Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with WWE star Rhea Ripley. Both Ripley and Morgan will be challenging for major titles at WrestleMania 42.
In an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day star noted that she knew her former rival was going to be a star while they were in NXT together and left Ripley her locker when she got called up to the main roster.
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“Rhea and I have quite a bit of lore. I remember back in the Performance Center when I saw her, I knew that she was gonna be a star. It was just very evident to me. So when I had gotten called up to the main roster, I had left Rhea my locker. I told her, ‘You can have my locker, you can move your stuff into my locker.’ She didn’t even have a locker yet,” said Morgan.
The Women’s Royal Rumble winner added that they will always be connected and compared their rivalry to Batman and The Joker.
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“I came back on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour and took everything that she loved including Dominik, the Judgment Day and the Women’s World Championship. So I feel like we are both the heroes and villains in each other’s stories. She is the Batman to my Joker, and I am the villain in her hero’s story, and she is the villain in my hero’s story,” she added. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]
You can check out the interview in the video below:
Morgan will be challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Liv Morgan comments on recent WWE injury
WWE RAW star Liv Morgan recently discussed her injury last year that caused her to miss several months of WWE television.
In an interview with Brad Gilmore, the 31-year-old noted that the injury was devastating for her last year as she was on an upward trajectory. The WWE veteran added that she was upset about the situation during her hiatus last year.
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“I do feel like in the moment that I got injured, I was on a very upward trajectory. And so the injury obviously devastated me. I was very, very angry the whole entire time I had off time,” she said.
Liv Morgan says she was “angry the whole time” when she was recovering from shoulder injury: “I was mad the whole entire time,” Morgan said. “I got injured in a moment [when] I had multiple things going on for me. I was really enjoying and loving what I was doing. So to have all
Only time will tell if Liv Morgan can defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become champion once again at WWE WrestleMania.
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Man Utd are on track to return to the Champions League next season and that could provide a huge boost to their finances.
06:00, 06 Apr 2026
There was a time when Manchester United could take Champions League football for granted. The prestige of European nights at Old Trafford was a given and the revenues the competition delivers were baked into the balance sheet.
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United enjoyed 18 unbroken years at Europe’s top table until Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement changed the course of history. Where once United were regulars in the knockout stages, qualifying for the competition is now a challenge.
There have been just six Champions League campaigns since 2013 and only one knockout tie since the spring of 2020. United are yet to play in the competition’s new format, which offers eight league phase games after eight different opponents.
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That should change next season. United are within touching distance of being back in the Champions League for the first time since a group stage exit in the final months of 2023. They will then have to learn the intricacies of navigating the group stage.
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But whatever happens, finishing in the top 24 of a 32-team league should be a formality. That would guarantee United at least 10 games in the competition, five of which will be at home. The Old Trafford bean counters will be delighted.
The absence from the Champions League has certainly hurt the balance sheet. United’s fall to eighth in the most recent Deloitte Football Money League was their lowest-ever position and it could fall further next year, with no European football at all this season and just 20 games at Old Trafford in all competitions.
The most recent financial results paint a contrasting picture. United’s revenues remain solid, and if they are back in the Champions League next term, they will likely post record-breaking numbers.
But in February, they increased their revolving credit facility to £400million, of which £185million is available. They also owe transfer fees of £422.1million to other clubs, of which £238million is due within a year.
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They also used a tool called transfer factoring recently, selling some of the transfer fees they were due to receive to lenders for an upfront payment of £39.4million, which helped pay off some of the credit facility. That could help fund some of this summer’s transfer business.
A return to the Champions League will clearly be a financial boost, easing any potential concerns there may be, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains.
“You’ll get a minimum of effectively £30million just for rocking up,” said Maguire. “Then it works out as €2million per match if you get a victory, €700,000 if you get a draw in terms of prize money. And on top of that, you’ve got gate receipts.
“You’re guaranteed four home fixtures, potentially could be seven to eight home fixtures. For a club the size of United, they should be looking to get £8million per match in gate receipts. So you’ve got a minimum of £30million from gate receipts, another £30million for participation. So that’s £60 million minimum. They’ll get the Adidas [kit supplier] bonus of £10 million, so that’s £70 million. And as you progress through the tournament, you can start adding the numbers.
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“I think there’s around about €150million for winning it last year. Now that was for a club with a fairly good UEFA coefficient, which United don’t have these days because they’ve not been as good as they have been, but even so, I think you’d be looking at €120million and of course if you win the tournament, you qualify for the next FIFA Club World Cup, which made Chelsea £80million. It really does ratchet up.”
