Mankind Pharma has announced a partnership with Minerva Academy Football Club to support youth football development in India. As part of the association, the pharmaceutical company’s branding will appear on the front and back of jerseys worn by three of the academy’s age-group teams during domestic and international competitions.
The partnership comes after Minerva Academy’s successful run at the Gothia Cup 2026, where its U-12 team, representing India, won the Gothia Cup B-12 title before also lifting the Helsinki Cup. The collaboration is aimed at supporting the academy’s grassroots football programme and providing greater exposure to young players competing on the international stage.
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Mankind Pharma to sponsor academy teams
Under the partnership, the Mankind Pharma logo will feature on the jerseys of three Minerva Academy age-group teams throughout the year. The teams compete in tournaments in India as well as overseas, giving the company’s branding visibility at international youth football events.
Founded in 2015 by Ranjit Bajaj, Minerva Academy has established itself as one of India’s leading grassroots football institutions. The academy won the Gothia Cup world youth title in 2025 and has produced more than 240 internationals across various age groups. In 2026, its U-12 side added two more international titles by winning the Gothia Cup B-12 in Sweden and the Helsinki Cup in Finland.
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The academy’s long-term football development programme is centred on its “World Cup Batch 2034” initiative, which aims to prepare players capable of helping India qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Focus on grassroots football
Mankind Pharma said the partnership reflects its efforts to support sports beyond cricket by encouraging the growth of football in the country. The company said it intends to create opportunities for young footballers and contribute to the development of the sport through grassroots initiatives.
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Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Juneja said the company believes football helps build discipline, teamwork and ambition among young people. He added that Minerva Academy’s performances at international tournaments demonstrate the potential of Indian footballers, and the partnership is intended to support the academy’s efforts to compete on the global stage.
Academy eyes long-term development
Minerva Academy Founder and Director Ranjit Bajaj said the partnership comes at an important stage in the academy’s football programme. He said the support from Mankind Pharma would help players train, travel and compete against strong international opposition while strengthening the academy’s long-term development plans.
He added that the academy remains focused on its objective of producing players capable of representing India at the FIFA World Cup through its grassroots development pathway.
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The partnership adds another corporate association to Indian grassroots football as Minerva Academy continues to expand its youth programme following its recent success in international tournaments.
Akwa United defender Somto Nnoli has been named in Nigeria’s Flying Eagles squad for the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship.
The tournament will be held in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, from July 26 to August 9 and will also serve as the qualifying competition for the next Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Nnoli earned his place in the team after an impressive season with Akwa United in the Nigeria National League (NNL). The defender featured in about 90 per cent of the club’s league matches and was one of the team’s most consistent players.
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Somto Nnoli before the Flying Eagles depart for the WAFU B U20 Championship
Although Akwa United narrowly missed promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League after losing out on the final day of the season, Nnoli’s performances impressed the national team coaches.
Nigeria will begin the defence of their WAFU B U20 title against Ghana on July 27. The Flying Eagles will then face Togo on July 30 before taking on Burkina Faso on August 2. All of Nigeria’s Group B matches will kick off at 3pm Nigerian time.
The Flying Eagles, led by coach Abdu Maikaba, are expected to depart for Côte d’Ivoire on Monday after completing their training camp in Abuja.
Eight Division I conferences are trying to improve the experience in women’s college basketball with an official alliance that aims to “enhance the quality, consistency and development of officiating,” the leagues announced on Monday. The conferences involved are the ACC, American Conference, BIG EAST, Atlantic 10, Big South Conference, Coastal Athletic Association, Ivy League and Metro Conference (formerly Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference).
This group will be led by Pualani Spurlock-Welsh, who has been a full-time official for multiple conferences since 2011 and last month was named supervisor of officials for the ACC, Big East and American Conference.
“When you look at the consortium that was put together, it’s an investment in women’s basketball and an investment in women’s basketball officiating,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told USA Today.
“You have to continue to groom young officials and new officials to the game in different ways. And one way to do it is through the conferences. I’m excited about it. It’s a strategic, dedicated group looking to make sure that they’re delivering the very best quality of a women’s basketball officiating.”
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What will the alliance do?
This effort aims to improve officiating “through a collaborative system of assigning, training, evaluation and oversight.” These are the official services that will be provided for the member conferences:
Identify, recruit and retain officials
Enhance official training, education, mentorship, evaluation and feedback
Develop efficient, collaborative assigning strategies that maximize geographic efficiencies across the alliance
Conduct collaborative seasonal game management calls and provide updates related to alliance operations
Having a clearer pipeline for officials will be an important part of these efforts. Those who are less experienced will start out in smaller conferences and, with the proper training and development, can work their way up to bigger games in leagues like the ACC.
