Not all college football players are excited to eat their vegetables. But Bill Belichick’s staff at North Carolina has found ways to make sure their players are.

Through a precise food science that requires chopping vegetables into “micro” pieces, or even sneaking extra grains and vitamins into the batter used to fry chicken, the staff is taking every liberty to gain a competitive advantage in the lunch room. UNC’s nutrition, hydration and training strategy has become more critical than ever as the team looks to make a second-year jump, as each player has a specific strategy curated to them and their biology.

The strategy even includes a contingency plan, when the team is on the road, sometimes in locations where access to anything but fast food is limited. Public records show the team spent $129,644.38 at vendors that classify as fast food or fast casual during the 2025 season, but head nutritionist Amber Rinestine-Ressa claimed there was a scientific method behind those transactions.

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Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches from the sideline during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Sept. 1, 2025. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

UNC football head chef Josh Grimes was the New England Patriots executive chef under Belichick from 2018-24. When they came to UNC last year, they recalibrated the nutrition strategy, an NFL-style approach, and Belichick says it is aligned with the fundamental purposes of Tom Brady’s approach to nutrition.

“In New England, we had a lot of components and certainly some of Tom’s things were important,” Belichick told Fox News Digital.

“In the NFL we trained a lot of players who were significantly older than our players are here, and so some of the things that Tom did have more application than players who are older. But still fundamentally, good nutrition, good hydrations, pliability in the muscle tissues and so forth are are fundamentally good things that Tom worked with and that we embrace as well.”

For UNC and its players, the strategy may also have NFL Draft implications.

“When you look at an NFL performance. Everything’s important and everything that leads to your performance is important. So preparation training nutrition hydration, technique, fundamentals, it all adds up,” Belichick said of whether he previously looked at a college player’s diet and nutrition program when scouting them for the NFL.

Cooking up trick plays

Director of nutrition Amber Rhinestine-Ressa and Grimes aim to make food that players actually want to eat in order to keep them eating in the team cafeteria, and not out. To do that, they prioritize flavor, and work in the nutrition from there.

“If they’re not going to change for me, I have to change my approach for each one of them,” Rhinestine-Ressa said.

“We don’t live in a perfect world, and to create buy-in, I have to have a little leniency… 80% of our diet, we are eating great food for us.”

Of the remaining 20%: “Would we rather eat brown rice or a piece of bread? Well, brown rice might have more fiber, but how does our whole day look? Okay then, maybe we could eat this piece of bread.”

BILL BELICHICK DOWNPLAYS HALL OF FAME CONTROVERSY, SAYS FOCUS REMAINS ON NORTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL

She admitted that some players have harder times eating their vegetables than others.

“Some of these kids come in and they see a whole green bean, and not a canned green bean, and they’re not receptive to it,” she said. “A lot of guys come in here and they have a very small box.”

Once they work what kind of food the players want to eat, then come the “sneak” plays to make it as healthy as possible.

“Anywhere we can manipulate an ingredient to where it tastes good, but they don’t know, we do,” Grimes said.

The kitchen micro-dices vegetables into barely-noticeable pieces, and mixes that into several dishes, along with quinoa, to bolster the vitamin value.

The nutrition team even has a way of manipulating batter for deep-frying things like chicken, Grimes said through a combination of whole wheat flower and Avocado oil.

“We kind of use the fried stuff as more strategic, kind of morale. Like, we try to keep them happy,” the chef said.

Grimes said he gave the players a suggestion box when building the menu, and the number one-selected suggested dish that came back was Oxtail. Thus, Oxtail has become a recurring favorite in the team cafe, and a critical play by the staff.

Famed Kansas City Chiefs former head dietitian Leslie Bonci employed similar strategies when curating food to keep the Chiefs healthy through the start of the Patrick Mahomes era and their first two Super Bowls in the last decade.

“Hide the health. Start with familiar and then amplify the nutrition for the intuition in the kitchen,” Bonci told Fox News Digital in response to UNC’s strategies.

Cheat plays

The university credit card statements for Rinestine-Ressa, during the 2025 season and training camp (Jul. 1 to Dec. 4), were been obtained by Fox News Digital via a public records request. 

Of the $129,644.38 that was spent on fast food or fast casual, the team spent the most money at was Al’s Burger Shack, at $15,803.

