Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned whether some players are actively involved in the public amplification of certain narratives in order to raise their brand value. Labelling the growing phenomenon as a “disease”, Ashwin raised eyebrows regarding the narratives that are discussed on social media, particularly questioning the influence of fan armies on the internet. He hinted at this possibly even being a business model. Ashwin – the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket – also criticised the nature of star culture in Indian cricket.
“There’s something of a disease going around at this point. A lot of these opinions that show up on social media through fan armies – I’ve heard them before, first-hand,” Ashwin said, speaking at a RevSportz event.
“Sometimes, I’ve heard these same views at a breakfast table or a lunch table, and later they appear online under some other name. That’s when you wonder-how is this happening?” Ashwin added.
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While Ashwin did not specifically accuse players of being involved in such campaigns, he speculated on the possibility of it.
“I’m not saying players themselves are planting these opinions, but it is scary. Is there some sort of espionage going on? I’m not saying that’s exactly what’s happening, but there is surely some business structure involved.
“Today, every player is an entrepreneur, and pushing opinions outside can increase brand value or improve PR. I’m all for that. But speaking ill of another cricketer is something I would never do,” he stated.
Ashwin also revealed his feelings on Indian cricket revolving around superstars.
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“Where did all this begin? We started creating narratives around players. We started painting a superhero culture, a cinematic culture. Who even talks about cricket now? Nobody speaks about the game itself.
“Some time ago, I put out a Twitter thread about what Shubman was doing that was leading to his dismissals in a certain way. For me, it is always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why,’ never the ‘whom.’ But immediately it became about comparison-why only Shubman and not someone else? I was like, do you even follow what I do?” Ashwin said.
Apr 6, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) makes a save on Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the third period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Jason Zucker broke a tie in the second period and added an assist as the host Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Monday night.
Alex Tuch, Josh Norris and Jack Quinn also scored for the Sabres (47-23-8, 102 points), who snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into a tie with the Lightning atop the Atlantic Division. Defenseman Bowen Byram had two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and Nikita Kucherov got the other goal for Tampa Bay (48-23-6, 102 points), which had won four of its previous five. Defenseman Darren Raddysh had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots.
Zucker gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead 7:38 into the second period when he tipped Byram’s shot from the right point at about waist level. Quinn added an empty-net goal with 1:54 left for Buffalo, which has four games remaining while Tampa Bay has five.
Kings 3, Predators 2 (SO)
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Joel Armia and Scott Laughton scored in regulation and Adrian Kempe had the lone goal in the shootout to lift host Los Angeles past Nashville.
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves and did not surrender a goal in the shootout for the Kings (32-26-19, 83 points), who stretched their point streak to four games (3-0-1) and moved a point ahead of the Predators for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
Roman Josi had a goal and an assist, Steven Stamkos also scored and Juuse Saros made 26 saves for the Predators (36-31-10, 82 points). Nashville had moved into the second wild-card spot with a 5-4 shootout victory in Los Angeles on Thursday and remained there following a 6-3 win at San Jose on Saturday.
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Sharks 3, Blackhawks 2
William Eklund scored once and added an assist to pace host San Jose to a comeback victory over Chicago.
Kiefer Sherwood and Will Smith also scored for the Sharks, who have won five of six games and remain two points out of a playoff spot. Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.
Frank Nazar collected one goal and one assist while Ryan Donato tallied for the Blackhawks, who have one win in seven games (1-5-1). Spencer Knight stopped 20 shots.
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Jets 6, Kraken 2
Kyle Connor scored two goals and Mark Scheifele had three assists in Winnipeg’s win over visiting Seattle as the Jets try to remain within range of a playoff spot.
The Jets improved to 6-2-0 in their past eight games. This hot streak has put Winnipeg (34-31-12, 80 points) three points back of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Gabriel Vilardi and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg while Connor Hellebuyck stopped 22 of 24 shots.
The Jets went 3-for-3 on the power play, winning the battle of struggling special-teams units. Winnipeg entered Monday with the fifth-worst power-play percentage (17.22%) in the NHL, while Seattle’s 72.77% penalty-kill percentage ranked second worst in the league. At 32-33-11 (75 points), the Kraken are eight points back of the final West wild-card spot.
