn’t grant visas, that is really quite extraordinary.
“To me, it says that, without explanation, somebody much more senior and not really that concerned about women’s sport stepped in and said we have to prioritize this other interest, which I can only assume is economic interest in Afghanistan.”
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FIFA doubles down on UAE relationship
DW understands this is also the suspicion of many players, but FIFA’s silence leaves the situation unclear. The organization, headed by Gianni Infantino, were less tight-lipped when they announced “the launch of a new annual world football awards event in Dubai [in the UAE]” on December 29, two months after the visa refusal.
From this year, the press release said, these awards will be the “official annual FIFA awards ceremony that gathers the world’s most influential football figures, celebrating the best players, teams, and achievements of the beautiful game for the previous year.”
Given what happened in October, it’s safe to assume the players of Afghanistan Women United would not be able to attend such a ceremony.
While Afghan players past and present do express gratitude for FIFA’s support, the explicit backing of a country that rejected a team FIFA has recognized is impossible to square with the governing body’s commitment to use “advocacy and diplomacy with relevant actors and organizations regarding long-term access to sport” for the Afghan women.
Afghan defender Sadat has, like most of her teammates, been a determined advocate for their cause. While the players have little control over geopolitics, she retains the faith that they can endure and compete in the qualifiers for the next Asian Cup in 2029.
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“Re-creation and recognition of the Afghan women’s national team from exile is something that millions of Afghans want because it’s a protest against the regime of the Taliban,” Sadat said to DW. “It’s a slap from the football world to say: ‘you are trying to silence them and stop them from playing, but we are still here, and we are giving them the platform to rise, shine and use their sport as a weapon to fight against the gender apartheid and injustice.’”
Team India batter Rinku Singh might not be available for the upcoming crucial T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against Zimbabwe as he has left the squad due to a family emergency. The upcoming contest is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on Thursday, February 26.
According to a report by the Times of India, Rinku Singh was absent from the mandatory training session ahead of the do-or-die match.
“It is reliably learnt that his father was undergoing cancer treatment for over a year, and his condition has deteriorated in the last few days,” the report read.
Team India have a wide variety of options on the bench as they appear to head into the match with a blend of forced and unforced changes after the nature of their most recent Super 8 match. One of the tasks would be to replace Rinku Singh in such a fashion that does not hamper the balance too much as he was the sole specialist finisher in the squad.
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On that note, let us take a look at the threeways India can replace Rinku Singh in the IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 match.
#1 Sanju Samson in for Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh’s absence undoubtedly leaves a hole in Team India’s lower middle-order. However, it comes across as an opportunity to repair or even bolster the top-order which has proven to be the biggest bane in the T20 World Cup 2026, without which resolving other problems seems redundant.
Although Sanju Samson coming in for Rinku Singh is hardly a like-for-like swap, it does allow them to break their left-handed trend at the top of the order. The change also demotes the struggling Tilak Varma to a No.5 role where, although there is a touch of unfamiliarty there is a bit of ease in terms of pressure.
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With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and the in-form Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube around him, there is no need for him to become the backbone of the batting unit.
The change also does not tarnish India’s batting depth, nor does it affect India’s bowling resources or combination by any means.
#2 Axar Patel in for Rinku Singh
Team India sorely felt the absence of their vice-captain during the humbling loss against South Africa in the Super 8. While it is almost certain that Axar Patel has to return to the playing XI, it need not necessarily be as a straight-swap for Washington Sundar, especially now that Rinku Singh’s spot might be vacant.
Bringing in Axar Patel gives India the third spin bowling option that they have tried to incorporate, and perhaps even need to. His return to the playing XI in place of Rinku Singh, keeps Washington Sundar part of the side, who could play a role on his home ground.
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It also gives India a much better roster of six bowlers, instead of having to turn to Shivam Dube on every occasion. Despite the pace bowling all-rounder’s undeniable improvement in terms of increase in pace, bowling smartness, and ability to break partnerships, India cannot afford any more slip-ups from here on, which calls for the need for a proper proven option even for a sixth choice bowler.
