Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao during a timeout in Game 6 against Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO—Coach Yeng Guiao conceded that Barangay Ginebra proved itself as the better team as Rain or Shine suffered another semifinal disappointment.

The Elasto Painters’ promising PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign drew to a close on Sunday here after they fell 118-107 before a big crowd at Ynares Center.

READ: PBA: Ginebra beats pesky Rain or Shine to return to finals

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this conference,” Guiao said. “We made it all the way to the semifinals. We’ve lost a couple of players (Felix Lemetti and Luis Villegas) along the way, but we still put up a good fight against Ginebra.

“Ginebra deserves to win the finals. They played with consistency in this series. They shot the ball well, especially from the three points. Justin Brownlee and RJ [Abarrientos] just carried them on their shoulders. We found it hard to really match up with those two guys.

“They deserved to make it to the finals. We wish them the best of luck in the finals. On our side, we’ll start preparing for the next conference. We will determine who our import will be,” he added.

Rain or Shine lost in the semis for the fifth time in the last six conferences, but its clash with Ginebra was its best chance of finally breaking through.

The Elasto Painters took Game 1 and later tied the best-of-seven at 2-2 before going down in the last two games.

READL: PBA: Yeng Guiao calls out Alfrancis Chua over heated exchange

“Of course, there’s a sense of frustration, but we still have a long way to go. We still have a long way to go. We still need to learn how to build a team that can compete in the finals,” said Guiao.

“We’re happy about our import, JJ (Jaylen Johnson), but Brownlee played a different game. He could be the best import of all time, considering all that he’s achieved in all the years that he’s played. We gave ourselves a chance.

“Actually, every game, we have a chance to win. There’s a chance that whatever momentum we build up, at the point where we can probably turn the tide, they have an answer. That’s how it is.”

Rain or Shine now ponders how it can build on the Commissioner’s Cup into the season-ending Governors’ Cup set to open in July. The Elasto Painters won their first seven games before finishing the eliminations at 9-3 for third in the standings.

They eliminated San Miguel Beer in the quarters to forge a matchup with Ginebra.

Soccer Aid is into its 20th year, but it’s the World XI who hold the advantage over England in terms of wins. World XI have won the match eight times, with England coming out victorious six.

In the early years, the match was played biannually, before becoming an annual event in 2018.

Here’s a look at all the past results:

2006 – England 2-1 World XI

2008 – England 4-3 World XI

2010 – England 2-2 World XI (World XI won 7-6 on pens)

2012 – England 3-1 World XI

2014 – England 2-4 World XI

2016 – England 3-2 World XI

2018 – England 3-3 World XI (England won 4-3 on pens)

2019 – England 2-2 World XI (World XI won 3-1 on pens)

2020 – England 1-1 World XI (World XI won 4-3 on pens)

2021 – England 0-3 World XI

2022 – England 2-2 World XI (World XI won 4-1 on pens)

2023 – England 2-4 World XI

2024 – England 6-3 World XI

2025 – England 4-5 World XI

Super Bowl champion Joe Theismann, who spent his entire career with the then-Washington Redskins, is excited for the Commanders this season despite an underwhelming season last year.

Last season, the Commanders went 5-12 after making the NFC Championship in 2024. Theismann, 76, said the team ran out of gas last season as they dealt with injuries.

“It was a lot of injuries in key places last year. The defense, I think, was very susceptible in certain areas,” Theismann told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “With Bobby (Wagner) getting older now, obviously, we just sort of ran out of gas. 17 games is a lot of football games, right? I mean, that that’s a lot of wear and tear on your body. I don’t care how young you think you are, your body’s going to tell you you’re not that young.”

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Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders looks on from the sidelines after leaving the game during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Dec. 7, 2025. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

The Commanders defense struggled last season, giving up 26.5 points per game, which was 27th in the NFL. The team addressed their porous defense in the NFL Draft, drafting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick.