INDIANAPOLIS — Less than an hour after the 2026 national title game ended, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau was feeling himself. He had every reason to after having one of the best performances of his lengthy and turbulent career.
Just over a year after a split with North Carolina, Cadeau was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after finishing with 19 points in his team’s 69-63 win over UConn on Monday, concluding one of the best redemption stories of the transfer portal era.
So, when it was time to send a message to his doubters amid all the criticism he had faced since he arrived at North Carolina during his freshman season in 2023, he was ready to clap back.
“They said I couldn’t do it, they tried telling me I was ass, man,” Cadeau said on Instagram live. “The f— are they talking about. They tried to tell me I was ass. Stupid.”
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Cadeau had every reason to celebrate. Michigan won its first national title since 1989 and completed one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs this century. And to get over the hump to win the program’s second national title and the first by a Big Ten program since 2000, Michigan had to take out a UConn team eyeing a dynasty and its third title in four years.
“America learned that stats is one thing but you see he’s the best point guard in the country because of his decision making,” Michigan guard Nimari Burnett said.
“I can tell that he put in the work and that he was ready to make a huge shooting jump. He was ready for the big-time moments throughout the course of the year.”
The turning point
Two years ago, Alabama’s defensive game plan for its Sweet 16 matchup against North Carolina was simple: Dare Cadeau to shoot.
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Could you blame Alabama? The then-freshman was shooting 18.9% from 3-point range on low volume that season. With one of the highest-scoring offenses in college basketball, Alabama used that approach to its advantage. By baiting Cadeau into early shots, the Crimson Tide created extra possessions and ultimately pulled off the upset.
For the most part, the plan worked. Cadeau finished 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and North Carolina fell as the No. 1 seed in the West Region. It was a bitter end to a season that began with high expectations for the Tar Heels.
In UNC’s loss to Alabama in the 2024 Sweet 16, Cadeau was left open at times from beyond the arc
Synergy Sports
During his first two seasons at UNC, Elliot Cadeau shot 39 of 142 (27.4%) from 3-point range. Cadeau led UNC in assists as a freshman. Teams didn’t respect Cadeau as a shooter. Opponents routinely left him open from 3-point range, building scouting reports around the idea that it wouldn’t come back to hurt them.
That ultimately led to a split from the Tar Heels — and Cadeau’s reinvention.
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“I feel like I’ve been a shooter my whole life,” Cadeau said outside his locker.
“Coach believing in me and letting me shoot whenever I wanted played into my confidence.”
The turning point
For a moment, the title game felt like déjà vu for Cadeau.
With UConn pushing to climb back into the game against Michigan, Cadeau was left open again from beyond the arc in a key moment. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer that snapped through the net.
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The moment may have seemed innocuous at the time, but it proved to be the turning point. Cadeau’s 3-pointer with 12:56 remaining was Michigan’s first of the night, pushed the lead into double digits and halted UConn’s momentum.
A year ago, that moment might have gone differently. On Monday night, it marked the culmination of one of the more compelling redemption arcs in college basketball’s transfer portal era.
“We had seen him in prep ranks and in high school and felt like we needed a quarterback, a pass-first guy on the floor at all times,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “I thought we could win with him because it was there on film. He’s a savant. He’s brilliant. He’s made us better coaches, and hopefully we’ve helped him become a better player.”
In return, Cadeau leaned into that trust. He was given the freedom to shoot, to struggle and ultimately to succeed on the biggest stage.
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“Letting me do it in practice, letting me work on it and trusting me to bring it into games,” Cadeau said. “Him trusting me the whole time. I think Dusty is the best coach I’ve ever played for. He’s so smart. He knows a lot about basketball. He had a plan with this really talented roster.”
Cadeau may not have known it when he committed to Michigan just over a year ago, but May did. It’s why the Wolverines are the last team standing — and why Cadeau’s journey will be remembered as one of the defining transfer portal success stories of this era.
At Oakmont, Spaun was tied for the lead with Robert MacIntyre when he authored the shot of the tournament by driving the par-4 17th green, his ball running right past the cup, on his way to a go-ahead birdie.
