Joe Burrow is thrilled with the Cincinnati Bengals offseason moves and is thinking big.
Burrow, 29, praised the front office for the moves they made in free agency to fortify their defense.
“This is the most talented roster we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said while speaking to reporters Wednesday. “The front office has taken a lot of heat from the fans, the public, the media. We can put all of that behind us.
Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 14, 2025.(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
“They went and made it happen with free agency,” he added. “And then, obviously, with Dexter (Lawrence), making a trade like that, that doesn’t happen a ton in the NFL. So it’s exciting to see.”
The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback praised the free-agent signings of safety Bryan Cook, defensive end Boye Mafe and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, along with the big swing of the offseason: trading the No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
“The number one thing is you have to win,” Burrow said. “We’re going to go win a lot of games this year and play great and win a Super Bowl.“
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Burrow said he did not give the front office any mandates or threats to make additions after a 6-11 campaign last season.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a football during practice in Cincinnati on May 12, 2026.(Jeff Dean/AP)
“I would say we had a lot of communication during free agency,” Burrow said. “We didn’t have our postseason meeting like we typically have. I would say, if anything, I was less involved this year than in years past.”
The Bengals missed the playoffs for a third straight season last year in large part because of a horrendous defense, allowing the third-most points per game in the NFL last season at 28.9.
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“I just think we know where we needed to be better, and we went out and aggressively made it happen,” Burrow said. “We filled some holes that we had from years past, got better at a lot of positions. Signed the best free agent safety (Cook). Got the best D tackle in the league, in my opinion. So we have everything we need in that locker room. We just have to go make it happen.”
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Dec. 7, 2025.(Gene J. Puskar/AP)
The 29-year-old said the energy is elevated in the locker room and that the vibes are palpable.
“There’s no secret that the last several years didn’t go the way we wanted to, and there’s a lot of blame to go around for that, myself included,” Burrow said. “We’re in a great spot this year. We brought in great people and great players. You can feel the vibes of the locker room. The energy is elevated right now. We have some veteran guys that can come in and show the younger guys on defense what it takes, what it means to be great every day. That’s exciting to be a part of.”
Kyle Busch will miss Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after being hospitalized due to a severe illness, his family confirmed. The Richard Childress Racing veteran was slated to compete in both the Cup Series and Truck Series, but his condition forced a late withdrawal from both.
The Cup race, scheduled for May 24 at 6:00 PM ET, is one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, spanning 400 laps and 600 miles. Busch will now miss it. His family released a statement addressing the situation on X:
Thanks for the submission!
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“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization. He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”
Statement Regarding Kyle Busch from the Busch Family: “Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization. He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”
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The development caught many off guard, especially given Kyle Busch’s recent on-track efforts despite visible physical struggles. Just a week earlier at Watkins Glen, he had called for medical assistance mid-race, asking for physician assistant Bill Heisel to be present post-race. Busch mentioned needing “a shot” after battling a sinus-related issue throughout the weekend. Even then, he pushed through the discomfort to secure a top-10 finish.
Fans now link it to the current situation. Busch was battling through illness while continuing to race, and it appears the condition worsened in the days that followed. His absence from Charlotte also means he will miss planned participation in the Truck Series with Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 truck.
Austin Hill to replace Kyle Busch as RCR confirms Charlotte plan
(L-R) Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, and Austin Hill – NASCAR Cup Series. Source: Getty
With Kyle Busch sidelined, Richard Childress Racing moved quickly to name a replacement for the No. 8 Chevrolet. Austin Hill will step in, taking on double duty for the weekend alongside his full-time commitments with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
RCR confirmed the change in an official statement:
“Kyle Busch’s health is our utmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them. Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him. We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers, and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
The rest of the team structure remains unchanged, with Andy Street continuing as crew chief for the No. 8 entry. Hill’s inclusion ensures continuity within the organization, though it adds to the workload on a demanding weekend.
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For now, the focus remains on Kyle Busch’s recovery.
But Montreal and Carolina do share one commonality: They have made it this far while receiving little production from their top lines.
The ineffectiveness of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky as a unit is well-documented; Montreal has been outscored 8-1 at five-on-five when its top three forwards have been on the ice through two rounds. Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky have combined for five points at five-on-five (two goals and three assists) in 14 playoff games.
