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I am human – Pep Guardiola defends his celebrations as Man City win Carabao Cup

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Pep Guardiola said “I am a human being” as he defended his wild celebrations in Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory against Arsenal.

Guardiola channelled his inner Jose Mourinho as he sprinted along the Wembley touchline before kicking an advertising board following Nico O’Reilly’s quickfire second-half brace.

Riccardo Calafiori hit a post, and Gabriel Jesus struck the crossbar, as Arsenal went in search of a response but City saw out the win as Guardiola landed the 19th trophy of his remarkable 10-season City tenure.

“I wanted another yellow card and that is why I did it,” joked Guardiola when quizzed about his celebration. “That was the target.

“Listen, if I can’t celebrate in the moment against a team like Arsenal, and the way we were playing… My emotions are related to the way we are playing. I react when it is OK, we scored a goal, and emotions came out.

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“I am not artificially intelligent, I am a human being, and I want to celebrate. It was not showing disrespect to Arsenal or for the other fans, I just celebrated with my people. And when I feel it, I express it.”

Guardiola became the first manager in history to win the Carabao Cup five times, and, despite question marks over his City future, he indicated he has no desire to walk away at the end of the season.

“It is so difficult to win titles, it doesn’t matter if it is the Premier League or the Champions League, but to win against that team made the title special,” he added.

“Alongside Barcelona and Bayern Munich as well, they are the best team in Europe. And what we have done by winning 19 titles in 10 years in the modern era, in England, in Europe, it is hat’s off to the whole organisation.

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“I still have the joy to compete. Today was a real challenge, nobody gave us anything. I said to the players: ‘Today, we are going to see what our level is’. They are the best so far, no doubt about that, so let’s prove ourselves and in the second half, I could not believe we could do it against Arsenal, and we did it.”

City are nine points behind the Gunners in the race for the Premier League title. However, Guardiola’s side have a game in hand, and host Arteta’s men at the Etihad next month.

Arsenal will also be wounded by City derailing their outside chance of an unprecedented quadruple.

Guardiola continued: “I would like to be nine points in front of Arsenal, and I don’t know if I would change the trophy for the nine points to fight for the Premier League.

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“It is a different competition, and they will be more controlled when they come to the Etihad. Maybe for that game it will help us, but the Premier League is in their hands. Is that team going to drop points? We will try to win our games and then see what happens.”

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MI vs RCB: Rohit vs Bhuvneshwar, Kohli vs Bumrah: 5 key battles in today’s match

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Mumbai Indians (MI) and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face off tonight, April 12, 2026, at the Wankhede Stadium for Match 20 of the IPL. A high-voltage IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede is set to be headlined by the iconic rivalry between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both veterans have made solid starts to the season and remain key to their teams despite being in the latter stages of their careers.

Both teams enter the contest after losses to Rajasthan Royals and will be eager to recover. The match is particularly crucial for MI, who need to make the most of their home advantage after a mixed start to the season.

Here are the 5 key battles between RCB and MI:

Hardik Pandya vs Krunal Pandya

In the IPL, Krunal Pandya has held a slight edge over his younger brother Hardik Pandya in their head-to-head encounters. Hardik Pandya has scored 29 runs while Krunal has dismissed him only once.

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Rohit Sharma vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

In their long-standing IPL rivalry, Rohit Sharma has largely dominated Bhuvneshwar Kumar, scoring freely while rarely losing his wicket. Rohit has scored 94 runs with a strike rate of 136, while Bhuvneshwar has dismissed him only once.

Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah

Virat Kohli holds the record for the most IPL runs against Jasprit Bumrah. While Kohli has scored at a brisk rate, Bumrah has been effective in dismissing him, especially in recent seasons. Virat has scored 150 runs while Bumrah has dimissed him by 5 times in IPL.

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Rajat Patidar vs Shardul Thakur

Rajat Patidar has generally found success against Shardul Thakur particularly in the middle overs where he looks to attack. Rajat Patidar has scored 31 runs in 18 balls while Shardul is yet to get him out.

Phil Salt vs Trent Boult

In their T20 encounters, Phil Salt has found it challenging to score freely against Trent Boult, although he has been dismissed only once, Salt has scored only 14 runs.

