ATP 500 and WTA 500 tennis events in Acapulco and Merida, respectively, are currently underway in Mexico. However, the country is experiencing a situation of turmoil with the killing of drug lord Nemesio Cervantes, best known as “El Mencho,” in a military operation that took place in Tapalpa, situated in the state of Jalisco, on February 22.
The 59-year-old was killed along with eight members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which El Mencho led. This incident has triggered acts of violence from members of the cartel. In fact, Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s Security Secretary, revealed that 25 members of the National Guard have also been killed.
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Tennis commentator Brett Haber gave his take on the situation in Mexico. The Tennis Channel host suggested that the ATP and the WTA shift the players from Acapulco and Merida to Indian Wells, where the BNP Paribas Open is scheduled for March.
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“Just left Mexico. Police activity at the airport was insane. Polite suggestion to the @atptour & @WTA — and to Larry Ellison: get one plane to Acapulco and one to Merida and get everybody out of there — and put them up for an extra week at Indian Wells to train and be safe. This is not a drill,” Haber wrote on X.
Just left Mexico. Police activity at the airport was insane. Polite suggestion to the @atptour & @WTA– and to Larry Ellison: get one plane to Acapulco and one to Merida and get everybody out of there — and put them up for an extra week at Indian Wells to train and be safe. This is not a drill.
Sports in Mexico have been affected by El Mencho’s death, with the country’s soccer federation postponing four matches, including the women’s fixture between arch-rivals Chivas Guadalajara and Club America. The Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, however, has issued a no-cancellation notice, stating that the tournament will go on as planned.
Notable tennis players competing in Acapulco and Merida
Emma Navarro and Jasmine Paolini are the top two seeds at the Merida Open, where Sloane Stephens, Marie Bouzkova, Katie Boulter, Yulia Putintseva, and Donna Vekic are also competing. Paolini, Navarro, and Bouzkova are among the top four seeds and have received a walkover into the second round of the WTA 500 tournament.
There are some prominent tennis names competing at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, with 2021 champion Alexander Zverev being the top seed. Two-time champion Alex de Minaur is seeded second while 2024 runner-up Casper Ruud is the third seed.
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Flavio Cobolli, Valentin Vacherot, Frances Tiafoe, and 2022 runner-up Cameron Norrie are also among the seeded players at this year’s tournament in Acapulco. Sebastian Korda and Brandon Nakashima are also competing in the ATP 500 event.
Feb 23, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal delivered two shutout innings in his spring training debut, but his Detroit Tigers were blanked in a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins Monday in Lakeland, Fla.
Skubal, who will earn $32 million this season after winning his arbitration case, struck out two batters to strand a pair in the first and finished with four strikeouts. He told reporters after his start that he only plans to start one World Baseball Classic round-robin game for the U.S. before returning to Tigers camp.
Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alex Jackson homered for the Twins, who got three shutout innings with five strikeouts from Mick Abel.
The Tigers managed just three hits, one of which was a triple by Matt Vierling and another a Javier Baez double.
Mets 4, Blue Jays 3
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Cristian Pache homered and MJ Melendez had an RBI double to help New York outlast Toronto in Dunedin, Fla.
A pair of major league veteran starters had mixed results in their spring-training debuts, with Clay Holmes and Jose Berrios allowing two earned runs apiece for the Mets and Blue Jays, respectively.
Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto’s big offseason acquisition out of Japan who signed a four-year, $60 million deal, delivered his first homer, a two-run shot, in the second inning.
Braves 10, Orioles 7
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Jorge Mateo capped off an eight-run sixth inning with a grand slam to propel Atlanta past Baltimore in Sarasota, Fla.
The Braves racked up 13 hits, getting two apiece from Dominic Smith, Eli White, Lizandro Espinoza and Aaron Schunk.
Vance Honeycutt hit a two-run homer for the Orioles, who left 11 on base.
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Rays 2, Red Sox 1
Jonny DeLuca delivered a walk-off two-run single to help Tampa Bay rally past Boston in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Drew Rasmussen struck out three over two scoreless innings for the Rays, who had three hits in the ninth after managing just two through the first eight innings.
Mickey Gasper opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the top of the ninth for the Red Sox.
