Anthony Taylor has been appointed as the referee for Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Arsenal this weekend, with Richard Keys taking exception to the decision
Currently, the Gunners enjoy a six-point advantage over the Sky Blues, though City possess a crucial game in hand. Billed as the ‘game of the season’ given what’s at stake, PGMOL have entrusted Taylor with overseeing the fixture, owing to his status as one of their most experienced officials.
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He will be supported by Gary Beswick and Ian Hussin, while Paul Tierney assumes the role of fourth official. John Brooks and Stuart Burt, meanwhile, will be on VAR duty.
Despite his track record, Keys has specifically objected to Taylor’s involvement in the match due to him originating from Wythenshawe and residing in Altrincham, merely six miles from Old Trafford.
In his latest blog, he wrote: “I do wish the PL had appointed a different ref for the game v City this weekend.
“They’ve named ‘Altrincham’s’ Anthony Taylor. Why do they stubbornly do this sort of thing? I’ll repeat what I always say – not for a minute do I think Taylor will make bad decisions on purpose, but what if…?
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“What if he makes a big call and it’s wrong? Why put him under that kind of pressure? It’s Taylor I feel for. If you’re telling me we don’t have another ref good enough to handle the game of the season, then that’s a further indictment on Howard Webb and the PGMOL.”
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Keys’ assessment comes despite Taylor declaring his loyalty to Altrincham, and therefore having no bias towards either Manchester City or Manchester United, nor Arsenal ahead of this weekend’s clash.
On the other hand, Graham Scott has defended the PGMOL’s decision to select Taylor for the match.
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He told The Athletic: “Eyebrows are sometimes raised when he is appointed to a match involving either of the Manchester giants, given he lives within a few miles of both grounds.
“But his support for his home-town club Altrincham is genuine, not convenient, and he has no allegiance to either City or United.”
Meanwhile, Grahame Rowley has also previously told the same publication: “Anthony has always been an Altrincham fan. Even now, he gets a season ticket every year, despite the fact he can’t go to all the matches.
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“People around here always ask if you’re a Red or a Blue. He’s actually a great advocate for non-League football and should be praised, not criticised.”
Here are the other winners from the 2026 Masters. The Participation Jackets, if you will. Let’s get to ’em.
Honorable mention: All of us
After a week at Augusta with gloriously limited screen time I buzzed back through social media on post-Masters Monday to catch up on what I’d missed. This proved a spectacularly stupid way to process the golf tournament; somehow the conversation had shifted to burning topics like whether Rory McIlroy should be keeping score or what Florida’s governor thought of his scouting trips to Augusta.
Look, petty gripes are encouraged. I’m more than happy to hear nit-picking about golf course setup or TV production or bird selection on Jason Day’s vest or anything your heart desires — as long as we’re keeping in mind that, as far as golf tournaments go, this one was pretty damn good. So this is a reminder to myself, and I suppose to you, dear reader, that we’re all winners for how this all went down. Augusta National showed out, the weather cooperated and we got a legitimate back-and-forth, plot-twisting Masters Sunday between a handful of the very best golfers in the world.
10. Michael Brennan
Brennan announced his arrival in an improbable win at last year’s Bank of Utah Championship, where he got into the field via sponsor exemption and — in his first PGA Tour start as a pro — won the whole thing. It’s been uneven since then, but Brennan held his own in his first major as a pro; his T24 at Augusta National is his best finish anywhere in 2026.
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8. Maverick McNealy
He’s not a flashy personality, doesn’t play a flashy game and doesn’t have a flashy resume in major championships. But Mav McNealy logged his first career top 20 thanks to a typically hot putter and a Sunday 67; it was a particularly impressive result given he shot 77 on Thursday.
9. Russell Henley
When Henley birdied four of the first eight holes on Sunday to get to 10 under par he suddenly had a legitimate chance to win his first major championship. Instead he couldn’t make a birdie putt and played the final 10 holes even par. The good news: that was his fifth top-10 finish in his last seven major starts and the first top-three of his career. Trending up at age 37.
“I hit it amazing today. I gave myself a bunch of looks. Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on those looks on the back like I would have liked to,” he said. “I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well. It was tricky out there.”
