WWE star AJ Styles seemingly retired at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Veteran wrestling manager Jim Cornette is still confused over how the segment panned out during the show.
Styles faced off against Gunther in a singles match with his career on the line. He passed out as the Ring General caught him in a Sleeper Hold, forcing the ref to call the match in favor of Gunther. After the encounter, AJ removed his gloves, signifying his retirement, but quickly put them back on before exiting the ring.
Thanks for the submission!
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During a recent episode of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, the veteran manager felt WWE was sending mixed signals with the whole retirement angle. Cornette was confused because AJ Styles almost left the gloves in the ring and then put the gloves back on, hinting that he was still not done.
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“Well, I’m getting mixed signals sent to me. They gave him a big ovation after Gunther left the ring. Fans are singing for AJ and everything, and he makes a production out of taking his gloves off, and the fans are like, ‘No, no, no!’ But then he put his gloves back on. What does it mean? Did he lie? He left the ring, and then he came back and posed on a turnbuckle. He didn’t take his boots off. I guess the gloves were gonna be the boots. He took the gloves off, but then he put the gloves back on. Has he changed his mind? Is he gonna say, ‘I just don’t want to leave you now’? That would be kind of kabukish.”
Roman Reigns shared a message for AJ Styles
Tributes and heartwarming messages have poured in for AJ Styles after his retirement. Several WWE stars and veteran congrulated him on a successful career in the business.
The 2026 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns also shared a message for Styles. The OTC said that he was a true team player and complimented AJ’s work ethic. He felt The Phenomenal One was a talented and disciplined superstar and one of his video game friends.
While using the quotes please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru and add an H/T to Sportskeeda.
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Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field and pregame activity at U.S. Bank Stadium during warmups ahead of a December 8, 2024 matchup in Minneapolis against the Atlanta Falcons, as the organization prepared for another late-season test under the stadium lights with roster stakes looming. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah eight days ago, sending shockwaves through the team’s fan base and thrusting the franchise into a mysterious offseason, with free agency a month away. The decision moved the needle for most shocking offseason moments in franchise history, so here’s a look at items with that criteria over the last decade.
Ranked from five to one, each moment landed with real weight because it reshaped Minnesota’s roster, direction, or identity with the snap of two fingers.
The timing confused some. Why didn’t the Vikings terminate his contract on Black Monday?
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Ranked: The 5 Biggest Vikings Offseason Shocks since 2016
Ranked ascendingly (No. 1 = most shocking moment), the most stunning offseason moments since 2016.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins surveys the field during pregame warmups at Soldier Field, with November 18, 2018 appearing mid-paragraph as Chicago hosted a division matchup. The quiet sideline moment captures Cousins focused and composed before kickoff, framed by a hostile road environment and late-season stakes as Minnesota prepared for the Bears. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
5. Vikings Win the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes
In February and March of 2018, a handful of teams pursued Cousins, such as the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. Basically every quarterback-needy team explored the Cousins sweepstakes.
And after visiting the 2017 NFC Championship, Minnesota opted to offload Case Keenum to those very Broncos, paving the way for Cousins to sign in Minnesota for an unheard-of guaranteed contract at the time.
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The Vikings had been rumored in the mix for Cousins that offseason, but when they closed the deal, it felt like Minnesota had landed a franchise quarterback for the first time since Daunte Culpepper or Brett Favre.
Cousins stayed in Minnesota for six seasons, leading the club to the postseason twice and tallying one playoff win.
4. Stefon Diggs Traded to BUF
Diggs grew antsy over the Vikings’ run-happy offense, led by head coach Mike Zimmer, and actually asked general manager Rick Spielman for a trade during the 2019 campaign. He went AWOL from the team for a couple of days.
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs lines up during live action at CenturyLink Field, with December 2, 2019 embedded mid-paragraph as Seattle hosted Minnesota. The in-game snapshot reflects Diggs’ involvement in a high-scoring contest that tilted toward the Seahawks, highlighting the intensity and pace of a primetime road environment. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Spielman told him no during the regular season but pledged to deliver the following offseason. He didn’t renege.