“You need a system that’s got some tiers to it, so that you have a chance to move up as you get experience and become more familiar with women’s basketball,” Phillips told USA Today. “It’s a training mechanism for women’s college basketball overall. The commissioners will obviously have some oversight to it.”
Is this a new concept?
Not exactly, but it is a more official effort now. These eight conferences had already been working together under the leadership of Debbie Williamson, who served as a conference coordinator of officials since 2014 but retired earlier this year.
Williamson oversaw the eight conferences directly, but Spurlock-Welsh will delegate more of her work. While she will still be the supervisor for the ACC, Big East and American, the other five conferences will have representatives who report to her.
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Officiating has been a hot topic
Officiating, always an easy target for critics, has been more of a discussion recently. In women’s college basketball, UConn coach Geno Auriemma just called out the lack of calls from referees in the 2026 national championship game against South Carolina.
“They’ve been beating the shit out of our guys down there the entire game,” he said in April. “I’m not making excuses, ’cause we haven’t been able to make a shot. But this is ridiculous.”
It is fair to point out that was a frustrating day for Auriemma, who also exchanged words with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after the Huskies lost the game. However, this is not a recent issue. In 2023, for example, the NCAA conceded that officiating in the LSU vs. Iowa national championship game “did not meet expectations,” citing that the percentage of correct calls was lower than usual.
The WNBA has also had similar issues with officiating. During the 2025 playoffs, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve blasted refs after a controversial no-call that led to an injury for star Napheesa Collier. Ahead of the 2026 season, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced a specialized task force to address concerns about officiating consistency and the game’s physicality.
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“We’ve seen great improvements on the very things that were broken,” said Reeve, who is part of the task force. “There was a level of impeding players and trying to cut off a screen. We don’t want the unnecessary physicality.”
The league is still trying to figure out the balance. Just last month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for putting her fist into Fever star Caitlin Clark’s neck while scrambling for a loose ball. A foul was not called during the game, but she was later given a flagrant foul 2 penalty.
Or [Insert number] things you didn’t know about Ryan Fox.
Or something like that. Over the past 24 hours, you’ve likely seen more than a few articles with those discovery-based headlines; hell, even this site wrote one. In the encyclopedia-in-your-pocket era, what these stories do is catch you up with subjects now celebrated but previously a bit unheralded — and what you usually won’t find are similar-styled pieces about multiple-time major winners or those in and around the world top 25 because sports, at their core, are about who wins, and sports stories are about telling you how that happened, so, by now, you’re well acquainted with the folks who have won dozens of times over such as Nelly and Scottie and Rory.
So let’s indulge this: Who’s Ryan Fox, the 39-year-old New Zealander who, on Sunday, won the Open Championship for his first major championship?
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He’s you, actually.
Or at least perhaps closer to you than, say, Nelly and Scottie and Rory. Fox needed a while to arrive and worked toward that. He started playing competitive golf in his late teens. Turned pro in his mid-20s. Reached the PGA Tour at 37. None of this is to say that Fox doesn’t have god-given ability, or that the aforementioned megastars are afraid to get their golf gloves dirty, so to say. It’s just that Fox’s path has had more twists and turns than Royal Birkdale’s fairways, which we all can relate to.
“Why it’s a slow burn? I don’t know,” Fox said Sunday. “It took — I was a rookie on the DP World Tour at 30. I was a rookie on the PGA Tour at 37 and now a major champion at 39. I’m definitely not following the trend at the moment. But if I can keep getting better a little bit every year, I’ll be pretty happy.
“I said it earlier; if you’d have given me my career up till yesterday when I first turned pro, I would have jumped at it. Now I probably would have killed people for it.”
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Sunday night, I wanted to test my theory. I texted my 18-year-old golfing nephew a tweet that shared the point that Fox didn’t start playing seriously until he was about the same age. The response?
“Dang, that’s crazy.”
Crazy like a … [insert bad pun here.]
As we look back at the Open Championship week that was, let’s make that observation No. 1 then. We’ll try for 49 more, and we’ll be fueled by the anticipation of eating a sausage roll, which will be had as soon as the keyboarding concludes.
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2. How trying was the journey? Fox was close to quitting.
“My second year on the Aussie Tour, I was pretty close to giving it up,” he said. “I think I had three events left in the season, and I was not enjoying it. I played well enough in pro-ams to make a little money, but I had not played well on tour, and I was well outside keeping my card.
“I remember getting to the Aussie Masters at Royal Melbourne. It was the second-to-last event of the year. I had just missed the cut at the Aussie PGA badly. My dad came over and caddied for me, and he said to me, ‘Why do you play this game?’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s supposed to be fun.’ But it wasn’t really very fun at the time. He goes, ‘Well, let’s just go out this week and try to have some fun.’
“I think I finished fifth that week, and that made enough to keep my card for the year. Took the pressure off the rest of the year, and I came back the following year and played really, really well.
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“Yeah, that was — I was very close to giving it up at that point.”