Winning the Champions League might be a step too far for United to budget for at the moment, but the financial implications, especially under the new model, could have a big impact on the bottom line.
That will provide a healthy boost to the transfer kitty, as well as a great incentive to players to come to Old Trafford, but it might also allow United to stretch their wage budget at a time when some big earners are already likely to depart the stage.
“I think it not only helps in terms of being competitive, but also in being able to offer wages,” said Maguire. “I put some stuff out recently on Twitter. United always used to pay the highest wages in the Premier League and now they’ve fallen behind City and Liverpool. Which is, for a club of United’s stature, you wouldn’t expect.
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“It allows them to go into the market, and players want to play at the highest level. So not only can they afford to pay them, but they’ve got something to offer them from a non-financial perspective as well.”
One area it is unlikely to have much impact on is plans for the new stadium. United are talking to potential investors over helping fund a project that could cost in excess of £2billion and Maguire points to the example of Tottenham.
“I think the stadium issue is fairly well ring-fenced,” he explained. “If they are going to the debt market, Spurs borrowed a lot of money for their stadium, and they’ve never been guaranteed participation in the Champions League, and they still manage to borrow A) a lot of money and B) lots of money very cheaply.
“If Manchester United can show that we have addressed some of the shortcomings on the pitch that we’ve seen over the course of the last decade, it can only help in terms of the confidence of investors.”
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Apr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero (26) and pitcher Chris Murphy (38) high five after the game against Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Davis Martin pitched six effective innings, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays to complete a surprising sweep Sunday afternoon.
Martin (2-0) allowed four hits and two walks. After Bryan Hudson and Jordan Leasure handled the next two innings, Chris Murphy pitched around a leadoff walk in the ninth to earn the save.
Austin Hays, Miguel Vargas and Lenyn Sosa each had RBI hits in the first four innings. Luisangel Acuna had a team-high two hits.
Ernie Clement had two hits for the Blue Jays, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in losing their fourth straight. Eric Lauer (1-1) walked three and gave up three hits over his two-inning start, surrendering two runs.
Cubs 1, Guardians 0 (Game 1)
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Four Chicago pitchers limited host Cleveland to one hit as the visiting Cubs squeaked out a victory in the first game of a doubleheader.
Miguel Amaya’s single off Connor Brogdon (2-1) with one out in the eighth scored Dylan Carlson from second as the Cubs managed to win with just two hits. Carlson came on as a pinch-runner after Michael Conforto worked a leadoff walk. Caleb Thielbar (1-0) allowed one walk in 1 1/3 innings of relief to get the win. Daniel Palencia retired the side in order in the ninth to claim his first save of the season.
Cleveland’s struggles at the plate overshadowed a strong performance by Guardians starter Slade Cecconi, who also allowed just one hit. Cecconi struck out six and walked one during his six-inning stint.
Guardians 6, Cubs 5 (Game 2)
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Gabriel Arias’ RBI single highlighted a three-run eighth inning for Cleveland, which rallied to salvage the nightcap against Chicago.
CJ Kayfus went 2-for-2 with a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth and a homer in the eighth. Parker Messick allowed one run over five innings, Shawn Armstrong (1-0) gave up the go-ahead homer but recorded the win and Cade Smith allowed a run in the ninth before stranding two runners in scoring position with a game-winning strikeout to record his third save.
Matt Shaw and Dansby Swanson each hit their first homers of the season for the Cubs, who saw starter Shota Imanaga allow one run on three hits over five-plus innings. Jacob Webb (0-1) was the losing pitcher, allowing three runs over a third of an inning.
Angels 8, Mariners 7 (11 innings)
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Nolan Schanuel’s sacrifice fly scored the winning run as Los Angeles edged Seattle in Anaheim, Calif.
Reliever Shaun Anderson (1-0) struck out Cal Raleigh with the bases loaded to end the top of the 11th. Adam Frazier went 3-for-4 with an RBI and crossed the plate with the winning run. Schanuel and Jorge Soler each drove in a pair of runs.
Chase Young clubbed a three-run homer to give Seattle a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning. Leo Rivas went 1-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs. Gabe Speier (0-2), the Mariners’ seventh pitcher of the game, took the loss.
