Ravichandran Ashwin has pointed out a chink in Abhishek Sharma’s armor following his early dismissal in SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) 82-run defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 12. He kicked off his knock with six off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling, but was dismissed for six runs from four balls in the same over.
The former cricketer urged Abhishek to respect the conditions instead of looking to counterattack right from the outset. He suggested that batters like Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will be more effective on pitches that offer some assistance to the bowlers.
“Abhishek Sharma needs to work on this. T20 cricket has changed. Abhishek Sharma is picked in the Indian team because he plays a fearless brand of cricket. But if T20 cricket is given these kinds of pitches tomorrow, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill will be more useful. I want T20 cricket to be played on such pitches. But not just these pitches, because the spinners were not in the game here. I want spinners to be in the game as well.”
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The 39-year-old gave a car analogy to explain his point. He noted that a car cannot be driven at the same speeds on a highway and in a traffic jam.
“Abhishek Sharma hit a six off Kagiso Rabada with extension. This means that this guy has a lot of time and is very talented. His bat swing is very good. What did he do next? He exposed all three stumps. The ball came in, hit his chest, and he was bowled. Can’t Abhishek Sharma play that shot? He can. You can drive above 100 kmph on a highway and even up to 200 kmph, but who will die if you drive at the same speed in a traffic jam? Cricket is a game where conditions are the king,” he added.
SRH were bundled out for their lowest-ever IPL total of 86 while chasing a 169-run target. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar slammed impressive half-centuries earlier in the game, helping GT post a competitive 168/5 in 20 overs.
“Go to the other end, build a partnership” – R Ashwin wants Abhishek Sharma to learn from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
R Ashwin also pointed out that proven campaigners like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma read the conditions well and bat accordingly. He suggested that Abhishek can learn that from the senior players.
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The legendary spinner elaborated in the same video:
“I am the No. 1 fan of Abhishek Sharma, and I want to see him read these conditions and take a single. Go to the other end, build a partnership. King Kohli and Rohit Sharma are celebrated because they read the conditions well.”
Abhishek has amassed 481 runs across 12 innings at a strike rate of 209.13 in IPL 2026, currently placed third in the Orange Cap race.
The second leg of the Triple Crown will take place on Saturday with the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes. The starting gates open at 6:50 p.m. ET from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. This will be the first time the event won’t be held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore due to construction at the site. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will skip the Preakness Stakes 2026. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.
Iron Honor enters as the favorite at 9-2 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. He is followed by Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho and Incredibolt, all at 5-1. Ocelli is at 6-1, Napoleon Solo at 8-1, and The Hell We Did, Great White and Pretty Boy Miah, all at 15-1. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you’ll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine’s Michelle Yu.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
One surprise: Yu likes Taj Mahal, one of the second favorites at 5-1. Taj Mahal has only run at Laurel Park, and he’s done so extremely well, winning all three starts.
“This undefeated Brittany Russell trainee is certainly a horse for the course, having notched all three lifetime wins over this track,” yu told SportsLine. “He cost more than $500,000 at auction, so expectations have always surrounded him, and so far he has lived up to them. He will get a class test on Saturday, but he deserves the opportunity. He isn’t inching out these wins; he’s winning going away. A woman won the Derby; maybe one wins the Preakness too?” See which other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
Another one of Yu’s surprising Preakness Stakes picks: She is not taking Iron Honor as her top win contender. Iron Honor won the Gotham Stakes in February, but stumbled in the Wood Memorial, finishing a disappointing seventh place.
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“The Gotham Stakes winner really faltered when stretching out to nine furlongs in his last start,” Yu told SportsLine, as she prefers two other horses in her win picks. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
As with its more famous predecessor, the Masters Champions dinner, the PGA Champions dinner features a guest list of past PGA Championship winners, and the previous year’s champion chooses the menu.
At the 2026 PGA Championship, that man is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. And thanks to a sneak peek from the chef crafting the meal via a CBS News interview, we know the foundational elements of the meal the champs dined on Tuesday night, and both are Italian-American staples.
Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Champions meal features Italian-American favorites
Though he’s better known as a Texan, Scheffler was born and initially raised in New Jersey. His mother, Diane, is of Italian descent. Given both of those facts, you can assume Italian-American food was a staple of Scheffler’s childhood.
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That personal background seems to have influenced his PGA Champions dinner choices at Aronimink, which were anchored by two Italian-American staples: chicken parm and gelato.
The man responsible for cooking up Scheffler’s menu, Aronimink Golf Club Executive Chef John Ferguson, leaked the items in an interview with CBS News this week.
“He wants chicken parm. So we’re going to use locally raised chicken, the highest quality chicken,” Ferguson told CBS News. “And he wanted three flavors of gelato.”
According to CBS News, the three gelato flavors Scheffler requested were “lemon, strawberry and raspberry.”
Scheffler’s choices at Augusta included Texas-style chili for a first course, and wood-fired cowboy ribeye or blackened redfish for the main course. Despite the differences, he still chose some comfort food, with cheeseburger sliders making the menu as an appetizer.
Xander Schauffele ‘can’t even remember’ his PGA Champions dinner menu (we do)
On Tuesday in his pre-tournament press conference at Aronimink, Schauffele admitted he “can’t even remember” the menu items he chose for last year’s meal.
“I can’t even remember what I had on mine. I’m sure Scottie will do a nice job. This is only my second one I’m going to attend. Still very new to this whole Champions dinner thing, and it’s cool to kind of get to know some of the guys a little bit better. All the older boys always have all the good stories. So definitely looking forward to that bit,” Schauffele said on Tuesday.
Among the items Schauffele chose (and forgot about) were smoked goat cheese dates, pickled watermelon, clams casino shooters and steak and bleu cheese crostini. For the main course, Schauffele selected Wagyu NY strip steak, served with blackened jumbo shrimp, whipped sweet potatoes and a bourbon bone marrow reduction.
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While the PGA Champions dinner doesn’t date as far back as the Masters Champions dinner (1965 for the PGA, 1952 for the Masters), and it doesn’t hold the same prestige, it does offer one pro for the winners choosing the meals.
The PGA of America pays for the entire PGA Champions dinner each year. Conversely, at the Masters Champions dinner, the previous year’s winner picks the meal and foots the bill.
Nigeria confirmed to host 2026 CAF Awards and General Assembly
Nigeria has officially secured the rights to host the 2026 CAF Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
The announcement was confirmed after a meeting between Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Motsepe during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The CAF General Assembly will bring together all 54 African football associations to discuss major decisions involving African football, while the CAF Awards will celebrate the continent’s best players, coaches and clubs.
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It will be the first time Nigeria hosts the CAF Awards since 2017, ending a long run of the event being held in Morocco.
The news has already generated excitement among Nigerian football fans online, with many seeing it as another major moment for the country’s sports industry.
While excitement remains high, some fans have also raised concerns about logistics and infrastructure ahead of the events.
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Still, hosting both the CAF Awards and the General Assembly is being viewed as a major boost for Nigeria’s football reputation on the continent.
PR Sreejesh, an illustrious member of the Indian men’s hockey team which won two back-to-back medals at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024, penned a strongly worded post on X on Wednesday. Sreejesh, who was named as the Indian junior men’s team coach after the 2024 Olympics, indicated that he was being removed from the post to make way for a foreign coach. Under him, the Indian junior team won a bronze medal at the Hockey World Cup.
“It seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal. I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances. But this is the first time I am experiencing being removed to make way for a foreign coach,” Sreejesh wrote in a long post on X.
He revealed a message from Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Kumar Tirkey.
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“The Hockey India President stated that the chief coach of the senior men’s team prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team, believing it will help develop Indian hockey from the junior level through to the senior level. Hence, the continued preference for foreign coaches – Can’t Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?”
It’s seems like My coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal.