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Marie-Louise Eta Becomes First Woman to Manage Men’s Team in Europe’s Top Five Leagues

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Union Berlin have made history after appointing Marie-Louise Eta as their interim head coach until the end of the season, making her the first woman to manage a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Her appointment follows the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart after Union Berlin’s 3–1 defeat away to bottom side 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday.

Union Berlin currently sit 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga table and are 11 points clear of the automatic relegation zone with five matches left to play. However, they have struggled for form in 2026, winning only two of their last 14 league games.

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Eta, 34, is no stranger to breaking barriers. She became the Bundesliga’s first female assistant coach in November 2023, also at Union Berlin. She later made history again when she took charge from the touchline during a 1–0 win over Darmstadt in January 2024 while serving as interim coach during a suspension for then-manager Nenad Bjelica.

A former Germany youth international and Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, Eta has been managing Union Berlin’s under-19 side since July 2025 and is also set to become the club’s women’s head coach in the summer.

Union Berlin’s director of men’s football, Horst Heldt, said the decision was taken due to poor recent results.

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“We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position,” he said.

“Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.”

Eta acknowledged the challenge ahead, with Union only seven points above the relegation play-off spot.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” she said.

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“I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.

“I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points.”

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Changingoftheguard’s 2026 Sydney Cup upset caps Kris Lees’ big day

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Kris Lees etched a highlight in his storied training legacy as Changingoftheguard set the pace wire-to-wire for victory in the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) over Royal Randwick’s track on Saturday.

Boasting ownership from a powerhouse syndicate including Lloyd and Nick Williams, the $51 chance was perfectly positioned by Jason Collett at the head of affairs, seeing off all comers in the grueling stayers’ battle.

It has been 20 years to the day since Lees first prevailed in the Sydney Cup aboard his trusty County Tyrone.

“When County Tyrone won the Sydney Cup it was one of my biggest thrills in racing, ” Lees said. “But I would have to say this is just as big a thrill. ”

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Lees had earlier tallied his sixth in the $1 million Provincial-Midway Championships Final, sweeping the quinella via Lord Of Biscay ahead of barnmate Imposant.

The esteemed Newcastle handler, whom Nick Williams calls the “nicest guy in racing,” revealed the Changingoftheguard Sydney Cup as a career-defining feat.

“It is exciting just to train for them (Team Williams), ” Lees said.

“Nick is a really good mate and to train for LLoyd and to win a prestigious race like this is a huge thrill. ”

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Lloyd Williams, a Hall of Fame inductee with seven Melbourne Cup strikes, added a fifth Sydney Cup with Changingoftheguard to his tally, following Gallante (2016), Mourayan (2013), Gallic (2007), and Major Drive (1987).

The $51 Changingoftheguard echoed the biggest Sydney Cup shock since 200/1 Murray King dominated 100 years ago, prevailing by half a neck over Soul Of Spain ($8) with Highland Bling ($17) third, beaten a short neck.

River Of Stars, crunched into $5 favoritism, loomed menacingly turning for home yet faded badly to seventh.

Out of Galileo, one of history’s premier sires, Changingoftheguard kicked off with Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, winning thrice in nine starts notably the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and fifth to Desert Crown in the 2022 English Derby.

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Subsequently purchased by Lloyd and Nick Williams, the horse joined Lees’ stable.

Changingoftheguard managed only 13 starts in close to three years with Lees, enhancing his ability each time out; the prior spring saw him take the City Tattersalls Club Cup and ninth behind Half Yours in the Melbourne Cup.

“He ran a bold race in the Melbourne Cup and we said after that we would save the blinkers for the Sydney Cup, ” Lees said. “They were always going on, we were just trying to wait for today. It was a good plan and I’m happy we got the result.

“It’s a great thrill to win in those colours too. What a lovely, rated ride by Jason (Collet), I thought he was actually going too slow.

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“He got him back to 14 (second sectionals), the horse goes quicker in trackwork most mornings, but they upped the ante when they came up around him and it was really pleasing. “

Collett had questioned Changingoftheguard post his ninth in last week’s Chairman’s Quality but Lees’ race eve chat reignited his optimism.

