Ben Stokes has admitted the past three months have been the “hardest period” of his time as England captain but he is adamant the current leadership group can take the Test team forward.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould affirmed hours earlier the positions of Stokes, managing director Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum were safe despite the Ashes debacle.

Key rejected out of hand suggestions Stokes and McCullum had a falling out in Australia, despite the pair offering conflicting messages during a turbulent campaign in which they were soundly beaten 4-1.

But in an impassioned Instagram post, Stokes insisted he does not take his role as Test skipper, which he has held for nearly four years, lightly as he endorsed himself, Key and McCullum to learn from their mistakes.

Addressing England supporters, he wrote: “Being England captain is the greatest honour a player can be given and I do not take it for granted.

“It has its highs and it has its lows, it makes you want to smile, it makes you want to cry. It completely and utterly consumes you and feels like it’s the only thing in your life at times.

“The last 3 months has without a doubt been the hardest period of my captaincy journey, it’s tested me in so many different ways and I’m sure every other captain has gone through this as well.

“Baz, Rob and myself have the passion and desire to take this team forward, we are going to give you everything we have, we know we made mistakes along the way and we have learnt from those mistakes, you learn more from failure than success.”

England’s decision to have just one warm-up before taking on Australia was fiercely criticised, as was a break in Noosa between the second and third Tests, with reports of excessive drinking by players.

The revelation that white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer the night before he led England in a pre-series assignment to New Zealand led to questions over the culture under McCullum.

A midnight curfew has since been enforced, while the ECB are in the process of searching for a new national selector following Luke Wright’s resignation for family reasons.

Stokes has not played since suffering a groin injury in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January, but is set to turn out for Durham in the County Championship ahead of this summer’s Test programme.

England play three Tests against McCullum’s native New Zealand in June before another trio of matches against Pakistan in August and September.

Stokes added: “I have learnt a lot about myself but the most important thing that I want the fans to know is that….

“I F*****G love cricket, I F*****G love this team, I F*****G love being England captain and I have got so much more to give to this role and I’m so happy that I get to do it with Baz and Rob.

“We all appreciate every single person who supports us. We do what we do for many reasons but one of those reasons is to bring our supporters and fans happiness and a sense of pride and we will aim to do those things as much as we can in the future.

“See you all in June for the start of the Test Match summer.”

As New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his siblings look to transfer an equity stake to a children’s trust, the overall value of the franchise has been revealed.

An NFL memo obtained by ESPN earlier this month found the Tisch family — Steve, Jonathan and Laurie — are seeking a transfer of their collective equity stake in the franchise to their children. The proposed stake was 23.1% of the team. 

The proposed transfer of equity values the team at $10.8 billion, according to Sports Business Journal, which would put a 23.1% stake at roughly $2.5 billion. 

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New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch arrives for NFL owners meetings in New York City, New York on Oct. 21, 2025.   (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

For comparison, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross sold 1% of his team to billionaire entrepreneur Lin Bin with the valuation at a record $12.5 billion. 

Julia Koch, a board member with Koch, also bought a 10% stake in the Giants with a valuation at $10.3 billion in October 2025. 

GIANTS CO-OWNER STEVE TISCH, SIBLINGS LOOK TO TRANSFER EQUITY STAKE TO CHILDREN’S TRUSTS, NFL MEMO SHOWS

It’s also worth noting that the NFL memo stated, “Following the transactions, the Sellers will no longer own any interest in the Club.” 

It is unknown if the transfer requests have anything to do with Steve Tisch’s name appearing in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January. His name appeared more than 400 times in the files, and while he said at the time he knew of Epstein, he denied visiting Epstein’s infamous island. 

Steve Tisch executive vice president of the New York Giants looks on before pre-season football game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 18, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” Steve Tisch said in a statement on Jan. 31. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

The U.S. Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to the Epstein investigation, which included email exchanges from April 2013 and June 2013 between Tisch and Epstein. Some of those exchanges appear to show conversations about women. 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in February the league would look into Steve Tisch’s association with Epstein. 

“Absolutely we will look at all the facts,” Goodell said at a news conference in San Jose, California, during Super Bowl week. “We’ll look at the context of those and try to understand that. We’ll look at how that falls under the (league personal conduct) policy. I think we’ll take one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”

New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch during warms up prior to the National Football League game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants on Oct. 28, 2018 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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The Tisch family has been involved in Giants ownership since 1991 alongside the Mara family, which founded the franchise in 1925. 

Fox News’ Chantz Martin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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EXCLUSIVE: A letter signed by former longtime Yale ice hockey coach Keith Allain, addressed to Yale President Maurine McInnis, alleged that current Yale Athletic Director Victoria Chun has created a “toxic environment” for the university’s sports teams. 