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Cardinals 5, Marlins 4
Ryan Weingartner and Jeremy Rivas had RBI doubles before a walk-off wild pitch as St. Louis plated three in the ninth to beat Miami in Jupiter, Fla.
Rivas accounted for two of the Cardinals’ five hits, and Jose Fermin added an RBI single in the first inning off Marlins starter Eury Perez.
Jakob Marsee opened the scoring with his first spring homer in the first inning, but Miami was just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.
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Yankees 6, Pirates 2
Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez provided RBI hits during a four-run second inning to create separation in New York’s win over Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Fla.
Dominguez followed Rice’s two-run single with an RBI double. The Yankees also got a homer from prospect Miguel Palma, working 11 walks to overcome only managing five hits.
Touted Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler was erratic in his spring debut, issuing four walks and allowing four runs in 1 2/3 hitless innings. Marcell Ozuna, whom Pittsburgh signed to a one-year, $12 million deal, opened the scoring with an RBI single.
In a late-night NBA showdown, the Utah Jazz take on the Houston Rockets on Monday. Utah is coming off a 123-113 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, while Houston suffered a two-point loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday. The Jazz (18-39, 7-21 on the road) have lost two in a row and went 0-2 ATS in those games. The Rockets (34-21, 18-7 at home) have alternated wins and losses in their last four games, while going just 1-3 ATS.
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 Week 19 on a sizzling 38-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (229.5 points). The Under between the two teams is 1-1 this season. Both teams are also 1-1 ATS head-to-head against each other this season. Houston, in particular, has trended to the Under this season with 60% of its games hitting that side, while a whopping 72% of its games at home have failed to reach the total.
The model projects the Jazz to have two players score 15 points or more, including Lauri Markkanen, projected to score 19 points. The Rockets are projected to have four players score 15 or more points, led by Kevin Durant, who is projected to score 26.5 points. The teams combine for 227 points as the Under hits in well over 50% of simulations.
The first of the running back dominoes has fallen. Javonte Williams is staying in Dallas on a three-year deal that assures he will be the starting running back at the beginning of the 2026 season. This is a big win for Williams, but you don’t see a lot of movement in his Dynasty ranking below because it is also pretty much what I expect. Williams is still a low-end RB2 with high-end RB2 upside. The truth his that Williams’ value did increase, but he is at the top of a tier and still behind Saquon Barkley and RJ Harvey who are at the bottom of the tier above him. But there are several free agent backs around him that could pass him in either direction in the coming month.
Breece Hall seems likely to stay in New York with the Jets, as much as we are all hoping he won’t. He remains my highest ranked free agent running back, at RB11, but the idea of him being stuck in New York for one more year does not make that ranking as appetizing. He’s still just 24 years old and has posted at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage each of the past three years, but the Jets’ lack of touchdowns has held down Hall’s upside. I don’t really expect that to improve much in 2026, but if they could sign a veteran QB who is more willing to dump the ball off to his backs, that would be a help.
Check out my way-too-early look at running back projections for 2026 here.
Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker III are the other two top-20 Dynasty backs who don’t have a team yet. So far all we have to go on with them is rumors and rumors of rumors. If you believe those, Walker won’t be tagged by Seattle and Etienne would like to go to Kansas City. Uncertainty keeps these two backs just behind Williams for now, but a good landing spot could propel either of them in front of him. I’d also be happy with either of them returning to their former team, particularly if Zach Charbonnet misses extended time in Seattle next year.
Earlier in February I had Dave Kluge from Footballguys on Fantasy Football Today Dynasty to discuss the state of the running back position in Dynasty. Check it out:
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Of course there are many other backs who could see wild swings in their value in the next month. Rico Dowdle, Isiah Pacheco, Rachaad White, Kenneth Gainwell, and Tyler Allgeier are just a few of them. While I am not sure any of them get starting jobs next year, they could absolutely torpedo a back that we are currently hoping will be a workhorse.
As for the rookies, I have pretty low expectations for this class and won’t be adding any of them to my Dynasty rankings until after the 2026 NFL Draft. Expect Jeremiyah Love to crack my top seven and don’t expect any other rookies to crack my top 20, barring a surprise during the draft.