Athletics 12, Astros 10 (10 innings)
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Brent Rooker clubbed a pair of home runs, including a three-run walk-off blast in the 10th inning that lifted the Athletics to a wild win over Houston in West Sacramento, Calif.
Elvis Alvarado (1-0), who retired the final two batters after Houston scored once in the 10th, earned the win. Tyler Soderstrom went 1-for-4, but scored three times and drove in three runs. Rooker finished with six RBIs.
Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker clubbed two-run homers for the Astros and Cam Smith went 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs. Closer Bryan Abreu (0-1) took the loss, retiring only one of four batters in the A’s 10th.
Diamondbacks 6, Braves 5 (10 innings)
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Ketel Marte laced a walk-off double to propel Arizona to a victory and a series split against Atlanta in Phoenix.
Corbin Carroll went 3-for-4 with an RBI triple, while Ildemaro Vargas drove in two runs on a triple for the Diamondbacks. Taylor Rashi (1-0) earned his first career win, throwing a perfect top of the 10th in his season debut.
Drake Baldwin went 3-for-5 with his fourth homer and four RBIs for the Braves, who rallied from three deficits before coming up short. Joel Payamps (0-1) took the loss after throwing just one pitch, which Marte knocked to right to plate automatic runner Jorge Barrosa.
Rays 4, Twins 1 (10 innings)
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Richie Palacios clubbed a go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th inning as Tampa Bay claimed its first series of the season with a victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Junior Caminero, who hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, later drove in the Rays’ fourth run on a walk. Kevin Kelly earned his second save in relief of Bryan Baker (1-0), who pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts.
In his second straight quality start, the Rays’ Nick Martinez yielded just a solo shot — the only hit against the right-hander — in six innings. He fanned four with a walk. Matt Wallner went deep for the Twins, who managed just three hits in their second straight setback.
Padres 8, Red Sox 6
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Jackson Merrill’s leadoff home run in the eighth inning broke a late tie and lifted visiting San Diego to a win over Boston.
Merrill went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored to lead the Padres, who banged out 12 hits and erased an early 4-0 deficit to claim the series. Jeremiah Estrada (1-1) was victorious following a scoreless inning of relief, and Mason Miller struck out the side to post his second save in as many days.
Wilyer Abreu (double, triple, RBI, two runs scored) and Masataka Yoshida (3-for-4, two doubles, three RBIs) combined for six of Boston’s nine hits. Tyler Uberstine (0-1) lost his major league debut for the Red Sox, allowing one run on three hits across 2 2/3 innings.
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Marlins 7, Yankees 6
Pinch hitter Graham Pauley lined a go-ahead two-run double with the bases loaded against Jake Bird (1-1) to spark a four-run eighth inning and Miami hung on for a victory over host New York after a rain delay of more than three hours.
Xavier Edwards, who drove in three runs, followed with a two-run single off Ryan Yarbrough which proved critical when Jazz Chisholm Jr. delivered a two-run double to cut the lead to one in the bottom of the ninth before J.C. Escarra struck out to end the game.
Ben Rice smashed a three-run first innings for the Yankees, who saw ace Max Fried allow his first three runs of the season over 6 2/3 innings after he tossed 13 1/3 scoreless in his first two starts. John King (1-0) recorded the win for retiring the final batter of the New York seventh after Chris Paddack followed the two openers with 4 2/3 innings of earned-run-free work.
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Pirates 8, Orioles 2
Braxton Ashcraft struck out a career-high eight and Ryan O’Hearn drove in four runs to lead host Pittsburgh to a victory over Baltimore.
O’Hearn and Oneil Cruz each hit two-run homers to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles, and win their fifth in a row. Ashcraft (1-1) gave up an RBI double by Pete Alonso in the fourth, but limited the damage, tossing six innings without a walk. He allowed only four hits.
Taylor Ward led the Orioles at the plate with three hits and Jeremiah Jackson added an RBI single. Starter Chris Bassitt (0-2) lasted just two innings and allowed six runs on six hits.
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Dodgers 8, Nationals 6
Shohei Ohtani, Dalton Rushing and Teoscar Hernandez homered, and Los Angeles rallied to beat host Washington, completing the three-game sweep.
The Dodgers plated four runs in the eighth to take the lead for good. Former National Alex Call had two hits and scored twice. Jack Dreyer (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win and Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his third save after starter Roki Sasaki was tagged for six runs over five innings.