3. Who is Ryan Fox?
A finisher.
On the mine-filled 72nd hole, he nuked a drive, flushed an iron and sunk a putt, under the heat of needing a bird to win major No. 1. Has there been a better played hole, under the circumstances?
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4. He played to win it, too. First or bust.
“I did say to my caddie, Dean [Smith, on the tee that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament,” Fox said, “and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up.”
He didn’t stuff it up.
5. Who is Ryan Fox?
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Efficient.
He played those shots on 18, along with all of his other ones, with few questions asked. He’s fast. On Sunday, the PGA Tour shared a video that you can watch below that showed he needed just 22 seconds on his 270th and final stroke.
Where does it come from?
“I was always that way as a kid,” Fox said. “I see things fast. I was the same when I was playing cricket growing up. I played almost every sport growing up, and tennis I wanted to hit the ball hard, and cricket I wanted to hit the ball hard. Everything just happened fast. I was never methodical at anything, to be honest, and it just carried over into golf.
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“For me it’s — I don’t feel like it’s — I need to make sure this comes across right. It’s not that difficult to pick a shot and pick a club. I get in there, and it all happens quick. You hit — it’s always going to be between one or two clubs into a green, and I just see the shot quickly, pick a shot quickly, and the less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in there.”
6. But pro golf is kinda, well, slow. How has he handled that?
“I think just playing professional golf in general, it used to frustrate me a lot early on, and I’ve just got better at switching off and talking to Dean, my caddie, or talking to my playing partners,” Fox said.
“Xander [Schauffele] and I did a great job of that yesterday. I get along with Sam [Burns] really well. There was a few chats going on down there, but we were probably a bit more focused today than we were yesterday.
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“Yeah, like I just — you only really need to concentrate properly 30 seconds, a minute before hitting a shot, and then you can switch off again. That’s just the strategy I’ve had going pretty much my whole golf career.”
7. Has he ever played with anyone faster?
“I can think of one maybe, Renato Paratore, back in the day,” Fox said. “He used to hit while his name was getting announced on the 1st tee.
“He’s probably the only one that did it. I’ll go a little while — I played with Scottie Scheffler earlier in the year, and I can’t work out if this was a burn or a compliment. We played at Phoenix, and we’re in a three-ball on Saturday. We walk off the 9th tee, and he goes, ‘Foxy, it doesn’t even feel like you’re in the group. It just feels like we’re playing in a two-ball, you hit it so fast. It’s just in the air.’
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“You guys can tell me if it’s a burn or a compliment. It is just always how I’ve played. I’m kinda glad I kept that routine down the stretch.”
8. Does Fox do everything fast? Drive fast? Eat fast?
“I can’t really — I can’t drive fast in New Zealand because we get too many speeding tickets,” he said. “Yeah, I would say just my brain works fast. That’s just how everything is. Yeah, it’s just always how I’ve seen it on the golf course.
“If you tried to slow me down and make me do everything slowly, I think I’d be pretty useless, to be honest.”
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9. Who is Ryan Fox?
Son of a rugby legend. And a watcher of the sport. A bettor of it, too. On Saturday, the All Blacks — the team Fox’s dad, Grant, used to play for — defeated Ireland, and Fox and Irishman Shane Lowry supposedly had a wager going. After he shot his record-tying 62 on Saturday, Fox said he was going to watch a replay of the match and that he was “looking forward to taking 100 quid off of him, the little bet we had.”
10. Speaking of the All Blacks, I thought the video below, taken from Golf Channel’s “Live From” show, was good.
Ryan Fox’s commitment to the game and humility stems from the @AllBlacks New Zealand rugby team 🇳🇿🏉
The son of legend Grant Fox, he’s creating his own Kiwi legacy in a totally different sport 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Dp0sp9iZH0
11. Music break! Let’s go with Oasis, which formed about an hour’s drive to the east of Royal Birkdale, in Manchester. Below is song No. 1.
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12. One more word on New Zealand. Last week, at the Genesis Scottish Open, Scheffler said he has interest in playing in the country, which led to a reporter on Sunday asking him what about the country had appealed to him.
He started his answer this way:
“Just the views from ‘Lord of the Rings’ pretty much.”
13. Let’s start non-Fox player thoughts with Scheffler, who finishes the major season 0 for 4.
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Winning majors is hard.
What he did in winning two last year may never be done again.
What he did this year — finishing in the top five in three majors while playing perhaps his less-than-best golf — is incredible.
14. I think he wins the PGA Championship next year.
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15. I thought this was good from Travis Smyth, who played a practice round with Scheffler:
“Yeah, yesterday was sweet, playing with Scottie for the first time,” he said. “Watching the precision of his iron play was amazing. It was kind of demoralizing a little bit. It was like, damn, when I play good, I don’t think I have that in me.