Diggs tweeted that it was time for a new beginning, Spielman shipped him to the Buffalo Bills, and the Vikings used the trade haul to draft Justin Jefferson about a month later.
3. OL Coach Tony Sparano Passes Away
In July 2018, about four months after Minnesota netted Cousins, Sparano was hospitalized with chest pains, which turned out to be a massive heart attack. He passed away three days later.
The news fell out of the sky because no Vikings fan knew that Sparano was sick, and he was a damn good offensive line coach. Minnesota scrambled and promoted Andrew Janocko and Clancy Barone to co-offensive line coach duty.
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The offensive line took a noticeable step back without Sparano in 2018.
2. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Fired after 4 Seasons
The news that flipped the Vikings’ 2026 offseason on its face.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote last Friday, “The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, a shocking turn after an organization-wide failure to make the playoffs this season. Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf tapped Rob Brzezinski, their longtime executive vice president of football operations, to lead the front office through the 2026 draft. Speaking to reporters Friday,”
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“Mark Wilf would not rule out Brzezinski as a candidate for the permanent general manager job but pledged a “thorough” postdraft search. Wilf said he will “lean toward” a traditional arrangement that would give the next general manager personnel decision-making power with “extremely heavy input” from coach Kevin O’Connell.”
Adofo-Mensah had only connected on about 17%-20% of all draft picks since taking the big job in 2022, fired up strange trades last summer involving Harrison Phillips, Mehki Blackmon, and Adam Thielen, and watched as Sam Darnold trudged to a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025.
Those factors led the Wilfs to fire Adofo-Mensah, albeit about three weeks late by conventional offseason standards. Head coach O’Connell presumably takes center stage as the team’s de facto CEO.
1. Rookie CB Khyree Jackson Killed in Car Accident
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Just over two months after being drafted by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jackson was killed in a Maryland car wreck that took the lives of three people. Jackson’s professional career never got started. The team dedicated the 2024 campaign to him, and his family remains involved in Vikings activities.
Oregon Ducks defensive back Khyree Jackson reacts in coverage against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium, with November 18, 2023 placed mid-paragraph during a late-season Pac-12 matchup in Tempe. The action shot shows Jackson engaged at the point of attack as Oregon’s defense pressed its advantage on the road. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Last month, the driver of the other vehicle, Cori Clingman, was sentenced to three years in prison for her crime.
Prince George County State Attorney Tara Jackson remarked after the sentence, “I hope that she will use this time really to think about her actions and the lives that have been lost, her friends, the lives of her friends that have been lost, and become a more productive member of our community.”
Cllingman issued a statement:: “From the deepest place in my heart, I’m sorry.”
Following Hidrix’s impressive Canonbury Stakes success elevating it to Golden Slipper favourite status, Chris Waller introduces another set of three juveniles at Randwick.
Defensemen and Fireball enter the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m), which remains absent from the elite trainer’s resume, alongside debutant Campione D’Italia in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1000m).
The trainer has solidified his presence in juvenile racing circles over recent campaigns, highlighting a group of talented precocious horses set for carnival prominence.
“We have five or six good two-year-olds and we are just finding out where they fit in,” Waller said.
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“Fireball has already won a race at Rosehill quite impressively. He had a trial the other morning and he has come back well.
“Defensemen has had two runs in the Golden Gift and one (race) before that and was just in behind them. He has come back strong.”
Fireball from barrier three and Defensemen from four will depart side by side, the prior one favoured at $5.50 equally with Plagiarism, the banner carrier for Tulloch Lodge.
In the alternative juvenile showcase, Waller’s $500,000 yearling Campione D’Italia bypassed the prior Canonbury Stakes to contest Saturday’s Lonhro Plate (1000m).
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Yet, Waller’s juveniles may be overshadowed by six stablemates performing gallops post early fields.