James Wood had a three-run homer and Luis Garcia Jr. hit a two-run shot for the Nationals, who have dropped five straight. Cionel Perez (0-1) took the loss, spoiling a strong start from Foster Griffin, who allowed one run on five hits over five innings.
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Reds 2, Rangers 1
Elly De La Cruz singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Cincinnati edged Texas to complete a three-game sweep in Arlington, Texas.
De La Cruz had two hits and scored a run, and Will Benson had two hits for Cincinnati. Reliever Sam Moll (1-0) got the win, and Brock Burke struck out the side in the ninth for his first career save. Starter Chase Burns took a shutout into the seventh inning.
Joc Pederson homered for Texas, which scored four runs in the series and has dropped four straight. Robert Garcia (0-1) took the loss in relief.
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Mets 5, Giants 2
Pinch hitter Luis Torrens stroked a go-ahead two-RBI double in a four-run eighth inning, and visiting New York rallied to beat San Francisco.
The Mets strung together five straight one-out hits against a pair of Giants relievers to deliver a third straight win. Jorge Polanco got the uprising going with a one-out double off Keaton Winn (0-1), after which Luis Robert Jr. singled and stole second.
Stepping in for Jared Young, who had a 3-for-3 day going, Torrens then greeted Erik Miller with an opposite-field double to right to give New York the lead.
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Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers had consecutive RBI hits for the Giants to end Kodai Senga’s start. Senga struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, while Logan Webb threw seven innings of one-run ball for San Francisco.
Rockies 4, Phillies 1
Former Philadelphia first-round pick Mickey Moniak hit two home runs and TJ Rumfield also went deep as Colorado salvaged the series finale of the three-game set in Denver.
Hunter Goodman had two hits and starter Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0) pitched six strong innings to earn his first win for Colorado. Victor Vodnik got the last three outs to earn his first save.
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Adolis Garcia homered and singled for the Phillies. Starter Taijuan Walker (0-2) struggled in his second start of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.
Brewers 8, Royals 5
Gary Sanchez hit a two-run home run and William Contreras had two hits and two RBIs in visiting Milwaukee’s series-clinching win over Kansas City.
Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (1-0) picked up the win as he scattered three hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Kris Bubic (1-1) took the loss for the Royals as he surrendered four hits and four runs over five innings.
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Trevor Megill picked up his third save of the season. Contreras was 2-for-3 with a run and two walks for Milwaukee. Maikel Garcia was 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino was 2-for-5 with two RBIs for the Royals.
Cardinals 5, Tigers 3
Ivan Herrera’s tiebreaking two-run single capped a four-run, fifth-inning outburst as visiting St. Louis topped Detroit.
Pedro Pages had an RBI single for the Cardinals, who salvaged the finale of a three-game series. St. Louis starter Kyle Leahy (1-1) gave up two runs and five hits in five innings. Riley O’Brien got the last three outs for his second save.
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Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer for Detroit while Spencer Torkelson reached base four times. Tigers starter Keider Montero (0-1) gave up three runs (two earned) and three hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The final game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament has arrived, and the college basketball world will set its sights on Indianapolis on Monday night for a fantastic finale as No. 1 seed Michigan takes on No. 2 seed UConn for the national championship. With 70 combined wins on the season, both teams have been among the top picks to compete for a title throughout much of the season and now get 40 minutes to fulfill that destiny.
For Dusty May and Michigan, a win would be a warning sign to the sport of what’s to come from the Wolverines under his watch. A Michigan program operating at peak efficiency can be among the most disruptive forces in a college basketball landscape that can often get familiar with its main characters. But teams like Houston, Florida, Duke, Arizona, Kansas or Purdue aren’t the ones still playing, and you get the feeling looking at how Michigan has navigated this quick turnaround under may that it has already jumped up into a tier to be taken seriously on a regular basis. A win would also snap a 26-year title drought for the Big Ten, which has not seen a current member win it all since Michigan State in 2000 (interestingly enough, in Indianapolis).
But the one main character of college basketball who is still playing, and stands in the way of that break through for Michigan and the Big Ten, is UConn.
Dan Hurley is pursuing his third ring in four years and the program is on the cusp of claiming its seventh national championship since 1999. That would leave UConn with the third-most titles all-time trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8). And it should be noted that the Huskies have won all seven of their championships since UCLA won its most recent in 1995.
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Yet this UConn team which exemplifies elite performance in the NCAA Tournament finds itself as an underdog in the national title game, a stage where the Huskies have yet to lose. That speaks to the greatness of Michigan and how well-constructed, well-rounded and well-coached the Wolverines have been all season and in this tournament.