Their top-line counterparts in Carolina — Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis — also have not filled the scoresheet, recording four total points at five-on-five (two goals and two assists) over eight games. Collectively, they have not been on the ice for a Carolina goal in nearly 80 minutes of five-on-five playing time. The Hurricanes have generated just 36.9 per cent of the expected goals in those minutes, compared to 54.3 per cent in the regular season.
“All that matters is winning right now,” Aho told reporters. “We know we’ve got to be better at certain areas, but at the same time, wins are the only thing that (matter) right now.”
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Aho added that his individual success in past playoff runs did not help the Hurricanes reach their ultimate goal. He had 85 points in 89 career playoff games before this season, including 10 points in 13 Eastern Conference final games. Carolina lost 12 of those 13 games.
Ideally, however, Aho and his linemates, who combined for 90 goals in all situations (46 at five-on-five) during the regular season, would be leading the charge offensively. The good news is that Svechnikov, Aho and Jarvis picked up their play in the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers, out-chancing them 11-4 at five-on-five over four games.
“The last couple games of the Ottawa series and then into the Philadelphia series, I thought our line created a lot of chances, and we’re all just a little bit snakebitten right now,” Jarvis, who has four points after leading the Hurricanes with 16 playoff points last year, told reporters. “But I think as long as the chances are coming, that means we’re doing something right. And as long as the defensive part of our game doesn’t lack in any way, I like where we’re at.”
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has underlined that last part whenever he has been asked about his top line’s quiet post-season. Carolina has given up only one five-on-five goal when the Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis line has been on the ice. Of course, it helps that goaltender Frederik Andersen is virtually unbeatable at the moment. Andersen has stopped all 13 slot shots on net he has faced at five-on-five during the top line’s minutes, including 10 inner-slot shots. (The lone goal scored against the Hurricanes’ top line came in Game 2 of the first round versus the Ottawa Senators.)
Last round, Aho spent most of his time matched up against Flyers forwards Tyson Foerster (20:48 of head-to-head ice time), Porter Martone (20:17) and Trevor Zegras (18:24). Brind’Amour could pit Aho’s line against Suzuki’s line in the upcoming series.
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“They’re playing against the other team’s best guys, and they’ve sawed that off,” Brind’Amour told reporters. “If they had scored 15 goals and given up 15, that’s the same thing. So they’ve done a good job. And we do need them to get on the scoresheet — (Aho) knows that — but I’ve been happy with the way they’ve gone about their business.”
Depth has carried Carolina and Montreal to the third round. The Hurricanes’ second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake has outscored opponents 9-1 at five-on-five, and Nikolaj Ehlers has been one of the league’s best play-drivers in the playoffs. Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, meanwhile, just scored six goals in seven games against the Buffalo Sabres — the second most by a Canadiens player in a single series over the past 30 years.
But at some point, the Hurricanes and Canadiens will need their top forwards to make a difference at five-on-five. The first group to do so could head to the Stanley Cup Final.
“I think we’re all big-game players and that’s something that we pride ourselves on,” Jarvis told reporters. “So as the playoffs get tighter and you get deeper into it, I think that’s when we can come and really make an impact on this run. And that’s kind of our plan.”
Ludwig Kaiser speaks into a microphone during WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 30, 2024.(WWE/Getty Images)
The wrestler was allegedly involved in an altercation with another man before he was arrested, Fightful reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to WWE for comment.
Barthel’s attorneys filed a motion Wednesday to allow the wrestler to travel outside the country for work purposes, according to multiple reports. He flew back to Florida to turn himself in.
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Barthel, who was born in Germany, joined the company in 2017 after time in Westside Xtreme Wrestling and Progress Wrestling. He was a part of the Imperium faction with Gunther as the leader and Fabian Aichner, who was later rebranded as Giovanni Vinci before he was released.
Ludwig Kaiser makes his way to the ring during WWE Survivor Series: War Games at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, on Nov. 30, 2024.(WWE/Getty Images)
“Kaiser established himself as one of the German independent wrestling scene’s brightest prospects,” his WWE profile read. “He joined the WWE Performance Center in summer 2017 and made his WWE Network debut a year later on NXT.
“Kaiser has since proven to be a true mat magician, as well as a no-nonsense competitor. With the posture of a steel pole and a facial expression that rarely deviates from the stern setting, Kaiser is practically unflappable — though on the rare occasion that he does lose his cool, he’s quick to let his opponents know by defiantly screaming ‘nein’ in their face. His ring excellence soon led to him aligning with the imposing Imperium faction with two NXT Tag Team Championship reigns under his belt.”