I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances.
Sreejesh went on to refer to an interaction with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
“On 07-03-2026, during a meeting with the Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, I was told, “Sreejesh, we need coaches like you to step up and lead our country as we prepare for 2036.” However, Hockey India continues to place its trust in foreign coaches over Indian ones across all four teams,” he wrote further.
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
Dec 6, 2009; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Vikings 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings’ upcoming quarterback competition at training camp will evidently be the real thing. Folks are lining up to proclaim it as such, and Ben Leber is no different.
The Vikings wanted competition everywhere. Quarterback now owns the spotlight.
Leber explained the stakes this week, paving the way for quite the showdown in Eagan.
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Minnesota’s QB Room Has a Real Summer Showdown
Who you got? J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray?
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray participates in minicamp drills on Jun. 11, 2019, at the team’s training facility in Tempe. Murray entered the NFL with enormous expectations as the top overall pick and later developed into one of football’s more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks because of his mobility, arm talent, and off-script playmaking ability. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
Leber on the QB Battle
Leber hopped on KFAN this week and said, “I don’t think you can really go wrong either way; I think there’s going to be some shock and awe from people who can’t believe it if McCarthy wins the job. I’m sure some will think there’s politics behind it, but I honestly believe it’s all business.”
“I don’t think they’re trying to placate anyone or make a political decision. I think they simply want to create as much competition as possible at every position, and quarterback is no exception.”
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Minnesota signed Murray in March for $1.3 million after the Arizona Cardinals cut ties.
Leber continued, “May the best man win. There’s too much riding on the season; there’s too much talent on this team.”
“This is not a rebuilding year where you say, ‘Oh, we’re just going to get cute, win a few games and be competitive.’ There’s no reason why we can’t compete to win this division. None at all. This is not just a wasted year. This is a year where, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
The Daniel Jones Comparison
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Leber also likened Murray’s 2026 situation to Daniel Jones in 2025, explaining, “It could very well be a Daniel Jones situation where he walked into the Colts, and they said, ‘Hey, we can’t guarantee anything, but we’ll give you a one-year rental deal, and all you have to do is get into a competition with Anthony Richardson. It’s up to you whether you think you can beat out Anthony Richardson.’”
“Then Daniel Jones was like, ‘Yeah, I see the writing on the wall here. I know that I can beat this guy out. ‘Maybe just situationally and also from a personal confidence standpoint.”
Leber added, “Kyler and his agent are not blind. They saw what happened with J.J. McCarthy last year, and they know the Vikings are looking for other services to bolster that room and bring in true competition.”
Betting Money on Murray?
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Murray arrives with a huge chip on his shoulder, a factor that shouldn’t be underestimated.
His release by Arizona after seven seasons is a bitter pill for any quarterback, particularly one with Murray’s personality and swagger. Though the Cardinals never secured a playoff victory with him and ultimately moved on, Minnesota now gains a highly motivated quarterback. He brings a documented track record of production and an athletic prowess capable of singlehandedly altering games.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy shares a postgame moment with Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil on Dec. 7, 2025, after a matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. McCarthy’s first season as Minnesota’s starter featured flashes of high-end arm talent, leadership traits, and growing confidence while navigating increased expectations around the franchise quarterback role. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
And he’s not a player who’s starting at square one. Projecting over a 17-game season, Murray routinely delivers approximately 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards. These are star-level numbers for a dual-threat quarterback, even if Arizona struggled to translate them into playoff success.
From a pure talent perspective, the comparison is straightforward. Murray surpasses McCarthy in speed, accuracy, experience, and arm strength. However, McCarthy’s five-inch height advantage is a notable factor. Both men have injury concerns.
Remember Murray’s Injury Resume
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While Murray may be the frontrunner to earn the QB1 job at training camp, one must remember his durability. Since 2019, Murray has missed 26% of all starts due to injury, and if that pattern holds in his first season with the Vikings, McCarthy will get one big shot to strut his stuff, assuming he starts the season as the QB2.