7. Tyrrell Hatton
LIV Golf had a largely disappointing week; just one of its players finished under par or inside the top 30. But even though that golfer, Tyrrell Hatton, saw his chances to win all but vanish in a Saturday 72, his splendid Sunday 66 left him T3 and immensely satisfied with the way he finished. By finishing top 12 he also guarantees a return visit next year, which he said was on his mind with a baby on the way.
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“To be honest most of the back nine I just wanted to make birdies because my wife is due in six weeks and I was thinking about it would be cool to come back next year, and our little girl will be pretty much 11 months, so it would be amazing to see her in a boiler suit,” Hatton said, referring to the caddie uniforms families wear at Wednesday’s Par-3 Contest. “Obviously you see all the other dads and their families and the little ones in boiler suits is so cute.”
6. Scottie Scheffler
There’s no chance the World No. 1 is interested in a Participation Jacket (the times more I type that phrase the more I’m planning to trademark it) but Scheffler entered the week as a new father, was coming off his “worst” two starts in over a year and sat 12 shots back at the halfway mark; if he was anybody else he’d be No. 1 on this list. (Instead we’ll slot him semi-randomly at No. 6.)
A bogey-free weekend left Scheffler solo second, just one shot off McIlroy’s winning number, and will more than silence the doubters. McIlroy won the tournament; Scheffler’s still the best golfer in the world. Between the two of them they’ve won four of the last five majors as well as four of the last five Masters, and McIlroy now has six majors to Scheffler’s four. Game on.
“I think the major championships bring out the best in me sometimes, and I had some good starts last year and I obviously had a good week this week,” Scheffler said. “There’s a few shots I’d like to have back, but overall put up a good fight.”
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5. Jordan Spieth
Speaking of trending iron play: Jordan Spieth is flagging it right now. His T12 is his best result at a major in three years and came largely thanks to his approach game, which DataGolf had as fifth best in the field. Spieth remains remarkably dependable at Augusta National, where he has nine top-15 finishes in 13 career starts. He’s trending towards dependability everywhere else, too, if he can get his putter to cooperate.
“I hit it better [this year] than the year I won and I hit it way better than any of the second places or fourths,” he said. “Probably the best I ever hit it here and I typically putt these greens very well. That part is a bit frustrating. Again, putting can be streaky so just get on the right streak and go try to win next week.”
4. Jake Knapp
Knapp has played eight tournaments in 2026. He has now finished T11 or better in seven of those eight after a relatively quiet seven-under-par showing. It felt like a particularly significant finish because Knapp had played just four prior majors as a pro (three MCs and a T55), making this by far his best result.
3. Cameron Young
If you take Young at his word, he left the Masters disappointed in the result but pleased with his play.
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“There is no negative to take away other than obviously I would’ve loved a different result,” he said. “But in terms of the golf, I played plenty well enough to win today and plenty well enough to win by a couple I think. So, just one of those days. If you go through the back nine I pretty much had a birdie chance on every hole and didn’t make any. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
The tournament felt like Young’s to win when McIlroy, his playing partner, three-putted from five feet at No. 4 and gave Young a two-shot edge. But there was still so much golf to be played; Young went bogey-bogey-birdie-bogey at 6-7-8-9 and then strung out nine consecutive pars on the back as McIlroy slipped past him.
So why does he get a Participation Jacket? Because he just clutched up to win the Players, because he’s just gone T3-win-T3, because he’s No. 3 in the world — and because this time last year he missed the cut at the Masters and fell outside the top 60 in the OWGR. That’s a hell of a few weeks and a hell of a year.
2. Max Homa
Max Homa didn’t win the 2024 Masters but he did finish T3, which meant he got an automatic invite to the 2025 Masters, where he finished T12, which meant he got an automatic invite to the 2026 Masters, where he finished T9 thanks to a bogey-free Sunday 67 — and secured an invite to the 2027 Masters. Things could be looking up for Homa, whose iron play and putting have both been trending up since the start of the season. Now it’s just a matter of pretending that every other course is Augusta National…
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“Yeah, it feels high,” Homa said of his result, with a smile. “I would like next time to be in contention earlier, not need a miracle on Sunday. “But for not having it all and feeling like I left some out there, I’m really proud of just the golf, [and] my brain was so good. Yeah, it was fun.”