“But it was good. It lights a fire in my stomach and makes me want to work hard. Now that I’ve seen what No. 1 in the world looks like, a little bit of a taste — it was only nine holes, but it was a great experience watching him play.
“He’s a lovely guy, really down to earth, which I’m happy about. He’s not like a d**khead or anything. So it was good.”
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16. What if Bryson DeChambeau’s ball had ended up to the left of the grandstands like Scheffler’s did on Sunday?
17. Many, many words have been typed on DeChambeau and FescueGate, so I’ll keep the thoughts to just a few.
Both Scheffler and Max Homa said in response to the events of Friday that DeChambeau was not a cheater, and their point is made.
Doesn’t mean he’s mistake-proof, though.
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18. Then there’s the thought that since players like DeChambeau are often televised, their actions, good or bad, are more visible than players who aren’t on camera.
But if you’re a player who believes in all that is good and holy about the game, wouldn’t you welcome any and all exposure? A colleague of mine made this point, and I agree.
19. DeChambeau dominated the headlines — and said few words to reporters.
Can writers tell the story without talking to him? Yes, we have more than our mouths. (Feel free to make your eating jokes here.) Eyes and ears can also do the job. Those associated with him can also be helpful.
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Do I personally care whether DeChambeau talks? No, nor do I personally care whether others talk.
Do I care that you, the reader, cares? Yes, and that’s my job.
Do you want to know his side of what happened on Friday through questions you may have? And not through statements he might give?
22. I’ll just leave this item here: Geoff Shackelford of the Quadrilateral reported that DeChambeau wanted to bring President Donald Trump into his rules conversation with the R&A. You can — and should — subscribe to Shackelford’s newsletter here.
23. I think DeChambeau wins the Open Championship next year.
24. What if Cameron Young had hit a wedge out of the fairway bunker on 18 on Sunday?
25. What if Fox had hit his ball about an inch lower out of the fairway bunker on 18 on Saturday?
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26. What’s the over-under total on career major wins for Young? I’ll go 2.5.
27. What’s the over-under total on career major wins for Burns? I’ll go 1.5.
28. There was only player to shoot in the 60s for all four rounds: Tommy Fleetwood.
32. I’ll never get over that men’s pro golf goes from one of its biggest events — that also ends the major season — to a standard tour event just a few days later.
33. On Friday, after his 62, Lucas Herbert was asked what he had for dinner the night before and he said a steak and a cheeseburger.
I’m still thinking about that on Monday.
34. Ahead of the tournament, I really believed Matt Fitzpatrick was going to contend, and certainly make the cut, but he did neither. I thought what he said on Friday was interesting.
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“Yeah, it is disappointing, but like I say, I didn’t really feel like I played that bad,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve hit three shots today that I’ve hit them exactly how I wanted them, and one is in a bush 30 yards long. One has basically been on the green for basically 15 seconds and then dropped off the green, and that’s another dropped shot. Then I’ve hit one that somehow has gone less than the normal number, and there’s 15 yards of help downwind. Now all of a sudden you’re plugged in the face of a bunker.
“So I’ve got four shots, and three shots I’ve hit good. That’s the way links golf is. When it’s this firm, there’s a lot of luck of the bounces and luck of the lies. It is what it is.
35. I thought the quote below was interesting.
“The more I play that golf course,” Robert MacIntyre said of Royal Birkdale, “the more I realize that it’s not for — it doesn’t set up that well for me.
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“There are certain holes that the longer hitters — the guys probably cruising it at 184 ball speed — are taking drivers on and there’s no punishment. I feel like that’s the way professional golf is going. I get we’re trying to get crowds in, but we’ve still got to have — links golf needs gorse bushes, and I’m watching everyone now, the longer hitters, bomb driver down 9. There’s one gorse bush down the left-hand side. You’re telling me — that hole reminds me of I think it’s 12 or something at Portrush, the dogleg left to right before the long par-5. I mean, it needs gorse bushes. Cam [Young] has hit a slightly wider one, but he knows it’s fine and then he’s pitched up to six feet and holed it.
“I feel like links golf courses are designed to be — it’s like you go and take the gorse bushes out at Troon on that one right by the railway — that’s what I feel is going to happen. That’s the way I feel the new designers are going. So yeah, it wasn’t to be my week. But always next year.”
36. I also thought this quote was interesting:
“If you give up on reaching your ceiling,” Jordan Spieth said, “then I don’t see a point in playing anymore.”
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37. One of the best stories of the week was that of David Howard, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 7. Earlier in the week, he said this to the BBC: “When I was 12 or 13 I didn’t even think I’d live to this age — to be here now, healthy as ever and playing with all these top players, it doesn’t even make sense to me.” On Friday, he shot a one-under 69.