This past Sunday, Spaun did it again in an arguably more clutch situation when he was trailing by one shot on the 17th hole at TPC San Antonio. His tee ball landed just short of the green and rolled out just inside of 10 feet. This time, Spaun converted the eagle putt to go ahead by one and hung on by paring the difficult par-5 18th to post 17 under, which proved to be good enough for his third PGA Tour victory and second at the Valero Texas Open.
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“I think if there was more wind I would have hit 3-wood, but I knew I was one back of the lead. I wanted to be aggressive and take driver, just kind of hit like a 90-percent driver,” Spaun said after the win. “I kind of had a flash of my tee shot at Oakmont at the U.S. Open last year on 17 on Sunday where I drove the green and ended up making birdie. It was kind of a nice image that I had in my mind before I pegged it and hit the shot. Yeah, I stepped in there and put a really good swing on it.”
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Spaun plays his driver in the B1 setting, which plays the driver at its stated loft of 9 degrees but makes it three-quarters of a degree flatter. He also moves the SureFit CG track weight on the sole to the T1 position. Both of these changes are presumably to give the club a touch more of a right bias.
He pairs the head with a Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X with VeloCore+. The Ventus Black was in the driver of all four major champions last season, including Spaun, and so far this season is the single-winningest shaft profile on the PGA Tour, with five victories in 13 events. Last week’s winner, Gary Woodland, also plays the Ventus Black with VeloCore+.
Before switching to the GT, Spaun ranked 146th on the PGA Tour in Srokes Gained: Off the Tee, but was 41st last season.
Last week at TPC San Antonio, he was 16th for the week, gaining nearly two strokes OTT, with 1.362 coming in the final round. The tee shot on No. 17 itself gained him 1.08 strokes as he set up the go-ahead eagle.
Former captain Harry Maguire has signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester United, with the option for a further year.
The 33-year-old central defender’s current deal was due to expire at the end of this season.
Maguire joined Manchester United from Leicester City for £80m in 2019.
He has made 266 appearances for United, winning the League Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup the following season.
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Maguire has enjoyed a revival under interim boss Michael Carrick, starting all 10 matches since his appointment in mid-January after previously struggling for game time under Ruben Amorim, and also missing eight games with a thigh injury.
BENGALURU: The scoring sequence — 6, 2, 4, 6, 6, 6 — was enough to seal CSK’s fate. This was what RCB’s Tim David unleashed on pacer Jamie Overton in the 19th over. Off the 19 sixes struck by five RCB batters on Sunday night, the towering Australian accounted for eight.
The 30-year-old finisher shrugged off a testing few months to light up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and start off his IPL season in style.
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Playing for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, David had been ruled out on Dec 26 last year with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. He returned for the T20 World Cup but made little impact as Australia made a hasty exit. David only had scores of 0 and 6 against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka to show.
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After a modest, unbeaten 16 off 10 balls in the season opener against SRH, he exploded against CSK, raising both tempo and temperature on a muggy night. The unbeaten 70 off 25 balls powered the defending champions to a 43-run win but more than the result, it was a masterclass in clean, calculated power-hitting.
Walking in with 35 balls remaining, David was kept quiet for six deliveries before he decided to launch the onslaught. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who had been striking fluently, stepped back and watched the assault unfold, later calling David “one of the best finishers I have seen”.
A lifeline came when David, on 28, was bowled off a no-ball by Anshul Kamboj, a moment CSK would come to rue. Head coach Stephen Fleming admitted the margin for error against a hitter like David was minimal.
“Against a hitter like Tim David, who is very destructive, you’ve got to be absolutely spot on. Once we fell behind, he got his rhythm. There’s really small margins and with a good hitter like David, we’ve got to be more exact than that. So we missed where we needed to be and we got hurt in hardest fashion,” Fleming said.
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David, who has been routinely targeting the stands during nets, sent one 106 metres into the roof and later joked, “I’ve been getting into trouble during training with the boys. We have competitions to try and hit them on the roof and we’re obviously on the side pitches. So, to get one during a match out of the middle, help it up on the roof, it was good fun.”