“Our number one pick is going to be something special going forward,” Theismann said. “I think we added some really great pieces on defense.”

The Commanders invested heavily in their defense. Former Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Odafe Oweh (four-year, $100 million), former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (three-year, $24.75 million), and former Houston Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle (three-year, $24 million) were among their key free agent additions.

Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin missed the majority of the Commanders’ offseason program due to a contract holdout, and Theismann pointed out he will be an active participant in this year’s program.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION JOE THEISMANN WEIGHS IMPACT OF JAXSON DART-ABDUL CARTER TRUMP CONTROVERSY ON LOCKER ROOM

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles gets into position during the 2025 Cotton Bowl quarterfinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 31, 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

The Commanders made a change at offensive coordinator after mutually agreeing to part ways with Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders promoted David Blough to replace Kingsbury, and Theismann noted how the offense will be called differently.

“I think David Blough will call the games a little differently than Kliff did. A Little more play action, a little more under center. And this is what Jayden (Daniels) had a chance to work on while he was not participating in the games at the end of the season. So, he’s a little bit ahead of the curve when it comes to that as well,” Theismann said.

Daniels was limited to just seven games due to injury last season, giving him the opportunity to get a head start on a new system late in the season.

Theismann did note that while the Commanders got better, the rest of the NFC East got better as well.

“The division itself has improved. The Giants got better. I think the coaching change makes a difference. Jaxson Dart is coming into another year. Defensively, they really didn’t play to the talent that they have,” Theismann said. “The Cowboys added defensive talent. They needed some help there. The Eagles are the Eagles; they’re not going away. I mean, everybody is trying to bust on Jalen (Hurts) and all he does is show up and do the job and win football games.”

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Former player Joe Theismann speaks during the announcement of the Washington Football Team’s name change to the Washington Commanders at FedExField in Landover, Md., on Feb. 2, 2022. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Theismann played in the NFL for 12 seasons, spending his whole career with the then-Washington Redskins. He was named the league MVP in 1983 and made the Pro Bowl twice.

He led the Redskins to the Super Bowl in 1982, when they beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. In his career, Theismann completed 56.7% of his passes for 25,206 yards with 160 touchdowns and 138 interceptions.

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Theismann will be competing in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

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The Cup Series holds its second night race of the year with the 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 on Sunday. The green flag drops at 7 p.m. ET at Nashville Superspeedway for a race which has seen different winners in the five years of its existence. Team Penske and Hendrick have notched four of the five NASCAR Nashville victories, perhaps making their drivers ones to back with Cracker Barrel 400 2026 bets and NASCAR DFS strategy. Yet, it’s someone who has never prevailed at Nashville Superspeedway who tops the 2026 NASCAR Nashville odds board.

Denny Hamlin, who will start on the pole, is the +390 favorite, while Cup Series points leader, Tyler Reddick, follows at +700. A trio is next in line at +750, including defending race winner, Ryan Blaney, as well as Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. Coming off a win last week, Daniel Suarez is a +5000 longshot to target with 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 picks and in Cracker Barrel 400 DFS pools. Before locking in any NASCAR Nashville predictions or NASCAR DFS lineups, you need to see the projected leaderboard from Mike McClure’s proven model.

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McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the NASCAR Cracker Barrel 400. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

2026 NASCAR at Nashville predictions

For NASCAR at Nashville 2026, McClure is fading Reddick (+700), saying he barely cracks the top 10 despite being the second-favorite. Reddick’s winning ways haven’t kept pace since his blistering start as he’s winless over his last four starts, following triumphing in five of his first nine races. His career average finish of 15.6 at Nashville is topped by a dozen other drivers, and his team in 23XI Racing has just a single top 5 over its last nine Nashville starters. Additionally, Reddick’s raced this track three times on the Xfinity Series — including his last Xfinity start in 2024 — and he’s never placed better than 14th in any of those starts.