With both Axar Patel and Washington Sundar in the setup, they can use the former as a proper floater at No.5 to combat the likes of wrist spinner Graeme Cremer.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav in for Rinku Singh
The defeat against South Africa highlighted that even the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, Varun Chakaravarthy, can be torn to shreds, and India do not really have a Plan B in such a scenario. With Rinku Singh likely not to be in the scheme of things against Zimbabwe, it gives the management an excellent opportunity to reintegrate Kuldeep Yadav back into the mix.
The Zimbabwe batters will find it quite hard to deal with the mystery of Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in tandem at Chepauk, which may have something in it for the spinners.
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This particular change might have an impact on the batting depth as a long tail of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh follows the No.7 spot. However, despite recent form, the batting unit has enough reputation and calibre outscore Zimbabwe, especially if they have four specialist bowlers to back up their act across either innings.
Feb 22, 2026; Milan, Italy; Connor Hellebuyck #37 of Team United States celebrates after winning the goal medal game against Team Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Connor Hellebuyck transformed himself from an NHL star into a mainstream American hero while leading the U.S. men’s hockey team to the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The performance by the Winnipeg Jets goalie caught the eye of President Donald Trump, who announced Tuesday in his State of the Union address that Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Twenty players from the men’s Olympic team visited the White House on Tuesday, according to multiple media reports, ahead of being honored guests at the Capitol for the State of the Union.
Trump polled the players if Hellebuyck should get the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“I said, ‘I’m not giving it if anyone goes no,’” the president said. “And every single one of them rapidly put up their hand. So I want to thank you all. What a special job you did. What special champions you are.”
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Trump added, “I’ve never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck.”
Hellebuyck, among the Olympic contingent in attendance, tapped his heart and waved.
Trump said during his speech, “Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me — please, please, please Mr. President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country. Until you came along, we’re just always losing, but now, we’re winning too much.
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“And I say, no no no. You’re going to win again. You’re going to win big. You’re gonna win bigger than ever, and to prove that point — to prove that point — here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud: the men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team.”
Two upper doors in the House of Representatives then opened, and the U.S. players entered and were greeted with bipartisan cheering.
Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the United States’ 2-1 overtime win against Canada in the gold-medal match at Milan. A three-time winner of the NHL’s Vezina Trophy (best goaltender), the 32-year-old Michigan native is also the reigning winner of the Hart Trophy (league MVP).
Trump invited the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s Olympic team to the White House and the State of the Union, but that squad declined the offer, citing “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”
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During his speech, Trump said the U.S. women’s team “will soon be coming to the White House.”
Recent athletes to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom include Simone Biles (2022), Megan Rapinoe (2022), Katie Ledecky (2024), Jim Thorpe (posthumously in 2024), Magic Johnson (2025) and Lionel Messi (2025).
Past winners include Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Arthur Ashe and Jackie Robinson.
American rapper Snoop Dogg expressed his delight after witnessing his Swansea City side secure a dramatic Championship draw against Preston, salvaging a point in the dying moments of the game.
Liam Cullen emerged as the hero, cancelling out Daniel Jebbison’s first-half strike with a fine header in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
The late equaliser extended Swansea’s unbeaten home run to nine games and provided a memorable first visit for the 54-year-old musician, who became a minority investor at the Welsh club in July.
Before kick-off, Snoop Dogg was greeted by an enthusiastic reception from Swansea fans during a seven-minute lap of honour, where he was met with the sight of twirling towels – a common spectacle in American sports.
Swansea boss Vitor Matos revealed the rapper’s positive reaction post-match. “After the game he came to the dressing room and spoke with the players,” Matos said.
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Snoop Dogg praised the Swansea players after securing a draw against Preston (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)
“He’s someone that likes to be involved, not only with us but with the (United States) Olympic team as well. He loves sports, loves sports people. He loves the club, loves the city, and wants to be here. I think that’s all positive and he was really happy because he felt that the team had the right mentality. He felt that the team could push.”
The hard-fought point saw Swansea climb one place to 14th in the table, now eight points adrift of Wrexham, who currently occupy the final play-off spot.