38. Another one of the best stories of the week was the journey of Marcus Plunkett. Below is a video about him.
39. Below is one of the pictures of the week. It was taken by Adrain Dennis of AFP.
Tyrrell Hatton on Thursday.
Getty Images
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40. Below is also one of the pictures of the week. It was taken by Warren Little of Getty Images.
42. Minjee Lee wins the Women’s Open, which would also give her four of the five women’s majors.
43. Here are a few of my favorite reads this week from the on-site GOLF.com staff. From Michael Bamberger, his column here on the DeChambeau incident was great.
44. From James Colgan, his column here, also on DeChambeau, was great.
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45. From Sean Zak, his story here on Young’s Sunday wait was great.
46. I also liked Dylan Dethier’s Winners and Losers stories after each round. You can read them here, here, here and here.
47. Every video at Birkdale was shot by Darren Riehl. A few of my favorites are here, here and here.
48. Two years ago, my wife and I went to England together, and I’ve been thinking about the pasty-and-meat slice of heaven that is a sausage roll ever since. Our first night, we bought some from the nearby market. Then the second night. And the third …
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49. On Monday night, we went to the Churchill Tavern in New York City, where they have ’em.
50. In the fall, my wife and I are headed to Scotland, where next year’s Open will be. So … what do you think we should do? I might not be able to play any golf, but there’s a chance. Feel free to email me at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
Monday, July 20 features a full 15-game slate in MLB, so fans who want to wager on the best bet to a hit a home run today have hundreds of choices on MLB player props. Home run props are massively popular in MLB betting, and with potential playoff previews Monday like Dodgers vs. Phillies and White Sox vs. Rangers, there are tons of players to look at when you’re deciding on your home run props wagers. SportsLine MLB expert Angelo Magliocca is here to help, and the expert has pored over all of Monday’s odds to find his best bets to hit (at least) one out of the yard.
Magliocca, also known as “Amags,” is a hugely profitable MLB handicapper who uses his deep knowledge of baseball to find value on player props, sides and totals. He is coming off another strong season at SportsLine. Over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons, Amags is up 133.4 units on straight bets and parlays while winning an additional 25.3 units on ladder plays.
Best home run picks for Monday
Curtis Mead (+360)
Kyle Freeland has allowed 16 home runs to right-handed batters in 65 innings this year. He has allowed 17 walks to righties in that same time frame. He’s been barreled up 12% of the time and hit hard at nearly a 60% clip by right-handers, and that plays perfectly into Curtis Mead’s hands.
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The Nationals slugger has crushed left-handed pitchers, with seven of his 17 home runs this season coming against southpaws in just over 100 at-bats, giving him a .521 slugging percentage. He has feasted on fastballs, and Freeland leads with his four-seam fastball against righties, while throwing the cutter more than 20% of the time. That’s almost half the time that a right-handed hitter is seeing a fastball or a variation. Neither pitch has been effective, yielding a .401 and .350 expected wOBA, respectively.
The expected stats for Freeland’s pitch mix against righties is horrendous, and his only chance of getting Mead out here is leaning into the breaking stuff. We get 100-degree weather and the highest altitude of any ballpark, plus a good platoon advantage and a +360 price. Mead will be hitting near the top of the order on the away team. This is set it and forget it territory, in my opinion.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (+450) and Manny Machado (+450)
Is Tatis finally back? He has hit a home run in back-to-back games, and it looks like he could have his power stroke back. Now in Atlanta as the away team and with a spot near or at the top of the order, Tatis should have plenty of chances to go deep tonight.
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For right-handed batters, this ballpark actually plays rather neutral or even slightly depressing to power numbers. I don’t care, as Bryce Elder allowed three homers in his last start and seven across 26 innings in June. He’s been beaten up by righties, who are hitting nearly .300 against him, and six of his 15 home runs allowed have come against righties in just 34 innings of work. We still get temperatures in the 80’s here, with humidity rising as the game goes on, putting Tatis in a good situation to defy some of his season-long numbers and get a homer off a right-hander here. If for some reason he faces a lefty out of the bullpen, that would be huge as well since he’s been far better for power off lefties this year.
On the other side of that coin is Machado, who’s racked up 15 of his 19 home runs against right-handed pitching this year. He had three home runs in the 11 games in July before the break but hasn’t hit one yet since returning. I like him to find the power stroke again here, against a pitcher he has hit hard in a small sample size but hasn’t had much to show for it.
Valdez has 12 home runs in 105 at-bats so far this year in MLB action; I almost thought I was reading those numbers incorrectly at first. His stats are eye-popping, and half of his home runs have come against left-handed pitcher. He has an OPS above 1.500 and a slugging percentage over 1.000 against them, though neither of those figures will stay that high. Still, he’s crushing lefties right now, and pretty much anyone for that matter. He has racked up 10 total bases in the three games since returning from the All-Star break, with two home runs in there.