“Kris said to me before the race that on the wet track last week the horse’s ‘wheels spun’, ” Collett said.

“Then Kris said if the horse finds the bridle he’ll want to do it and he did. It was very lonely down the back straight, but I loved it though.

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“It’s a good feeling when a horse gets in a good rhythm like that. We don’t get too many opportunities here in Australia over these distances. “

As Changingoftheguard dug in against Newlook down the straight’s early stages, Collett sensed momentum shift.

“When he didn’t throw in the towel I thought ‘that’s a change’, ” Collett said. So that definitely gave me some confidence and although it’s a long straight, it’s pretty cool to win a Sydney Cup. ”

Tommy Berry excelled on near-miss Soul Of Spain, musing on barrier misfortune. “Soul Of Spain did a massive effort from the barrier. If he draws a gate, he arguably wins but the winner has done a good job in front as well, ” Berry said.

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Highland Bling, sparingly raced with autumn placings in the Adelaide Cup and here, drew strong endorsement from Ben Thompson. “It was a great run by Highland Bling, ” Thompson said.

“At start 16 it feels like he’s got a stack of scope left. To run third in this grade

Find the premier betting sites for Sydney Cup action.

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Nuggets vs. Spurs prediction, odds, spread, time: 2026 NBA picks for Sunday

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The final day of the NBA regular season will see the Denver Nuggets facing the San Antonio Spurs. Denver (53-28) is the current No. 3 seed in the West and will clinch that seed with a win. However, the Nuggets can fall to the fourth seed with a loss to San Antonio, plus a Lakers victory over the Jazz. San Antonio (62-19) is locked into the No. 2 seed. The Nuggets are riding an 11-game win streak, while San Antonio has won three in a row. Jamal Murray (shoulder) is one of four Denver starters listed as out, while Nikola Jokic (wrist) and Victor Wembanyama (ribcage) are both listed as questionable.

Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Denver has won two of three matchups this season. The latest Spurs vs. Nuggets odds have San Antonio as 11.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 232.5. Before making any Nuggets vs. Spurs picks, check out the Spurs vs. Nuggets predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

Visit our DraftKings promo code review to see their latest offers and get started.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 25 on a sizzling 47-20 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.    

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Now, the model has simulated Spurs vs. Nuggets 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Nuggets vs. Spurs:

Spurs vs. Nuggets spread:    

San Antonio -11.5 at DraftKings    

Spurs vs. Nuggets over/under:    

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232.5 points

Spurs vs. Nuggets money line:

Spurs -526, Nuggets +393

Spurs vs. Nuggets picks:    

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See picks at SportsLine

Spurs vs. Nuggets streaming:

Fubo (Try for free)

Visit our Kalshi promo code review to see their latest offers and get started.

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Top Nuggets vs. Spurs predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Spurs vs. Nuggets, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (232.5). No team has hit the Over more than Denver this season, to the tune of it having a 51-30 record. That includes Denver’s last game going over by 11.5 points, despite the Nuggets sitting their entire starting lineup. So, even with a skeleton Denver crew for Sunday’s contest, one can still expect lots of points on the scoreboard.

All three matchups this season between the teams have gone over, with each of the three seeing both teams score at least 131 points. The Spurs went over in their last contest on Friday versus Dallas as the Over is now 11-8 for San Antonio over its last 19 games. The model acknowledges the trends and projects 237 combined points. See the Nuggets vs. Spurs spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Spurs vs. Nuggets picks

After simulating each possession 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks

So who wins Nuggets vs. Spurs, and which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Spurs vs. Nuggets line to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.

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Union Berlin appoint first female head coach

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Marie-Louise Eta has been appointed as the head coach of German football club Union Berlin, becoming the first woman to hold the role in any of European football’s top professional men’s leagues.

Eta will lead the Bundesliga side until the end of the season after former coach Steffen Baumgart was sacked.

Union parted ways with Baumgart late on Saturday night following a 1-3 defeat away at bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim, a result which left the Berlin side with only two wins in 2026 and in danger of slipping towards the relegation zone.

Eta, who currently coaches Union’s under-19 men’s side, will now take charge of the senior team on an interim basis for the remaining five games of the season before becoming the women’s first team head coach in the summer.