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He performed as Ludwig Kaiser before his character was repackaged as El Grande Americano when Chad Gable was injured. Since Gable returned, he was repackaged as the Original El Grande Americano and started to feud with Barthel’s El Grande Americano gimmick.
El Grande Americano faces off against El Grande Americano during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026.(Joe Maher/WWE)
Since then, he’s performed at Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. El Grande Americano and Original El Grande Americano are set for an end to their heated rivalry with a mask vs. mask match at Noche de Los Grandes on May 30.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Minnesota Vikings fans stand and cheer as the fourth quarter begins against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sep. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. The packed home crowd energized the stadium atmosphere while Minnesota rolled toward a dominant 48-10 victory during an emphatic early-season performance in front of thousands of purple-clad supporters. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
One year ago, the Minnesota Vikings decided that cornerback Jeff Okudah would suffice as a CB3 solution for Brian Flores’s defense, a plan that went pear-shaped rather quickly during the regular season. This go-round, Minnesota opted for James Pierre of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and according to The Athletic, that’s the proper CB3 meal ticket.
Pierre gives Brian Flores a steadier cornerback option than last year’s plan.
Pierre represented the Vikings’ primary defensive secondary addition of the offseason, and Minnesota may feast accordingly.
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The PIT Connection Could Pay Off
Okudah is out, and Pierre is in.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) celebrates with teammate Joey Porter Jr. (24) after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 16, 2025, in Pittsburgh. Pierre helped spark the Steelers late in the game with a defensive score during a key AFC North matchup at home. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images.
The Athletic on Pierre
In last week’s episode of The Athletic’s main NFL podcast, Robert Hays specifically named Pierre to the Vikings as one of the league’s “sneaky good” offseason additions.
From Week 10 on, which is exactly when James Pierre started playing at a high clip, the Steelers were playing Cover 2 about 20 percent of the time, which was the fifth-highest rate in the league and a notable jump from what they had done in any previous season. That was the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. Well, he’s going to Minnesota, where they’re doing it 26, 27 percent.
And if you go back and just think about the best moments from Pierre’s second half of last season, a lot of it is where he’s playing that Cover 2 corner in the flat, sinking underneath, making stuff happen. He was very adept at doing that stuff. And now he’s going to a place where they’re going to be asking their corners to do more of that than almost any other team.
Pierre was affordable, too. Minnesota secured his services for two years and $8.5 million.
Pierre in PIT
Last year, the Vikings settled for the aforementioned Okudah at CB3. This season, their approach to the position seems much more serious with Pierre’s acquisition.
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Pierre brings a solid track record, having played nearly 400 defensive snaps last season and earning an impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 86.8. His six years under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh further underscore the appeal. If Tomlin trusted him, he must be good, right?
Pierre isn’t expected to be a star in Flores’s defense. His primary role is to provide stability: hold his own on the outside, tackle reliably, communicate effectively, avoid coverage busts, and prevent the secondary from faltering if Byron Murphy Jr. or Isaiah Rodgers miss time.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) attempts to break through a tackle by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 29, 2023, in Pittsburgh. Pierre worked in run support and coverage responsibilities as the Steelers defended Jacksonville during AFC action at home in front of the Pittsburgh crowd. Mandatory Credit: Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK.
It makes Pierre a valuable veteran safety net for the Vikings, especially in a position prone to breakdowns when injuries occur. Based on his performance last season, he appears fully capable of fulfilling this crucial role.
Pierre also fired up a 41.4 passer rating allowed in 2025 — music to the ears of Vikings fans who wanted more from Okudah.
Better Late than Never
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The “bad” part of Pierre? He’s a late bloomer. The new Viking will turn 30 this season, so history shows that his career’s prime is in the rearview.
Thankfully, Minnesota needs Pierre to perform as a steady and competent CB3, not a shutdown Pro Bowler. Pierre also has less tread on his tires than his peers who entered the league in 2020. He’s played 2,668 snaps in six seasons, or about 444 per season.
If Pierre can continue his 2025 production in Minnesota for a year, two, three, or four, he’ll be well worth the 2026 free-agent contract. But if you expect him to develop into the next big thing, that window has passed. He’s a solid veteran to have on the roster, not a star in training.