1. Collin Morikawa
It takes a very specific set of circumstances to feel shocked by the No. 7-ranked golfer in the world finishing seventh place at a pro golf tournament, but given Collin Morikawa’s pre-tournament form (scratched on his second hole at the Players with a back injury, then sat out the next three weeks) plus his tournament-week form (was clearly in pain, wasn’t moving well, had to mess with his swing just to make it through a simple shot) this was probably the most impressive non-win of his impressing young career.
“Trust me, it’s going to be one of the best tournaments forever,” Morikawa said. “I’m going to remember this one for many reasons, but just more how strong the mind is, to be able to go out and convince yourself that everything is going to be okay.”
You can watch more analysis of the 2026 Masters at the video below.
Reaching his father’s time will be hugely challenging – some might say impossible.
“Most people who know swimming will be like, ‘he has no chance’,” Adam says. “But I want to try.”
But Adam says the 12 months ahead are about more than strokes, leg kicks, minutes and seconds.
Having not swam seriously since he was 18, he only got back into the sport after his father’s death to “feel connected to him” as he grieved.
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Adam hopes to travel to some of the pools his father swam in, including in Sri Lanka – where David was born to Scottish parents, in Scotland itself, Miami and even Montreal.
He will also raise money for Sports Aid, who help support youngsters with the expense that come with chasing sporting dreams, and take advice from his dad’s former team-mates.
“Doing this challenge has allowed me to go back through his life,” Adam says.
“My dad retired at 22, long before I came along, so it’s a part of his life that I didn’t necessarily know that much about.
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“I’m hoping I’ve got a lot of his swimming genes, so we’ll see as the year unfolds.
“I want this story to demonstrate how amazing swimmers are, how hard this sport is and how much effort, time and work these guys and girls put in to get to where they are.
Less than a year on from the day Liverpool won the Premier League title, Arne Slot’s side find themselves in a position where their season rests on qualifying for the Champions League.
For Slot, perhaps his future does too. There will be no silverware and the Dutchman has already said failing to have Champions League football next season would mean this would “definitely not be an acceptable season”.
This was Liverpool’s 17th defeat of the campaign but it came after arguably one of their better performances. Until Ousmane Dembele’s 72nd-minute strike for Paris St-Germain, Liverpool battled admirably against the champions of Europe.
“It was an intense match between two teams who played really good football,” said PSG head coach Luis Enrique.
But the worry for Liverpool is they have gone backwards.
When these two sides met in the Champions League last 16 last season, PSG were the better side across the two legs but they needed a penalty shootout to knock Liverpool out.
This time around, they outclassed Slot’s side in Paris and, while there were spells on Tuesday night when Liverpool threatened, the final scoreline of 4-0 across two legs was fair.
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“Of course we are very disappointed because I think there were parts of the second half where you could feel ‘if we could just score now, this could become a very special night’,” said Slot.
“But the future looks very bright for this team, for this club. We have showed we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium. To be the dominant team, not many teams can be dominant against PSG and create as many chances as we did,” he added.
At Anfield, Liverpool’s xG was 1.94 compared with the 0.18 at the Parc des Princes last week.
So there were positives to take, but there is still plenty to be done before they can be considered serious contenders on the European stage again.
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After the match, Mohamed Salah waved goodbye to the Anfield crowd after playing his last game for Liverpool in the Champions League.