Another surprise: Chase Elliott (+1900) is projected to make a strong run towards the title. Elliott is one of the five drivers to win this race, which came in 2022, and he also has another top 5 at Nashville. The 2020 Cup Series champion is in contention again this year, sitting in fifth place, and outside of Reddick, Elliott is the only other person with multiple wins this year. Also, few drivers have experienced his success on intermediate and large oval tracks like what he’ll see on Sunday. Elliott’s 13.1 average finish on these circuits is third-best in the sport, including a Texas victory in early May. See which other drivers the model is backing at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 picks

McClure is also high on three other longshots of over +2000 who make a run for the top of the leaderboard, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who it is here.

So who wins the 2026 Cracker Barrel 400, and which massive longshots could stun NASCAR at Nashville? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that nailed 11 winners last year, and find out.

2026 NASCAR at Nashville odds, lineup

See full NASCAR Cracker Barrel 400 picks at SportsLine

(Odds from FanDuel, subject to change)
Denny Hamlin +390
Tyler Reddick +700
Kyle Larson +750
Christopher Bell +750
Ryan Blaney +750
Chase Briscoe +1200
Ty Gibbs +1600
William Byron +1600
Chase Elliott +1900
Carson Hocevar +2000
Joey Logano +2200
Chris Buescher +2500
Bubba Wallace +2500
Alex Bowman +3300
Ross Chastain +3300
Ryan Preece +4000
Austin Cindric +4000
Brad Keselowski +4500
Daniel Suarez +5000
Erik Jones +7500
Corey Heim +7500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +10000
Zane Smith +10000
Shane Van Gisbergen +10000
Austin Dillon +10000
AJ Allmendinger +10000
Josh Berry +10000
Austin Hill +12500
Riley Herbst +12500
Michael McDowell +15000
Connor Zilisch +17500
John Hunter Nemechek +20000
Noah Gragson +30000
Cole Custer +30000
Cody Ware +30000
Todd Gilliland +30000
Chad Finchum +30000
Ty Dillon +30000 

RCB captain Rajat Patidar and GT skipper Shubman Gil (Pic credit: IPL)

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final on Sunday, backing his bowlers to make early inroads on what he described as a good batting surface.The decision immediately sparked the familiar debate that accompanies every IPL final: does batting or bowling first offer the better route to the title?A look at IPL history suggests there is no overwhelming advantage either way, though teams setting a target have enjoyed a slight edge in the tournament’s biggest match.Batting first holds a narrow edgeIn the 18 IPL finals played before Sunday’s title clash, teams batting first have lifted the trophy 10 times, while chasing sides have emerged victorious on eight occasions.The numbers indicate that scoreboard pressure has often played a crucial role in finals, where nerves and high stakes can make chasing difficult even on batting-friendly surfaces.However, toss decisions tell a more nuanced story.Captains have elected to field first in eight previous IPL finals. Of those eight occasions, only four resulted in title-winning performances for the side that chose to chase.The first such success came in the inaugural 2008 final when Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings after opting to bowl. Kolkata Knight Riders repeated the feat in 2014 against Punjab, while Chennai Super Kings successfully chased against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018. CSK repeated the feat in 2023, when they beat GT in the final after choosing to chase.Mixed record for teams choosing to chaseSeveral captains who opted to field first in finals have ended up on the losing side. RCB themselves experienced that heartbreak in 2009 when they chose to chase against Deccan Chargers and fell short.More recently, Kolkata lost to Chennai in the 2021 final after electing to bowl, while Punjab Kings suffered a similar fate against RCB in the 2025 summit clash.Patidar, however, appeared unfazed by historical trends. The RCB skipper said the surface was unlikely to change significantly across 40 overs and stressed the importance of staying focused on the present rather than dwelling on past results.Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill revealed that his side would have preferred to bat first anyway, believing there could be assistance for fast bowlers in the opening overs.With history offering only a slight advantage to teams batting first, Sunday’s final is unlikely to be decided by the toss alone. Execution under pressure, rather than statistics, may ultimately determine who lifts the IPL 2026 trophy.