“Al’s Burgers, they use 90-10 meat with me,” Rinestine-Ressa said, adding they often purchased the burger place for post-game meals last season, for up to 260 people. “So I can influence what they use because we’re buying it in such quantity.”

Chick Fil-A was second at $13,092.03.

“Chick Fil-A is only ever done when we’re about to get on a plane, because it’s heavy, they’re about to go on a plane, they’re about to sleep, and we have no activity for the rest of that day. So I don’t really care that much.”

Jersey Mike’s was third at $12,613.51 and Mission BBQ was fourth at $12,598.52. Other big spends on the statements were made at popular national chains like Zaxby’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Dave’s Hot Chicken, CAVA and Panera Bread.

Still, there were zero transactions for American fast food staples McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, or Taco Bell. That is where Rinestine-Ressa draws the line.

“Hell no, those are hard no’s, because I can’t manipulate those, I can manipulate every other place,” she said.

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As UNC looks to improve on its 4-8 record from 2025, it will lean on the creativity and discipline of its chefs and nutritionists to make sure the players are fueled to do their jobs.

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Leeds boss Daniel Farke insisted “nothing is achieved yet” after his side took another big step towards Premier League safety with a 3-0 home win against all-but relegated Wolves.

Quickfire goals from James Justin and Noah Okafor put Leeds 2-0 up inside 20 minutes before Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s stoppage-time penalty sealed back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

Leeds had climbed six points clear of the bottom three after Monday night’s 2-1 win at Manchester United and victory over rock-bottom Wolves lifted them further clear of the bottom three.

But Farke warned: “My attitude is that nothing is achieved, nothing is done yet.

“To be there with 39 points, with five game-days to go, is a fantastic position to be in, but the feeling is still that we probably need to win one, perhaps even a few more points.

“And for that, we will not allow ourselves to take our foot off the gas. We will stay focused, concentrated and want to win this one (point), or perhaps even a few more points as soon as possible, to have it also mathematically done.

“We don’t want to travel on the last game-day into a nervy game anyhow, when you have to deliver a result in difficult away games. So we’ll try to win these points that we need as soon as possible.”

No side has been demoted from the top flight on 39 points since the 2016-17 season, but Leeds must play at relegation rivals Tottenham and West Ham, on the final day, in their last five matches.

“I would say during a normal season 39 points are probably enough, but we have a special season where teams like Tottenham, which is ridiculous, and Nottingham Forest, who are playing in Europe, are trying to chase us.

“We have also a bit of a special situation where we play Tottenham and West Ham and if you lose such a game, it means they would win three points. So this makes the situation a bit special.”

Bottom club Wolves began the day 15 points from safety and a brief upturn in form under head coach Rob Edwards has been followed by 4-0 and 3-0 defeats at West Ham and Leeds respectively.

Edwards said his side were punished again for individual errors and that he shared in the fans’ frustration as the club prepare for next season in the Championship.

“I completely understand the frustration and accept that. The fans should be angry and I’m never going to say anything other than that.

“They travel everywhere. They support the team and they have the right to vent their frustration and show their anger again.

“So absolutely no problem with me. I’m as angry as they are and disappointed.

“It’s obviously been a long time coming and our situation has been difficult for all of this season, and even seasons before, as we know and we’ve spoken about.

“So all I can do is promise them that we’re working extremely hard to make sure that we’re not feeling like this again.

“I actually think it’s quite apt that we’re here at Leeds at the moment. They have been through their difficulties as well, and fairly recently.

“But the way they’ve responded as a football club, you can see everybody now is right behind it. In the Cup semi-final, performing very well in the league as well.

“So it can be done. We can turn things around, and we’re working really hard to do that.”

A star-studded 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Western Conference of the 2026 NBA playoffs will see the Los Angeles Lakers face the Houston Rockets. Game 1 takes place on Saturday, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant (questionable, knee) clashing in the postseason once again. The fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) have won three straight games, despite the absences of Luka Doncic (out, hamstring) and Austin Reaves (out, oblique). The No. 5 Rockets (52-30) have won nine of their last 10 games entering the NBA playoffs 2026. This will be the first postseason meeting between the franchises since 2020.

Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers won two of three regular-season meetings. The latest Lakers vs. Rockets odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Houston as a 4.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 208.5. Before making any Rockets vs. Lakers picks, check out the Lakers vs. Rockets predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.    

Now, the model has simulated Rockets vs. Lakers 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Lakers vs. Rockets:

Top Lakers vs. Rockets predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Rockets vs. Lakers, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (208.5) in over-under betting. The last matchup between these teams in mid-March went over with 240 combined points. Houston has heavily leaned over as of late, eclipsing the total in eight of its last 10 games. As for the Lakers, having this extended rest between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason indicates Saturday’s contest should be high scoring. The Over sports a 12-5 record when the Lakers have 2+ days of rest between games.

Three players are projected to score at least 22 points, with another eight players forecasted to score more than 9 points. Durant is projected to be the game’s leading scorer, but the Lakers counter with nine players who score more than 5 points, compared to just six for the Rockets. With that, 218 combined points are scored, per 10,000 simulations run, as the Over hits 64.2% of the time. See the Lakers vs. Rockets spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Rockets vs. Lakers picks

After simulating each possession 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Lakers vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Lakers line to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.

One team Iraola has been heavily linked with is Athletic Club.

Ernesto Valverde announced in March he would leave the club in the summer, bringing an end to his latest four-year spell in Bilbao.

Born in the Basque Country, Iraola has strong ties to the club, making 510 appearances for them between 2003 and 2015.

His family’s desire to return to Spain is understood to be among the factors Iraola considered when deciding to leave Bournemouth.

Reacting to Valverde’s departure, Iraola said: “It affects me probably as a supporter because I support the club.

“I’ve been playing there for a lot of years and has been a surprise also for me. It’s my biggest reference in football, Ernesto. It’s a decision that he has made, but it’s not affecting me apart from the supporter side, let’s say.”

Smith added: “It’s the club where he learned a lot of his footballing principles. A lot of the elements of his game comes from [Marcelo] Bielsa’s Athletic team.

“That job is available, if he wants to go back to Spain. There will be a massive, emotional pull for that job.”

But interest from Spain might not just be limited to Bilbao.

Alvaro Arbeloa succeeded the sacked Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid in January, but the La Liga giants trail leaders Barcelona by nine points with seven games to go and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich this week.

Could the former Spain full-back be tempted by the allure of Real Madrid’s star-studded squad and their vast transfer war chest? Or would he fancy a stint with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany before moving on to bigger names?

Nonetheless, where Iraola’s journey takes him next could prove to be one of the most compelling stories of the summer.

In Spain, Atlético Madrid take on Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night. Atlético veteran Antoine Griezmann takes on his former club in what will be his last chance to win the competition before heading to the MLS this summer.

The CAF Champions League semi-final second legs also take place on Sunday, with AS FAR looking to see out their two-goal advantage in an all-Moroccan tie against RS Berkane. In the other semi-final, Mamelodi Sundowns will look to see out their one-goal advantage against ES Tunis.

Carlos Alcaraz has announced his withdrawal from next week’s Madrid Masters after picking up a wrist injury in Barcelona. The Spaniard now faces a race to return to fitness in time to defend his Roland-Garros title next month.

Most Minnesota Vikings fans hope the franchise drafts a running back somewhat early in the draft; the franchise is long overdue. But what if they don’t? Or what if they don’t pick one until Round 7, in which case the selection is a fool’s errand? The club might turn to trade options.

Minnesota may need a backup plan if the draft board breaks poorly.

Believe it or not, a handful of young running backs might be gettable via trade.

Several Young Backs Could Enter the Trade Conversation

Ranked in ascending order, these are the most likely running back trade targets for the Vikings if they strike out in the draft (No. 1 = most realistic option).

9. Braelon Allen (NYJ)

Breece Hall was slated to become a free agent this offseason, and because the Jets seemed hellbent on starting over — trading Sauce Gardner was the evidence — many expected Hall to depart. Then, that didn’t happen.

The decision keeps Allen squarely in an RB2 role. If the Vikings dangled a draft pick in front of New York, they might be able to capture the Wisconsin alumnus and feature him more prominently than New York.