In the letter, Allain claimed other Yale coaches urged him to speak out against Chun to McInnis after his retirement. 

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Yale Coach Keith Allain on bench during game vs Cornell at Boardwalk Hall. Atlantic City, NJ 3/19/2011 (Lou Capozzola /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

“My name is Keith Allain, I have just retired after 19 years as Mens Hockey Coach and I am writing to you at the urging of several head coaches in our Athletic Department. They told me that you were soliciting feedback from a few coaches regarding extending the contract of our athletic director, and are concerned, that with the culture of fear that permeates the athletic department, you will not receive candid feedback,” the letter began. 

Allain went on to call Chun the “worst leader” he has ever been around and alleges she has prioritized “silencing any dissent.”

“As a Yale alum and someone who has a great affection for our University and the role of athletics within the greater Yale community I felt compelled write you as my former colleagues asked. Vicky Chun is the absolute worst leader I have ever been around in my life. She is dishonest, self centered and inaccessible. Vicky’s singular talent is self promotion and has created a toxic environment within the department where she is insulated by a cadre of administrators whose main task seems to be silencing any dissent,” the letter continued. 

UNIVERSITY LEADER ADMITS SCHOOLS ARE ‘NOT A POLITICAL PARTY’ IN WARNING TO ELITE CAMPUSES

Coach Keith Allain of the Yale Bulldogs stands behind the bench during a game against the Boston University Terriers during NCAA hockey at Agganis Arena on December 13, 2016, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers won 5-2.  (Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

“I know this assessment seems harsh and I am willing to provide detail if you were interested in learning more about my experience and how Vicky’s lack of leadership affect my program. As a point of reference, our teams record before Vicky was 220 wins-144 losses-39 ties, with Vicky 62 wins-110 losses-15 ties. Responsibility for that record is mine, but we all know organizational leadership or lack of it has an impact.”

A source provided the letter to Fox News Digital. Allain later confirmed to Fox News Digital that he wrote the letter and sent it to McInnis in October, shortly after he retired after 19 years leading Yale hockey. Allain declined further comment. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Yale president’s office and athletic department for a response.

Fox News Digital is currently reviewing additional claims and allegations. 

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Head coach Keith Allain of USA during practice before the 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship Group A game between USA and Finland on December 26, 2010 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.  (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Allain, who played ice hockey at Yale from 1976-80, took over as head coach in 2006, leading the program to the NCAA championship in 2013 and seven Ivy League championships during his tenure. He finished his tenure with a record of 282–254–54. 

Chun, a former volleyball player and later head coach for Colgate University, took over as Yale Athletic Director in 2018 after serving in the same position at Colgate from 2012-18.

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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has described speculation that he will take over at Real Madrid this summer as “nonsense”.

The German stood down after nearly nine years in charge at Anfield following the end of the 2023-24 season and has since fulfilled a role as head of global football with Red Bull.

He has not ruled out a return to football management in the future, although he has been linked with a comeback to Anfield amid his successor Arne Slot’s struggles in his second season in the hot-seat.

Klopp, who won the Champions League and Premier League at Liverpool, has also been mentioned as a candidate for the Real job to replace Alvaro Arbeloa at the end of the campaign.

But Klopp told reporters at the Magenta TV World Cup team presentation in Munich: “If Real Madrid had phoned, we would have heard about it by now.

“But that’s all nonsense. They haven’t called even once, not once. My agent is there, you can ask him. They haven’t called him either.

“Right now I’m not thinking about that, luckily there’s no reason to.

“For my age, I’m quite advanced in life, but as a coach I’m not completely finished. I haven’t reached retirement age. Who knows what will happen in the coming years? But there’s nothing planned.”

Mayank Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah (Agency Image)

