Everton midfielder James Garner knew this season was make-or-break for his international aspirations.
The uncapped Garner suddenly has the World Cup in his sights after being called up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
The 25-year-old has not played for his national team since featuring for the under-21s in their successful 2023 European Championship side.
But Garner made a vow at the start of the season to give himself the best chance of earning a senior call-up and has delivered, producing a fine string of displays for Everton.
“I think since I signed at Everton I’ve had quite unlucky spells with two serious back injuries, so that obviously put me out for a long time,” he said.
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“And then obviously, the past three years, we’ve been fighting with the relegation zone.
“So it’s been quite tough for me to really showcase what I can do. And then I just thought to myself, this season was a fresh season, new manager, new stadium, and with a year left for my contract as well, I knew that I had to show everybody what I’m really about, and showcase all my talents, and I’m glad this season is going as well as it is.”
Garner revealed he was able to have a more enjoyable phone call with his dad when he told him news of his call-up.
Garner’s father, who lives in Thailand, is a staunch Liverpool fan, which made some conversations with the former Manchester United and current Everton player a bit awkward.
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“My dad’s just very proud as he is. Phoning him this time about England rather than a club that he doesn’t support is very nice,” Garner added.
“It was a very nice call as well.
“From since I was a young boy, my mum, my dad, my granddad, they’ve all helped me get to the position that I’m in now.
“So I’m very grateful to them, and I owe a lot to them, and I’m hoping that they’re all there on Friday.
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“My dad will have to travel all the way over from Thailand, I’m hoping that they can make it for Friday.”
Accidental Bid is bound for Queensland seeking a berth in the Queensland Derby.
Ciaron Maher’s charge is programmed to tackle the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) this Saturday at Doomben, building towards the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on May 30 at Eagle Farm.
The three-year-old was all the rage for the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 2 but drew no start as the top emergency.
There’s a nagging doubt in the Maher camp that Accidental Bid could be balloted out of the Rough Habit Plate again, putting his Queensland Derby hopes at risk.
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A product of UK breeding, this unbeaten-in-Australia three-year-old captured a 1600m maiden at Pakenham and then went on to win over 2000m at Pakenham last month.
National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull of Ciaron Maher Racing revealed Accidental Bid had a gallop at Ballarat last week, proceeded to Sydney, and is due in Brisbane this week.
Turnbull commented that Accidental Bid will be fully tuned up for Saturday despite no start in a month, having journeyed to Adelaide and back to Ballarat.
“We’ve been able to get work into him, factoring in the travel,” Turnbull said.
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“He did well, condition wise, without running in the South Australian Derby, so we were happy to gallop Wednesday, knowing that he was going to travel twice in a six-to-eight-day period.
“I don’t think we will be using fitness as a problem, but he will need the run to be fully prepared for the Derby.
“We galloped him the reverse way, and he was very natural, which was helpful and I think he will be spot on for his next race and then he will improve again for the Derby trip.”
The Maher team rolled the dice by transporting Accidental Bid to Adelaide despite low odds of contesting the South Australian Derby.
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“He was ready to be led across the road,” Turnbull said.
“We were waiting right until the death with him.
“Ciaron was happy to have the travel as it does bring them on and he’s a placid colt.”
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi says his players are good enough to stay up after their draw with Leeds United leaves them two points clear above the relegation zone with two games to play.
The Hauser Jets, a Class 1A program coming off their best two-year run since winning the state championship in 2006, is hiring Wadsworth away from the Mustangs, confirmed Hauser athletic director Kyle Shipp on Monday.
Edgewood Head Coach Matt Wadsworth instructs his team during the Edgewood versus Sullivan boys basketball game at Edgewood High School on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.
Wadsworth poured a lot of time and energy into Edgewood’s youth programs, but won’t be around as those players begin circulating into the high school. He also saw the opening of the new fieldhouse this winter.
“The first thing I’ll say is, we owe Matt a lot in regards to, he came in during COVID and our youth program was struggling,” Edgewood athletic director Jerry Bland said. “Matt got involved and help stabilize our youth program, knowing they would become our athletes.
