Preston had only brought around 200 fans for what was a sell-out. With tickets in the away end sold to Swansea supporters, this was a record number of home fans at a game in this stadium.

Yet the away fans were loudest during a first half in which their team led to puncture the party atmosphere.

“Snoop Dogg, what’s the score?” sang Preston’s travelling contingent, before later chanting: “Where’s your towel gone?”

Sat in the directors’ box in a long Swansea puffer coat, which would not have looked out of place on the slopes of the Winter Olympics in northern Italy, this was Snoop’s first experience of football’s tribal fan culture.

Fortunately for him, he got to sample the soaring high of an injury-time equaliser as well, as substitute Liam Cullen headed the Swans level in the 95th minute.

“After the game, he [Snoop] came to the dressing room, spoke with the players,” said Swansea head coach Vitor Matos.

“He’s someone that likes to be involved. He was involved not only with us, but as well with the [US] Olympic team. He really loves sports.

“It’s good for him to be involved. I’m happy that we have someone like him who loves the club, loves the city, wants to be here.”

When Swansea’s American owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen brought Snoop in as a minority investor in July, the idea was not that the rapper would spend large amounts of his own enormous wealth on the club.

Instead, the Swans wanted to increase their global appeal by tapping into Snoop’s huge reach which includes more than 100m social media followers.

Some at the club believe that could create business and sponsorship opportunities which could outstrip those they had when they were in the Premier League.

Getting back to the top flight is the aim. After such a spectacular preamble, this first act at least produced a dramatic finish.

Now Swansea and Snoop wait to see what the next episode brings.

The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the NFL’s more crowded quarterback rooms. 

Sheduer Sanders took over the starting quarterback duties in Week 12 last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup role as Deshaun Watson stayed on the physically unable to perform list, even after the team opened his 21-day practice window in December. Watson is still recovering from his latest Achilles injury.

Speaking at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Tuesday, Brown general manager Andrew Berry left the door open for Watson to compete with Sanders for the starting job next season.

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Cleveland Browns Executive vice president, football operations & general manager Andrew Berry looks on during OTA offseason workouts at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 04, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Berry cautioned that there’s no rush to decide on who will QB1 when next season kicks off. 

“We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon,” he said. “I think any player that we have in that room we would expect to compete to earn a role. Those two would be no different.”

While Gabriel could be among the group competing for the starting spot, Berry has previously indicated that the team could look to add an experienced quarterback to the roster at some point this offseason.

Sanders took snaps with the designated second-team for the majority of the Browns’ minicamp and training camp last year. He went 3-4 as a starter in 2025. Berry is optimistic Sanders can continue to improve.

“I think the biggest thing that we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth,” Berry said. “I think he grew a lot from Start 1 to Start 7. I think certainly playing more efficiently, not putting the ball in harm’s way as much would be important while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.”

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

The Browns dismissed Kevin Stefanski in January and brought in Todd Monken, and Berry said he wants Sanders to acclimate to the new system.

“You’re not going to see all of that in the upcoming months because we’re not on the field. So the biggest thing that he can do is learn the new offense, get in with the coaching staff once our offseason program starts, continue to work on his body physically and then make strides when we actually get on the grass.”

Watson has appeared in just 19 games in the three years since he inked an unprecedented fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns. Watson is reportedly owed $46 million next season and carries the largest salary cap hit in the league in 2026.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in action during the NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)

Berry confirmed Watson continues to work through the rehab process. “Deshaun’s been working really hard, he’s been working his tail off,” he said. “And like I said, we’re excited to go in mid-April with all of our players across the roster.”

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The Browns went 5-12 last season.

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Last month, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, 44, after four seasons in charge of the football operation. Although his tenure with the Vikings ended, his NFL career will continue. Rather than taking some time off, he’ll hop immediately into a new front office role with the San Francisco 49ers.

Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reported on Tuesday, ” Former Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will return to the San Francisco 49ers, general manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Adofo-Mensah will be rehired by the 49ers in a personnel executive role that will be formalized after the NFL draft, Lynch said.”

Adofo-Mensah had previously worked for the 49ers in several front office positions. He was the manager of football research & development from 2013-2016 and the director of football research & development between 2017 and 2019.

After his time with the 49ers, he served as the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations, then joined the Vikings in 2022.

More from Krammer, “Vikings ownership fired Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30 after four seasons — and just eight months after he signed a multiyear contract extension. He will return to the 49ers, where he began his NFL career as a quantitative analyst in 2013. The move will save the Vikings some money as Adofo-Mensah had offset language in his former Vikings contract, according to a league source.”

Why Adofo-Mensah was fired remains speculative, as the reports went in different directions. One thing is clear: Though the rosters he handed to the coaches were mostly solid, the results in the Draft were, at the very least, underwhelming. In the long run, teams that don’t draft well won’t be in Super Bowl conversations in January.

Questions about long-term roster direction, including key quarterback decisions, likely contributed to the organization’s evaluation of his tenure.