Mayank Yadav has opened up about a major shift in his approach to fitness and recovery after battling multiple injuries, admitting that he previously neglected his body before a surgery forced him to rethink everything. The 23-year-old fast bowler, who represents Lucknow Super Giants, went through a difficult phase that began with an injury during IPL 2024, followed by a serious back problem that kept him out for the remainder of the 2025 season. Having completed his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, he is now gearing up for a comeback. Reflecting on his journey, Mayank acknowledged how drastically his mindset has changed post-surgery. “Everything has changed for me post-surgery. Earlier, I never used to take care of myself. Whenever I had to do a recovery session, I used to avoid it and neglect many aspects. But after the surgery, I paid a lot of attention to recovery, nutrition and sleep. The more I respect my body, the more my body respects me on the field,” he said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’. During his time at the National Cricket Academy, Mayank found valuable guidance from Jasprit Bumrah, who had undergone a similar procedure. The young pacer described Bumrah as a mentor figure during the recovery phase. “When I was in rehab at the NCA, Bumrah bhaiya was also there. I have a very good bonding with him. He is like a teacher to me. He also had the same surgery, the same scenario,” he said. “Bumrah bhaiya shared his experience of how to come back after surgery and what things to pay attention to. He told me how the body will be during recovery, how it will react. Sometimes it will feel good, sometimes not. Whenever we talk on call or messages, he shares his experience as much as possible,” he added. Mayank, who recorded the fastest delivery by an Indian during IPL 2024, also spoke about when he first realised his ability to bowl at extreme pace. “When I came to the IPL for the first time, our trainers used to measure our bowling speed with a speed gun. At that time, I came to know that I have this talent, I have this gift. So now I have to respect it,” he said. He also acknowledged the physical and mental challenges associated with fast bowling. “With fast bowling, things are always a little dicey whether you can do it or not. There is a lot of stress on the body, physically and mentally.” Tracing his love for pace back to childhood, Mayank said he was always inclined towards fast bowling rather than spin. “When I used to play in the streets, I didn’t know how to bowl spin so I used to bowl only fast bowling. My craze for fast bowling began since childhood. My father also used to show me a lot of fast bowling videos. “Mostly, when India used to play in South Africa, I used to watch a lot of those matches. I really liked two of their pacers, our current bowling coach Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. Through them, I got the craze to bowl fast,” he said.

Sunil Gavaskar and Ranveer Singh (Agency Image)

With the Indian Premier League 2026 season just days away, an unexpected topic has captured the nation’s attention — Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, the film has triggered a frenzy across the country, cutting through even the IPL buzz.The spy-action sequel, released last week, is enjoying a sensational run at the box office, raking in massive collections and shattering records. With demand for tickets skyrocketing, even one of India’s greatest cricketers, Sunil Gavaskar, has found it difficult to secure a seat in theatres.Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who plays a key role in the two-part film, revealed the amusing episode through a video on Instagram. While requesting fans to avoid sharing spoilers, Bedi recounted his recent meeting with Gavaskar and the unusual request that followed.“Talking about sports, yesterday I met one of the great sportspersons of India, the great Sunil Gavaskar ji. He said, ‘Rakesh ji, I am not able to get the tickets. So please arrange it for me,” said Bedi in the video.“So I am trying to arrange some tickets for him. I hope I am able to,” he added.The film is now on track to become the highest-grossing Bollywood movie of all time, a record currently held by its predecessor, Dhurandhar.The craze has extended into the cricketing world as well. Players from Gujarat Titans were recently seen visiting a theatre in Ahmedabad to watch the sequel, while Hardik Pandya, captain of Mumbai Indians, was also spotted at a multiplex enjoying the film.

Golf great John Daly shared a hilarious moment that may have been more serious after watching a video he posted on social media, calling himself a “jacka–” in the process. 

Daly was in desert terrain at the La Paloma Country Club for the Cologuard Classic, when he was trying to hit a shot onto a green when he lost his footing.

As he tried to gain traction in the sand, Daly’s feet fell from under him, and he slid down a long desert hill. Multiple people got involved, voluntarily jumping down the hill to see if Daly was all right. 

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John Daly of the United States plays a tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the Cologuard Classic 2026 at La Paloma Country Club on March 21, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Daly left unscathed, but he did enjoy putting the theme music to the “Jackass” franchise over the video to share to the masses. 

“Bellyfloppin’ in the desert,” Daly captioned the video, while shouting out his caddie, Joel Cooley, who sprang to action to see if his partner was doing fine at the bottom of the hill. 

“On today’s episode of ‘jacka**’” was also seen on top of the video. 

BROOKS KOEPKA RUNS TO COMFORT YOUNG GILR HIT BY GOLF CART DURING HIS VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

While he doesn’t usually show off his bellyflopping, Daly remains a key figure in golf.

John Daly of the United States plays his second shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Cologuard Classic 2026 at La Paloma Country Club on March 20, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

He spends most of his time on the course for the Champions Tour, which is former PGA Tour players 50 years and older. His most recent round came on Sunday, where he finished tied for 29th with a 6-under tournament in the Cologuard Classic. 

Daly was just named the 2026 Ambassador of Golf Award honoree ahead of the Kaulig Companies Championship at the signature Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. The award recognizes those making an impact on the course as well as in their communities off the course. 

