The Minnesota Vikings fell into the fortune of signing Kyler Murray for just $1.3 million. The Arizona Cardinals are stuck paying the bag for a quarterback they no longer have interest in. Minnesota also further solidified its quarterback room by bringing back veteran Carson Wentz. That leaves former first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy twisting in the wind.

While this seemed like a logical outcome, it puts McCarthy in a spot where he and the Vikings may have little interest in moving forward. McCarthy looks like a nothingburger sent to the doldrums, and Kevin O’Connell may not have the time to devote to a guy who will be the QB3 on the depth chart.

McCarthy-to-Cardinals Trade Actually Makes Sense

Trade rumors surrounding McCarthy have been prevalent since the Vikings signed Murray. Nobody being honest with themselves sees it as a competition, and it became clearer once Wentz joined the fray. Of course, Minnesota won’t recoup the value needed to land the Michigan product at 10th overall, but maybe they could find something and do right by the player as well.

There’s little reason to believe that McCarthy doesn’t have a future in the NFL. He’s still incredibly raw and could be a very good developmental project. The problem is that his timeline doesn’t align with his current employer’s. Through no fault of his own, and aside from an inability to stay healthy, a parting of ways makes sense.

It’s pretty straightforward to suggest that Minnesota could ask the Indianapolis Colts to swap post-hype first-round prospects. Anthony Richardson is now Daniel Jones’ backup. The Colts gave Jones, who had a brief stop in Minnesota, a sizable payday this offseason. McCarthy would join the same quarterback room as a guy who had no interest in sitting behind him an offseason ago. This time, though, the roles would be reversed.

Beyond that, there aren’t a ton of suitors. Bad teams already have options, or are in a position to grab one. The Titans just took Cam Ward. New York is running it back with Geno Smith. The Raiders will land Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in April.

Arizona, however, where Murray came from, could not look more inept.

Jacob Brissett is a fine retread veteran backup. The same can be said about Gardner Minshew. Neither is going to reinvent the wheel at this point in their careers, and expecting the franchise to build their future around them would be the foolish lunacy that has them in this predicament.

Enter J.J. McCarthy.

If a team actually wants to watch McCarthy compete for a starting job, then the Cardinals should be it. Maybe he’s not ready to come in and beat out Brissett and Minshew immediately. That would be disappointing for him, but further indicative of the status Minnesota currently sees. What he should be, though, is a future option.

This will be McCarthy’s third year in the NFL. At some point this season, if and when the Cardinals are again bad, they can turn over the offense to the Wolverine championship winner. He then has a runway to stake a claim for the job and would give Arizona indications of whether they’d want to pick up his fifth-year option when prompted next year.

McCarthy sees little benefit in stashing an inactive for Minnesota, and there’s probably no team that should be willing to pony up draft capital for a young quarterback swing like Arizona. The fit is there. Make the call.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

The “Thank You, NYPD” campaign in New York City is an ongoing effort to show appreciation for those in blue.

The campaign has encouraged residents to upload videos expressing appreciation for the department. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino was among those who responded, thanking those he said have helped maintain a safe city environment.

“I want to give a sincere thanks to the NYPD officers who do such an incredible job to keep our city safe,” Pitino said Friday in a video posted to Madison Square Garden’s Instagram account. “Thank you so much.”

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FOX Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson interviews St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino after the Red Storm defeated the Connecticut Huskies in the Big East Conference Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City March 14, 2026. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Pitino’s show of gratitude came just hours before the Red Storm’s first-round game in the men’s NCAA Tournament. Fifth-seeded St. John’s faced No. 12 Northern Iowa Friday evening in San Diego.

Later this month, as part of the campaign, Madison Square Garden will host an exclusive concert featuring a star-studded lineup, including Cyndi Lauper, John Fogerty, rapper and New York Knicks fan Fat Joe and others. St. John’s plays most of its home games at Madison Square Garden.

ICONIC SPORTS VENUE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TO HOST NYPD, STAFF AT PRIVATE CONCERT AMID ‘THANK YOU’ EFFORT

“Today, we announced ‘Thank You, NYPD,’ a campaign encouraging all New Yorkers to thank the New York City Police Department for its service to our great city!” Madison Square Garden said Wednesday in a post on X.