Matos praised his team’s resilience, stating: “When you are losing you usually start having frustration, things not going the right way. But I think we didn’t have that and that was good to see.
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“We always kept the momentum, even when we would miss a pass or there was a situation where things didn’t go in our way. But then we came back again with a good spell and we got a really good goal from Liam. So we got one point and let’s move on.”
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom, however, downplayed the celebrity occasion and the atmosphere generated by Snoop Dogg’s pre-match appearance.
Heckingbottom quipped that the only discernible difference from other Championship games was the “smell of illicit drugs”, a humorous nod to Snoop Dogg’s well-known public persona.
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Liam Cullen rescued a point for Swansea (Jacob King/PA Wire)
“It’s only different for people who are here every week, isn’t it?” Heckingbottom remarked.
“We don’t play at Swansea every week, so it’s no different for us. We go away to Ipswich the other week, they were at it, their fans were at it, and that was noise all game. I felt we kept everyone quiet here until the end.”
Preston now sit 10th, five points off a play-off position. Heckingbottom concluded: “I’m pleased with lots of things, pleased with the performance. I’m just upset with not taking three points.”
Miami (Ohio) continued its storybook ride on Tuesday night, as the No. 21 RedHawks improved to 28-0 with a 74-64 win at Eastern Michigan. The win brought Miami within three victories of becoming the first Division I men’s college basketball team to finish the regular season undefeated since Gonzaga went 24-0 during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season.
By contrast, Miami’s regular-season slate features 31 games. While the RedHawks’ schedule has been one of the easiest in college basketball, starting 28-0 is nonetheless a remarkable achievement. It’s also a reflection of the program’s steady rise under fourth-year coach Travis Steele.
After finishing 12-20 and 6-12 in the MAC in 2022-23 during Steele’s first season, the RedHawks have steadily improved in every season since. A year ago, they finished 25-9 and 14-4 in the MAC, suffering a devastating loss to Akron in the MAC Tournament title game. Steele managed to retain a significant chunk of last season’s roster, which makes Miami a rarity in the mid-major ranks.
With continuity and experience in place, the RedHawks have navigated every challenge thus far. However, due to their poor schedule strength — the RedHawks haven’t even played a Quad 1 game — their status in the NCAA Tournament field will be up for debate if they fail to win the MAC Tournament.
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Though Miami has played zero Quad 1 games and is just 1-0 in Quad 2, there is a metric on official NCAA team sheets that acknowledges the brilliance of its undefeated start.
It’s called Wins Against Bubble (WAB), and it calculates how the average bubble team would perform against your schedule. With a WAB score of 2.16 as of Feb. 22, the RedHawks rank 35th in WAB and are recognized for having over two more victories than the average bubble team would against their slate.
Up next for Miami
The remaining schedule for Miami which is trying to become the first team since Indiana accomplished the feat in the 1975-76 season.
Friday
at Western Michigan
6 p.m. CBS Sports Network
Tuesday
vs. Toledo
7 p.m. ESPN+
March 6
at Ohio
7 p.m. CBS Sports Network
March 12-14
MAC Tournament (Cleveland)
TBD
If Miami doesn’t win the MAC Tournament and needs an at-large ticket to the Big Dance, WAB will be one of its best friends. Its current 35th ranking is within at-large territory. Where it gets tricky is that any loss against MAC opposition carries a significant WAB penalty.
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Here are all the Selection Sunday scenarios for Miami as it heads down this the stretch with its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 in sight.
NCAA Tournament selection scenarios for Miami
The simple scenario (win MAC Tournament)
Record: Between 31-3 and 34-0 Confidence level: It’s a party Likely WAB range: Doesn’t matter
Bust out the balloons and hire a caterer for the watch party. Miami can go 3-0 to close the regular season, 0-0 or something in between. It doesn’t matter, so long as the RedHawks are cutting down the nets inside Cleveland’s Rocket Arena at the end of the MAC Tournament on March 14.
Winning the MAC Tournament is the only 100% guaranteed path to the Big Dance, and it won’t be easy. The MAC isn’t one of the handful of conferences now offering automatic byes to the semifinals for its top two seeds. The RedHawks will have to win three games in three days against a field consisting exclusively of the league’s top eight teams.