“I’ve always loved this game and what it’s given me,” he said in a press release for the award. “Golf has taken me places I never imagined and introduced me to incredible people along the way. To be recognized with the Ambassador of Golf Award is truly an honor, and I’m proud to support the meaningful work being done here in Northeast Ohio.”

John Daly hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the PNC Championship 2025 at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on Dec. 21, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Daly’s impact on the sport is quite iconic, whether it’s his monstrous drives from the tee box, winning the 1991 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate in the field, or taking home The Open Championship in 1995 at St. Andrews, forever marking himself as a multi-time major winner. 

His larger-than-life personality has always been on display, even today in silly moments like these on and off the course. 

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Moses Itauma has been accused of swerving a title shot, which can still be salvaged if he defeats Jermaine Franklin on March 28.

The 21-year-old will square off with Franklin, a durable operator who represents his toughest opponent thus far, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.

Up to this point, the heavyweight prodigy has shown considerable talent and potential against mostly limited opposition, with his last performance coming against a faded Dillian Whyte.

The pair engaged in a brief encounter last August, when Itauma orchestrated a blistering first-round finish, though it goes without saying that tougher tests await the unbeaten southpaw.

One such assignment should arrive against Franklin, who lost a unanimous decision to Anthony Joshua in 2023 but has since established himself as a solid fringe contender.

If nothing else, the American is likely to take Itauma past round two for the first time in nine fights, giving him the necessary experience to resume his swift development.

After that, Itauma could revisit a clash with WBA ‘Regular’ champion Murat Gassiev, who has been repeatedly mentioned as a potential opponent for the prolific knockout artist.

The former world cruiserweight champion claimed his secondary heavyweight title in December, scoring a sixth-round knockout over 44-year-old veteran Kubrat Pulev.

Regarding a possible showdown with Itauma, meanwhile, Gassiev’s coach Anton Kadushin has told IBA that they remain open to such discussions but feel the Brit’s team have backed off following his most recent KO.

“After the fight with Pulev, Moses Itauma went quiet. All the talk of a fight with Murat stopped.

“But if this fight becomes inevitable – if we win the next one; if Moses Itauma comes out and says he’s ready to face Gassiev at the end of the year, and if the terms are right for us – then we’re open to it. Gassiev is not avoiding anyone.”

By winning the WBA ‘Regular’ belt, Itauma would place himself in a strong position to be upgraded to full champion if Oleksandr Usyk either vacates, or is stripped of, his world title. The fight had been ordered by the WBA, but if Itauma is taken another route he remains well placed with the other sanctioning bodies.

The Seattle Seahawks did not just reward production when they handed Jaxon Smith-Njigba a record four-year, $168.6 million extension. According to Colin Cowherd, they paid for something NFL teams value just as much as elite numbers.

Smith-Njigba earned the deal after a Super Bowl-winning season in which he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards. He is now the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Cowherd argued the overlooked factor was professionalism, not just talent.

“Talent alone in pro sports absolutely has a ceiling,” he said on ‘The Herd,’ today. “No drama, no big ego. He is what every CEO is seeking. He is what every GM is seeking. He gets along with teammates, quarterbacks, coaches, coordinators. He never steps in it.”

Cowherd summed it up by saying, “Ego and drama always punctures talent… This is a prime example why Seattle had to make big decisions, and where do they set the record with JSN, you think it’s just talent. It’s not just talent. No babysitting him, no drama. He cares about the right stuff. He carries himself like a professional…”

This was not only about rewarding a superstar season. The Seahawks are betting massive money on a proven playmaker who, in Cowherd’s eyes, carries himself like a franchise cornerstone.

Also read: Top 10 highest-paid NFL WRs in 2026 after Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s blockbuster $168,600,000 Seahawks contract

Also read: “Holy overpay” “10x better than Puka Nacua”: NFL fans react to Jaxon Smith-Njigba signing record breaking $168.6M deal with Seahawks

Colin Cowherd uses Jaxon Smith-Njigba to warn Puka Nacua

In the same segment, Cowherd had a piece of advice, masked in the form of a warning for Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. He said,

“Many young athletes get terrible advice. JSN, huge talent, no drama. It’s like Amon-Ra St. Brown, you don’t have to worry about him. You don’t have to babysit him. He’s a grown-up. Puka Nacua, by the way, is great, but he has stepped in it multiple times with the Rams.”

“The Rams are going to take a wide receiver, I believe, early in this draft, just in case he steps in it again… And I love Puka, and so do the Rams. Maybe he should stream less…”

Nacua also had a monster season with Rams (1,715 yards) and fell just short of eclipsing Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most receiving yards in the 2025 NFL season.