Newly commissioned New York City police officers greet family members after their police cadet graduation ceremony March 9, 2026, outside Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Uniformed police officers and civilian staff members, along with their loved ones, will be invited to the private event, scheduled for March 28. “The Garden” also urged New York residents to submit individual “thank you” videos.

Comedians Chris Distefano and Sam Morril are also among the confirmed performers for the event.

MSG Entertainment said it will donate the venue and cover all event costs. MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports CEO and Executive Chairman Jim Dolan said the event was not political but a “sincere” show of gratitude for the city’s police department.

Madison Square Garden Sports executive Jim Dolan attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden Jan. 17, 2024, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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“There are times in our culture today when the dissenter’s voice is louder than that of the majority. Such is the case with law enforcement, and, in particular, the NYPD,” Dolan said in a statement.

“Cries of ‘defund the police’ and other negative statements do not reflect the true feelings of New Yorkers. If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening. This concert to say, ‘Thank You, NYPD’ is designed to let our police know that we New Yorkers need, respect and appreciate their effort and service.”

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Mohamed Salah is facing a race to be fit for Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City after a muscle injury ruled him out until after the international break.

In a second blow for head coach Arne Slot the Press Association understands goalkeeper Alisson Becker did not travel with the squad to Brighton.

The Brazil Football Confederation announced on Friday afternoon injury had forced his withdrawal from their squad for friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States.

Alisson missed last week’s Champions League first leg against Galatasaray after an injury scare but played against Tottenham last weekend and in Wednesday’s second-leg victory.

Salah’s absence is a setback as the Egypt international, who scored in three of his last four starts, had put in one of his best performances of the season in midweek.

However, when the 33-year-old gestured to the bench to be taken off after scoring the omens were not good.

“Indeed, unusual and as a result of that you can expect the outcome: he’s not available for tomorrow,” said Slot ahead of the trip to Brighton.

“The good thing for Liverpool is we go to an international break, and the bad thing for Egypt is that he can’t go there.

“We’re hoping with what Mo has shown in the past that he can recover faster than other players in similar situation because he takes such good care of his body.

“History has shown he can be back earlier than some others, but it’s only two weeks until we go again, so let’s hope in that period of time he can be back.”

Salah has proved to be incredibly resilient during his Liverpool career, missing just 10 Premier League matches through injury since joining in 2017, and this is his first since a hamstring problem in January 2024.

It is another hurdle for Slot to overcome as it places additional pressure on the right side of his team.

Jeremie Frimpong played at full-back in midweek and could be the stand-in for Salah further forward but that would then mean Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s best player this season, would again have to drop into defence despite a starring midfield role against Galatasaray, as Joe Gomez is not fit to cover.

It has happened so regularly that Slot is tired of talking about it.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say this: Dominik is a midfielder. Should I say this five or six times?” he said.

“So the moment I play him in a different position doesn’t mean I am trying to be a tactical genius, it means I don’t have options.

“So if I have a full-back on the bench, ask yourself if he is fit to play? Every time I make a line-up, there must be a reason why he is playing right full-back because Dominik is a very good midfielder for us.

“If everybody is available the team is stronger when he is playing in midfield, but if we miss five, six, seven players then maybe we disagree the team is strongest playing him at full-back.”

US national champion Jordan Anthony ran a world-leading 6.41s to claim a first world indoor title in the men’s 60m, announcing the arrival of a new sprinting star on the global scene.

Britain’s Jeremiah Azu made a brilliant start but faded in the closing few metres to miss out on the chance to defend his title from Nanjing, China.

There was a lengthy wait for the result to be confirmed as there were several athletes within fractions of a second each other behind the American star, who was well clear at the front.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, the Olympic and world 100m silver medallist, took silver with a personal best of 6.45s, with American Trayvon Bromell taking bronze on the same time.

A close final was guaranteed as all the big names qualified within 0.05s of each other: Bromell set a then-world-leading time of 6.42s as he won the second semi-final, with Anthony equalling his personal best of 6.43s and Azu setting a new PB as they finished first and second respectively in the last semi.