A Gerald Alexander Carryover
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Longtime Vikings coach Daronte Jones left the organization this offseason, hired by the Washington Commanders for his first audition as an NFL defensive coordinator. To replace Jones, who served as Minnesota’s defensive pass game coordinator, the Vikings tabbed Alexander from the Steelers. He overlapped with Pierre in Pittsburgh.
Miami Dolphins defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander smiles on the sideline during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Aug. 14, 2021, in Chicago. Alexander monitored Miami’s secondary during preseason action as the Dolphins evaluated young defensive backs and depth-chart competition ahead of the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports.
In that vein, it was no coincidence that the Vikings’ very first free agency signing in March turned out to be Pierre. Alexander brought Pierre along for the ride.
If you’re new to the Alexander experience, here’s his resume:
The Vikings’ defense ranked third in the NFL last year per EPA/Play and DVOA. Pierre and Alexander enter a wonderful situation that may only improve with Okudah off the roster.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan continued their record-breaking run in IPL 2026, once again tearing apart the bowling attack during the clash against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday. The GT opening duo produced yet another commanding partnership and, in the process, entered an elite list in T20 cricket history. Gill and Sudharsan registered their 10th century stand together in men’s T20 cricket, equalling the all-time record jointly held by the legendary pairs of Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli, Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan and AB de Villiers-Virat Kohli. What makes the achievement even more staggering is the speed at which the GT pair has got there. Gill and Sudharsan needed only 46 innings to complete 10 century stands – far fewer than the other legendary pairs on the list. Gayle and Kohli took 63 innings, Babar and Rizwan 75, while de Villiers and Kohli required 77 innings.
Most century stands in men’s T20 cricket (any wicket)
10 — Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan (46 innings)
10 — Chris Gayle & Virat Kohli (63 innings)
10 — Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan (75 innings)
10 — AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli (77 innings)
The pair also set another IPL record during the innings. This was Gill and Sudharsan’s seventh century partnership for the opening wicket in IPL history – the most by any opening pair in the tournament. They went past the iconic combinations of David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan and Travis Head & Abhishek Sharma, both of whom had six century opening stands.Gill and Sudharsan also continued their dominance in terms of consistency. The duo overtook the celebrated Virat Kohli-Faf du Plessis pair and equalled Rohit Sharma-Ishan Kishan for the second-most 50-plus opening stands in IPL history.The GT pair now has 15 fifty-plus opening partnerships in just 31 innings — a phenomenal ratio rarely seen in IPL history. Only Warner and Dhawan are ahead with 18 fifty-plus stands, but they needed 48 innings to achieve the feat.
Most 50-plus opening stands in IPL history
18 — David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan (48 innings)
15 — Rohit Sharma & Ishan Kishan (43 innings)
15 — Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan (31 innings)
14 — Virat Kohli & Faf du Plessis (38 innings)
14 — Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head (37 innings)
The numbers become even more extraordinary when one looks at the overall run aggregate and scoring rate. Gill and Sudharsan have already piled up 1898 runs together as an opening pair at an astonishing average of 67.78 and a run-rate of 9.87 – making them one of the most destructive and reliable opening combinations the league has ever seen.Only Warner and Dhawan have scored more runs as an IPL opening pair, but the GT duo enjoys a significantly superior average and scoring tempo compared to most other partnerships on the list.
Highest opening partnership aggregates in IPL history
2220 — David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan (Avg: 47.23, RR: 8.59)
The match also turned into a personal milestone for Gujarat Titans skipper Gill, who became the seventh-fastest batter in men’s T20 cricket to complete 6000 runs in terms of innings. Gill reached the landmark in his 185th innings, only marginally behind Kohli, who had taken 184 innings.
Fastest to 6000 T20 runs (by innings)
162 — Chris Gayle
165 — Babar Azam
166 — KL Rahul
180 — Shaun Marsh
180 — Devon Conway
184 — Virat Kohli
185 — Shubman Gill
Gill’s feat becomes even more remarkable considering he is among only four players in men’s T20 cricket history to aggregate more than 6000 runs before turning 27. The elite list also includes Babar Azam, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Will Jacks.Gujarat Titans have already qualified for the playoffs.