Now the question is whether Slot and Liverpool will be back in the Champions League next season.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said things are “coming together slowly” for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after the team recorded its second straight win, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs on Tuesday.CSK, going through a transition, came into the match after a 23-run win over Delhi Capitals and followed it up with another win to move up to eighth place in the points table.“Slowly, slowly, it is starting to come together, I feel,” Gaikwad told the broadcaster after the match.“Everyone kind of knows what their role is, which overs and what lengths to bowl at. I think they are adjusting and adapting really well according to what (the) team needs.”“As I said, slowly, slowly, we are getting better and better and that is a good sign for us,” he said.Gaikwad said the team was aiming for a score of around 220, but the total of 192/5 turned out to be enough.“We defended a good score. I felt it was a par score, given that the wicket drastically changed after the first seven or eight overs,” he said.“It started spinning a bit, it started stopping a bit. We were first looking at 220, 210, but then, we thought anything around 190, 180 would be a good score and after that, we just had to get a good power play in bowling,” Gaikwad added.Gaikwad, who has been struggling for runs this season, having scored just 63 runs in five games so far, said on his form, “Well, firstly, I think, good to be on winning side after a long time. I felt it was getting into my head even when I was batting, but after the last game, I felt a bit relaxed, I feel I’m feeling really good. Just make sure that do whatever the team needs, whatever the situation needs. And I feel even mentally, I’m feeling really well, feeling positive, and just a big, a big knock is just around the corner, but as long as the other guys are just covering up for me definitely I’ll do it when it’s needed.“CSK’s win was set up by Noor Ahmad, who returned figures of 3/21 and picked up key wickets in the chase. He said managing conditions was important.“The dew was there, and it was humid, so (I was trying to) keep my fingers dry and that helped me a lot to hit the right areas,” he said.“I think the ball was not coming really well to the bat and to get advantage of that, it was good. I will keep putting effort to contribute for my team in the coming matches,” he said.KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said the bowlers did well to restrict CSK but the batters failed to build momentum.“No real momentum with the bat, absolutely. I thought with the ball we (did) really good, 190 on this wicket was really good, especially (when in) the powerplay they got 70 odd runs,” Rahane said.“After that, pulling back to 190 was an amazing job from our bowling unit. I thought initially with our batting, we just got 36 or 37 runs in the powerplay.”Rahane said the team needs to stay positive despite five losses.“It’s tough at the moment. Yes, we’re not winning matches, it’s tough. What is important for all of us as a group is to stay positive, keep our head up, keep our chin up, just focus on the moment,” he said.“It’s all about being positive and keep our heads up,” Rahane said.Rahane also spoke about pacer Kartik Tyagi, who bowled at 148.2 kmph and dismissed Sanju Samson for 48.“He is working really hard in the nets. He is been bowling really good and a great talent. The pace which he’s bowling at the moment has been amazing. Game by game, he is improving his skills,” Rahane said.
Arne Slot took positives from Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final exit to holders Paris St Germain but fears striker Hugo Ekitike has suffered a “really bad” injury.
The Reds came into the second leg with a mountain to climb having been thoroughly outclassed in last Wednesday’s first leg at the Parc des Princes, where the hosts’ dominance was not reflected by the 2-0 scoreline.
PSG’s missed opportunities allowed Anfield to dream of a famous comeback, but it was not to be as key interventions and a controversially overturned penalty frustrated a vastly improved Liverpool.
Ousmane Dembele’s second-half brace eventually sealed PSG’s 2-0 second-leg win and progress to the semi-finals with a 4-0 aggregate triumph, but Slot took hope from a night that saw Liverpool’s final route to silverware end.
“I think we made a lot of progression compared to last week,” the Liverpool boss said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the players, how hard they worked.
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“I have to give a lot of credit to our fans, how they helped us tonight to execute our gameplan. If we have a high press, it’s so helpful if there are fans behind you, to keep on pushing you.
“Unfortunately, it’s one of the many examples of this season where we weren’t able to score from the many chances we had.
“Again, we were so far underperforming in terms of xG (expected goals), and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season.
“Add to that, as it seems to be, a bad injury (to Ekitike). We don’t know for sure yet. Add to that another intervention of the VAR, which went not in our favour and that’s also not for the first time this season.
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“Then, of course, we are very disappointed because I think there were parts in the second half where you could just feel if we can score now this is going to become a special night.
“But the future looks very bright for this team, because we’ve shown that we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium, to be the dominant team.
“Not many teams can be dominant against Paris St Germain and generate so many chances as we did. But, yeah, chances is one thing, scoring is a second.”
Liverpool’s attention turns from pushing for Champions League glory to ensuring they qualify for next season’s competition as their Premier League campaign resumes with Sunday’s derby at Everton.
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Ekitike will miss that match and it seems a substantial period of time having gone down awkwardly in the first half, with the France international leaving on a stretcher amid fears he had suffered an Achilles injury.
“Hugo looks really bad but it’s difficult for me to say how bad,” Slot said. “Tomorrow we will investigate this further, (see) how bad this is for him. Let’s see. But it doesn’t look good.
“I didn’t see him at half-time and after the game he had already gone home so I haven’t spoken to him yet.”
Ekitike’s former club PSG have a semi-final against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid to prepare for as they bid to win back-to-back Champions League crowns.