Here are my updated Dynasty running back rankings:
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar slammed India’s bowling attack after their heavy 76-run loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match. He said the defeat exposed how fragile India’s bowling unit is, especially against strong batting line-ups like the Proteas.Akhtar was particularly critical of Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, who gave away 67 runs in six overs for just one wicket. He felt they lacked pace and intimidation, and that using them in the death overs was a tactical mistake.
Gautam Gambhir’s animated chat with Abhishek Sharma goes viral; Team India lands in Chennai
“Hardik and Shivam Dube were bowling at around 120 kmph. It’s not as if they are Malcolm Marshall — someone who would intimidate a batting line-up of South Africa’s calibre. If you deploy them in the death overs, such a counterattack from the Proteas is inevitable,” he said on Tapmad.He also pointed out that India’s bowling looked vulnerable overall, with South African batters dominating even the team’s key bowlers. Akhtar highlighted Varun Chakaravarthy’s expensive spell, saying his usual pace was down and that he was punished by the batters. “Indian bowling has been exposed. If you look at Varun, whose strength is bowling at 97-98 kmph, he was clocking 94. And when he came into the attack, he was hit for a no-look six by Dewald Brevis,” he added.Akhtar suggested that India should bring Kuldeep Yadav into the team, calling him the “missing link” who can trick batters and take wickets at crucial moments. “The missing link here is Kuldeep Yadav. He is someone who can deceive batters in the air and pick up wickets when needed. He is a proven match-winner.”He also felt that Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar offer similar skills, making India’s bowling attack predictable and easier for top teams to attack.
NC State secured a commitment on Monday from quarterback Gunner Rivers, the son of program legend and longtime NFL standout Philip Rivers, according to 247Sports. The four-star recruit and No. 42 overall prospect in the 2027 class is one of the 20 highest-rated commits in Wolfpack history.
Rivers, a junior at Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael, has been tied closely to NC State since last season. He completed a visit during the final week of the regular season when the Wolfpack thumped rival North Carolina in a 42-19 blowout and progressed through his recruitment in the months since, leading to his commitment nearly a year in advance of the 2027 class’ National Signing Day.
While Rivers also held offers from Auburn, Boston College, Miami and South Carolina, his familial link to NC State made the Wolfpack difficult to beat. Dave Doeren offered him a scholarship in May 2024, getting a head start on his recruitment after a strong freshman year of high school.
Rivers plays for his father, who is the coach at St. Michael. He earned the starting job as a freshman and increased his production over the ensuing seasons, leading to a 2025 campaign in which he completed 237 of 343 passes for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also ran 33 times for 196 yards and a touchdown. Rivers has yet to pass for fewer than 3,000 yards in a season.
The terrific junior season led Rivers to secure an ASWA Super All-State selection, and he was a finalist for the 4A Back of the Year award. He guided St. Michael to a 13-1 record and a semifinal berth in the state 4A playoffs for the second consecutive season.
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247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins evaluated Rivers last week and described him as a “skilled passer with elite pedigree that has a chance to be a high-end distributor in college and beyond.” Like his father, Rivers is described as having a “shot put-like release” and puts prolific touch on his passes. He is the No. 6-ranked quarterback in his class and has a chance to contend for five-star status during his senior year of high school.
Rivers will not suit up for NC State until the 2027 season but could be in line to contend for the starting job as a true freshman. Incumbent starter CJ Bailey has two more years of eligibility but could be a candidate to depart early for the NFL Draft, potentially opening the door for Rivers to contribute straight away.
Wrexham’s George Dobson and Lewis O’Brien in action against Ipswich Town’s Jens Cajuste on Feb. 13, 2026.
Wrexham coach Phil Parkinson announced that midfielder Ben Sheaf could miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury suffered in Saturday’s 5-3 win over Ipswich Town.
Sheaf, 28, joined the Red Dragons from Coventry City last summer.
“Ben’s not looking good and that’s a real blow for us,” Parkinson said Monday. “As much as there was a feeling of excitement after the win; the coaching staff and I had that always in the back our minds.
“The initial prognosis is it will be 10 weeks and a damaged medial ligament. We know have to move on and Ben will get the best possible treatment.”
The news came just hours after the club announced that midfielders Ollie Rathbone and George Dobson have signed news deals that put them under contract with the Welsh side until the end of the 2028 season.