After race one, expect 1000m efforts from Aeliana (Zac Lloyd), Autumn Glow (McDonald) and Lazzura (Tommy Berry), with Lady Shenandoah (McDonald), Lindermann (Nash Rawiller) and Trinity College (Lloyd) following suit after race two for their autumn progressions.
No. 14 North Carolina stunned No. 4 Duke 71-68 with a last-second go-ahead 3-pointer in Chapel Hill on Saturday to complete its largest comeback vs. the rival Blue Devils in 25 years. UNC trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and at various points throughout the second half — even with as little as six minutes left — it seemed Duke had a firm hold on the game.
Until it didn’t.
UNC stayed persistent and chipped away little by little before chasing Duke down for good courtesy of a corner 3-pointer from Seth Trimble with 0.4 seconds remaining. Duke’s last-ditch effort to force overtime ended with a bobbled inbounds that didn’t result in a shot attempt.
Here’s how the Tar Heels, who lost all three matchups vs. Duke last season and entered the game 4-6 under fifth-year coach Hubert Davis, got a desperately needed win to punch back in one of the sport’s best rivalries.
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All Duke early
Just over six minutes into the game, the Blue Devils opened up an 18-5 lead to silence the noisy crowd inside the Dean Smith Center. In that span, five different Duke players scored points — and that didn’t include leading scorer Cameron Boozer.
UNC closed the gap to 22-20 on the strength of a 15-2 run that got the crowd back into it. But Duke captured the momentum again going into the half with an impressive 19-9 run of its own in the final eight minutes of the first half. It led 41-29 going into the second half. That was one point shy of its largest lead of the game.
Caleb Wilson keeps UNC afloat
UNC’s supporting cast around star forward Caleb Wilson has been stellar all season. But it was nonexistent in the first half. Wilson accounted for 17 of the team’s 29 first-half points. The rest of the Tar Heels shot a woeful 4 of 20 from the field.
Wilson was spectacular, though. So spectacular that UNC’s 12-point deficit felt somehow miraculous not to be 20+ points. He hit tough mid-range fadeaway after tough mid-range fadeaway, reliably getting to his spot of comfort on the court.
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Wilson led all scorers at the half. Only one other UNC player in the opening 20 minutes made more than two field goals.
“Caleb kept us around in the first half,” Davis said after the game.
“We continued to fight. We were down. We didn’t join the fight …. We continued to stick to it … as we continue to cut into the lead, our confidence got better, our stops got better, our execution got better. And Henri stepped up, his ability to dominate points in the paint was huge. Caleb kept us in it.”
Veesaar comes alive
UNC’s second-leading scorer, Henri Veesaar, had zero points on 0-of-2 shooting in the first half. A virtual no-show.
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Veesaar in the second half: team-high 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist, one block.
UNC went as Veesaar went in both halves — and Veesaar went from a stone-cold zero to full-blown flamethrower down the stretch. None of his buckets were more critical than the 3 he hit just at the 1:40 mark of the second half to tie things up. It lifted the crowd up and seemed to breathe new life into a once-dead UNC team.
“Henri stepped up,” Davis said postgame. “I mean, he had zero rebounds in the first half, then a double-double in the second half. His ability to dominate points in the paint for us was huge.”
UNC gets key stop at critical time
Duke did not score a single point over the final 2:25, during which it went 0-for-3 with two missed layups and also failed to get a shot off as time expired at the end.
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That is in part attributable to Duke’s inability to convert, but UNC deserves credit for its timely stops. Its last stand was arguably its biggest, as the Tar Heels defense stood tall and forced a tough contest on Boozer in an isolation situation. Boozer missed the bucket to help set UNC up with possession for the final go-ahead basket.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game that Boozer in isolation was the play they wanted with the result they didn’t. Boozer had 15 of his 24 points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds, but was credited with two missed layups in the final 2:25.
Dixon dimes save the day
Freshman Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon was the unsung hero of the comeback. He had eight points and four assists — all in the second half — which included the penetration and pass that led to the game-winner. Check here how he attacks to the paint while four Duke defenders collapse, leaving Seth Trimble wide open in the corner for an easy bucket.