The ideal of NBA roster-building rarely actually aligns with the reality of an 82-game grind in the regular season and a four-round sprint in the playoffs. Teams pour their resources into gathering two or three stars. They pay a handful of top-of-the-market role players. And then, one or two pieces are pulled out of the Jenga tower, and the whole structure collapses. The Los Angeles Lakers might have been able to to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a real series with Luka Dončić. The Minnesota Timberwolves couldn’t stress the San Antonio Spurs with Anthony Edwards hobbled and Donte DiVincenzo out.
The Spurs and the Thunder — thanks largely to the mountains of draft picks they’ve accumulated and the cheap rookie deals some stars are playing on — have been able to injury-proof their rosters as effectively as any team ever has. San Antonio’s run to the NBA Cup final came with Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench. The Thunder just won 64 games with only two players suiting up for 70 or more games.
These teams are built with the redundancies the modern NBA demands. Both have had the means to invest in another superstar if they’ve wanted to, and both have turned down the chance, knowing that the physical demands of the pace-and-space NBA necessitate a degree of depth their all-in counterparts can’t match. At this stage of the playoffs, teams are playing every other night. Muscle injuries seem more common than ever, and the exhausting effects of playing basketball with the degree of physicality that these teams reach compounds over time.
San Antonio and Oklahoma City played a double-overtime classic in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox was already out with an ankle sprain. In Game 2, the Thunder lost Jalen Williams to a hamstring strain after just seven minutes. He’d played 37 minutes in Game 1 after missing the previous six Thunder playoff games with another hamstring strain. San Antonio, meanwhile, lost its second point guard, Dylan Harper, with yet another hamstring injury.
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We don’t yet know the severity of either injury, nor can we be sure how much the Spurs will get out of Fox in this series, but through two games, Thunder-Spurs has been every bit the masterpiece we expected, and the physical toll of playing seven games at this level of intensity is only going to get higher. Whether there are more injuries or not, playing basketball at this level is exhausting. This series is turning into a war of attrition.
That’s a war either team would win comfortably against pretty much any other opponent. Against one another, they cancel one another out. It starts to come down to context.
Injury impact
San Antonio might be the only team in the NBA that the Thunder truly need Williams to beat. This is a half-court series for the Spurs, but a transition series for the Thunder. Three of Oklahoma City’s 10 worst half-court offensive games in terms of points per play came against San Antonio in the regular season because Wembanyama neutralizes so much of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s rim pressure. The name of the game for them is live-ball turnovers, and Williams, as one of the best transition scorers in the NBA, is their key to turning those turnovers into points.
His absence defensively is just as significant. Oklahoma City’s plan for Game 1 revolved around putting smaller defenders on Wembanyama so their bigger ones, most notably Chet Holmgren, could hang closer to the basket. Of course, this plan largely failed. Williams guarded Wembanyama for 16.6 partial possessions, according to NBA.com tracking data, and the Spurs scored 25 points in those possessions with Wembanyama making all five of his shot attempts. The Thunder won Game 2 with Isaiah Hartenstein taking a much more active role in guarding Wembanyama, but Williams still would have factored in meaningfully as a perimeter defender to throw at San Antonio’s guards.
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That is an area in which the Thunder have more redundancy than perhaps any team in NBA history. Even Alex Caruso and Lu Dort can take possessions against Wembanyama. Ajay Mitchell can take on some of Williams’ half-court offensive burden as a secondary creator. His loss will be felt, but the Thunder played without him for most of the season. They know how to do it. They have pivots within this matchup if they need them.
San Antonio has far fewer available answers for the ball-handling it has lost. San Antonio’s regular rotation features only three high-level ball-handlers in Fox, Harper and Stephon Castle. Two of them are now hurt. The third is overburdened. Castle has to guard Gilgeous-Alexander. Asking him to do that and be the primary offensive initiator is simply too tall an order. Through two games in this series, Castle has an NBA record 20 turnovers.
The Spurs sensed the issue in Game 2. Third-string point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who had played 24 playoff minutes before Game 2 and played less than 300 minutes in the regular season, got seven minutes of run on Wednesday. He made two big 3-pointers and those minutes still went badly. McLaughlin is only 5-feet-11. He gave Gilgeous-Alexander an easy target to hunt on an otherwise stout Spurs defense.
The Spurs responded with several consecutive possessions in a matchup zone that Oklahoma City solved instantly by sending Caruso to the middle of it. The first possession generated an easy lob to Holmgren. Wembanyama lunged out to contest a potential Caruso floater on the second, which opened an easy pass to Mitchell in the dunker’s spot. A few possessions later, Mitchell got and missed an open corner 3, and that ended San Antonio’s ill-fated zone experiment. The Spurs lost McLaughlin’s minutes by 10 points in a game that was decided by nine.