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Many of the players on this Miami team were part of a gutting 76-74 loss to Akron in last year’s MAC Tournament title game in which the Zips rallied late to stun the RedHawks. That should only provide more motivation as Miami seeks its first conference tournament title since 2007.
Miami could still feel reasonably hopeful about making the Big Dance if it entered the MAC Tournament 31-0 and then dropped a game. While on some level it could matter who the loss came against, the RedHawks would still enter Selection Sunday with a WAB ranking in the at-large realm, regardless of who was responsible for handing them their first defeat.
A loss on a neutral floor in the MAC Tournament would likely come with a WAB cost of around 0.80. If Miami lost 0.80 in WAB today, it would drop the RedHawks from the low-to-mid 30s in the metric to the low 40s.
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The team with the best WAB ranking left out of last year’s field was West Virginia, which arrived at Selection Sunday at No. 43 in the WAB. The 2025 selection process was the first to utilize WAB, so there isn’t a trove of past precedents to rely upon. But WVU’s exclusion last year sets a benchmark for Miami to aim for: don’t fall to No. 43.
Finishing the regular season undefeated and then losing in the MAC Tournament would likely be good enough to keep the RedHawks around or just below that figure, which would be enough for them to enter Selection Sunday with some cautious optimism.
The double-defeat scenario involves Miami losing one regular-season game, in addition to a MAC Tournament game.
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This would not be advisable, as it would likely lead to Miami’s Selection Sunday WAB ranking landing in the mid-40s, at best. However, in this scenario, the opponent for the conference tournament loss could make a difference. If it’s a high-end Quad 2 loss against Akron in the title game, then it would be less costly.
The team with the worst WAB ranking selected to last year’s field was Xavier, which was among the Last Four In at No. 49 in WAB. However, the Musketeers counterbalanced their lagging resume metrics with a predictive metrics profile hovering around 40th nationally.
Miami University does not have good predictive metrics to fall back upon. So slipping out of the low-to-mid 40s in WAB would make things dicey. If Miami loses twice, a slip of that magnitude is likely, and it would make Selection Sunday uncomfortable.
A 1-2 finish to the regular season, combined with a loss in the MAC Tournament, would decimate Miami’s at-large chances. In this scenario, the best conceivable outcome would be that the RedHawks lose in the MAC Tournament title game against Akron in a heartbreaking way that tugs on the heartstrings of committee members. But it would be a tough case to make.
With three losses on its ledger, Miami would almost certainly lag behind other bubble teams in resume metrics. Remember, it’s not just about win-loss record. It’s about the totality of your resume. WAB does a good job of quantifying that, and it wouldn’t be on Miami’s side if the RedHawks lost three times.
Onesmoothoperator has plenty of Australian experience but steps into fresh waters lining up for the Blamey Stakes at Flemington.
Previously handled in the UK, the galloper makes his bow with local trainer Tim Fitzsimmons in Saturday’s Group 2 1600m feature.
After appearances in the past two Melbourne Cups for Brian Ellison, Onesmoothoperator was retained in Australia post-16th in last year’s race to Half Yours, now under Fitzsimmons.
Victories in Echuca trials on February 3 and 13 days later signal Onesmoothoperator’s readiness to resume.
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The gelding encounters a career first shorter than 2000m in his 47-race tenure boasting six wins, such as the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) from 2024 and the prior year’s Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m).
“It’s going to be going to be interesting,” Fitzsimmons said.
“The mile will probably be too short for him, but you never know. Hopefully there is a little bit of speed on, but it’s a starting point for him.
“We’ll see how he goes on Saturday. The owners would love to run him in the Australian Cup, but whether he is sharp enough, we’ll have to wait and see.
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“This weekend will give us a good guide as to where we go.”
The March 28 Group 1 Australian Cup at 2000m may precede a tilt at the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) Randwick on April 11 if ground suits, at 55kg.
“He’s nominated for the Sydney Cup, but the problem would be the rain as he doesn’t go a yard on a wet track,” Fitzsimmons said.