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Both joined Wrexham in the summer of 2024 and played key roles in the club’s promotion from League One to the Championship last season.
Rathbone, 29, returned in December from a serious ankle injury suffered during the club’s preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand. He has six goals in 16 appearances since his return, and has eight goals in 42 league appearances with Wrexham.
The Manchester United academy product joined Wrexham from Rotherham United, and has made 64 overall appearances for the Red Dragons.
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“I’m absolutely delighted to sign a new contract. It’s a special day for me and my family. I’m over the moon,” Rathbone said. “My time here has been great so far. It’s probably the best football I’ve played in my career.
“I want to keep playing, keep improving, and create more special moments for this club.”
Dobson, 28, has played in all but three of the club’s 33 league matches this season after making 48 appearances last season. He has three goals in 83 overall appearances with Wrexham.
“It’s been an amazing 19 months. I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s been a fantastic journey so far,” Dobson said. “I’m delighted to extend, and hopefully we can create many more special memories.”
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Dobson played for Parkinson at Sunderland, and also made 144 appearances for Charlton Athletic.
“They’re both really good lads, and good players, who’ve made significant contributions for us last year and this season,” Parkinson said. “They both typify what we want at the club — they play with real heart and commitment every single game, and it’s great that they’ve got new deals.”
The United States women’s ice hockey team, fresh off a gold-medal victory over Canada in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” USA Hockey told NBC News. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.
“They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
Team United States celebrates after their win over Sweden at the Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
The women’s hockey team was dominant in the Olympics, and it came down to the gold medal game against their rival, Team Canada, this past week in a thriller that required overtime after a late goal by Hilary Knight tied the game at one apiece with less than two minutes to play in the third period.
Knight’s heroics allowed the three-on-three golden-goal overtime period, where Megan Keller received a pass down ice, made a nifty deke on a Canadian defender, and back-handed a shot past the goaltender for the win.
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Just days later, the men’s hockey team did the exact same against Canada, as Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime on Sunday afternoon to finish the Milan Cortina Games in style for the U.S.
During a call to the men’s hockey team on Sunday night after their victory, Trump also invited the team to the State of the Union. It’s unclear if they plan to attend it considering the NHL schedule resumes on Wednesday night.
United States’ Grace Zumwinkle, left, and Taylor Heise celebrate after the victory ceremony for women’s ice hockey at the Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
As Trump was explaining he could “send a military plane or something” for the team, one player cut him off and said, “We’re in.”
Trump, then, brought up FBI Director Kash Patel, who was spotted celebrating with the team in the locker room after the gold-medal win.
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“We’ll get Kash, and we’ll get the military to get you guys over,” Trump continued. “You won’t have to worry about the weather or landing. We don’t care if it’s snowing or if it’s the worst blizzard – we’ll be sailing through like you did on the ice.”
Trump also brought up the women’s hockey team on the phone call.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump was heard saying over the phone to the men’s team.
Team United States poses after the medal ceremony following their gold-medal match against Canada at the Winter Olympics at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan.(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump talked to the U.S. men’s hockey team and invited them to his State of the Union address after their gold medal victory over Canada at the Winter Olympics.
American Olympian Matthew Tkachuk reflected on the president’s phone call as he arrived at Miami International Airport a day after the team secured a gold medal.
United States’ hockey player Matthew Tkachuk signs autographs after arriving at Miami International Airport from the Milan Cortina Olympics, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Miami.(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
“It was super cool,” he told reporters as he walked into the terminal. “It’s an honor hearing from the President of the United States. Hearing that he was supporting us and all the other athletes wanting us to bring home as many gold medals as we can. We’re definitely honored to represent him and the hundreds of millions across the country and to bring a gold medal back.”
The Florida Panthers star was also asked how winning a gold medal compared to winning the Stanley Cup.
United States’ Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates after the United States defeated Canada in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Tkachuk and the Panthers are back-to-back reigning Stanley Cup champions. He pointed out the major difference was what the win meant to the country as a whole.
“It’s almost more meaningful to everybody else in the sense of it’s a way to unite the whole country,” he said. “When you go through the two-month grind and the 82-game grind in the NHL season, you don’t compare that. That’s as hard of a trophy as you’re going to win in sports, the Stanley Cup.