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“We’ve had an absolutely disappointing second half of the season so far,” said Union Director of Sport, Horst Heldt.

“Two wins out of 14 games since the winter break, and the performances we’ve shown in recent weeks, didn’t give us the confidence that we could turn things around with the existing setup. We’ve therefore decided to start afresh, and I’m delighted that Marie-Louise Eta has agreed to take on this role on an interim basis.”

Marie-Louise Eta: ‘Bundesliga survival not yet secure’

Eta, 34, will take over immediately. Her first game in charge will be at home to fellow relegation strugglers VfL Wolfsburg next Saturday.

“Given the tight situation at the bottom of the table, our survival in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” she warned. “One of Union’s strengths has always been the ability to pull together in such situations, so I’m pleased that the club has entrusted this challenging task to me.”

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While the interim appointment makes Eta the first woman to officially take charge of a men’s Bundesliga side, it’s far from the Dresden-born coach’s first involvement with Union’s men’s team.

Between November 2023 and May 2024, Eta assisted Marco Grote when he took interim charge following the dismissal of former head coach Urs Fischer. She remained on the coaching staff under Fischer’s permanent successor, Nenad Bjelica, becoming the first-ever female assistant coach in the Champions League in the process.

Who is Union Berlin’s head coach Marie-Louise Eta?

As a player, Eta — then under her maiden name Bagehorn — won three Women’s Bundesliga titles and the 2010 Women’s Champions League with Turbine Potsdam.

She also represented Germany from under-15 to under-23 level, winning the under-17 European Championship in 2008 and the under-20 World Cup in 2010, but ended her playing career aged 26 due to a series of injuries.

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In February 2023, she completed her UEFA Pro License, the coaching qualification required to take charge of a professional men’s football team.

Eta is the first woman to take charge of a senior men’s team in England, Spain, Germany, France or Italy, widely considered to be the best five leagues in Europe.

While women have managed men’s football teams in lower divisions before, Eta is the first to take official charge in a top division.

German third-tier club Ingolstadt are currently coached by Sabrina Wittmann, while French second-division club Clermont were managed by Corinne Diacre for three seasons until 2017.

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Edited by: Karl Sexton

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Boxing: Why Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are still on different pages

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Even during his brief hiatus, Fury remained the ghost at every heavyweight feast.

Promoters, broadcasters and rivals all spoke as though he remained in the room.

In north London on Saturday, he was back to his familiarly unpredictable self.

There was an emotional tribute to the late Ricky Hatton, plus moments where Fury appeared to admire his own work mid-fight, and then the other side of his persona – the man who goes on the offensive verbally.

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In many ways, boxing missed him and the timing of Fury’s return has been deliberate.

Hours after his win, season two of At Home with the Furys lands on Netflix. By tying boxing to a platform of that scale, the sport has regained a level of mainstream exposure it has not enjoyed since the terrestrial boom of the 1990s.

The streaming platform – with its 325 million global subscribers – will release viewing figures soon, but the Makhmudov match-up could prove to have been one of the most-watched boxing fights in years in the UK.

There would be even greater clamour for Fury v Joshua.

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Possible venues are already being discussed. Croke Park, with its 80,000-plus capacity, has emerged as a leading contender.

It would be an unusual setting for the biggest fight in British boxing history – a Dublin stage for an English rivalry.

But wherever it takes place, the location now feels almost secondary. The perfect moment may have passed, yet the fascination refuses to disappear.

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Union Berlin appoint Marie-Louise Eta as first woman head coach

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Marie-Louise Eta has become the first woman appointed to manage a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues after being named interim head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin.

Her appointment until the end of the season follows the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, whose team lost 3-1 to bottom side FC Heidenheim on Saturday.

Union Berlin, who sit 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga, are 11 points clear of the automatic relegation zone with five matches remaining but have only won twice in 14 league outings in 2026.

Eta, 34, is no stranger to breaking barriers, becoming the Bundesliga’s first female assistant coach, also with Union Berlin, in November 2023.

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She deputised for then-manager Nenad Bjelica, who was serving a three-match suspension, during a 1-0 win over Darmstadt in January 2024 to become the first woman to lead a Bundesliga team from the touchline.