“I think last year was a Good 4, but it’s often very wet, so the immediate aims will be the Blamey Stakes and the Australian Cup.”
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Fitzsimmons revealed a brief autumn program for Onesmoothoperator, targeting the October Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Onesmoothoperator was ‘casual’ in his work and trials and only does as much as he needs, Fitzsimmons said.
“He’s an interesting horse but they’ve found the key to him, riding him cold and let him finish off,” Fitzsimmons said.
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“Talking to Brian, they tried everything. Riding him closer just doesn’t work, so one thing for sure is whatever race he’s in, he’s going to be ridden quietly to finish off.”
Fitzsimmons’ acquisition of Onesmoothoperator for Bendigo stemmed from a meeting almost 20 years prior.
He visited Perth with Bay Story, imported by Ellison for the 2006 Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival.
“It was the Christmas before I went to Singapore, 2006-2007,” Fitzsimmons said.
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“I went with Brian and we took Bay Story over for the Perth Cup and I spent probably two or three months with them, and we became such good friends.
“Brian recommended me. The owners came up on Bendigo Cup Day, had a look at the facilities and when they decided he would stay, he came to me which I’m grateful for.”
Fans should check the leading betting sites for Blamey Stakes opportunities.
President Donald Trump announced during his State of the Union address that Team USA men’s hockey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom after anchoring the team’s gold medal victory in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
During the gold medal game victory over Canada, Hellebuyck collected 41 saves to help keep the game tied at 1-1, forcing overtime.
Jack Hughes scored the game-winner past Canada’s netminder, Jordan Binnington.
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2026.(Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
“It’s a dream come true,” Hellebuyck said, via NBC, after the game. “We grinded, we battled, and this was some of the best and most fun hockey that I’ve ever played.”
Hellebuyck somehow stopped a wide open Devon Toews’ shot in front of his crease with only his stick, turning quickly with his right hand to stop the puck and keeping the game tied in the second period. Without that save, and many others, the result may have been different.
Connor Hellebuyck of the United States saves a shot by Devon Toews (7) of Canada in the third period during the men’s gold medal game at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Canada’s Mitch Marner had the puck in the offensive zone when he threw it toward Hellebuyck’s net, where defenseman Devon Toews was right in front. Perhaps nine out of 10 times, Toews scores in this scenario, but Hellebuyck somehow had the wherewithal to throw out his stick as a last-ditch effort for the save.
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Instead of the puck staying down on the ice, Toews lifted it just a bit and Hellebuyck’s paddle was right in the away to thwart the goal attempt. At the time, the score was 1-1, and it remained that way through the end of the second period and throughout the third before overtime was needed.
After the game, Hellebuyck was skating around the ice alone with an American flag on his back, as the crowd went roaring for the man they knew was a hero just as much as Hughes in the victory.
Goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck of the United States celebrates winning the gold medal during the men’s gold medal game against Canada and USA at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.(Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images)
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth jokingly gave his old title, Secretary of Defense, to Hellebuyck for his performance.
“Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!” Hegseth said over the post showing Hellebuyck’s incredible efforts.
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Hellebuyck helped the U.S. make history as the first team since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” squad to win Olympic gold. Jack Hughes scored the overtime goal to strike gold in Milan, and it’s been a party ever since for Team USA.
Canada has historically been the most dominant Olympic hockey team in history, with a world-best nine gold medals. Sunday’s win also avenged a loss to Canada in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face Off exhibition last year.
Connor Hellebuyck seen after President Donald Trump announces he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) sacks New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Linebacker Eric Wilson posted Pro Bowl-quality numbers in 2025, stealing Ivan Pace Jr.’s job along the way. Now, he’s a free agent and could venture elsewhere next month, with CBS Sports naming him an “under the radar” commodity on the open market.
Wilson brings pressure, forced fumbles, and range — traits Brian Flores consistently turns into weekly defensive answers.
Zachary Pereles identified 10 free agents who fit the criteria, and Wilson got the nod.