He credited his preparation and batting coach Dinesh Karthik for the clarity in approach. “We do a lot of preparation. It’s nice to work with DK. He is an experienced player in these conditions and has been in the IPL for many years. With that prep, you don’t put pressure on yourself to perform,” David said.
At the other end of the spectrum, Devdutt Padikkal admitted there was much to learn from David’s approach. “I wish I could hit anywhere close to what he hits like. Just looking at the technique that he has, you can try and pick up things,” he said.
The confetti may still be falling in Indianapolis from Michigan’s second national championship, but oddsmakers have already turned their attention to next season, releasing early title odds for 2027. Even as college basketball becomes more transient with the transfer portal — which opened Tuesday — the expectation remains that the sport’s top programs will again contend for a title.
It’s no surprise, then, that just two teams opened with better than 10/1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook: Duke (7/1), this year’s No. 1 overall seed, and Michigan (8/1), the reigning national champion. After that, the board begins to spread out, starting with Arizona at 12/1, followed by Florida, Houston and Michigan State. UConn and Kansas — which recently secured a recommitment from coach Bill Self — are both listed at 16/1. Outside of Florida and Kansas, every team in that group reached at least the Sweet 16, with three advancing to the Final Four.
Further down the board, things get more intriguing. Arkansas and Illinois are tied for ninth at 20/1, while North Carolina — set to hire former NBA coach Michael Malone — sits just behind at 22-1. Both Arkansas and Illinois are likely to retool after losing All-America freshman point guards, but the roster-building track records of coaches John Calipari and Brad Underwood remain a factor when projecting next season’s contenders.
Among the longer shots, Purdue opens at 50/1 after losing Braden Smith and a senior core that helped make the Boilermakers one of the most successful programs of the past five years. LSU has also climbed the board following the hiring of Will Wade, with the Tigers holding the same odds as SEC rivals Missouri and Texas.
Check out the odds to win the 2027 title below, via FanDuel Sportsbook:
The Betfred Grand National betting offer is one of the biggest promotions available in the run up to this year’s race at Aintree, with punters able to claim £50 in free bets from a £10 wager.
The welcome offer is one of the biggest available on UK betting sites, and the £50 bonus can be used entirely to bet on the Grand National meeting.
Betfred have a selection of other Grand National betting offers available for the meeting too, including enhanced odds, money back specials, extra places and winnings boosts.
Here’s how to claim Grand National free bets from Betfred, as well as more information on all their promotions for the Aintree spectacular.
What is the Betfred Grand National offer?
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The Betfred Grand National offer is a ‘bet and get’ promo, with customers receiving £50 in free bets once they deposit £10 and place a £10 bet online. New customers must use either a debit card, bank transfer or Apple Pay to make their first deposit.
The Betfred welcome bonus has a low odds threshold, requiring a bet on a market with evens or greater to unlock the welcome bonus.
There are few stipulations regarding the Grand National bonus, with punters free to bet on whatever sport they wish when qualifying.
Free bets are available to use on all sports and are paid within 10 hours of settlement of your qualifying wager.
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Grand National free bets are paid out as 5x £10 tokens and are available to use on horse racing. Three £10 tokens are for straight sports bets, while the other two are reserved for acca bets (minimum four selections). All can be used on the 2026 Grand National meeting.
Is there a Betfred bonus code for Grand National betting?
No. There’s no Betfred promo code required to unlock this offer. By clicking here – or any other Betfred links within this article – bettors will be taken straight to the sign-up page for the bet £10, get £50 offer.
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Betfred Grand National betting offers and promotions
Like a lot of the top horse racing betting sites, Betfred have a range of Grand National betting offers that cover all three days of the meeting, not just Saturday’s big race.
BOG – Best odds guaranteed dictates that if your selection wins or places and the SP is greater Betfred will pay you out at bigger odds for bets made after 8am on the day of the race.
Extra places – Get extra places on Aintree races, offering greater chances for each-way payouts.
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Multiply Your Odds – Betfred customers that place a Lucky 15/Lucky 31/Lucky 63 can get five times the odds even if they only get one winner on their Aintree multiples.
Lucky Bonus – Place a Lucky 15/31/63, Yankee, Canadian, or Heinz bet, and if all selections win, you’ll receive a 25 per cent winnings boost.