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He strikes out a ton as well but far less against lefties, and Ryan Weathers has been weirdly worse against left-handed batters. I still like this spot for Valdez with how hot he’s been lately. We get hot weather in a good hitters ballpark, and a batter on the away team who should be in the tophalf of the batting order, all of which play to our advantage.
Additionally, the Yankees bullpen was worked a ton Sunday, so they are likely to be missing at least a couple of their normal high-leverage guys, along with closer David Bednar.
Dual Group One winner Beiwacht was among the key participants in the opening trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday, looking sharp as he won the 900m heat.
The Godolphin-owned son of Bivouac stepped up from three-year-old to open-age company in the Autumn, adding the All Aged Stakes to his earlier Golden Rose Stakes victory.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, Beiwacht led throughout the trial, clocking a time of 53.99 seconds, with Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica in second.
Chris Waller, who acquired Beiwacht after James Cummings’ move to Hong Kong, expressed his excitement for the colt’s prospects as a four-year-old heading into the Spring.
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1⃣ Beiwacht 2⃣ Attica 3⃣ Tornado Valley
A @godolphin quinella in the Group & Listed trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Also trialling were Cherry Bomshell, Angel Capital, Campione D’Italia, Fireball, Diameter and Piggyback. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/QC7bKpzy27
“I’m looking forward to him,” Waller told Racing And Sports. “He’s a mature colt now. He’s won a Golden Rose and we’ve worked out that he’s a good high-pressure horse over 1400 (metres).”
“He’s good enough to win over 1200, I’m sure, and as a mature four-year-old, I’m excited. He’s beaten the older horses at three. He’s won a Golden Rose in amazing time and with an amazing rating. He can really do it as a four-year-old.”
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While Beiwacht has achieved Group One success and is a valuable stallion prospect, the Waller stable is keen to secure a top-flight win with the much-discussed Angel Capital, who finished strongly for fifth in the trial under James McDonald.
Angel Capital has placed at Group One level three times and had a luckless sixth in the All Aged Stakes, won by stablemate Beiwacht.
“This is his time,” Waller said of the Yulong-owned four-year-old. “I think 1400 metres is foolproof in terms of taking the way he races out of the equation where he gets back and he can still beat them over 1400. He’ll probably resume him over 1200, but I haven’t given up on thinking about he could even go first-up in a Memsie. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about our horses and where they’re resuming.”
Champagne Stakes winner Fireball and ATC Sires Produce winner Campione D’italia also competed in the trial, finishing seventh and sixth respectively, and are likely targets for the Golden Rose.
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) speaks with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Soon enough, Kevin O’Connell will make the most important decision he has made as the Vikings’ head coach. Choosing the correct quarterback — J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray — will be the most significant decision he can make for 2026. Quite possibly, O’Connell’s job beyond the current season will hinge on the decision.
Many are proceeding through the remaining weeks of the offseason with the assumption that Kyler Murray is going to win the QB1 job. Quite possibly, that assumption proves to be exactly right. Murray is a wonderfully talented passer and is in a great setup to shine. Still, though, there’s plenty to be said for what McCarthy is capable of accomplishing as a 23-year-old passer who is entering his third pro season. In fact, O’Connell spoke to the next phase in McCarthy’s development several months ago.
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Kevin O’Connell on What’s in Front of J.J. McCarthy
My hot take: most of J.J. McCarthy’s struggles in 2025 come down to poor coaching from Kevin O’Connell. Tasking the kid with adjusting his mechanics behind a patchwork offensive line while refusing to run the football was insanity.
At Michigan, Mr. McCarthy played well largely due to a dominant defense and ground game. Brian Flores brought the excellent defense to the party. O’Connell, though, didn’t stick with the ground game. Stunningly, he explained earlier in the offseason that Minnesota only adjusted toward emphasizing the rushing attack, minimizing turnovers, and playing sizzling defense in the final five games of the season. Maybe that was just meaningless coach talk; maybe that was nevertheless a very dumb thing to say.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back and delivers a first-quarter throw at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jan 4, 2026, in Minneapolis against the Green Bay Packers. The snapshot captured McCarthy operating within the structure of the offense early, as Minnesota looked to establish rhythm and tempo during a high-stakes divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Something that wasn’t dumb was how O’Connell discussed where things are heading at quarterback.
The Vikings’ skipper chatted with Paul Allen and Pete Bercich for roughly twenty minutes at the NFL combine. “We want him to be in a competitive situation,” O’Connell explained back in late February. O’Connell continued: “We’ve really got to push the gas pedal down. And not replace development and coaching and teaching with anything, but really enhance it with a really competitive situation.”
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In essence, let McCarthy feel the urgency of direct competition.