The Vikings drafted McCarthy in 2024 to be their future quarterback, plain and simple. The commitment was evident when they passed on established veterans like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and the aforementioned Jones during the 2025 offseason in favor of McCarthy.
Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber watches from the sideline on Oct. 5, 2025, during an NFL International Series game against the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Leber has remained connected to the organization after retirement, frequently appearing in Vikings media coverage and offering analysis on Minnesota’s roster and outlook. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
At just 23 years old (Murray, by comparison, will turn 29 this summer), McCarthy has significant room for growth. If the Vikings’ original plan unfolds as hoped, he will arrive at training camp with sharper mechanics, improved command, greater maturity, and the same magnetic locker room presence that inspired belief in him last year.
McCarthy has already shown flashes of his potential. In college, he executed throws that few quarterbacks can make, and his teammates visibly rallied around his energy. His arm talent, leadership, and drive are undeniable.
Now, the Vikings simply await the arrival of the complete package. That could happen if Murray succumbs to an injury.
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Perhaps Leber is right that Minnesota has the best of both worlds.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
The Flyers and 76ers were each just rudely dismissed from the playoffs in second-round sweeps, and the Phillies scuffled so badly out of the gates that it cost manager Rob Thomson his job.
So, perhaps, sports fans in Philly could use a break. Touch grass, if you will.
Good thing the PGA Championship — the second major of the men’s golf season — begins Thursday in nearby Newtown Square at Aronimink Golf Club.
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Here are six storylines to watch as play gets underway bright and early Thursday morning:
Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler?
The reigning PGA champion had a weird start to his season. Scheffler won his debut at the Amex in a runaway before his iron play — his greatest superpower — abandoned him some. That led to the same ghastly results for the Texan like, um, T3, T4, T12 and even T24 and T22 (gasp!). Of course, he found his game again at Augusta, but he couldn’t quite catch Rory McIlroy on Sunday in a second-place finish. Then, he recorded two more seconds at his next two tournaments.
Scheffler sits comfortably within the top 20 of each strokes gained category, per Data Golf, and the golf stats site gives him more than a 50 per cent chance of finishing this tournament in the top 10 and a 13 per cent shot at winning — both far and away the highest of any player.
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We haven’t quite reached the Tiger-vs.-the-field debates of the 2000s, but Scheffler is awfully close. But given the PGA Championship is the major set up most closely to PGA Tour tournaments (yearly reminder that the PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, a separate entity from the Tour), and Scheffler dominates the regular circuit, the field is in tough.
Is Rory McIlroy really, truly freed up this time?
The best bet to stop Scheffler is likely McIlroy, the Northern Irishman and back-to-back Masters champion. McIlroy famously endured an 11-year major drought before finally breaking through to win at Augusta last year, also completing the career Grand Slam in the process. The narrative in the weeks that followed was that McIlroy would be freed up; with the gorilla off his back, he’d go out and pick off even more majors.
That didn’t play out. McIlroy was uncompetitive at the PGA and U.S. Open, and while he placed T7 at The Open Championship, Scheffler ran away with that title, too. McIlroy has since reflected that the Grand Slam was unfulfilling in a way, leaving him searching for meaning after having finally achieved a lifelong goal. But he returned this year with a renewed mindset of the history at stake with each major victory (his sixth tied him with LIV rival Phil Mickelson, which he surely enjoyed).
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The golf has been pristine too, with McIlroy continuing to lead the PGA Tour in strokes gained: ball striking and tee to green, per Data Golf. Off the course, he seems lighter, joking with reporters last week about his wrongly maligned Masters prep. Put it all together, and McIlroy seems primed for a run of contention — and, perhaps, a long-awaited major duel with Scheffler.
What’s going on with the LIV players?
The biggest story in golf since McIlroy’s Masters win has been the breakaway league, which learned in recent weeks that the Saudi Public Investment Fund would be pulling funding after this season, leaving the tour in dire straits. After all, what rational investor would buy in to a golf league? “The math is never gonna work,” one expert told The Athletic.