Davis said postgame they run that exact play in practice all the time, and one of the options off it is a skip pass to the corner just as Dixon did. Trimble did his job by stepping into it and delivering the Duke dagger.
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“That shot was made by the perfect person at the right time,” Davis said. “He’s deserving of being remembered forever of the commitment and devotion he’s made to his teammates, to his program, to the university, to the community.”
UNC closes like killers
Even when things looked bleak for North Carolina early, at the half and late in the second half, it managed to persist. Davis said postgame that early in the game UNC was not totally engaged and getting the short straw of hustle plays. That flipped in the second half as it powered to the finish.
“We continued to fight,” he said. “One of the things we were missing [early] was, we didn’t join the fight. Every 50/50 loose ball [Duke] was getting, ball was going on the ground and [Duke] was the first to get it. We just continued to stick to it. Every time we got knocked down we got up and we took a step forward.
“As we continued to cut into the lead, our confidence got better on both ends of the floor, our execution got better, our stops got better, our communicational defense got better, our rebounding got better … and then Henri stepped up.”
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UNC went on a 9-0 run in the final 2:25 to seal the win, during which it went 3-for-3 — all on 3-pointers. Dixon made the first of those three and assisted on the other two.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson battles Buffalo Bills cornerback Dane Jackson during a contested first-quarter sequence at Highmark Stadium, with November 13, 2022 unfolding amid cold conditions in Orchard Park. The tightly covered rep reflects the physical tone of the matchup as both sides tested leverage, timing, and separation early. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports.
Minnesota Vikings-themed rumors lit up like a Christmas tree after the organization fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last week. The rumor mill never goes silent, but it’s amplified at the moment.
The latest Minnesota buzz ties Jefferson to trade chatter, frames Murray’s likely price tag, and flags a veteran free agent as a plausible fit.
Here’s a look at the latest on the day of Super Bowl LX
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Latest Vikings Rumors: Jefferson Suitor, Murray Price Tag, Free-Agent Watchlist
Trades and free agency dominate the Sunday, February 8th edition.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson addresses the media at Sport Ireland Campus during an international media session, with the appearance taking place on Sep. 26, 2025, as Minnesota prepared for overseas exposure and league obligations while Jefferson discussed the team’s season outlook, leadership role, and growing global profile. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Rumor: The Buffalo Bills appear to be a trade suitor for Justin Jefferson.
SI.com’s Alex Brasky kicked off the Jefferson trade speculation last week, noting, “It’s startling to consider what Jefferson could do with a quarterback like the Bills’ Josh Allen, the league’s reigning MVP. If you look at the Bills’ WR corps since the team traded former No. 1 Stefon Diggs after the 2023 season, the team’s leader has been Khalil Shakir, whose high watermark has been 821 yards, set in 2024.”
“Allen has been desperately craving a top-tier pass catcher on the outside, and Jefferson would fulfill that role as one of the most dynamic WRs in all of football. If the Bills were to go out and acquire Jefferson, it would require quite the commitment in terms of trade pieces. Buffalo would likely have to offer up at least one first-round pick, along with several other picks, to sweeten the deal.” The price tag alone pushes the idea into the realm of front-office fantasy.
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That hasn’t stopped the chatter from accelerating. Jefferson’s recent praise of Brady on a podcast poured fuel on the fire, sending Jefferson-to-Buffalo theories ricocheting around the internet.
“For example, when the Kansas City Chiefs traded WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in March of 2022, the Dolphins were forced to part with a first, second and fourth-round selection in that upcoming draft, along with a fourth and sixth-rounder the following year,” Brasky continued.
“There is also the Bills’ salary-cap situation to consider, as Buffalo is hard up against the cap as it stands in early February. According to Spotrac, the Bills are around $10 million over the league’s figure of about $301.2M to $305.7M.”