Azu’s 6.45s brought him within 0.03 seconds of Dwain Chambers’ British record and he was again not far off with a time of 6.46s in the final.

Anthony was the favourite going into the event having run the fastest time in the world this year, 6.43s – three-hundredths quicker than Thompson and another hundredth quicker than Bromell, Azu and Levell.

The 21-year-old, a two-time former NCAA champion, won the US title in 6.45s earlier this month, beating Olympic 100m champion and training partner Noah Lyles.

He competed in Poland with his arm heavily taped up after suffering a blood clot in a bungled drug test, telling media in Torun: “Yesterday I had drug testing, they took blood, but he didn’t stick my vein, he stuck outside. I got a clot the size of a football. Luckily, I’m still running.

“That’s why my arm is taped up. I can’t really do this with it. It is what it is, that’s not going to stop me.”

Earlier on Friday Yaroslava Mahuchikh claimed the first gold medal of the championships, winning the women’s high jump final for the first time since 2022.

The Ukrainian, the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion, took gold with a jump of 2.01m, while in an unusual sight three women took joint silver.

All three of Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, Serbia’s Angelina Topic and Ukrainian Yuliia Levchenko all jumped 1.99m with no previous failures and shared second spot on the podium.

In the women’s 800m Keely Hodgkinson cruised to victory in her heat with a time of 2:00.32, having successfully retrieved her kit and spikes after they were initially misplaced by the airline on her way to Torun.

“It came last night, thank God,” said Hodgkinson. “I was starting to get annoyed. A very nice Polish girl let me borrow her spikes, and they gave me a blister. I just didn’t have any kit or my supplements. But it’s all good now.”

The 24-year-old has won a medal at every major championships bar these, having missed out multiple times with injury, and looks in world-beating shape having broken the world indoor record last month.

Her major rival, Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, ran slightly quicker to win her heat in 1:59.91, while Hodgkinson’s compatriot and new British indoor champion Isabelle Boffey qualified as a fastest loser.

Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell won her 1500m heat to qualify for the final and remains the favourite for the title, but compatriot Jemma Reekie narrowly missed out after finishing fourth in her her heat.

Michael Carrick is a strong contender for the permanent Manchester United job after taking over from Ruben Amorim

Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister believes it will be hard for the club to ignore giving Michael Carrick the job on a permanent basis if he delivers a Champions League finish. The former Middlesbrough manager is enjoying an impressive run at the helm, having lost only once while securing seven victories.

Sitting third in the Premier League standings, United are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League which Pallister believes would be sufficient for Carrick to be given the job permanently. Speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Pallister said: “Carrick for the permanent job? I think if we qualify well for the Champions League then, yeah.

“It’s not as if he’s coming without any experience. He’s had the experience of two years with Middlesbrough, he’s had the experience of working with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] at the club and actually being in sole charge for a few games as well.

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“So he’s got experience. I know it’s a big debate between a lot of lads that have played at Manchester United. But listen, if he qualifies well for the Champions League then why not?

“We’ve tried other options over the last few years and, you know, if he’s having positive results and a positive impact on the team and the fans feel like they’ve got their own Manchester United back then I’m behind Michael to get the job.”

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After collecting 22 points from a possible 27 and lifting United up to third in the Premier League, Carrick has become the odds‑on favourite to turn his interim spell into a permanent appointment.

The 44‑year‑old arrived in January on a deal running only until the end of the season, with the club committed to what insiders describe as a ‘thorough process’ to identify a long‑term head coach in the summer.

His outstanding run has pushed him to the top of that shortlist, though the former midfielder insists it’s not something occupying his thoughts.

“I love being here. I love doing what I’m doing,” he previously said. “I’ve said it from the start, I’m not making any decisions for short-term or quick fixes.

“I think it’s the responsibility, however long I’m here, to make decisions that are the best for the football club in the long term. Winning games helps and the boys are doing great with that.

“We’ll just have to see where it ends up.”

Carrick left Middlesbrough in the summer after three years in charge, having taken the club from 21st to the play‑offs in his first season.

He was unable to launch a sustained promotion push in the campaigns that followed, prompting his departure.

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

Tyson Fury has had his say after his father John claimed that ‘The Gypsy King’ was ‘finished.’