The health status of key players for both teams threatened to throw a wrench into the matchup. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg was injured during the first half of the Wolverines’ national semifinal win against Arizona, but he returned to action and has indicated his plans to play in the title game after receiving treatment on his knee and ankle between games. UConn also has a major injury to note with Solo Ball suffering a foot injury in the win against Illinois. Ball was seen with a boot during media availability on Sunday, however neither player was listed on their school’s NCAA initial player availability report indicating thy will play in Monday’s game. For title contenders the phrase “next man up” becomes crucial to the pursuit of a title, but which team can get the most from its walking wounded or can supplement their production will have an edge in a game that could be decided at the margins.
Now that the stage is set let’s get into the picks. Since we have been in the habit of offering multiple picks from full tournament slates in this series, there are going to be multiple angles to entertain for this single game left in the 2025-26 season. But in addition to thoughts on the spread and the total, we have included more a traditional approach with straight up and against the spread selections via our Expert Picks panel.
The math says Michigan but the mood says UConn finds a way. The Huskies’ resilience through injuries and deficits throughout this tournament echoes the call of Dan Hurley for his teams to show the heart of a champion in the postseason. The Huskies are going to face a tough foe in Michigan’s front line, but they are coming into the game after facing another team with size in Illinois and passing the test. In fact, UConn’s tournament run has included three single-digit seeds from the Big Ten with Michigan being the fourth, and the Huskies had a strong showing defensively against all three teams. The key for UConn will be to get down into those final minutes within a couple of possessions, because if this pack of dogs smells blood they are going to be ready to deliver in crunch time. Michigan could win this thing by 10-15 points in a coronation moment for Dusty May and the Big Ten, but if it’s close I like the Huskies to not just cover the spread but close it out by cutting down nets.
As for the total points scored, the trends do favor lower-scoring games by the time we get to Monday night’s national championship. The under has gone 6-2 in the last eight national title games, which might be as much of a reflection on late-round fatigue as it is the football stadium setting of the Final Four. But here the reasoning is focused far more on the matchup, where as we mentioned earlier UConn has had some great game plans and execution three of its last four tournament opponents and Michigan has been absolutely stifling in its recent wins against Tennessee in the Elite Eight and Arizona in the Final Four. Any kind of shooting regression for UConn from 3-point range will lower output after the Huskies knocked down 12 3-pointers against Illinois, and of course any limitation for Yaxel Lendeborg lowers Michigan’s offensive ceiling as well. Picks: UConn ML +240, Under 144.5
Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has responded to Chelsea being drawn against Leeds United in the FA Cup semi finals.
The Blues smashed Port Vale 7-0 at the weekend to go through to the semi finals of the competition, alongside Manchester City, Leeds, and Southampton.
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Chelsea have had a very favourable road to Wembley so far, and many will see this still as a pretty decent draw even though it is against Premier League opposition. They’ve managed to avoid Manchester City, and other than City, it looks like a really good chance for Chelsea to get silverware.
Leeds and Chelsea is a historic match, with a real rivalry between the two sides dating back to the 70s. There has been some nasty encounters between the two sides, so this is being billed as a mouth-watering semi final clash.
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Cole’s reaction to the tie
Joe Cole doing punditry for TNT Sports. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
In comments picked up by The Chelsea Chronicle, Joe Cole instantly responded with “ooh, that is feisty, 1970”, briefly mentioning the final 56 years ago on TNT Sports.
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I certainly expect it to be another feisty one, with both sides being up for it, or at least I hope Chelsea will be up for it.
In other news today…
After recent injury struggles, Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer says he is feeling much better now in news that will be very nice to hear for Blues fans. Palmer wore the captains armband for the club at the weekend, and they need him fit and firing.
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Palmer also says the 7-0 thrashing of Port Vale on Saturday night will give everyone a much needed lift going into a crucial run of games for the rest of the season.
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Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:
A Minnesota Vikings fan cheers from the stands, reacting to a key moment as crowd energy builds throughout the game Sep 23, 2012, at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers that ended in a 24-13 Vikings victory with fans fully engaged in the home atmosphere. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE.
Enthusiasm is jacked for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 NFL Draft, mainly because the franchise found a quarterback in Kyler Murray, the previously poor-drafting general manager has been removed from his chair, and the club has nine picks to spend. Nevertheless, like every year, a few nightmare scenarios lurk.