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“He stayed active and helped build the junior high program and provided some travel opportunities our kids may not have gotten. Matt made sure those opportunities were out there and available. A lot of that group is just now reaching the high school, so someone else will see the results. He put a lot of work and time in.”
Interestingly, Whiteland’s current head coach, Nate Cangany, was hired out of Hauser to replace Wadsworth in 2019.
Wadsworth takes over for Trent Moorhead (79-27), who left Hauser after four years to take over at Center Grove. Moorhead lead the Jets to semi-state the past two years, only to lose to the eventual state champs by narrow margins. Moorhead’s brother Brad, now head coach at South Ripley, was an assistant under Wadsworth at Edgewood.
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Hauser will play South Ripley on Dec. 11.
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Edgewood will get to work quickly on finding a successor, with summer activities right around the corner. The Mustangs are not rushing the process at the expense of making the right hire. As of Monday afternoon, the administration had not received an official letter of resignation from Wadsworth.
“Once the position is open, and I hope that happens soon, we’ll take applications for the next couple of weeks,” Bland said. “And if we get what we need, or a good assortment of candidates, we’ll move to set up interviews.
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“In a perfect, ideal world, we’ll have someone in place by the start of June, which is a pretty significant month for basketball.”
A lot of team activities take place in June before players turn to more travel team action in July.
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Eastern Greene hires two
Eastern Greene has named a pair of former T-Birds as its new volleyball and girls basketball coaches.
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Nathan Martindale, who coached the middle school girls basketball team and is the middle school athletic director, has stepped up to the varsity position. He has also previously coached the EG girls golf team.
The staff includes Josh Cunningham (JV coach), Jarrod Bahr (varsity assistant) and Lexi Brough (volunteer assistant).
Dara James is the new volleyball coach. She has previously coached for Eastern Greene at the middle school level.
Desmond Mason is back in the news, but this time for legal trouble instead of basketball. The former NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner was arrested in Oklahoma last week on a felony warrant linked to a Texas case, according to News 9 and local police reports. Police said Mason was taken into custody in Bricktown on Thursday before being transported to a local hospital because of a medical issue.
After treatment, he was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, where he remained in custody as of Monday morning. Reports from News 9 stated Mason is currently being held on a “flight to avoid” charge, which is often used when someone crosses state lines to avoid prosecution. The case has quickly gained attention because of Mason’s history as a former NBA player and public figure.
According to News 9, the felony warrant connected to Mason comes from Collin County, Texas, and involves an alleged theft of sports memorabilia. Officials said a couple claimed they paid Mason more than $9,000 in March 2025 for custom framing work involving several sports collectibles.
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The couple reportedly told investigators they never received the framed memorabilia back after handing the items over to Mason. They also claimed Mason became difficult to contact afterwards and often gave reasons for delays instead of delivering the finished products to them.
Officials later confirmed the missing memorabilia involved in the case is valued at nearly $40,000. Mason was eventually arrested in Oklahoma following the investigation. The former NBA player also faced legal trouble in 2024 after being jailed in Oklahoma City on a contempt of court charge linked to his divorce case.
Desmond Mason Built A Second Career In Oklahoma After His NBA Retirement
Before this latest incident, Desmond Mason was widely known for his athletic NBA career and deep connection to Oklahoma basketball. The former Oklahoma State player entered the NBA as the 17th overall pick in the 2000 draft and later won the 2001 Slam Dunk Contest.
Mason spent nearly a decade in the NBA playing for teams including the Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Sacramento Kings. After retiring in 2009, he stayed in Oklahoma City and slowly built another public career outside basketball through artwork and business projects.
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According to News 9 and Oklahoma City civic records, Mason operated an art studio in Midtown and participated in several community and downtown projects over the years. Authorities have not yet confirmed when Mason could potentially be transferred to Texas as the legal process continues moving forward.