Jefferson said about Brady this week: “I feel like he was mostly the reason why I got picked first round. He’s the reason why my hands got better, why a lot of things occurred during that season, so I’m just proud of him to go from the (New Orleans) Saints to LSU, and now he’s back in the league and about to be a head coach.”
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The only problem? Jefferson isn’t for sale. This is just Bills-themed daydreaming.
Rumor: Kyler Murray can get-got for a 2nd or 3rd-Round pick.
A 2nd-Round pick could be enough to pry Murray loose via trade. Bleacher Report‘s Alex Kay scribed this week, “Projected Trade Value: 2026 2nd-Round Pick. A few quarterbacks may find themselves on the trade market, including Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray. The 28-year-old has never delivered any postseason success, and Arizona’s offense actually operated more efficiently with him out of the lineup this past season.”
“The Cardinals will be rebuilding with a new head coach in 2026, so it may be the right time to move in a new direction at quarterback. Of course, his 2026 cap hit of $53.3 million could make it difficult for Arizona to maximize Murray’s trade value. However, the Cardinals may catch a break by having Moore return to college in 2026.”
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Murray’s name has hovered around the Vikings’ rumor mill since he was perceived as “softly benched” by the Cardinals earlier this season, keeping Minnesota loosely tied to any league-wide quarterback movement.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray delivers a pass downfield against Houston at NRG Stadium, with the action unfolding on Nov. 19, 2023, during the second half as Murray tested coverage, extended plays, and directed Arizona’s offense while working back into rhythm following his return to the lineup. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports.
Kay added, “Another source believes that the starting price point for Murray will be a second-round pick, per Weinfuss, and that if the Cardinals can move the two-time Pro Bowler, they will. The Jets might be the one team desperate enough to expend draft and cap capital to take a flier on Murray.”
“They were widely expected to take Moore at No. 2 overall — the Las Vegas Raiders will presumably snap up Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 1—before he announced he wouldn’t enter the draft. With no other QB prospect worthy of the second pick, New York may look to resurrect Murray’s career instead.”
If the price is this affordable, Minnesota should pounce. Murray is the fifth-most accurate passer in NFL history. He would cook with the Vikings.
Rumor: Kirk Cousins is the Vikings’ top free-agent target.
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Want a hot-shot cornerback? How about a safety? Nope, says CBS Sports. Jared Dubin claims Kirk Cousins, if released by the Atlanta Falcons, is the wisest Vikings free-agent target out there.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins takes the field at U.S. Bank Stadium before kickoff, with the moment occurring on Dec. 8, 2024, as Cousins returned to Minneapolis to face his former team, drawing heightened attention from fans familiar with his six seasons leading the Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
He explained: “With the J.J. McCarthy experiment seemingly going off the rails, the Vikings need to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with him and/or be the backup and fill-in starter in case things don’t go well again.”
“Cousins is likely set to hit free agency given his contractual situation, and we know he is familiar with both the Vikings and Kevin O’Connell’s system, making this an easy, comfortable fit.”
Cousins would check some boxes as a smart McCarthy insurance policy and will finally be cheap, but many Vikings fans would groan at the mere mention of his name. He’s a divisive dude.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer scored a hat-trick against Wolves and has spoken about transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United.
Manchester United-linked Chelsea star Cole Palmer has dismissed speculation linking him with a departure from the club, after the Blues’ talisman netted a first-half hat-trick against Wolves.
The England international bagged all of Chelsea’s goals in the 3-1 victory at Molineux. His opening two strikes came from the penalty spot, as the Blues maintained their impressive form under Liam Rosenior.
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After converting his first spot-kick, Palmer abandoned his trademark ‘cold’ celebration and instead charged towards the away end with his hands covering his ears, before blowing a kiss to the Chelsea supporters.
“Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don’t they? I don’t pay too much attention to it,” Palmer said, when asked about his celebration. “You see things. But I feel like I’ve come from a strong place anyway so I don’t pay attention to it.”
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The midfielder also heaped praise on new manager Rosenior. “Life under Liam is amazing, he gives us all confidence,” he said.