Both excellent long distance runners as well as footballers in their primary school days, Tyler and Jack have tended to be viewed as a pair.

Though they have taken strength from each other’s presence as they have come through the ranks – initially at Manchester City before switching to United in 2023 – they are very much individuals, which goes beyond the beard Tyler grew which helped to tell the difference between them.

Often picked together in United’s midfield at Under-21 level this season, Tyler is more of a number six or number eight. His brother plays slightly higher up the pitch.

Darren, capped 80 times by Scotland, but who never played in a major tournament, has evidently been a key presence in shaping their respective careers. Time and again the duo are described as having similar traits to their dad, including, simply, “being really good lads”.

However, Fletcher senior was also keen to ensure his sons progressed beyond under-18 level before he agreed to take the job this season to avoid any conflicts of interest.

Those who know Tyler say is he a confident, driven young man, but equally very low maintenance. “Polite and conscientious” is how he has been described.

Physically, it has been noted he has settled down, which is key at an age where development is not complete and can come in surges.

Professional development has also been impressive.

Twelve months to the day before his international bow, Tyler was making the second of two brief appearances for United in the final game of their controversial post-season tour of Asia.

It says plenty about his assimilation into the senior ranks, and his performances in his frequent call-ups to training sessions by Carrick that Tyler was invited to the end-of-season squad dinner, arranged by skipper Bruno Fernandes, after the Forest game.

United coaches feel in addition to his stamina and athletic prowess, which they expect to grow as the months go on, Fletcher’s all-round game has improved significantly.

They believe his ability on the ball, vision and understanding of the game means he will become more versatile as the years go on.

Fletcher has slowly been getting used to playing men’s football.

In the first half of the campaign, it was for the under-21 side at places like Brackley, Solihull and Tamworth in the National League Cup, or Lincoln, Barnsley and Notts County in the EFL Trophy. The appearance at Brighton alongside Shea Lacey confirmed Carrick, who has watched numerous Premier League 2 games in person, views him as one of the academy players most ready to make the big step up.

A week ago, the next stage for Fletcher was expected to be as one of the youngsters who will form the core of the group Carrick will take to Helsinki for United’s first pre-season game against Wrexham on 18 July, the day before the World Cup final, and the trip to Rosenborg in Norway the following week.

Those plans might have to be shelved. Fletcher may have other, even more pressing commitments in July now.

“The best day of my life,” was how Fletcher described his first-team debut in February. That might have dropped down to number two in his rankings.

Four-time former champion Iga Swiatek endured a miserable birthday as she was eliminated from the French Open fourth round on Sunday by Marta Kostyuk.

The Polish third seed went down 7-5, 6-1 to the 15th seed from Ukraine.

Kostyuk, the Madrid Open winner, moved into the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.

“I’m still in shock to beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here and I lost four times to her before this, I never took a set off her,” 23-year-old Kostyuk said.

Swiatek will now go another year without the title she first won in 2020 and then three times consecutively between 2022 and 2024.

Read moreTearful Kostyuk speaks of Ukraine missile attack after ‘most difficult’ French Open win

With her fourth-round exit, it was the joint worst performance at Roland Garros for the 25-year-old, equal with the last-16 departure she suffered on her debut in Paris seven years ago.

The first set went on serve until the seventh game when Swiatek pounced on Kostyuk’s service to move in front.

From there, the Pole’s own delivery deserted her as the world number 15 hit back to level before the pair again exchanged another pair of breaks.

Kostyuk then dug in to hold and force the former world number one to try and serve to stay in the set.

Two Swiatek double faults gave Kostyuk the chance to claim the opener and she did with a low cross-court backhand that whizzed past her opponent at the net.

Swiatek swiftly departed the court at the interval in a bid to regroup.

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