8. Jonathon Brooks (CAR)

Injuries have utterly ravaged Brooks’s career, tripping him up to the point that he has never taken an NFL snap, despite a lofty forecast heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Panthers have Chuba Hubbard employed as the RB1, along with Trevor Etienne, who was a 4th-Rounder last year. Brooks won’t cost much via trade, and his upside, if healthy, is through the roof.

7. Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS)

The Commanders could draft Jeremiyah Love next week and totally place Croskey-Merritt on the back burner. Washington also has Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in the house at running back. Drafting Love would create a crowded house, perhaps making Croskey-Merritt expendable.

The rookie from last year showed some glimpses of brilliance; he’d need a new home if Washington invests in Love.

6. Ollie Gordon (MIA)

The Vikings’ new assistant head coach is a man named Frank Smith, and we worked with Gordon last year in Miami where Smith served as the offensive coordinator.

De’Von Achane apparently isn’t for sale, but Gordon might be. He posted 4 touchdowns last year on 77 touches.

5. Tyjae Spears (TEN)

Scroll up to the Croskey-Merritt spot and recall the Jeremiyah Love angle.

The Titans could draft Love at Pick No. 4 on Thursday, creating a backfield of Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Jeremiyah Love. Per touches, Spears would be the odd man out if Tennessee opted to keep Pollard’s veteran presence.

Sending Spears to Minnesota for a 6th-Rounder could work.

4. Trey Benson (ARI)

Speaking of crowded running back rooms, the Cardinals now have Tyler Allgeier, James Conner, and Benson, whose career has been rattled by injuries, like the aforementioned Brooks, who came from the same draft, believe it or not.

In Year No. 3, Benson is on tap to face a reduced workload with more cooks in the kitchen. The Cardinals wouldn’t re-up with Conner and sign Allgeier if they were in love with Benson. He could be available via trade.

3. Dylan Sampson (CLE)

Cleveland drafted two tailbacks last year, Sampson from Tennessee and Quinshon Judkins from Ohio State. As expected, Judkins took the RB1 baton before a season-ending injury. Judkins very much looked the part of a steady RB1. In theory, if the Browns drafted another running back next week, the Vikings could call about Sampson’s price tag.

2. Kaleb Johnson (PIT)

Pittsburgh spent a 3rd-Rounder on Johnson last April, and he later played 51 snaps on offense, which was just bizarre for a team that didn’t have an elite RB1 ahead of him on the depth chart. Outwardly, Johnson is trending as a draft bust, but maybe he just needs snaps.

The Steelers, in the meantime, have Jaylen Warren back as the RB1 and also signed Rico Dowdle from the Carolina Panthers in March. Johnson is the clear-cut RB3 in Pittsburgh. He’d have a more advantageous outlook elsewhere if traded.

1. Jaylen Wright (MIA)

Note the Frank Smith connection above; this guy is the Dolphins’ RB2 at the moment. Ollie Gordon could take his spot this summer, and Wright would be buried as the RB3 or need a new employer.

Wright has 4.38 speed. He’s tallied about 600 yards from scrimmage in two seasons. The guy needs more touches. There’s a decent chance the Vikings could allow it if they swing and miss on a running back in the draft.

Wright turned 23 two weeks ago.

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney saw AngryGinge pull out his infamous boxing knockout celebration after scoring at the Sidemen Charity Match

AngryGinge cheekily copied Wayne Rooney’s iconic boxing knockout celebration after netting the opening goal at the Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium. The I’m A Celeb winner put the YouTube Allstars ahead with a powerful header before unleashing a series of celebrations in the corner.

The first saw him slide on his knees, swiftly followed by a hefty punch towards the crowd. Ginge then spun round and threw four mock punches before collapsing to the ground – a carbon copy of Rooney’s famous celebration against Tottenham in 2015, which came just days after footage emerged of him being knocked out by Phil Bardsley.

Despite being on the receiving end of that infamous clip, and with more than a decade having passed since, Rooney has been backed by former team-mate Louis Saha to turn to boxing and take down KSI in the ring – on one crucial condition.

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He told BetVictor: “Wayne Rooney was one of the players who we were always boxing. We had a coach who allowed us the day before the game to go on the punch bags.

“He loved boxing and I think when he was younger, he was a bit of a boxer. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go into it. He is one of these people who love their sport, whether it’s golf or boxing or football.

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“He is committed and wants to compete and win. Rooney vs KSI? I would love to see that. He’d have to get into shape but we know he can be a terrific athlete.