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Head coach Luis Enrique said: “Two really good teams, Liverpool played a fantastic game, a lot of intensity.
“There were a few moments where we had the upper hand. Things got even tougher for us in the second half but we showed what kind of team we are.
“It was a wonderful quarter-final of the Champions League and great to come through and qualify for the semi-finals.”
Florida guard Liv McGill (23) shoots past Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) during the first half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, February 26, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
Former Florida guard Liv McGill, one of the most highly-touted players in the women’s college basketball transfer portal, committed to Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
McGill put up 22.5 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game in 31 starts for the Gators in her sophomore season. She played an SEC-best 37.2 minutes per game, also averaging 5.3 turnovers.
McGill was a first-team All-SEC selection. In 68 career games (all starts) over two seasons, she has put up 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
CBS Sports rated McGill the No. 2 overall player in the portal, behind only Iowa State star Audi Crooks. ESPN rated McGill No. 4.
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“Liv is arguably the most exciting player to watch in all of college basketball,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said in a statement. “She has elite quickness and an unbelievable finishing package around the rim. Liv can score at all three levels, but she is so much more. She has great court vision and can deliver a pass on a dime. Her speed and athleticism allow her to jump passing lanes on the other end of the floor.
“… She is a leader and I believe she has the talent and heart to take our program to heights it has not reached before.”
Oklahoma State went 24-10 last season and lost to eventual champion UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Florida, 18-15 a year ago, did not make the NCAA Tournament in McGill’s two seasons.
Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson (21) runs against the Colorado Buffaloes during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
For the first time in seven years, it feels like the Minnesota Vikings are on the brink of drafting a rookie running back in the first four rounds or so of the NFL draft — and all the hints are pointing at Nebraska tailback Emmett Johnson.
Johnson has become one of the cleaner RB matches for Minnesota.
Of course, like every prospect, Johnson is not a shoo-in to turn purple, but the evidence is stronger for him than for any other rookie runner.
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Several Vikings Clues Keep Pointing toward Emmett Johnson
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson crosses the goal line for a touchdown during first-half action against USC on Nov. 16, 2024, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The play highlights Johnson’s burst and finishing ability as he capitalizes on a red-zone opportunity in a high-profile nonconference matchup. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.
The “College Production” Theory
Here’s a newsflash: the Vikings need to draft good players. They haven’t really done that in the last four years, outside of a few notable exceptions.
Therefore, according to ESPN, Minnesota may be prioritizing college production over age and youthful unknowns. Matt Miller wrote last weekend, “The Vikings must hit at a higher rate on Day 2 picks, and with that in mind, I’ve heard the team will target players with higher college production over potential or traits.”
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Johnson played over 40 games at Nebraska and will be a 23-year-old rookie during the regular season. He emphatically checks the production box ESPN described.
The Hometown Angle
You know the high school that Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald attended? Holy Angels in Richfield. That’s where Johnson went before taking the plunge at Nebraska.
The Vikings and their fans always love a hometown story — see: Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham — and Johnson fits the criteria. He was named Minnesota Mr. Football in 2021.
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From Johnson’s Lips to God’s Ear
What’s more, Johnson wouldn’t mind being a Viking. He said so. Johnson told NBC Sports about his meeting with the Vikings’ coaches in February, “Hey, man, it would mean a lot. I grew up in the inner city. I lived about 10-15 minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium. I had a great formal meeting with them and Kevin O’Connell. I would love to go back home.”
Of course, Johnson doesn’t control where he’ll be drafted, but if Minnesota knows he wants to return home, the temptation to draft him heightens. Why not fire up a hometown angle with Thielen and Ham freshly retired? Nobody would hate it, especially not Johnson personally.
The Pre-Draft Visit
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The Vikings don’t meet with every running back. But they met with Johnson.
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson takes part in the bench press drill during the NFL Scouting Combine on Mar. 1, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The workout showcases his upper-body strength as evaluators measure performance metrics during the league’s annual pre-draft testing event. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted Monday, “Source: Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson concluded a 30-visit with the Vikings. Johnson ran for 1,451 yards and 15 total TDs last season en route to 1st-Team All-American honors for the Cornhuskers. He is considered a likely top-100 pick.”
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s two meetings with Johnson for the Vikings: one at the Combine and one formal Top 30 visit. They’re clearly intrigued.