“Lets us be ourselves, play free. I’m sure when I’m back proper fit you’ll see the best of me. Him and all the staff give us all confidence on the training pitch, with his strategies, the way we play… I really like it.”
Palmer’s season has been marred by injury, with England star sitting out 21 matches in all competitions this campaign. However, he has played in the last four games across all competitions, starting the most recent two Premier League fixtures.
He made a significant revelation about his fitness. “I don’t think [I’m 100% fit] just yet,” he admitted.
“Obviously people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but being injured the whole season is not ideal and when I’m not able to perform as I want to because I’ve been injured, and still dealing with the injury, but hopefully I can get over the injury soon by managing it. I know what level I can provide when I feel 100% fit.
“Not being 100% fit isn’t ideal, I still feel like I can help the team but when I’m back to full fitness I feel like I can go to another level.”
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Speaking to the Chelsea website, Palmer added: “I’ve never been injured before in my career. This is something new to me, and I’m still finding out how to deal with it.
“It has been frustrating, I don’t feel like I’ve played a game this season fully fit. I’ve been going into games thinking, ‘Can I do certain things? Can I not?’ Overthinking it.
“The staff have been really good. I’ve been working closely with the physios on a day-to-day basis. They have all helped, and I’ll get through it.
“I’m not here to make excuses, and ”ll get over the injuries. I know what I can do when I’m fit, and hopefully I can get back to that soon. For now, I just manage it and get there.”
The James Harden era of the Cleveland Cavaliers began with a close win over one of the worst teams in the NBA on Saturday.
The Cavaliers came back to beat the Sacramento Kings, in Harden’s first debut with the team after a trade deadline move from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden finished the game with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with 15 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
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Harden made his mark when Cleveland was down 121-116 with fewer than four minutes to go. He made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put his team ahead, and also made four free throws in the final 30 seconds to put the game away.
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It had been previously shaping up to be a rough debut for the 11-time All-Star. The Cavaliers’ defense in particular looked like it needed work with Harden getting his first minutes in the system, but big nights from Donovan Mitchell (35 points) and Jarrett Allen (29 points) helped offset those struggles.
In Cleveland, Harden joined a franchise currently in playoff position, but a step behind their 64-win season last year. He brings a lengthy history as one of the NBA’s top offensive engines and forms a dynamic backcourt with Mitchell, though with some overlapping skillsets (an issue with Garland as well).
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The real question is if Harden can overcome a track record of underperformance come playoff time. That answer is months away, so all he can do for now is focus on getting up to speed with his sixth NBA team.
To Spieth, Scheffler’s superpower lies “less in the golf swing and more so the personality.” Scottie Scheffler, Spieth said, is one guy inside the ropes. There, he knows exactly what he needs to do, what he wants to do and how to get to that point. But when Scottie Scheffler isn’t working, he’s not working. He’s just a dad and a husband. He can detach the second the clubs go in the bag and has no interest in using time and energy in monetizing his name and talents off the course.
“He has that unique ability to, from best I can tell, to separate,” Spieth said. “It’s more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you’ve seen in the modern era and maybe in any sport. I don’t think anybody is like him.”
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That came just days after Schefler’s existential press conference to open the week at Royal Portrush, where he talked about the fleeting happiness that comes from winning and explained that while he loves being great at golf, it “does not fill the deepest desires of his heart.”
The ability to not be consumed by golf is freeing for Scheffler. It allows him to plug in and plug out, which helps keep him level as he continues to dominate the golf world.
For most of the past four years, Scheffler has made everything look easy. He’s won at Augusta twice. He became the only player to repeat at the Players. He won the PGA Championship and the Open. He has won here, there and everywhere while leaving the rest of the world’s best searching for ways to close what at the moment feels like a chasm that can’t be traversed.
While all those little things help make Scottie Scheffler Scottie Scheffler and separate him from most, there’s something else that allows him to levitate above everything. Something that’s rarely discussed because it’s seldom seen.