The Minnesota Vikings kicked off rookie minicamp last week, and along the way, the franchise signed a hybrid OLB-DT named Smith Vilbert. Yes, it’s the Vilbert the Viking this summer.
Minnesota’s latest roster flyer brings size, length, and a wonderfully obvious nickname.
Vilbert played with Bill Belichick at North Carolina, so the Belichick-to-Brian-Flores communication pipeline is evidently wide open.
Vilbert Adds Another Oversized Body to Flores’ Front
We have details on Vilbert.
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North Carolina defensive lineman Smith Vilbert closes in on Richmond running back Andrew King during second-quarter action on Sep. 13, 2025, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Vilbert later emerged as an intriguing NFL prospect because of his unusual size profile, offering teams the ability to deploy him as a heavy edge defender with occasional interior pass-rushing flexibility. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.
Vilbert to MIN
Minnesota hosted dozens of rookies (and some veterans like quarterback Cooper Rush) last week, and Vilbert actually snagged a contract.
SI.com‘sWill Ragatz wrote, “After the conclusion of their rookie minicamp on Friday, the Vikings signed former Penn State and North Carolina defensive lineman Smith Vilbert to an undrafted free agent contract, according to his agent Brett Tessler. Vilbert was one of 21 rookie tryout players at Friday’s camp and must have impressed the coaching staff in a short time period.”
“Standing nearly 6’6″ and 290 pounds, Vilbert has 34-inch arms and brings some versatility. He lined up mostly as an edge defender in college but can also play on the interior of the D-line. A New Jersey native, Vilbert was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in 2019 and chose Penn State over several other big-time offers.”
Ever since Minnesota discovered defensive tackle Jalen Redmond two years ago, under-the-radar DL additions turn heads for Vikings fans.
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The Background
Vilbert embodies a classic “lottery-ticket” addition for the Vikings: a big, long, and experienced prospect who faces a steep climb to the 53-man roster.
Physically, he checks all the boxes, standing at an imposing 6-foot-6 and 282 pounds. His imposing frame gives Minnesota a rookie defensive lineman capable of fitting into various roles, from traditional defensive tackle to five-technique or a larger edge presence. Such versatility is crucial in Flores’ defense, which frequently demands front-seven players to move around, disguise formations, and take on multiple assignments.
However, his college production doesn’t exactly scream “instant-impact rookie.” Though older than the average first-year player, his collegiate resume is more intriguing than dominant. While he showed flashes at both Penn State and North Carolina, Vilbert enters the NFL more as a developmental project than a polished defender ready for immediate contributions. Hence the undrafted free-agent status.
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The Vikings have already invested significantly in the defensive line with Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, so Vilbert’s most realistic path involves showcasing flashes in training camp, earning preseason reps, proving himself on special teams, and potentially securing a practice squad spot.
Nevertheless, his combination of size, length, and positional versatility makes him precisely the type of undrafted or minicamp prospect Flores is keen to develop. Especially if Belichick brokered the deal.
Penn State defensive end Smith Vilbert waits before kickoff on Oct. 23, 2021, at Beaver Stadium in University Park ahead of a matchup against Illinois. Vilbert spent several seasons developing in the Big Ten before later transferring to North Carolina, where his size and athletic profile helped draw additional NFL interest as a versatile defensive lineman. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports.
The Viking Age‘s Adam Carlson on Vilbert: “Vilbert played 47 games in college, spending all but 12 of those with Penn State before transferring to North Carolina. His statistics at Penn State were not very impressive, but he got significantly more productive once arriving with ill Belichick at UNC.”
“In those 12 games at North Carolina, Smith Vilbert had 22 combined tackles, including six tackles for a loss and one sack. In addition, he accumulated two pass defenses and recovered two fumbles while forcing one fumble. A six-foot-six, 256-pound defender, Vilbert was projected to be a Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with a comparison to Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jack Crawford by Brian Dohn at 247 Sports.”
Updated OLB Room
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The Vikings’ interior defensive line room has changed substantially since the club released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. It also traded Jonathan Greenard during the draft.