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“But when it comes to bringing together Americans, whether they like hockey or not, the Olympics, an Olympic hockey player at that stage against Canada, that’s as high as it’s gonna get.”
United States’ Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates after the United States defeated Canada in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Tkachuk didn’t confirm whether the team will be at the State of the Union, but suggested that they will party in Miami on Monday night and then head to D.C. on Tuesday.
In Diablo 4 Season 11: Divine Intervention, Azmodan is tied to the seasonal lesser evil encounter events. This encounter takes place in a specific zone called the Fields of Desecration. This can be found on the eastern side of Zarbinzet in Hawezar. During this season’s event, you can summon Azmodan and participate in this large-scale boss encounter; beating him gives you access to his Hoard.
In this guide, we will break down how to open the hoard of Azmodan, what materials are required, and how to fix a few buggy instances.
Diablo 4: How to farm the Greater Hoard of Azmodan
You will need to farm Azmodan’s Corrupted Tongue to open the Hoard of Azmodan (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Azmodan doesn’t spawn randomly in Diablo 4; you are required to summon him through the Lesser Evil system in the Fields of Desecration. To summon Azmodan, you will need to:
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Activate the Lesser Evil Altar using Corrupted Essences (can be acquired by defeating other Lesser Evils).
Once activated, the invasion begins, leading to a large-scale boss fight.
As with other world boss encounters, any nearby player can join the fight. Once he’s defeated, Azmodan has a chance of dropping one Corrupted Tongue of Azmodan. This is not a guaranteed drop and requires multiple attempts at Azmodan.
Summoning Azmodan requires you to farm Corrupted Essences (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Corrupted Tongue of Azmodan is required to open the Hoard of Azmodan. To open his Hoard, you will need:
5x Corrupted Tongue of Azmodan
Upon collecting the necessary amount of Tongues, you will need to summon and defeat Azmodan once more (but this time as a World Boss and not in Hawezar) to spawn the Hoard. Once Azmodan’s Hoard appears, you can spend the Corrupted Tongues of Azmodan to claim the rewards.
Azmodan’s Hoard can yield the following rewards:
Legendary Items
Crafting materials
Gold
Other valuable Season 11 rewards
To progress towards the season’s Greater Hoard objective, you must defeat Azmodan as a World Boss multiple times and open his Hoard using the Corrupted Tongues that drop from him.
The progression only counts if and when you open Azmodan’s Hoard and not just from slaying Azmodan in the Fields of Desecration. Successfully opening the Hoard will immediately count towards the Greater Hoard seasonal progression in Diablo 4 Season 11.
How to efficiently farm Corrupted Tongues
The Greater Hoard progression is tied to Seasonal events (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Corrupted Tongues can only be acquired by defeating the Azmodan world boss in Season 11. They can’t be acquired from any other bosses, dungeons, or activities, making it the only farming method.
Here are some of the tips and tricks to farm Corrupted Tongues efficiently:
Only one Corrupted Tongue from a single encounter with Azmodan.
To successfully spawn Azmodan’s Hoard, you will need to kill Azmodan multiple times.
Shorten the time between invasions by using a build with excellent single-target damage and staying near the Fields of Desecration.
These Purified Tongue of Azmodan can be used at the secret Altar of Sin (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Occasionally, Azmodan’s Hoard will drop a Purified Tongue of Azmodan. This item is not used for the progression toward the Hoard of Azmodan; instead, it’s used at the secret shrine. This shrine teleports you to a secret dungeon where you must fight against multiple Lesser Evils. This is extremely difficult but offers an alternative method of acquiring endgame gear.
While the invasion of Azmodan works, it is possible that Azmodan’s Hoard doesn’t spawn after the boss fight.
Here are a few things that cause the bug:
Leaving the Fields of Desecration too quickly after slaying Azmodan.
Heavy player traffic causes the invasion event to phase incorrectly.
The hoard interaction prompt fails to register.
There is no right way to fix this bug, but here are a few things you can try:
If the Hoard doesn’t appear despite you having five Corrupted Tongues of Azmodan, it is suggested to remain inside the invasion zone till the event is resolved completely.
If the issue continues, try participating in the next Azmodan event.