Zone Coverage‘s Trevor Ripley noted on Johnson last month, “Minnesota could get the falling star at a reasonable pick. Johnson’s primary role in the NFL may be as a receiving back; he’ll need to greatly improve his pass protection to garner a bigger role.”
“But Johnson’s 251 carries this past season at 5.8 yards per clip are strong signs he can work up to an every-down back. Interestingly enough, many have compared him to Kenneth Gainwell, a free agent who many Vikings fans were eager to bring aboard before he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson has proven to be a workhorse, something the Vikings became accustomed to with Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook. The good thing is he won’t have to be, at least initially.
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The Need for a Rookie RB
Since 2017, Minnesota has drafted four running backs:
Dalvin Cook
Alexander Mattison
Ty Chandler
DeWayne McBride
Cook succeeded and then some, completing six successful seasons in Minnesota before falling off a cliff with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Mattison came aboard in 2019, serving as an adept RB2 for five seasons but not much more.
Chandler was an RB3, and McBride didn’t last long.
Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef hands the ball to running back Emmett Johnson during fourth-quarter action against USC on Nov. 1, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The exchange captures a routine rushing attempt as Nebraska’s offense looks to control tempo late in a competitive conference matchup. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images.
Under O’Connell, the Vikings’ rushing offense has never hit a groove, preferring the friendly confines of a pass-happy attack, fitting for a former quarterback like O’Connell. It’s time to change that, though, and especially with youth. Aaron Jones will turn 32 in December, and Jordan Mason will be 27 next month. Both men are scheduled to become free agents in 2027.
The Vikings need a rookie running back who can take the RB1 baton in 2027. Why not Johnson?
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Two 3rd-Round Picks in Johnson Territory
Perhaps the most convincing evidence, Minnesota has two picks in Round 3, also known as prime territory for Johnson.
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has his organic 82nd pick, in addition to the 97th, a compensatory selection for Sam Darnold’s free-agent exit last year. For now, Johnson is considered the 106th-best player in the draft, according to the Consensus Big Board, so Minnesota will have two reasonable chances to draft him in Round 3 if it’s in the mood.
Team USA star Ilona Maher is not happy with her alma mater, Quinnipiac University, after their recent decision regarding their women’s rugby team.
The university released a statement on Tuesday, stating a realignment of their athletics program “to support long-term competitive, financial, and Title IX objectives.” Within the statement, the women’s rugby team is transitioning from a varsity team to a club team “at the conclusion of the current competitive cycle.”
“These decisions are never easy, but they are essential to ensuring that Quinnipiac Athletics remains equitable, competitive, and sustainable for the long term,” athletic director Greg Amodio said in the statement.
Ilona Maher of the USA looks on during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A match between the USA and Australia at York Community Stadium in York, England, on Aug. 30, 2025.(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Quinnipiac’s transition of the women’s rugby team “follows a holistic assessment that incorporates competitive sustainability, national participation trends, resource allocation, and gender equity impacts,” according to the statement.
No matter the case, Maher is furious, and she went public with it on social media.
“Shame on you,” she posted to her Instagram Stories while tagging the school and the athletics page with a screenshot of the statement showcasing the decision.
Then, Maher posted a text chain she had with an unknown recipient, where she asked if “girls will lose scholarships and everything.”
“Yes,” the other line responded. “None of them can afford to stay. I have two athletes who have no parents. They have nowhere to go if they aren’t at QU. I can’t believe this happened.”
The statement adds the university will “redirect varsity level resources to programs with greater long-term stability and strategic alignment,” which would confirm this text chain about scholarships for the women in the program.
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Ilona Maher is seen before the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between UCLA and South Carolina at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“This action is in no way meant to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these fine student athletes, coaches and alumni,” Amodio added. “They have contributed greatly to Quinnipiac Athletics and to the vitality and history of the University.”
The Bobcats are also adding a men’s indoor and outdoor distance running program to their existing track and field squad as part of this new realignment. The university viewed it as a “high impact opportunity” to advance “both competitive and gender equity objectives” for the athletics program.
“Athletics will coordinate with Campus Recreation to ensure women’s rugby remains a well-resources and organized club program and will work closely with students to ensure a smooth and respectful transition,” the statement continued.