If Minnesota uses Vilbert as an EDGE rusher, here’s the OLB group at the moment:
OLB1: Andrew Van Ginkel OLB2: Dallas Turner OLB3: Bo Richter OLB4: Tyler Batty OLB5: Chaz Chambliss OLB6: Cam’Ron Stewart OLB7: Jordan Botelho OLB8: Arden Walker OLB9: Smith Vilbert
For good measure, though Vilbert has an outside linebacker’s frame, here’s the DT unit:
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DE1: Jalen Redmond DE2: Caleb Banks DE3: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins DE4: Elijah Williams DE5: Monkell Goodwine NT1: Domonique Orange NT2: Levi Drake Rodriguez NT3: Taki Taimani
Summer Trajectory
Vilbert, of course, is at the very bottom of the Vikings’ 90-man roster. It would actually be strange for Minnesota to strike oil twice in two years on stud defensive linemen out of nowhere: Redmond and Vilbert.
North Carolina defensive end Smith Vilbert wraps up Stanford running back Micah Ford during first-quarter action on Nov. 8, 2025, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Vilbert earned attention from NFL evaluators because of his combination of length, size, and positional versatility, traits that allowed him to contribute both on the edge and near the interior defensive front. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.
Therefore, Vilbert will likely vie for a practice squad spot at training camp and in the preseason. There, he could bide his time and possibly claw his way up the depth chart.
Remember, though, Belichick helped refine his skill set at North Carolina. There’s a small chance that he could be a diamond in the rough.
Danhausen referred to a popular WWE Superstar as a legend in a recent social media update. He met the star backstage at the Backlash Premium Live Event.
The name in question is former WWE Women’s Champion Asuka. The Japanese star competed against IYO SKY at the PLE. Unfortunately, she lost the bout, and the two stars embraced after the match. The Empress of Tomorrow waved at the crowd at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, before walking to the back.
Thanks for the submission!
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Earlier today, Danhausen took to Instagram to post a picture of himself standing alongside Asuka, with both of the two stars doing his signature “curse” pose, pointing toward the camera. He called Asuka a legend in the caption.
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“The Legend @wwe_asuka 🤡👹,” he wrote.
Real Reason why Jacob Fatu lost at Backlash – Check Here!
You can check out the Instagram post below:
The 35-year-old wrestled his first premium live event match at WWE Backlash. He teamed up with Minihausen to take on The Miz and Kit Wilson in a tag team match. The chaotic contest ended with the former AEW star pinning The A-lister to secure a massive win and extend his undefeated run.
A WWE Hall of Famer defended Danhausen following WWE Backlash
Minihausen showing up as Danhausen’s tag team partner for the traditional tag team match at WWE Backlash garnered mixed reactions from the wrestling fans online.
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Speaking on the most recent edition of his The Phenomenally Retro Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles opined that the SmackDown star was doing a great job. The veteran noted that WWE needed a bit of everything on the show, and the 35-year-old was filling the need.
“He’s doing a great job, and this is what we need. A lot of people don’t understand it. We need a little bit of everything. We want to make sure you get the entertainment from wrestling, but also we want to make you laugh, too, and we got the storylines. We want to give you a little bit of everything. Danhausen is definitely filling the need,” he said. [H/T: WrestlePurists on X]
Very Nice, Very Evil had been trying to get The Miz to mentor him. It will be interesting to see what’s next for him after the win at the Backlash Premium Live Event.
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NEW DELHI: A win over Delhi Capitals would have taken Punjab Kings to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. However, that was not to be as Punjab Kings slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat of the season, going down by three wickets to Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala.The frustration and disappointment were clearly visible on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer’s face during the post-match presentation.