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Getting Fox back would go a long way on this front. If nothing else, it helps keep McLaughlin off the floor, and Fox is both a low-turnover player and an experienced All-Star point guard who is suited to controlling tempo against an ultra-aggressive defense like Oklahoma City’s. But if he’s compromised physically, well, we don’t know how helpful he can really be.
How this benefits the Knicks and Cavs
The Spurs and Thunder were built to win under these conditions, but these injuries undeniably chip away at their superpower. Which one of them stands to benefit more from the other’s misfortune within this series is debatable, but the real winner here is playing in a different series on the other side of the country.
Whoever wins the Eastern Conference Finals is going to be an underdog against whoever escapes the West. There’s a sentiment out there that the Thunder and Spurs are playing the true NBA Finals as we speak, and the numbers support that. They were the NBA’s two best teams by both record and Cleaning the Glass net rating (which filters out garbage time) this season. Entering the series, as Carson Brebar noted, the Spurs had gone 34-3 in their last 37 games in which Wembanyama played at least 20 minutes while the Thunder had gone 28-1 in the last 29 games Gilgeous-Alexander played. At full strength, these are the two best teams in the NBA.
But the best team doesn’t always win the championship. You win it by beating the teams in front of you, and if you’re the New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers right now, you’re probably enjoying watching these two heavyweights beat each other up to this degree. Both the Knicks and Cavaliers entered the Eastern Conference Finals with their full rosters available. The Knicks were without OG Anunoby in the last two games of the second round, but the Knicks had a nine-day break after their sweep of the 76ers, allowing him to play 34 minutes in New York’s Game 1 comeback over Cleveland.
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If there’s a path to an Eastern Conference NBA champion, it probably starts with the Thunder and Spurs rendering one another mortal through a seven-game bloodbath. Oklahoma City and San Antonio are as deep as contenders get, but every team has a limit, and two games into the Western Conference Finals, they might be approaching theirs.
Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (3) against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. faces speeding and reckless driving chargers after being clocked at 135 mph on an interstate highway in Georgia.
The Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the details of the Wednesday night arrest of Smith, who was released after about an hour after making bond.
Smith, the Eagles’ 2023 first-round pick out of Georgia, was caught speeding in a 70-mph zone at 10:41 p.m. ET, the Georgia Gazette first reported. The Savannah, Ga., native has a court date set for July 14.
Smith, 25, recorded three sacks and 31 tackles in 12 games (all starts) last season. He has 10.5 sacks, 91 tackles, 25 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 45 career games (22 starts) and helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX.
Former Bellator and Strikeforce boss Scott Coker has announced plans to launch a fight league next year which he hopes will become a “global brand in MMA”.
The project is backed by $60m (£44.7m) in funding, Coker said. He stated it will involve investors from within sport, media, technology and finance.
Coker, 63, is regarded as a pioneer in MMA after being instrumental in the rise of former promotion Strikeforce, which was purchased by the UFC’s parent company Zuffa in 2011.
His last major role was at Bellator, where he was the promotion’s president until it was acquired by the PFL at the end of 2023.
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“I always knew that I would come back when the time was right, with the right vision and a carefully assembled team. That time has arrived,” said Coker, who will serve as the company’s CEO.
“There is a huge demand for a new global brand in MMA. This new league is about going back to basics: the integrity of competition, respect for the athletes and sharing their remarkable journeys with the world.
“We are building something authentic, something that belongs to the athletes and fans who live and breathe this sport.”
Details including the organisation’s name, structure and athletes are yet to be announced.
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The term ‘fight league’ suggests it may adopt a round-robin structure, as opposed to a rankings-based matchmaking model like the UFC.
Although Coker’s last promotion Bellator struggled to rival the UFC’s popularity, his new project comes at a time when the sport’s landscape could be altering.
Last week, Ronda Rousey beat Gina Carano inside 15 seconds in a fight that was promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and watched by a record 17 million viewers on Netflix.
Rousey and fighters such as Cris Cyborg and Daniel Cormier built their brands in Coker’s Strikeforce before joining the UFC where they became champions and flourished.
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Coker was also president of Strikeforce when Cyborg faced Carano in 2009 in the first women’s fight to headline a major MMA show.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, the 38-year-old made it clear that next season would almost certainly not be his final one.