The Greater Hoard of Azmodan objective is not inherently buggy; it’s poorly described, which in turn makes it confusing to players. It should clearly be mentioned that only the World Boss version of Azmodan spawns the Hoard.
If the Hoard is not appearing, check the version of Azmodan you are fighting, as there are no hidden mechanics related to the Greater Hoard of Azmodan.
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
With the draft process intensifying, the Vikings have already begun evaluating running back prospects, including a small-school breakout name who recently met with the team.
A player who could be on the team’s radar is running back Chris Mosley. The North Carolina Central alumnus reportedly met with the Vikings.
Draft reporter Justin Melo of SI.com revealed on social media that the Vikings’ brass chatted with Mosley at the HBCU Legacy Bowl that took place this past weekend. The Vikes were not alone, as he listed eight other franchises.
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North Carolina Central Eagles running back Chris Mosley runs the football against the Florida A&M Rattlers during a Week 7 NCAA football game on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Saturday, October 11, 2025.
After three quiet campaigns at North Carolina Central, the runner broke out during the 2025 season. Mosley rushed 188 times for 1,020 yards and 8 touchdowns, resulting in an average of 5.4 yards. He also showed he can be a reliable pass-catcher, recording 30 receptions for 324 yards and 2 more scores.
Gerald J. Huggins II wrote this month about the draft hopeful on SI.com. “Mosley projects as an NFL camp/2nd-tier league starter who will be most impactful in a power-heavy running scheme that allows him to utilize his vision, patience, and toughness. His toughness as a runner and ability to consistently gain positive yardage give him upside to be an RB3 or 4 at the NFL level. He will need to refine his receiving ability and pass protection to be a more serviceable option.”
It would be far-fetched to expect a back from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, especially one that isn’t putting up prime Adrian Peterson numbers, to arrive in the NFL as an elite weapon. Still, there might be some hidden upside.
If the Vikings strike out on the top halfbacks in the Draft, adding one later in the three-day event or even as an undrafted rookie can’t be ruled out.
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Aaron Jones, Minnesota’s RB1 in the last two seasons, is a potential cap casualty, given his expensive salary cap hit and the limited production due to his injury struggles and age-related declining explosiveness. He’s just coming off a season with the lowest yards-per-attempt in his career, with 4.2 and he missed five games with injuries. Jones still produced 548 rushing yards and found paydirt twice.
Of course, there’s also Jordan Mason, who shared the workload with the veteran. The trade acquisition from last offseason appeared in 16 games and delivered a solid yardage total of 758 with an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Crossing the goalline six times isn’t too shabby either.
Besides the top duo, the Vikings enter the offseason with pending free agents Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott. Chandler has not consistently earned a role on offense in his four seasons in the State of 10,000 Lakes. A departure seems likely. Scott showed enough promise to earn a spot on the offseason roster.
If Jones isn’t retained for a third season in purple, Mason would climb to the top spot until the franchise finds someone else in the Draft or free agency. Mosley is unlikely to be that guy; he’s more of an upside swing later in the Draft.
Pre-draft meetings like this are not always an indication of strong draft interest, but they do signal that a prospect is at least on the team’s evaluation radar. For smaller-school players like Mosley, events such as the HBCU Legacy Bowl and Combine interviews are often crucial.
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During the 2024 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez shared a celebration with teammate Bo Richter after delivering a key play. The moment captured the energy and enthusiasm of Minnesota’s defensive front as the young players made their presence felt. Rodriguez’s ability to disrupt and Richter’s support highlighted the team’s depth and emerging contributors on defense. Mandatory Credit: Alli Rusco, Vikings.com.
The Vikings, in particular, have shown a willingness in recent years to explore under-the-radar prospects who can compete for depth roles and special teams snaps before potentially carving out a larger role on offense. Levi Drake Rodriguez, out of Texas A&M Commerce, comes to mind. He was drafted in the 7th round in 2024 and played a significant role on the defensive line in his sophomore season.
While a meeting does not guarantee draft interest, it does confirm that Mosley is firmly on Minnesota’s scouting radar. For a team potentially reshaping its backfield depth this offseason, identifying late-round or undrafted runners with upside could quietly become an important part of the Vikings’ draft strategy.