One of many issues LIV faces is that it doesn’t have many marketable, competitive players. The headliners are Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — but the former’s contract is up after this season, and he’s publicly threatening a pivot to YouTube, while the latter recently lamented that his deal was so ironclad that he “doesn’t see a way out.”
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And so DeChambeau and Rahm arrive at the PGA with plenty of off-course issues on their minds — not to mention a missed cut and uncompetitive T38, respectively, at The Masters. Both have continued to perform well against weak competition on LIV, but they also know their legacies will be defined four weeks a year, and it’s time to start performing.
Which Canadian has the best shot to win?
It’s now been 23 years since Mike Weir won The Masters, and he remains the most recent Canadian men’s major champion. A foursome of Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Sudarshan Yellamaraju will try to change that this week.
Conners is typically the best bet at these events, but he hasn’t quite had his stuff this year. Pendrith earned the best major finish of his career with a T5 at last year’s PGA, but he also has struggled of late.
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Taylor, in some ways, has always felt like the best bet to break the Canadian major drought — after all, he did just that at the RBC Canadian Open not long ago, and he’s shown a penchant for pulling out wins. Now, he’s coming off a pair of top-15 finishes.
The breakout Canadian, of course, is Yellamaraju, who burst onto the scene with a T5 at The Players Championship. He only got into the PGA field on Sunday, but after his fearless weekend performance at Sawgrass, it would hardly be a surprise to see him in the mix come Saturday and Sunday.
Will Spieth finally complete the Grand Slam?
Let’s dream a little here, shall we? A fan favourite, Spieth has gone through a Rory-like stretch at majors, where he’s been held out of the winner’s circle since the 2017 Open Championship.
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Ever since, he’s been chasing the career slam at the PGA, but hasn’t really come all that close outside of a T3 in 2019. He missed the cut altogether last year, and his star has dimmed significantly since his memorable 2015 breakout.
But — but! — there are signs of life for Spieth. He recently referred to his season as “whac-a-mole,” explaining he’s had great weeks in each aspect of the game, but just needs to put it all together over a four-day stretch.
Aronimink could be just the place to do it — it’s relatively short, which will mean a lot of driver-wedge holes, and Spieth was second off the tee last week only behind McIlroy. His wedge and short-iron game, meanwhile, has long been a strength. Plus, Aronimink is known for uneven lies, not unlike Augusta, a course Spieth always seems to play well at, as it unlocks his creativity.
The Spieth experience is never an easy one — but the payoff this week could be worthwhile.
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Who are some other contenders?
Cameron Young has two wins including The Players, and always plays well at majors. The Fitzpatrick brothers are on a heater, with Matt having won three times, including once with Alex, who immediately converted his PGA Tour card into a pair of top 10s. Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood both continue to play well as they seek their maiden majors. Also in form, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka will aim to add to their major totals.
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws to first base for an out during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s a good chance the New York Yankees’ lineup will look a bit different a day after they ended a four-game losing streak.
The Yankees wrap up a three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon.
The Yankees could have a new look to the middle of their infield for Wednesday’s game with Anthony Volpe available at shortstop after Jose Caballero was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fracture of the middle finger on his right hand.
Volpe was called up from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and could make his season debut at the major league level after Max Schuemann played shortstop in Tuesday’s 6-2 win.
“I would expect Anthony to play a lot,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
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Volpe is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and then optioned to the minor leagues when his rehab assignment ended.
“He hasn’t gotten a lot of results yet,” Boone said. “He’s had a number of at-bats, a lot of reps, a lot of playing time, kind of more than a full spring training. So hopefully, he’s ready to go and come up here and be a spark for us.”
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. also wasn’t in New York’s starting lineup Tuesday, but he went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter to drop his batting average to .200.