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Brian Flores Will Have a Clear Use for Eric Wilson
Jalen Nailor? Jalen Redmond? Nope — Wilson is under the radar, says Pereles.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (50) closes in on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) for a second-quarter sack during road action at CenturyLink Field. The play highlighted Wilson’s range and timing as a pass rusher from the linebacker spot. Oct 11, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA: Wilson broke through protection to bring down the veteran passer. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports.
Pereles: Wilson an Under-the-Radar FA
On a list that included wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Houston Texans and linebacker Alex Singleton of the Denver Broncos, Wilson got some under-the-radar respect.
Pereles explained, “Another veteran linebacker, Eric Wilson returned to Minnesota after spending his first four seasons there and excelled, registering 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. When things are in front of him, he plays quickly and arrives violently.”
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“When it comes to coverage, it gets a little hairy. He’s 31 and has a major hole in his game, but he brings the thump in the run game and when rushing the passer. His 21.9% pressure rate was second in the NFL (min. 100 pass rush snaps) last season.”
It didn’t take Wilson long to become a fan favorite last season, as he was so damn productive as early as Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
Probably Re-Signing with Vikings
The Vikings owe it to themselves to re-sign Wilson for a year or two, even if he’ll turn 32 this year. Why? Well, he played so damn well last season. Wilson was not a flash in the pan. A few games didn’t make him worth the squeeze; the guy was one of the most consistent players on defense — out of nowhere. Many envisioned him as a “special teams guy” when the Vikings signed him in 2025 free agency.
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Thankfully, the path back to Minnesota has already been laid by Brian Flores, who re-signed with the club after a couple of head coaching interviews, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Wilson utterly cooked with Flores; Flores utterly cooked with Wilson.
Too, the Vikings don’t have an official general manager after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s termination four weeks ago. Flores is expected to have more personnel input accordingly. Re-upping with Wilson feels like an offseason no-brainer.
The 2025 Campaign
Wilson joined the team as a depth player but ended the 2025 season as a defensive cornerstone. Signed by Minnesota to reinforce the linebacker corps behind Blake Cashman and the aforementioned Pace Jr., he was initially slated for rotational snaps and special teams duties. By December, however, his impact was clear: the defense faltered noticeably in his absence, and opponents began adjusting their strategies to contain him.
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This transformation stemmed from his outstanding performance. Wilson played with relentless intensity, consistently disrupting plays and penetrating the backfield, leading all off-ball linebackers in both sacks and pressures, and ranking near the top in forced fumbles.
At 31, he had the most dominant season of his career, racking up 115 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles — a significant leap from the previous year when he was considered primarily a backup and special teams player.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) celebrates after recording a sack during the second half of a home matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. The veteran defender delivered pressure plays throughout the contest as Minnesota’s front disrupted the passing attack. Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA: Wilson reacted after finishing a drive-stalling sack for the Vikings defense. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper ranked Wilson No. 74 on his Top 150 free agents of 2026 list and explained, “Wilson is a downhill off-ball linebacker who can blitz and defend the run. He is more limited as a coverage player. He has sideline-to-sideline speed and attacks plays in front of him.”
“Wilson also got some edge work in coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme. Wilson is undersized, which limits him when he is asked to take on climbing guards and centers in the run game.”
Who Would Replace Wilson if He Leaves?
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Assuming for a moment that Minnesota does not prioritize re-signing Wilson — that would be weird — it may not rely on the draft for his replacement, unless the club uses a Round 1 draft pick on Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, for example.
That would leave the Wilson replacement looking something like this from free agency:
Devin Bush
Leo Chenal
Nakobe Dean
Kaden Elliss
Kenneth Murray
Quay Walker
Devin White
Quincy Williams
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (54) runs onto the field during pregame introductions ahead of a matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The defender took part in the Chiefs’ opening ceremonies before kickoff in a divisional contest. Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA: Chenal sprinted onto the field during introductions. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images.
The Vikings could also explore re-signing Pace Jr., hoping that his tackling woes could be rectified over the summer.
Other notable linebackers from April’s draft include C.J. Allen (Georgia), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Jacob Rogdriguez (Texas Tech), and Josiah Trotter (Missouri).
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