“He could go on a night out and then be the best player in training the next day. He’s an unbelievable athlete and if he got his fitness back, I’d back him to destroy these guys like KSI.

“A bit like Roy Keane, these guys have an enormous legacy. He’s England’s best ever player and there is a huge expectation when he gets a new management job.

“These sorts of players can often be more comfortable in punditry, but I think he will still have a desire to make things a success as a manager, I think he just needs to improve his communication skills and learn from other great coaches.

“Being away from the game can be the best place to learn, hopefully that happens with Wayne.”

KSI has not stepped into the ring since his defeat to Tommy Fury in October 2023, with the entertainer turning his attention to other pursuits, including acquiring a minority stake in Dagenham and Redbridge.

Rooney, meanwhile, has carved out a role in punditry over the past 18 months following unsuccessful managerial stints at Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.

The Manchester United icon has predominantly featured on Amazon Prime Video and the BBC’s Match of the Day, and also hosts a podcast on the latter platform.

Despite this, he is reportedly willing to walk away from those commitments in a bid to return to football management.

The stable of Ciaron Maher has been on the hunt for a suitable slot to send Kings Valley back to extended distances.

This slot materialises in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday.

Kings Valley was the initial standby when the entries were announced Wednesday, yet he slipped into the field of 14 when Plymouth pulled out.

Jack Turnbull, the Maher stable’s National Assistant Trainer, commented that Kings Valley’s settling pattern early on will be key to his success.

A month back, he won the Bairnsdale Cup (1600m), and his latest was a ninth in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield, April 4.

“We thought his run was good,” Turnbull said.

“We had to go back from the gate and the way the track was playing it made it difficult and tricky, but the work he put in, we were very pleased with how he went.

“The thing is this week, we’re up in trip from that 2000 (metres) to the 2400 (metres) and the question mark will be whether he relaxes.

“He can be fierce, but he’s not a slow horse. He’s got a very good turn of foot, so we’ve got to work him down a bit into the run.

“I think if he stays on, and relaxes, he’s a good chance as this is his future.”

He notched a win at Sandown over 2100m before, with this being only his second go at 2400m since fifth of six at Caulfield last October.

Kings Valley went into a break immediately post that run and has returned sharply.

“I think he’s got the profile, he’s got the page, and everything else to get 2400 (metres), but it has been a matter of when,” Turnbull said.

“Arguably we could have waited and gone to another benchmark race, but it’s a Caulfield Cup qualifier, a rich race and it gives us a chance.

“We’ve drawn a good gate to smother him up and I think he can run a forward race for us.”

Visit trusted betting sites for the latest racing odds on the Mornington Cup.

If you’re an NBA player and think you might one day get a random text from Shaquille O’Neal, don’t get your hopes up.

O’Neal, 54, doesn’t reach out to NBA players from the past or present for one reason.

“None. I don’t like athletes or superstars because they’re a–holes,” O’Neal told the New York Post.

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Shaquille O’Neal watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 28, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)

The Basketball Hall of Famer said he denounced himself as a celebrity years ago for a similar reason.

“I denounced myself from being a celebrity about 10 years ago because those people are weird. I’m not weird,” O’Neal said.

The New Jersey native said he wants to treat people with respect and just be a regular guy. O’Neal, despite his prowess as a basketball player, went to school after his playing career.

NBA STAR HITS BACK AT NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR BLAMING HIM OVER EXPENSIVE PLAYOFF TICKETS

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Shaquille O’Neal arrives on the red carpet before the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

O’Neal left LSU after his junior year to play in the NBA but returned to finish his bachelor’s degree. He also has an MBA and Ph.D in education, but people don’t think he actually earned the “Dr.” before his name.

“The funniest thing I get is, ‘Oh it’s honorary.’ I say, ‘No, it’s not. I had to go to school and write papers and do all that stuff,” O’Neal said.

“I’m very super successful without that, but I wanted to stress to my children and children around that education is very important.”

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Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 6, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

O’Neal talked about the NIL era and how young athletes want the money first but don’t have the education on how to the manage the money.

O’Neal thrived on the court, winning four NBA titles across his 19 seasons and making 15 All-Star teams, and appears to be thriving off the court as well.

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