“Obviously, he’s an outstanding player,” Boone said. “But you sense guys feeling it when you’re a month-plus in and you’re not doing what the back of your baseball card is. Probably pressing a little too much, trying to do a little too much. He’s going to get it going, I have no doubt about that.”
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Wednesday’s game has been rescheduled for an afternoon first pitch, moved up over five hours because of weather-related concerns in the evening.
The Yankees have won five of six 2026 meetings with the Orioles after claiming Tuesday’s decision.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-5, 4.83 ERA) gets the call for the Orioles as he tries to halt a personal three-game losing streak. One of those setbacks came May 2 at New York when the Yankees dinged him for five runs in four innings as he yielded six hits and four walks.
Bradish had a solid bounce-back effort Friday when he struck out a season-high 10 Athletics despite giving up three runs and taking the defeat. It has been more than a month since Bradish’s lone victory on April 8.
In 2025, Bradish faced the Yankees twice at the end of the season, with a pair of no-decisions while allowing three runs in 10 innings combined in those matchups. For his career, he’s 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA in eight starts vs. New York.
The Yankees will have left-hander Max Fried (4-2, 2.91) on the mound. He didn’t have a decision May 3 vs. Baltimore when he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs in New York’s eventual 11-3 romp. He was touched up for five runs in six innings Friday at Milwaukee.
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Fried is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in six all-time starts against the Orioles.
The Orioles dealt with another ailment with outfielder Dylan Beavers removed from Tuesday’s lineup pregame because of right oblique discomfort.
“All I know is he was hitting in the cage before the game to get ready and he felt something in his side and was out of the lineup,” Albernaz said.
Former NFL star Charle Young, who won a Super Bowl title with the San Francisco 49ers, has died, the team said on Tuesday. He was 75.
The team mourned the loss of Young in a post on X.
“The 49ers mourn the passing of former TE Charle Young,” the team wrote. “Our organization sends its deepest condolences to the Young family and friends.”
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Charles Young is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Jim Leclair during Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, Michigan, on Jan. 24, 1982.(Tony Tomsic/Sports Illustrated)
Young was a standout tight end at USC before he went pro. The school released a statement on his death, highlighting his collegiate and pro football career.
“Fight On Forever, Charles Young,” the school added in a post on X.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Young with the No. 6 overall pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in three of his four seasons with Philadelphia before he joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1977. He spent three seasons in Los Angeles.
Alumni Charle Young of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2023. The Bengals defeated the 49ers 31-17.(Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Young joined the 49ers in 1980 and was a part of the 1981 Super Bowl-winning season. He had one catch for 14 yards as San Francisco topped the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. He scored a touchdown in a divisional round game against the New York Giants in the playoffs leading up to the title win.
He had 418 catches for 5,106 yards and 27 touchdowns in 187 NFL games. He was also an All-Pro and the 1973 UPI Rookie of the Year.
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In college, Young helped USC to a national championship in 1972 and was an All-American selection. He had 62 catches for 998 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Trojans.
Quarterback Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass as teammates block during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 1981. The 49ers won 21-3.(George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Pavel Dorofeyev gave the Vegas Golden Knights quite a scare on Tuesday night when he went down in the second period after taking a slapshot to the inside of his right knee, writhing in pain before gingerly skating to the bench and limping down the tunnel. Concern grew when he missed his next shift, then another, and another, until he re-emerged late in the frame and got back in the game.
Soon after, the star forward gave the Golden Knights quite a celebration, thanks to his overtime winner to give Vegas a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks and a series lead to match.
Dorofeyev’s Game 5 performance was what post-season legacies are made of. Earlier in the game, the 25-year-old scored perhaps his nicest goal of the post-season — a stick-lifting, puck-stripping takeaway to prevent the Ducks from getting out of their zone, followed by a perfect wrist-shot to tie the game 1-1 on the power play.
Then, about 36 minutes of game action after the blocked shot that (temporarily) quieted T-Mobile Arena, and less than eight minutes after Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger tied the game 2-2 to force overtime, Dorofeyev potted a rebound, bar-down, to break the tie and wrench the momentum back in Vegas’ favour.