Fury is set to end his retirement and return to the ring on April 11 when he faces Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Ahead of that bout, it came as a shock earlier this week when John Fury revealed that his relationship with his son has been destroyed, with the 60-year-old stating that Tyson has been ‘gone since the Deontay Wilder fights.’

John also claimed that he told Tyson not to face Oleksandr Usyk, and believes ‘The Gypsy King’ wouldn’t be able to beat the Ukrainian were they to meet for a third time.

Tyson has now had his say, telling ESPN that he sees no issues with his ability, and that he was ‘over the moon’ with his performances in the two defeats against Usyk.

“I’m the same fighter [compared to five years ago], I’m the same fighter as I’ve always been, same OG. In the next five years I will still be the same, always.

“I believe I performed absolutely awesome in both those fights against Usyk. If you like slick counter punching and boxing the head off a boxer people can’t touch, then you like the first one. Then if you like someone on the front foot bombing down the middle then you like the second one. They were brilliant performances.

“I’m over the moon with those performances. I can’t do anything about the fact that I didn’t get the decisions. But in my mind I performed excellent in those fights. I don’t feel as though I’ve gone backwards or I’m too old or whatever. I feel like they were prestige performances and if I would have got the decision nobody would have said s**t, would they?

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“We are always evolving as fighters and people, we are always changing and learning things. Even at this old age of 37 you can always learn on the daily. I’ve always been a genius in the boxing ring, I’ve always been a dolphin in that boxing ring.”

Boxing fans are hopeful of seeing a fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua this year, but first ‘The Gypsy King’ must prove he does still indeed have it when he faces Makhmudov next month.

The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyler Murray. I told you that wasn’t going to be the end of it. Then they signed Carson Wentz, too. They told you that was coming.

Last season, Kevin O’Connell rode veteran signal caller Carson Wentz well beyond the timeline initially suggested for J.J. McCarthy to return from his ankle injury. Wentz took the field with something of a Terminator arm against the Los Angeles Chargers. He looked like a sacrificial lamb, and wound up needing season-ending surgery.

The Vikings’ Actions Made the QB Tension Easy to See

That was the reality, and yet it was still one O’Connell chose rather than put J.J. McCarthy back on the field. We have since heard of the schism in decision-making between the former general manager and his coach.

This offseason, everyone within the organization said to expect a room overhaul. Somehow, the outcome is still shocking to many.

There was never a reality in which McCarthy was going to be the unquestioned starter for O’Connell this season. In veering from Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones last offseason, that’s what happened. With Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gone, O’Connell wasn’t going to let that happen again.

There was also never a reality in which a competition would take place when the competitor was Kyler Murray. Sure, the Arizona Cardinals cast him off, but he comes with a floor that even Darnold didn’t possess before O’Connell turned him into a 14-game winner. A competition that Murray was destined to win may have ensued, but he didn’t sign, thinking a path to playing wasn’t available.

Even after Murray signed, a reunion with Wentz made sense. They could have pivoted to a player like Mitch Trubisky or Jimmy Garoppolo, but as the Washington Commanders did with Marcus Mariota, they stuck with the veteran they know. Wentz is a stopgap should Murray go down in the middle of a game, and he already proved capable of running O’Connell’s offense.

The only competition left is whether McCarthy can salvage enough value to play in a preseason game for the team that drafted him 10th overall. He’s very likely looking at a roster spot as Minnesota’s QB3. Could he be swapped in a change of scenery for Anthony Richardson? Do the two sides simply keep kicking the can down the road?

McCarthy is a young kid, and he showed some immaturity at times last season as well. There’s a very real possibility that he still has a very successful NFL career. The problem is that his timeline no longer matches up with where the Vikings need to be.

The franchise told you this. The coaches and front office told you this. McCarthy’s play suggested it as well. Any outrage or surprise at this point signifies a lack of attention as to what was taking place.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

MJ Daffue and Rashid Khan share a two-stroke lead following the second day of the DP World PGTI Open. Khan from India, who still has three holes of his second round to play, pulled level with South African Daffue at 13 under par, who had earlier carded a course record 11-under 61 at Classic Golf and Country Club. Daffue, who is chasing a second victory on the 2026 Road to Mallorca after his win at the NTT Data Pro-Am last month, started on the tenth and made gains on four of his first six holes before adding four consecutive birdies around the turn. The 37-year-old would pick up three more shots coming in and was delighted with his bogey-free effort to once again set the pace at the top of the leaderboard.