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Jamie Overton opens up on CSK comeback & bowling role
Asked to bat first by Delhi Capitals, Priyansh Arya smashed six sixes during his whirlwind 33-ball 56 before DC pacers adjusted their lengths smartly to restrict Punjab Kings to 210/5.In reply, aggressive half-centuries from David Miller (51 off 28) and skipper Axar Patel (56 off 30) powered Delhi Capitals to 211/7 in 19 overs – the highest successful chase at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.“(Where it went wrong) I won’t beat around the bush; I’ll just say fielding and bowling again,” Iyer said after the match.“(If he thought 210 was a good score) Absolutely, I feel that it was 30 runs more on this wicket considering how the ball was seaming and there was variable bounce,” he said.“(On bowling Chahal) There was absolutely a thought in my mind, but the way ball was seaming and the way it was helping seamers, I think if we would have executed our line and length precisely, we could have been able to extract wickets, but unfortunately again, we didn’t,” Iyer added.Explaining the ideal bowling strategy on the Dharamsala pitch, the PBKS skipper said:“(On how to bowl here) Still into the surface. I always say that the hard length – short of a hard length – is the best ball, especially when a new batsman is coming in. It’s not easy to hit because if you keep repeating those balls, at least one ball gives a chance of mis-hitting and you can get a wicket. We’ve been short of planning,” Iyer said.The win helped Delhi Capitals move up to seventh place in the IPL 2026 standings. DC have now played 12 matches, winning five and losing seven, with 10 points and a net run rate of -0.993.Punjab Kings, despite the loss, remain fourth on the table with 13 points from 11 matches, having registered six wins and four defeats, while one match ended without a result. Their net run rate stands at +0.428.Punjab Kings will next take on Mumbai Indians on May 14.
Monday’s winner-take-all Game 5 between the Montreal Victoire and Minnesota Frost has been postponed.
The postponement is due to an illness impacting multiple players on the Montreal roster, sources told Sportsnet.
“The decision was made following consultation with medical personnel and in accordance with the league’s commitment to the health and well-being of players, fans, staff and all those involved in the competition,” the PWHL said in a statement. “Medical assessment has determined that the symptoms are not consistent with hantavirus.”
A makeup date will be determined once “medical guidance determines it is appropriate to resume play.”
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The Victoire and Frost are tied 2-2 in their best-of-five series after the Frost won Game 4 on Friday in Minnesota.
The winner of the series will face the Ottawa Charge in the Walter Cup Final.
The Buffalo Bills signed free agent defensive end Mike Danna to a one-year deal on Monday.
Further terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Danna, 28, has spent his entire six-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, who picked him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
His best season came in 2023, when he started 16 regular-season games and all four playoff games for the Super Bowl champions. He totaled career highs of 50 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits in the regular season and added seven tackles in the postseason.
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Last season, he totaled 25 tackles, one sack and four QB hits in 15 games (14 starts).
He has totaled 194 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks, 51 QB hits and six forced fumbles in 87 games (49 starts) in the regular season along with two Super Bowl championships.
In a corresponding move, the Bills released cornerback MJ Devonshire, who was signed to the practice squad in December and signed a two-year, $1.9 million reserve/future contract in January.
Xabi Alonso feels his football can fit the Chelsea squad, as the London club explore a deal to appoint the Basque as their next manager, according to sources with knowledge of the process.
There has been no serious contact from Liverpool, despite his playing connection to Anfield. Arne Slot is instead widely expected to stay in the job, despite current fan dissent.
Alonso is understood to be keen to return to work this summer, having left a very difficult job in Real Madrid after just seven months. The recent chaos at the Bernabeu nevertheless means that brief role has had no real impact on a burgeoning reputation having previously won a title at Bayer Leverkusen with an unbeaten season.
While there is still some distance to go until any actual deal is struck, contact between the camps has progressed over the past week, with increasingly positive noises.
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Aside from his reputation, Alonso is the kind of hands-on coach that the Chelsea hierarchy like. He is also said to see how his system can work with most of the existing players, give or take the few signings that Chelea are expected to make.
Chelsea also greatly admire Iraola, who is the subject of interest from a number of clubs. Manchester United have been monitoring his situation, but the expectation is still they will ultimately appoint Michael Carrick.
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