O’Connell’s view was that adding a viable starting quarterback wasn’t about replacing J.J. McCarthy. Rather, the goal is to enhance the competition for J.J. McCarthy by inserting somebody capable of replacing him. Can the kid elevate to such a degree that he doesn’t get leapfrogged for the QB1 spot? If so, then he’ll be better; if not, the team will still have a competent option to start.
Last year, the Vikings proved remarkably stupid when not introducing actual competition for McCarthy. All along, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer were depth options. At no point did any challenge for the QB1 job. Minnesota isn’t making the mistake again.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 14, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. McCarthy continued his strong rookie-season momentum while leading Minnesota’s offense in a high-profile road matchup against one of the NFC’s most recognizable franchises. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Kevin O’Connell has not committed to giving the starting job to Murray. Instead, there’s a true competition taking place. This, too, is seen as part of the process of seeing J.J. McCarthy develop. The Vikings are therefore introducing a challenge rather than signalling a desire to abandon the No. 10 pick.
What’s inside of the kid once he gets backed into a corner? The Vikings want to see a fighter who shows the absolute best version of himself.
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Whether the strategy proves fruitful — which is to say nothing of actually committing to running the ball, minimizing turnovers, and playing excellent defense — remains to be seen. Clarity will arrive in short order as the competition gets rolling next week.
The death of Kevin Keegan, regarded as one of the greatest football players of his generation, was announced in a statement released by his family on Monday.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” the statement read.
“Kevin had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments. A double Ballon d’Or winner, Kevin was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.”
Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on February 14, 1951, Keegan got his big break when he was signed by Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly in 1971.
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At Anfield, Keegan struck up a striking partnership with Welshman John Toshack, going on to win the First Division title three times as well as the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup twice and the 1977 European Cup. He made 323 appearances, scoring 100 goals for Liverpool.
Success in the Bundesliga
From Merseyside, Keegan moved on to the Bundesliga’s Hamburg, where he was twice named European Footballer of the Year, which is now called the Ballon d’Or, in 1978 and 1979. With Hamburg, he won the Bundesliga in 1978-79 and played in another European Cup final, a 1980 loss to Nottingham Forest. He left the club having scored 32 goals in 90 appearances.
Hamburg were among the former teams to pay tribute to Keegan in a statement on their website on Monday.
“In Kevin Keegan, world football loses one of its most defining figures. Hamburger SV will always cherish the memory of its former title-winning player and two-time Ballon d’Or winner,” the statement said.
Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and all those who shared his journey. Rest in peace, “Mighty Mouse.”
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Return to England
Following his stint in West Germany, Keegan returned to England with Southampton in the summer of 1980 before moving to Second Division Newcastle, helping the club win promotion back to the top flight – before retiring as a player.
He won 63 England caps, scoring 21 goals, playing at the 1982 World Cup and was also later captain of the national team.
Stepping into management
In 1992, Keegan moved into management at Newcastle, leading them into the Premier League and to within touching distance of the 1995-96 title, but they missed out to Manchester United.
The club also paid tribute to Keegan in a statement issued on Monday afternoon, describing him as “the beating heart of Newcastle for generations of supporters.”
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After leaving St James’ Park in January 1997, a brief stint at Fulham followed before he became England manager in 1999. After overseeing a disappointing Euro 2000 campaign, Keegan resigned minutes after a 1-0 defeat by Germany in World Cup qualifying, the last match played at the original Wembley Stadium.
He later managed Manchester City, before returning to Newcastle.
Keegan’s family had revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which later spread to stage four.
Any time a pitcher throws a no-hitter – the complete-game kind, not a bunch of relievers – I feel some obligation to look at his next start to see how he follows it up. I’m cheating a bit tonight as the Rays visit the Blue Jays, as Dylan Cease took a no-no into the ninth inning before losing it. But he has been on a roll, and Tampa Bay has not. First pitch from Toronto’s Rogers Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.
In his most recent start, on July 8 in San Francisco, Cease had a no-hitter entering the bottom of the ninth. I was fascinated to see if Manager John Schneider would let him finish the game, as he had thrown a ton of pitches. The point became moot when the Giants‘ Heliot Ramos led off the inning with a line-drive single to center. Cease was pulled immediately, after a career-high 118 pitches, a whopping 81 of which were strikes. It was very cool of Giants fans to give him a standing ovation (pictured).
Cease became the AL Cy Young favorite at some books after that (as well as at Kalshi), and as of Sunday at DraftKings was a co-favorite with the Yankees‘ Cam Schlittler at +130. But Schlittler pitched Sunday and wasn’t great in a loss to the Dodgers, so Cease is nore at +130 with Schlittler at +140.
Now, I might worry about that high pitch count for Cease under normal circumstances, but so much time has passed that I don’t think it’s a concern. Cease also pitched in last Tuesday’s All-Star Game, getting the win for the American League after striking out three in the first inning. He looked plenty sharp to me.