“Overall, it was a very easy 61. I hit it great, putted well, and didn’t miss any,” he said. “Days like this don’t come around very often, but the game has been trending, and I’ve been putting some hard work in.

“Down the stretch, I was thinking about having a chance on the last for that magical number, but overall, I needed to stick to my game and not get in my own way. It’s so easy to think too far ahead and to try to do certain things when you should just let it come to you.

“Obviously, winning at Fancourt was amazing, and I feel like I want to be in these positions because I know I can get it done. I want to contend every week, and chasing a second win is nice.”

Khan, also starting on the tenth, found his feet early in his round with three birdies and an eagle in his first seven holes to move to 11 under par. The 35-year-old would then add two more birdies to his scorecard to pull level with Daffue before play was suspended due to darkness.

“I started really well,” he said. “I made a birdie on my second hole, the par three eleventh, and that’s not an easy hole to score two on, so I was pleased. The 13th, I had 135 yards to the flag and slam-dunked for an eagle, and that’s where things really picked up for me; it gave me a lot of confidence. I hit a few good putts around the turn, so it has been a really good day.”

“I want to approach tomorrow the same way. I want to keep things simple; I have three holes left of my second round, tomorrow, and we will see how the next two rounds go.”

Sweden’s Adam Wallin and Spaniard Albert Boneta share third place on 11 under par and will return alongside Khan to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The Wright State Raiders lost 73-82 to the Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

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The No. 14 Raiders led the No. 3 Cavaliers 43-38 at halftime.

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The game stayed tight in the second half, but Wright State was not able to regain the lead after Virginia went ahead with just over four minutes left.

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Four Raiders scored double digits. Senior forward Michael Imariagbe recorded a double-double, scoring 19 points and securing rebounds.

Sophomore guards Solomon Callaghan and TJ Burch had 18 and 15 points, respectively, and freshman guard Michael Cooper had 13 points off the bench.

The Horizon League champions finish the season 23-12.

Virginia now awaits the winner of No. 13 Miami RedHawks and No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers.

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They say the Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday, but for fans watching from home, that wasn’t always the case. That’s because for the first 14 years of Masters broadcasts, from 1956 to 1969, CBS covered only four holes: 15, 16, 17 and 18. The happenings on the rest of the course remained shrouded in mystery.

Oh, how times have changed.

Today, fans get access not only to all 18 holes from every round but also to every shot — on both the course and the range. If this embarrassment of spectating riches has you asking yourself what else Augusta National could possibly have up its green-jacketed sleeve to enhance how fans absorb, relive and daydream about the tournament, well, you weren’t paying attention Thursday when the Masters website debuted the Masters Vault, a digital video archive that allows users to search for every shot from every Masters final round from 1968 to 2025.

It’s easier than ordering a pizza: simply punch a few keywords into the search bar and the app, which is powered by IBM’s AI and data platform, watsonx, takes you to whatever tee box, fairway or green — from whatever modern Masters — that your heart desires.

If you’re aching for some inspiration, enter “Phil Mickelson 18th green 2004” or “Ben Crenshaw 18th green 1995.” If you’re seeking a thrill, type “Tiger Woods 7th hole shot 2 2010” or “Louis Oosthuizen 2nd hole shot 2 2012.” If you like a good horror movie, try “Scott Hoch playoff 10th hole 1989” or “Rory McIlroy 10th hole shot 1 2011.” It that’s easy. Pick your Sunday moment and the vault cues it up.

But wait, there’s more!

On the players’ individual profile pages, you can watch every one of their shots from every Masters round they’ve ever played. Just scroll down to the “Past Masters Performances” section and you’ll see the player’s scorecards come to life with video clips of every shot.

Be warned: It’s a vast, glorious rabbit hole. Once you start hunting for shots and browsing rounds, there’s no telling how many hours you might while away.

But you can assure your boss it’s time well spent.