“Not at all,” Crosby told Josh Yohe.
Crosby will turn 39 in August but appears to be considering playing for another five years.
“That would be nice,” he said in response to Yohe putting the idea of another half-decade in the NHL to him.
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Regardless of how much longer Crosby plays for, it’ll almost assuredly still be with the Penguins.
As he told Yohe, he’s looking to do one-year deals now with Pittsburgh to give his team as much flexibility moving forward as possible.
“It’s pretty obvious why I would just go year to year with the contracts,” Crosby said. “At the end of the day, I’m just going to do what’s best for the team. It’s got nothing to do with how long I want to play. It’s not like that at all.”
Last season, Crosby put up 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games played, helping lead the Penguins to their first playoff berth since 2022. Pittsburgh ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers, falling in six games.
Nagelsmann made it clear that Neuer would be the number one.
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“We told Oli [Baumann] back in March that we’d had a meeting with Manu,” Nagelsmann said of the decision, admitting that it had been a blow for the Hoffenheim keeper but that he was still ready to help the team.
“My focus is on nominating the best three goalkeepers in the country and they are the best three,” he added. “We called him and asked him if he wanted to play for Germany again, and he wanted to play at the tournament. His sporting ability was considered above all, but we also wanted to know whether he was going to keep playing or retiring,” Nagelsmann said. “Everyone knows what kind of aura Manu has because of the experience he has and the titles he has won.”
When pressed on his communication, Nagelsmann was open in his response.
“There are always things you can look back on and say you could have done better, but I have no guarantee that it will be received much better,” he said. “Football is a daily business. Please understand that not every detail of my conversations with the players can be made public. I try to explain things thoroughly and keep people informed. Sometimes I’m not as successful as I’d like to be, and sometimes I am.”
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The other big news was the selection of teenager Lennart Karl (18). Karl has impressed for Bayern this season and also looked comfortable when making his Germany debut earlier this year. Felix Nmecha recovered from injury in time to make the squad, with Nagelsmann saying the midfielder had all the tools to become one of the best in his position in the world.Lennart Karl has impressed enough for Bayern to be in Germany’s World Cup squadImage: ActionPictures/IMAGO
Amiri and Sane in, Bischof and El Mala out
Elsewhere in the squad, Nadiem Amiri, the German born midfielder whose parents are from Afghanistan, made the final 26. Youngster Maxi Beier was favored, along with Leroy Sane, whose flashes of quality in Germany colors were enough to make the cut. “He has huge appreciation in the team and he is excellent in tight spaces,” Nagelsmann said.
Nathaniel Brown was also included, with Nagelsmann saying the right back probably didn’t even realize how good he is. Both Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling also made the final 26, with the Germany head coach citing the latter’s one-on-one skills as a key factor in his decision.
Despite not playing for Germany since early 2025 as a result of injury, Jamala Musiala was named in the squad with Nagelsmann explaining the forward can “decide the outcome of games, even tournaments, with just a few moves.”
Niclas Füllkrug, Tom Bischof and Said El Mala missed out, as did Chris Führich and Maxi Mittelstädt.
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The squad announcement was slightly more personal than two years ago, when a creative marketing campaign displayed German culture and regions as a way to reveal Germany’s Euro 2024 squad. This time around, social media videos with messages from friends and family and motivational words from Nagelsmann for 12 players in the final squad were released in the hours before the official announcement.
Neuer news both a surprise and a major talking point
The news of Neuer’s surprise return was reported on across Germany in the days before the squad announcement. It comes as a shock because Neuer was retired, but also because Neuer and Nagelsmann famously fell out during the latter’s time as Bayern Munich coach.Furthermore, Nagelsmann has been outspoken in the last 12 months about Oliver Baumann being Germany’s number one, stating more than once that Germany did not have a goalkeeper problem.
While many Germany fans are unlikely to travel for the tournament, the team’s preparations begin at the end of this month. The squad will assemble in the final week of May (with the exception of Kai Havertz, who is in the Champions League final with Arsenal) and the team will play a friendly against Finland in Mainz on May 31. After that, Germany fly out to the US on June 2. There, Nagelsmann’s side will play a friendly against the USA in Chicago on June 6 before their first World Cup game on June 14 against Curacao in Houston. The team’s base camp will be in North Carolina.
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