Cease also threw seven shutout innings in his start in Seattle before facing the Giants. I have followed Cease pretty much his entire career, because he was once a touted Cubs prospect, before he was dealt to the White Sox. The 30-year-old, when he’s on, is as good as anyone. But sometimes his focus slips or whatever and it goes poorly. We should know in the top of the first tonight which guy we are getting. If Cease walks the Tampa Bay lead-off batter, that’s not good.
Cease is 1-3 at home in nine starts, though he has a 2.82 ERA at home and has gotten lousy run support. Cease took a no-decision against the visiting Rays on May 13, allowing a run and three hits over seven in a game Toronto would eventually win in extra innings. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Cease at 5.5 innings, 7.3 strikeouts, 5.1 hits allowed and 2.5 earned runs. At DraftKings, he is +140 to win and set at Over/Under 7.5 Ks.
It’s pretty much now or never for the defending AL champions to make a wild card move, sitting seven games under .500 and 4.5 games out of the final spot in the Junior Circuit but with several other teams ahead of them. The schedule gets quite a bit tougher after this series – not that the AL East-leading Rays aren’t good, but they are 21-27 on the road. The model gives Toronto a 12.0% shot at the playoffs, while DK prices the team at +350, which equates to 22.2%. I don’t see it.
Tampa Bay leads the division by 1.5 games over the Yankees but is a +130 second favorite with New York at +100 and that’s just a ton of Yankees money talking. Do I think the Rays win their first World Series? No … but I would change my tune if they got Tarik Skubal. And with new ownership trying to get a stadium built in Tampa, it sounds like they are willing to spend to acquire help at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That’s something past Rays owners rarely did. I hope they do for selfish reasons so I can go possibly see a White Sox-Rays playoff game at the Trop.
It’s first-time All-Star Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65 ERA) on the mound for Tampa Bay. I keep waiting for the 35-year-old journeyman righty to come crashing back to Earth – he lost 14 games last year with a 4.45 ERA with Cincinnati – but he hasn’t yet. He has been one of the most profitable starting pitchers in the majors at +$948 (Tampa Bay is 14-4 in his starts).
Martinez threw a scoreless inning in last week’s All-Star Game and faced the Jays once this season, allowing one run over five in a home win on May 4. Toronto lead-off hitter George Springer is 6-for-17 off him, with two homers. Overall, Martinez is 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA in 29.1 innings vs. the Blue Jays. The model has him at 6.1 innings, 3.6 strikeouts, 5.7 hits allowed and 2.4 earned runs.
The Rays have lost a season-high five straight games, their longest skid since April 2025. Tampa Bay had been one of eight big-league teams to not lose five or more consecutive games this season. It also has lost six in a row away. This sure looks like a potential pitchers’ duel. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
Devin Haney has a big decision to make regarding his WBO welterweight title.
He won the belt back in November with a one-sided win over Brian Norman Jr, dropping the previously unbeaten American before going on to claim a dominant unanimous decision victory.
That triumph has gone alongside Haney’s previous reigns as undisputed lightweight champion and WBC super-lightweight champion, but many fans felt it was arguably a career-best performance from ‘The Dream’ as he made a big impact upon his 147lb debut.
The teams of Haney and Davis were previously ordered to begin negotiations over the fight, and after no deal was able to be reached, the WBO have now confirmed that purse bids have been called.
The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis.
“The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis. Purse Bid: Monday, July 27, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. AST.”
Davis is the former WBO lightweight champion, who has since moved up in weight after losing his belt on the scales, claiming victories over Jamaine Ortiz and Nahir Albright so far this year.
Despite never competing at 147lbs, his position as mandatory means that Haney must decide by July 27th whether he wants to proceed with the fight, or if he will choose to vacate the belt and turn his attention to other opportunities.
Manchester United and Arsenal fight over France’s Manu Kone, Nico Williams could be heading to the Premier League champions, and West Ham reject latest Crysencio Summerville offer.
The Gunners have also revived their interest in Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, with the 23-year-old believed to have a £77m release clause. (Teamtalk), external
West Ham have rejected a second offer from Roma for Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville and the Italian club, whose first bid was 46m euros (£39m), are working on a final proposal for the 24-year-old. (Sky Sports Italia – in Italian) , external
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Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Summerville as they look to replace 23-year-old England attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers, who is set to join Chelsea.(Talksport), external
Barcelona have set up a meeting with 26-year-old forward Ferran Torres, who scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final against Argentina, to find out what his plans are with one year left on his contract and interest from Paris St-Germain. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external
Newcastle and Leeds are among the Premier League clubs weighing up a move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, 22, with the Danish club seeking in excess of £21m for the Guinea-Bissau international. (Teamtalk), external
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AC Milan have identified young Genk winger Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, as their next summer transfer target but may have to sell Portugal forward Rafael Leao, 27, to fund the move. (Gazzetta – in Italian), external
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