Krammer added, “Co-owner Mark Wilf, after Adofo-Mensah’s tenure in Minnesota came to an end, said the Vikings ‘felt a change was necessary’ after judging his ‘body of work’ over four seasons. The team watched quarterback Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month after leaving the Vikings as a free agent a year ago. Adofo-Mensah’s draft record was also poor. The Vikings might not sign any of his 2022 draft picks to a second contract if wide receiver Jalen Nailor goes elsewhere next month.”

Most fired head coaches land on their feet, either returning to coordinator ranks or getting hired in the same position elsewhere. With executives, the story is often more complicated. Some are never seen again, others take advisory roles. Many only get one chance to be GMs.

On Adofo-Mensah’s watch, the Vikings went 43-25 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.

Without him, the Vikings have turned to Rob Brzezinski. Minnesota’s longtime front-office member will lead the organization through free agency and the Draft before the Vikings begin the process of hiring a successor. Brzezinski could also be in the mix for that role.

From a leaguewide perspective, the move to San Francisco is not surprising. Adofo-Mensah built a strong reputation early in his career as an analytically driven executive with a research background, and the 49ers have long valued that type of profile in their front office structure. Returning to a familiar organization also allows him to step into a lower-pressure environment compared to a general manager role while still contributing to roster construction and long-term planning.

For the 49ers, the hiring represents a low-risk addition of an experienced decision-maker who has led a franchise and understands the demands of modern roster building, contract strategy, and draft evaluation.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

There are nights when a season bends, if only slightly, toward belief regardless if the other team has had its own struggles.

Tuesday night in Colorado Springs against Air Force was one of those bends.

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San Jose State (8-20, 3-14 MW) walked into Clune Arena and walked out with its first road victory of the year; an 86-80 decision built on shot-making, resilience and the exploits of red shirt sophomore Adrian Myers .

Myers was doing it all from the opening tip.

Eighteen first-half points set the tone, and his career-high 34, the most by a Spartan this season, came on a blistering 11-of-18 shooting, including 8-of-9 from three-point range.

At altitude, against a Falcon team that has struggled to shoot much of the year but found a first-half rhythm, Myers’ poise never wavered.

Air Force’s Lucas Hobin was unconscious early, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first-half alone, some from near half-court range, helping the Falcons surge ahead 11-2 in the opening minutes.

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Yet, the Spartans never fractured.

Jermaine Washington, back after missing five games, steadied the perimeter, while Sadraque Nganga, increasingly playing more than a stretch four, carved space inside and finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

The first-half unfolded as a relatively even, back-and-forth affair, five ties and six lead changes over 40 minutes.

San Jose State closed the half on a Myers three to seize a 42-37 lead; a subtle but significant shift in a game that would demand nerve.

Air Force would not yield.

The Falcons outscored SJSU 10-4 to begin the second half, briefly reclaiming momentum.

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But Colby Garland then “woke up,” finishing with 23 points and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line . His calm at the stripe, especially in the final seconds, proved decisive.

With eight minutes left, the Spartans authored the stretch that defined the night; hitting six of seven shots to push the lead to double digits.

Myers’ sixth, seventh and then eighth three-pointers punctuated the surge, stretching the margin to as many as 12 .

And yet, even statistically, the Spartans were outmatched in key areas.

Air Force outscored SJSU 42-26 in the paint and shot a slightly better overall percentage (50.9% to 49.1%) . The Falcons also won the rebounding battle 32-31.

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But the difference was precision: San Jose State shot 54.2% from three and 89.5% from the line; efficiency over volume, execution over margin.

There was late-game anxiety.

A sudden scoring drought left the Spartans clinging to a four-point lead inside the final minute. But a Falcon turnover and two Garland free throws finally sealed it.

For 27 minutes and 37 seconds, the Spartans led.

On this night, at 7,000 feet, they also endured and for a team that has worn its struggles visibly all season, that may matter most.

Eddie Howe says Newcastle can “raise their game” and “compete with anybody” after they swept aside Qarabag in the Champions League knockout play-offs to set up a last-16 tie against Barcelona or Chelsea.

MATCH REPORT: Newcastle United 3-2 Qarabag

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Allegiant Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 1 NRL game between Newcastle Knights and
North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 1:15 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Newcastle Knights vs.
North Queensland Cowboys
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday March 1, 2026 at 1:15 pm

Where: Allegiant Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds

Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview

Newcastle opens its 2026 campaign on the Vegas stage under new coach Justin Holbrook, charged with reviving an attack that averaged just 14 points per game last season. The arrival of Dylan Brown alongside Kalyn Ponga adds class, but pre-season losses suggest cohesion remains a work in progress.

North Queensland, coached by Todd Payten, arrive with momentum after two trial wins, though last year’s defensive frailties linger in the background. The Cowboys have won their past five meetings with Newcastle, including a 38-4 rout in 2025.

Round 1 trends favour the Knights, but their scoring struggles loom large. Expect a tight, grinding contest — backing Newcastle under 18.5 points shapes as the value play.