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But it was there on Thursday night in Phoenix, when Scheffler walked off the course after a bizarre opening-round 73 that had him in danger of missing the cut at TPC Scottsdale. It’s a position we rarely see Scheffler in. It won’t take you long to count the number of tournaments he has been a true non-factor in over the last few years. Scheffler hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a tournament since last year’s Players, when he was still shaking off the rust from an offseason ravioli injury. The last time he missed a cut? The 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. In the age of no-cut, limited-field events, that stat doesn’t mean what it used to. But it’s still noteworthy that we rarely see Scottie Scheffler miling around in the middle of the pack, and he doesn’t exit the premises early.
Scheffler doesn’t believe in trying to “find” something mid-tournament. To him, the work is done in the prep and you arrive with what you’ll need for the week. But sitting at T-86 after an opening-round stumble that included a flubbed chip, Scheffler went to work. Not to fix something for a future tournament or prep for later, but because Scottie Scheffler, like all elite athletes, only has one speed. If there’s something to fix, it gets fixed. There are no “down weeks” or “off days.” To waste an opportunity to get better is to sacrifice something you can’t get back. And because there is still time to win. They don’t hand out the trophies on Thursday.
“Yesterday was a dig-it-out-of-the-dirt type of day in the afternoon,” Scheffler said on Friday. “I try to avoid those as much as possible at tournaments, but after the way I felt over the ball yesterday, it was definitely needed. I almost was so discouraged I almost didn’t even want to go practice. I went out there, and it was well worth it.
“You look at days like today. I had an awful day on the golf course yesterday all around pretty much. So to come out to today, stay really patient, especially after not getting off to a great start, to stay patient, grind it out, put myself back into a position where — I’ve put myself in contention from this exact position in this golf tournament, and it’s one of those places you can get hot. That’s what I’ll be looking to do over the weekend.”
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Scheffler fixed something in his grip, which led to a better ball-striking day in the second round and a six-under 65 that put him inside the top 30. He backed that up with a 67 on Saturday and will have at least an outside shot at winning his third WM Phoenix Open on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler was frustrated on Thursday in Phoenix. It was an uncharacteristic display from golf’s dominant force. He left the course dejected that his pre-tournament work, which he prides himself on, didn’t yield the desired results.
So Scottie Scheffler went searching because part of true greatness is never giving in — never allowing yourself to be complacent with something that doesn’t meet your standards. Never being out of the fight, even when everyone would understand if, just this one time, you were.
“Definitely take a lot of pride in days like today,” Scheffler said after making his Friday charge. “It’s nice to get myself back in the tournament. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing worse than missing cuts.
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“When you look at the results I’ve had over the last few years, I think probably my greatest skill is being able to stay near the lead,” Scheffler added Saturday. “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is the consistent results I’ve had over the years.”
Scottie Scheffler left the course on Thursday in a tie for 86th. On Sunday, he’ll have a chance to win. When you refuse to let go of the rope, you always give yourself a chance.
Canelo Alvarez was beaten for just the third time in 68 fights last year, surrendering his undisputed super-middleweight title to Terence Crawford. It is a defeat that he will not get the chance to avenge.
A few months on from that career-defining victory, Crawford announced his retirement from the sport of boxing, exiting with his undefeated record in tact and as a five-weight world champion.
Speaking on the Mr Verzace podcast, Canelo said that he has now accepted ‘Bud’s decision to retire, but will always feel that a rematch was deserved.
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“Of course. I always give him his credit, but we need to run it back. After the fight I said we need to run back this fight because I don’t feel the way I really want. I need to make this fight happen again, and it’s gonna be different. I think for him to deserve all the credit, he needs to give me the rematch. But he decided to retire and we need to accept that and move forward … I think the rematch would be perfect for boxing, but it is what it is.”
With ‘Bud’ showing no signs of making a u-turn on his decision to hang up the gloves, Canelo was asked about another potential avenue of avenging a defeat – Dmitry Bivol.
“Why not? We’ll see in the future. If it makes sense, why not? Like I say, I always like a challenge.”