Eta, a former Germany youth international and Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, has been working as Union Berlin’s under-19s manager since July 2025 and will become the club’s women’s head coach in the summer.

“We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position,” said Horst Heldt, Union’s director of men’s football.

“Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.”

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Eta pointed to the challenges she faces, with Union seven points ahead of St Pauli, who sit in the relegation play-off spot.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” she said.

“I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.

“I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points.”

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Eta’s appointment comes more than 25 years after Carolina Morace became the first woman to manage a men’s professional team in Europe when she joined Italian third division side Viterbese in 1999.

Corinne Diacre spent three seasons in charge of Clermont Foot in France’s Ligue 2 from 2014 to 2017, leaving to become head coach of the France women’s team.

In July 2023, Hannah Dingley became the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in English football when she was appointed caretaker boss of Forest Green Rovers, although she did not lead the side in a competitive fixture.

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Fantasy Baseball: Surging prospect Noah Schultz warrants an immediate pickup with word of his promotion

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Amid the reports of him coming up to the majors Tuesday, I don’t want to leave any room for ambiguity on this: Yes, you should pick up Noah Schultz.

That’s not true for every prospect call-up. It’s not always worth it to invest in a relative lottery ticket at a position where you’re already loaded, and that’s especially the case in Head-to-Head leagues, where bench space is best devoted to starting pitchers.

But Schultz is himself a starting pitcher, and I can’t think of a league where I couldn’t use another one of those. To be clear, that’s not because my pitching is bad, but because pitching can easily go bad. If you’re not constantly on the lookout for breakout arms to bolster your staff — or even just to mix in on occasion when the matchups favor it — you’re leaving your fate in the hands of fortune.

More than simply being a pitcher, though, Schultz is special. People forget because he put together a 4.68 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 between two minor league stops last year, but it was only a year earlier that he had a 2.24 ERA, 0.9 WHIP and 11.7 K/9. Baseball America labeled him a top-10 overall prospect at the time. I myself called him the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball.

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You see what he’s doing this year? In three appearances at Triple-A, the same level where he had a 9.37 ERA in five starts last year, Schultz has allowed four hits in 14 innings, striking out 19 while walking just two. Small sample, sure, but it’s not without precedent. And you don’t need to look hard to see what makes him so dominant:

That’s six feet and 10 inches of limbs from an almost sidearm delivery, which makes for unfamiliar pitch shapes and shorter reaction times. It’s such an uncomfortable look that it can be difficult to handle even in a non-competitive scenario.

“Just a nightmare for a hitter,” said right-hander Duncan Davitt, Schultz’s Triple-A teammate who got to the majors just a shade before he did. “He’s kind of hard to play catch with sometimes just because it’s funky and it’s hard. He’s going to be a guy when he gets his chance.”

OK, but why not last year? If Schultz is so difficult to read, why did minor league hitters have such an easy time with him then? Well, for one thing, he was hurt, pitching through patellar tendinitis in his right knee that continued to flare up over the course of the season. It likely compromised his mechanics, seeing as he spent three months this offseason at the Boras Sports Institute in Miami to shore them up.

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“I’m excited to go out and show it,” he said at the start of spring training. “A lot of mechanical things. I was kind of drifting away from some of the things I had done in the past that we cleaned up. I’m really happy with where I’m at.”

What things? Well, his arm angle is slightly lower now than during his short stay at Triple-A last year. He’s added about a mile per hour across all of his pitches. He also has a new cutter that he’s featuring 21 percent of the time. And obviously, he’s throwing more strikes — way more. I’d be skeptical if it was an entirely new development for him, but he issued just 2.4 walks per nine innings during his impressive 2024 season. The bad 2025 is looking more and more like the outlier.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to buy in, though, is that the White Sox in no way had to do this. Schultz wasn’t in anyone’s sights for a quick promotion after the way he performed last year. The White Sox aren’t contending and could have filled the spot in any number of boring ways. They called him up simply because they believe he’s ready.

“He’s in a good spot,” White Sox adviser to pitching Brian Bannister said Sunday. “The velo’s there, he’s healthy. You can just see his general smile and demeanor. He’s confident with where he’s at right now. The arsenal is there.”