Rewards4Racing – Collect 1 Rewards4Racing point for every £1 staked on sports when you link your Rewards4Racing account to your Betfred account. Points can be used to purchase tickets for the big meetings, including Cheltenham, Royal Ascot and the Grand National.
10% Winning Tricast Bonus – Place a Tricast on any race and if all your selections run and win, Betfred pay you a bonus in cash of up to 10% on your total winnings.
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Racing live streaming – All Cheltenham races will be streamed live on Betfred’s website and app.
Please gamble responsibly
Always remain within a budget and never exceed it. No matter what the circumstances, never chase your losses.
Anyone can lose a bet, even if they know a lot about horse racing. It is easy to get carried away when events such as the Grand National are taking place, so make sure to remain in control of your time and betting.
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Whether you’re using betting sites, online casinos, slot sites or poker sites, bettors can use responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion among others.
In the UK there are a number of gambling addiction charities ready and prepared to help you with counselling, support groups and practical advice on how to help you recover if you do lose control:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Martin Bakole has been out of the ring since drawing with Efe Ajagba in May 2025. It now appears he will remain inactive beyond the one-year mark.
Once considered the bogeyman of the heavyweight division, buoyed by claims of punishing the top dogs in sparring, Bakole announced himself on the big stage when he halted Carlos Takam and then top prospect Jared Anderson on Riyadh Season shows.
That opportunity looked set to come against top contender Guido Vianello, but the Italian heavyweight, who has trained alongside Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker, took to Instagram to announce that Bakole has pulled out.
“My team had agreed all terms for me to fight Martin Bakole on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. I even signed the contract. It would have been an honour to fight for Turki [Alalshikh and] Ring Magazine.
“For some reason, [Martin] decided to pull out of the fight without any explanation at the very last hour. Not even an excuse from Martin Bakole, BOXXER [or] Billy Nelson.
“I’m still in the gym this morning, doing my part. July sounds like a good time to find your courage again unless you have finished with boxing now.”
Vianello fought twice last year, losing to rising US star Richard Torrez Jr before bouncing back with a win over Alexis Barriere. He also boasts a win over Fury’s upcoming opponent, Arslanbek Makhmudov.
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It seems a well-matched fight for both men, with the winner then deserving a step up in levels. However, with the May 23 Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven card now announced in full, it appears the opportunity has now been missed. Bakole, his promoter or trainer are yet to comment on the matter.
The Dallas Stars on Monday banned a fan from attending games at the American Airlines Center after they bought tickets for a group of spectators who were seen celebrating a goal with a Nazi salute.
Courtney Ripley told WFAA-TV that she was the one who took a video at a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in December, showing the group of four fans extending their right arms with a straightened right hand facing downward.
Fans line up outside American Airlines Center before the start of an NHL hockey game in Dallas on Oct. 28, 2025.(Tony Gutierrez/AP)
The team conducted an investigation that identified the person who bought the group their tickets and subsequently banned them.
“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena,” the team said in a statement. “Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”
Dallas Stars players Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Esa Lindell, Jake Oettinger, and Miro Heiskanen celebrate their win over the Winnipeg Jets at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on April 2, 2026.(Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
“Additionally, we are increasing in-arena messaging regarding the Fan Code of Conduct and how our fans can report violations, along with prioritizing staff training to identify and handle situations that arise,” the team added.
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The American Airlines Center told ESPN last week that it has “zero tolerance for any acts of hate and/or discrimination.”
The NHL has a multipoint fan code of conduct. It states that “the best hockey experiences happen in environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful.” Each team has a scripted segment that is shared on their video board, through their public address system or both.
Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque celebrates his empty net goal with teammates against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., on March 28, 2026.(Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Campbell County High School, Gillette, Wyoming.
The list includes only those players who have played in a regular-season NFL game. Consequently, players taken in the upcoming draft will not be included until they have seen the field.
The League does not officially recognize players who appeared only in preseason exhibition games.
Campbell County High School is ranked as the No. 4 pro football player-producing high school in the state.
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Wyoming has produced a total of 31 NFL players from 21 schools, with 4 pros currently active.
See where all the other schools in the Cowboy state rank here, with links to their respective players.
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