Maher, 29, was recruited to join the Bobcats’ women’s rugby team after playing at Norwich University — her first year ever playing the game. Maher’s father, Michael, encouraged her to try it after she grew tired of softball.
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Ilona Maher of the United States plays during the Women’s Rugby World Cup match against Samoa at LNER Community Stadium in York on Sept. 6, 2025.(Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)
Maher helped Quinnipiac win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships, and she was named to the NIRA All-American team all three of those years. She was also given the MA Sorensen Award as the country’s top collegiate women’s player in 2017.
In 2024, Maher was a key piece in helping Team USA’s women’s rugby team secure the country’s first-ever medal in the sport, winning bronze over Australia.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Coverage of the 90th Masters was spread across broadcast networks and streaming, but Sunday’s final round belonged to CBS and Paramount+, with Jim Nantz on the call.
Over the decades, the network has polished its Masters coverage into what is largely viewed as golf broadcasting’s gold standard. Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of a rare repeat at historic Augusta National drew criticism from some viewers as apparent broadcast errors surfaced.
After McIlroy’s second shot on the 18th hole, cameras lost track of the ball as it landed in the woods right of the fairway. That was one of several shots in which tracers seemed to have difficulty keeping up with as a ball was in flight. CBS, according to reports, uses a brief tape delay for some shots rather than broadcasting every moment in real time.
A general view of the 16th hole during a practice round before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 6, 2026.(Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
PGA Tour golfer Kevin Kisner, who served as a guest analyst during SiriusXM’s coverage of Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds, was among those who questioned CBS’ approach to this year’s Masters during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Fore Play Golf” podcast.
“I was so f—ing confused the entire time by trying to keep up with the behind-the-scenes CBS feed,” Kisner said. “They’re literally showing s—t that I knew happened ten minutes ago all day long. It was so bad that I in fact text Colt Knost during the show and said, ‘do you all ever show a live shot?’ I’m better off following the f—ing app than following your feed.”
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Kevin Kisner lines up his putt on the 9th hole during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament in Silvis, Illinois, on July 3, 2025.(Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
Kisner compared the viewing experience — which he described as out of sync — to major events like the Super Bowl.
“So your entire Masters coverage is a fantasy world. It’s bulls—. Whatever we all watch has already happened seven minutes ago. Could you imagine watching the f—ing Super Bowl and being like, ‘yea Tom Brady threw that touchdown seven minutes ago, we’re going to act like it’s live here so our announcers can sound really smart and we’re going to sit here and he’s going to throw it wide open down the middle but it actually happened seven minutes ago and everyone in the stadium’s taking a p—. What are we doing, man?”
NFL games feature several built-in commercial breaks, while the Masters has limited commercial interruption as multiple players hit shots simultaneously across the course.
A general view of the leaderboard as patrons walk the course during a practice round before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 6, 2026.(Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Ademola Lookman was the hero on Tuesday night as Atlético Madrid secured a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a 3–2 aggregate victory over FC Barcelona.
Despite suffering a 2–1 defeat in the second leg, Atlético advanced thanks to Lookman’s decisive first-half goal, which ultimately proved the difference over the two legs. The result marks Atlético’s first appearance in the semi-finals since the 2016–17 campaign.
The Nigerian international continues to make his mark in Europe, moving into third place among Nigeria’s all-time top scorers in the competition with eight goals—behind Obafemi Martins (9) and Victor Osimhen (16).
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Barcelona made a blistering start at home, taking the lead just four minutes into the contest through Lamine Yamal. The hosts continued to press and found a second goal in the 24th minute when Ferran Torres curled a fine effort into the top corner to level the tie on aggregate.
Atlético, however, responded with composure. In the 31st minute, Marcos Llorente led a swift counterattack and delivered a precise pass to Lookman, who calmly slotted home to restore Atlético’s aggregate advantage.
Barcelona thought they had pulled level again in the 55th minute when Torres found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
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Lookman was later substituted in the 66th minute, with Nicolás González coming on in his place, while Atlético also introduced Álex Baena. Barcelona responded with attacking changes, bringing on Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski in a bid to rescue the tie.
The home side’s hopes suffered a major setback in the 80th minute when Eric García was shown a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after bringing down Alexander Sørloth.
With the numerical advantage, Atlético managed the closing stages effectively, holding firm under late pressure to eliminate Barcelona and book their place in the final four.
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