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I’m inclined to agree and would prioritize Schultz over any pitchers on the fringes of rosterability in Fantasy. A few examples:

I might hesitate to take Schultz ahead of Connelly Early, but Didier Fuentes isn’t even in the majors right now and Randy Vasquez was barely registering in NL-only leagues three weeks ago. Grabbing Schultz ahead of either is an easy call.

You mean Max Scherzer, the 41-year-old who hasn’t been an impactful Fantasy pitcher in three years and may not be healthy even now? Uh … yeah.

What are we clinging to here? The high whiff rate in spring training that ran counter to the rest of Matthew Liberatore’s career and has evaporated with the start of the regular season? Come on, give me a tough one.

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Honestly, yeah. Edward Cabrera has gotten away from what made him so effective last year by leaning into his four-seamer again and is a major liability in ERA and WHIP.

Dropping Grant Holmes or Merrill Kelly for Schultz is A-OK with me. I obviously wouldn’t drop Kris Bubic for him, though, and would probably stand pat with Parker Messick as well (though Schultz has the more upside of the two).

Kyle Harrison is interesting, but he’s not Schultz.

Emerson Hancock might be the embodiment of “fringes of rosterability,” so sure.

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Mitch Keller and Jeffrey Springs are both among my sleeper pitchers for this week, but I wouldn’t forfeit a chance at Schultz for a two-start streamer. The season is long, my friends.

Yes, there are some scenarios in shallower leagues where clearing a spot for Schultz simply isn’t possible, but he needs to be rostered in your league even if you’re not the one capable of rostering him. Just be extra sure that you aren’t. Rather than go through every scenario one by one, I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you he ranks 66th for me at starting pitcher.

That doesn’t make him foolproof, of course. There’s really no predicting how a player’s first stint in the majors will go, given the enormous leap in difficulty, so you do need to show some restraint in your FAB bidding. I should also note that Schultz threw only 73 innings in the minors last year and has never thrown more than 88 1/3, so he’ll likely face workload limitations of some kind, whether it’s shorter outings, skipped starts or a soft shutdown like the White Sox implemented with Garrett Crochet two years ago. I don’t, however, think now is the time to worry about it. For now, you secure the asset. You allow him to accrue value. You reassess later.

One final thought: A Tuesday debut lines Schultz up for two starts right away — and with pretty favorable matchups against the Rays and Athletics. For all the unknowns, I don’t think I could resist using him right away.

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Reported 2025-26 Men’s Hoops TV Viewers in the West

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  By SuperWest Sports Staff


The 2025-26 men’s basketball season ended for teams from the West with Arizona playing in the Final Four following one of the best seasons in school history.

The Wildcats came out on top among regional teams in another category as well, logging the most Nielsen-reported TV viewers in the regular season, including conference tournaments, plus the postseason, and overall.

Here are the viewer counts in all three view counts

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Regular Season and Conference Tournament TV Viewers
Team TV Viewers
Arizona 21.82M
BYU 17.65M
Washington 15.31M
UCLA 13.15M
Gonzaga 8.78M
ASU 7.77M
Oregon 4.45M
USC 4.23M
Utah 4.06M
Saint Mary’s 2.43M
Santa Clara 2.40M
Colorado 2.10M
SDSU 2.08M
Utah State 2.08M
Ore St 1.24M
WSU 1.20M
Boise State 869K
Cal 787K
UNLV 679K
Stanford 588K
Colorado State 410K
New Mexico 401K
Nevada 343K
SJSU 312K
Fresno State 94K
Air Force 32K
Wyoming 30K

Postseason – NCAA, NIT, and Crown
Team TV Viewers
Arizona 32.0M
BYU 29.7M
UCLA 6.76M
Gonzaga 5.87M
Santa Clara 4.99M
Utah State 4.07M
New Mexico 1.39M
Saint Mary’s 667K
Nevada 523K
Stanford 216K
Colorado 207K
Cal 146K
Wyoming 77K
UNLV 70K
Colorado State 56K