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The Golden Knights’ 3-2 OT victory in Game 5 gives them a 3-2 series lead against Anaheim, with the chance to oust their second-round opponent Thursday night.
There’s a pattern here. After leading the Golden Knights in regular-season goals, Dorofeyev was slow to light the lamp against the Utah Mammoth in Round 1. After three goalless games to open the playoffs, he stepped up in Game 4 and then really grabbed hold of the series in Game 5 with a hat trick that handed Vegas a crucial 3-2 series lead. Against Anaheim, he was again slow to heat up in the goals department, held without a marker in the first three games before registering one in Game 4 on Sunday and setting himself up for a big, momentum-shifting Game 5 performance with his two-goal night on Tuesday.
Sennecke’s getting a head start on his legacy
Speaking of legacies… Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke is playing like a veteran this post-season. You’d never know, based on his performances, that this is his first taste of playoff hockey. At just 20 years old, the rookie leads the Ducks in goals with five to his name.
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His game-opening power-player marker Tuesday night extended his streak to four straight games with a goal and put him in very rare rookie company. Game 5 also brought his second straight game with a power-play goal — a great sign for a unit that stalled to start the series but appears to be heating up against Vegas’ staunch penalty kill. He leads all rookies in goals and points this spring.
Loss of Poehling looms large for Ducks
Anaheim was forced to adjust its lineup early after centre Ryan Poehling exited the game with an upper-body injury following a late, hard hit into the boards by Vegas defenceman Brayden McNabb. McNabb was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct upon review for knocking Poehling out of the game, and while McNabb’s ejection led Vegas to make some lineup changes, too, the Ducks could be dealing with a longer absence.
Poehling stayed down after the hit, and while the team did not disclose specifics about his injury, replay showed his head making hard contact with the glass. When he did get up and skate off the ice, it was with the help of trainers and teammates. He was ruled out of a return shortly after.
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His absence is quite a loss for the Ducks. Suiting up on the third line, he’s brought an important dose of depth scoring at big moments — particularly in Round 1 against Edmonton — and also plays a key role on the penalty kill. Should he miss time, that’s a tough slot to fill.
Tomas Hertl finally put an end to his 29-game goalless skid Sunday night, and two days later, he proved that wasn’t a fluke. The forward, whose scoring woes were well-documented through March and April — he scored just once in that two-month span — pounced on a rebound five minutes into the third period to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. That’s back-to-back games with a goal for Hertl, whose enthusiastic celebration Tuesday night certainly conveyed just how significant the marker was, both for himself and his squad.
He’s heating up, and his timing couldn’t be better. With the Golden Knights now one win away from closing out their second-round series, and with the team facing uncertainty when it comes to captain and top-line winger Mark Stone (he was injured in Game 3 and there’s no word yet on his return), the Golden Knights need all their stars to step up. Hertl is, and will continue to be, a huge part of that.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who last month became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race, will attempt to improve on that record on one of the world’s fastest courses at the Berlin Marathon in September.
“After my victory in London and my sub-two-hour performance, I can only say that I will – as always – prepare as well as possible, come to Berlin to honour this great event and the organisation that invited me, and aim to run as well and as fast as I can,” Sawe said in a statement.
Sabastian Sawe will defend his Berlin Marathon title in September (Getty)
The Berlin Marathon’s flat course is regarded as one of the quickest in the world, with nine men’s world records being set at the event between 1998 and 2022.
Sawe finished the Berlin Marathon in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds in 2025, clocking the world’s best time of the year despite temperatures reaching up to 25 degrees.
His compatriot Eliud Kipchoge still holds the course record, having clocked 2:01:09 in 2022 to set a previous world record. “We’ll see what happens on race day,” Sawe said.
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Organisers said the 2026 edition of the Berlin Marathon is expected to attract almost 60,000 athletes from around 160 countries.
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