Several draft outcomes would leave Minnesota in a much worse spot after Round 1.
From bad to awful, consider the following list a worst-case scenario compilation for the Vikings at the end of the month.
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A Handful of Draft Outcomes Could Go Sideways for Minnesota
How livid would you be if these events transpired?
Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano speaks with reporters during media availability, discussing his performance and draft outlook Feb 28, 2026, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fano addressed questions from scouts and media while showcasing his preparation and experience during the NFL Scouting Combine process. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Drafting an OT
Would it be fundamentally terrible to select an offensive tackle in Round 1? No, not at all. That spot is a premium position.
However, Minnesota jumping into a bed with Round 1 offensive tackle would forebodingly suggest a grim fate for Christian Darrisaw’s ACL. If the Vikings need a new tackle, it would mean they don’t trust Darrisaw for the long haul — or that Brian O’Neill’s days are numbered.
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Picking an OT is not a popular sentiment right now in the mock-draft community, but it would cause head-scratches among fans if it came to fruition.
Reaching for a Round 2 Player
A dirty little secret about last year’s draft for the Vikings? Their 1st-Rounder, Donovan Jackson, lived at No. 39 on the Consensus Big Board, and Minnesota drafted him at No. 24. While the working theory suggests the Houston Texans would’ve grabbed Jackson via the following pick after Minnesota, it still reached for a guy that most draft heads pegged as a 2nd-Rounder.
Jackson has worked out so far in Minnesota, and nobody really regrets the pick. But reaching for 2nd-Rounders should not be the new normal.
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For example, if you hear on Thursday, April 23rd, “With the 18th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select …. cornerback Chris Johnson, San Diego State,” that will mean Minnesota picked the draft’s 42nd-best player on the Consensus Big Board at No. 18.
That’s not the ideal scenario.
An example: in March, A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness mock-drafted Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen to Minnesota, explaining, “Linebacker isn’t at the top of the needs for the Vikings across the board, but it’s one long-term need. They don’t have a linebacker signed to the roster after the 2026 season, with Blake Cashman set to be a free agent. Allen has all of the ability to thrive in Brian Flores’ defense and can be eased into the role.”
Allen is a fine prospect, but picking him 18th is a reach.
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Trading Too Far Down
On the other hand, while trading down with a team at No. 18 might be smart — the Vikings can probably get a 2nd-Rounder or 3rd-Rounder by moving down 10-15 spots — they must avoid getting too cute.
Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine goes through pregame warmups, preparing for action and working through drills Aug 20, 2022, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The young defensive back focused on readiness ahead of a preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
For instance, a trade down to No. 28 is fine. Let’s do it. A trade down to No. 45 is not good business. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski must thread the needle if he trades down, adding another Top 100 pick but still staying in Round 1 or at the Top of Round 2.
There’s a risk of stockpiling five or six players from the draft’s Top 10 — but not landing a blue-chip 1st-Rounder.
The Lewis Cine trade from four years ago is a good (bad?) recent example.
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Our Brevan Bane wrote this week, “It is my belief that the Vikings should double-up in the secondary with their first two selections. They also hold the 49th overall selection in the second round, where someone like D’Angelo Ponds or Chris Johnson could be available.”
“Corners are very hard to predict, as we thought there would be plenty taken in the first round last year, when in reality, there were only 2.5 (.5 being Travis Hunter) taken. The first true CB, Jahdae Barron, wasn’t taken until pick 20 by Denver.”
Drafting Ty Simpson at No. 18
The Vikings don’t need a quarterback from this draft. They just don’t.
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Some, like former NFLer Chase Daniel, have suggested that Minnesota should take a flyer on Simpson in Round 1, even if Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are attached to the roster. Daniel is wrong; Murray and McCarthy are enough for Minnesota to determine in 2026 if it has a franchise quarterback.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson drops back to pass during first-half action, scanning the field against Indiana Jan 1, 2026, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Simpson operated within the offense during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, testing the Hoosiers’ defense in a high-profile postseason matchup. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Additionally, the upcoming draft class stinks for quarterback talent, and if Murray and McCarthy don’t pan out, the 2027 draft class is much deeper at the position. The Vikings shouldn’t reach for a quarterback just because McCarthy hasn’t fully blasted off yet.
In fact, there’s a decent chance that Murray plays so well that the franchise considers him the quarterback for the long haul.
Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Darius Garland (center right) shoots against Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and John Collins added 25 as the Los Angeles Clippers moved into eighth place in the Western Conference standings with a 138-109 road victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Darius Garland and Kobe Sanders each scored 17 points, while Kris Dunn and Jordan Miller added 13 each as the Clippers (40-38) ended a two-game losing streak while winning their fourth consecutive road game.
Los Angeles has the same record as the Portland Trail Blazers but now owns the eighth spot in the standings via tiebreaker by winning two of the three games between the teams. Los Angeles will visit Portland on Friday.
The No. 7 and No. 8 teams in the standings meet in the play-in tournament for a chance to advance directly into the playoff field while the ninth and 10th teams have to win two play-in games.
Devin Carter scored 21 points and Nique Clifford added 18 as the Kings saw a two-game winning streak come to an end. Maxime Raynaud scored 11 points with 15 rebounds for Sacramento (21-58), which has struggled with injury issues this season but has managed to go 7-8 since March 8.
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The Clippers opened the game with a 42-point first quarter and took a 71-59 lead at halftime by shooting 56.5% over the first two quarters. After leading by as many as 19 points in the first half, Los Angeles took its first 20-point lead with 7:53 remaining in the third.
The Clippers went into the fourth quarter with a 107-79 lead and were never threatened the rest of the way.
Collins came off the bench for Los Angeles after starting the previous nine games, while Dunn was effective in his first start over the last eight games.
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Leonard increased his franchise-record streak of consecutive 20-point games to 54.
The Clippers finished 53.3% from the floor and 20-of-41 (48.8%) from 3-point range while the Kings shot 52.9% overall, 28.1% from outside the arc and committed 20 turnovers.
The Freedman brothers duo reclaimed the spotlight in the winner’s stall during day one of The Championships at Randwick, with Profoundly enhancing her Australian Oaks bid via success in the Adrian Knox Stakes.
Under Michael Freedman’s care, the filly who placed in her latest Kembla Grange Classic is jointly owned by brother Lee, a Hall of Fame figure who sourced her for $65,000 at the sales, managed her initial breaking-in, before joining Michael’s Gold Coast operation last July.
“I bought her when I was training for $65,000,” Lee Freedman said.
“Then when I turned it up, I was looking for a good trainer, and my brother rang me.
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“I was really happy that the form from Kembla worked out, because a lot of people were saying it was slowly run and it wouldn’t be good form.
“But I just knew that this filly had improvement to come, and we’d never run her over a mile-and-a-quarter. All she wanted to do was stay.”
With Tommy Berry in the saddle, Profoundly at $5 stormed home to win by 2-1/4 lengths from $3 favourite Soverato, Satono Invader ($51) 1-1/4 lengths adrift in third.
Michael Freedman eyes a swift return to Randwick for the Group 1 Oaks (2400m) in seven days with the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) champion, pending a positive week.
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“Why not? I think we’ll be here next week,” Michael Freedman said.
Heightening the win’s appeal is Profoundly’s use of the Freedman family racing colours – red with purple sash, white sleeves, purple cap – immortalised by stars including 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero, 1994 Golden Slipper hero Danzero and 2003 Caulfield Cup winner Mummify.
Berry is set to continue with Profoundly for the Oaks, assured by her breathing and recovery.
“She is a very clean-winded filly. She pulled up lovely then,” Berry said.
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“She spends no petrol in the run, and she does it without any effort.”
Profoundly advanced to second in the Australian Oaks betting at $4.50, following New Zealand classic winner Ohope Wins at $2.20.
Discover competitive racing betting markets for the Australian Oaks featuring Profoundly.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a spectacular start with the ball in their second IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday, and their owner Sanjiv Goenka’s happiness was there for everyone to see. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami dismissed the dangerous SRH opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head cheaply, and Prince Yadav clean bowled Ishan Kishan to leave SRH tottering at 11/3. Sanjiv Goenka, watching on from the stands, appeared to thank the heavens as LSG made the perfect start.
LSG suffered defeat in their opening game of the season against Delhi Capitals. As a result, their sensational start against SRH must have been a relief for Goenka.
Fans on the internet were also quick to point out Goenka’s reaction, which came in the fourth over after Prince Yadav dismissed Ishan Kishan.
Mohammed Shami’s figures of 2/9 and an unbeaten 68 by skipper Rishabh Pant led Lucknow Super Giants to a tense five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Sunday.