Total – Regular Season, Conference Tournaments, and Postseason
Team TV Viewers
Arizona 53.84M
BYU 47.35M
UCLA 19.91M
Washington 15.31M
Gonzaga 14.65M
ASU 7.77M
Santa Clara 7.39M
Utah State 6.15M
Oregon 4.45M
USC 4.23M
Utah 4.06M
Saint Mary’s 3.09M
Colorado 2.31M
SDSU 2.08M
New Mexico 1.79M
Ore St 1.24M
WSU 1.20M
Cal 933K
Boise State 869K
Nevada 866K
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La Liga: Yamal scores as Barcelona capitalizes on Real Madrid’s stumble | Football News

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Lamine Yamal secured Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Espanyol after setting up Ferran Torres for a double and the La Liga leaders took another step toward retaining the title.


Yamal passed for Ferran to score in the 10th and 25th minutes before the teenage phenom ensured the victory in the 87th with Espanyol threatening to equalize. Marcus Rashford made it four for the hosts at Camp Nou in the 89th.


Barcelona capitalized on Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at home to Girona on Friday to increase its lead to nine points with seven rounds remaining.


Barcelona and Madrid will try to overcome losses in the Champions League quarterfinals in their next games after Barcelona lost to Atletico Madrid 2-0 and Madrid fell to Bayern Munich 2-1 this week.

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While Madrid will travel to Germany on a three-game winless streak, Barcelona’s attack is clicking as it heads to Spain’s capital needing a big win to advance to the European semifinals.


Barcelona’s fans chanted “Yes we can!” after the match with its team playing at Atletico on Tuesday.


“The team is in a good place. We’ll be ready. We want to go there and fight Atletico,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “We don’t need a miracle. We need to play our best football.” 
Barcelona’s best play is coming from the 18-year-old Yamal, who leads the team both in goals (22) and assists (18) across all competitions this season. 

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Yamal also picked up another record for precociousness after he became the youngest player to reach 100 appearances in La Liga at 18 years, 272 days. That beat the previous mark of Bojan Krkic who played his 100th game at age 20.


Yamal’s other records include youngest player to debut and to score in La Liga.


Ferran ends drought 
Ferran started the season in good form, scoring 16 goals among more starts than aging star Robert Lewandowski. While lacking the clinical scoring touch of the Poland striker, Ferran provided more movement, speed and linked up well with Yamal and his midfielders.


But Ferran then hit a slump and had not scored since Jan. 31.

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His goalless run stretched across 13 games in all competitions and finally ended on Saturday when Yamal delivered a corner kick to the far post where Ferran leapt over Carlos Romero and nodded it home.


Ferran celebrated by gesturing with his hands as if they were talking, apparently in reference to the talk in the sports press and social media about his scoring troubles.


He made it a brace when he used a subtle touch to roll a pass by Yamal under on-rushing goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic.


“A forward is always judged by the goals he scores,” Ferran said. “It is true I hadn’t scored in some time but I believed in my efforts and that the payoff would come when least expected.” 
Espanyol makes Barcelona fight 
Espanyol midfielder Pol Lozano put the result in doubt when he used one touch to fire in a rebound of a loose ball to make it 2-1 in the 56th.

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But Yamal finished off the Catalan derby when Dmitrovic tried to clear a long pass but ended up knocking it off Yamal, who only had to push the ball into the open net.


“The final score was too lopsided for the game we saw,” said coach Manolo Gonzalez, whose Espanyol remained in 10th. “We had our chances and their first three goals were from our defensive mistakes.” 
Rashford got his goal when he was set up by fellow substitute Frenkie de Jong, who made his first appearance in over a month after the Netherlands midfielder recovered from a right leg injury.


Atletico rotates starters and loses 
An Atletico side with several second-choice players and member of its youth squad lost 2-1 at Sevilla, which moved away from the relegation zone with its first win under new coach Luis Garcia.


Akor Adams and Nemanja Gudelj scored for Sevilla. Atletico defender Javier Bonar scored in his debut at age 20.

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Other results 
Elche escaped the danger zone and leapfrogged Valencia with a 1-0 win thanks to a goal by Lucas Cepeda.


Alaves striker Lucas Boye struck late in stoppage time to complete a 3-3 draw at Real Sociedad.


In this round the referees and some teams wore throwback shirts as part of a “La Liga Retro” promotion.

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