Pace bowler Shami’s inspirational opening spell had Hyderabad tottering at 26/4 before the home team reached 156/9 at the Uppal stadium.
Lucknow started strongly but wobbled in the middle phase before the left-handed Pant kept calm to steer the team home with one ball to spare for their first win of the season in two matches.
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Aiden Markram’s 45 off 27 balls set up the chase but Lucknow lost quick wickets including impact substitute Ayush Badoni, stumped for 12, and Nicholas Pooran, run out for one.
Needing nine off the final over, Pant, a wicketkeeper-batter, hit three fours including the winning boundary off Jaydev Unadkat.
Shami stood out after he took down Hyderabad’s dangerous openers Abhishek Sharma, for a duck, and Travis Head, for seven, on successive balls in his first two overs.
He had Sharma caught at short third off the last delivery of his opener and Head then taken at mid-off from the first ball of his second over.
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With AFP inputs
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IPL 2026: One Trophy, Ten Teams – Who Writes History?
J.J. Spaun had a dream season in 2025. But for the first few months of his follow-up campaign, things looked more like a nightmare.
Through seven starts entering this week, Spaun had made just three cuts, with a T24 finish standing as his high-water mark. His strokes-gained metrics had declined across the board, and his putting was so poor that he ranked among the 10 worst on Tour.
Spaun, playing this week as a final tune-up before the Masters, fired a final-round 67 to win the Valero Texas Open by one shot over Matt Wallace, Michael Kim and Robert MacIntyre. The victory marked Spaun’s second at the Texas Open (he also won in 2022) and the third of his PGA Tour career.
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“I haven’t been in the form I wanted based on last season,” Spaun said. “It means a lot to come back and win here at a place that’s been so good to me.”
Returning to a course filled with positive memories proved to be the spark he needed. At the Players, Spaun recorded his best finish of the season to that point with a T24. He missed the cut the following week at the Valspar, but a return to the familiar setting of the Texas Hill Country seemed to bring something out of him.
After opening with back-to-back rounds of 69, Spaun surged over the weekend in soggy conditions. With play suspended midway through his third round on Saturday, he returned early Sunday morning to complete a six-under 66, putting himself firmly in contention. When the final round began, he kept the momentum rolling, carding four birdies and an eagle en route to a five-under 67 to claim the clubhouse lead. When none of the contenders on the course could track him down, the burden of his nightmare start had finally been lifted.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself at the start of the year, and a lot of expectations,” Spaun said. “It’s the complete opposite of the mantra I had all year last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that. Went into the last few weeks starting at The Players just trying to be freed up and put less pressure on myself. It’s been trying, but sticking to that mantra has really helped me.”
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With the win, Spaun earns a custom pair of cowboy boots and a $1.76 million paycheck. More importantly, he heads to Augusta for the Masters in his best form of the season — and you can’t put a price tag on that.
A small but telling moment involving Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan caught the eye during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s dominant win over Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy. As Sarfaraz walked back after a blazing knock, Kohli called out to him amid the noise of the crowd. When the CSK batter turned around, Kohli applauded and gave him a thumbs-up, acknowledging an innings that briefly brought life into an otherwise struggling chase. Sarfaraz had taken charge when CSK were in deep trouble. Reduced to 30 for 3 inside the first three overs while chasing 251, the visitors were staring at an early collapse. It was then that he counterattacked with intent, finding boundaries consistently and racing to a 25-ball fifty. His effort helped CSK reach 77 by the end of the powerplay, offering a glimmer of hope. However, the momentum did not last long. Sarfaraz was dismissed on the first ball after the powerplay, stumped off Krunal Pandya by Jitesh Sharma, ending a crucial stand just when CSK needed him to carry on. Earlier in the evening, RCB had set up the match with a commanding batting display. Kohli and Phil Salt gave them a steady start before Devdutt Padikkal took charge with a fluent half-century. The innings then exploded at the death, with skipper Rajat Patidar and Tim David unleashing a relentless assault, adding 99 runs in just 35 balls to propel RCB to 250 for 3. In response, CSK never fully recovered from the early blows delivered by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy. Contributions from Prashant Veer and Jamie Overton helped them cross 200, but the target remained well out of reach as they were bowled out for 207 in 19.4 overs, slumping to their third straight defeat. While RCB sealed a comprehensive 43-run win, it was Kohli’s gesture towards Sarfaraz that stood out, a moment of appreciation in the middle of a high-intensity contest.
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