Sports

Winners and losers: St. John’s tops Providence after ugly fight; Florida extends SEC lead

Published

3 weeks ago

15 February 2026

On a day synonymous with love, Providence and No. 17 St. John’s spent part of their Valentine’s Day exchanging blows in place of pleasantries. The two Big East rivals had an old-fashioned brouhaha in Rhode Island on Saturday that led to six ejections, numerous flagrant fouls and one ugly scene after Providence’s Duncan Powell committed a hard foul on St. John’s star (and former Friar) Bryce Hopkins, which required nearly a 20-minute intermission for the officiating crew to sort out.

That’s Valentine’s Day done the Big East way.

But a brutal brawl in the Big East was just one of many headlines across college hoops on Saturday — even if it reverberated the loudest of them all.

Elsewhere, Florida chomped down on the SEC lead with a 92-83 win over Kentucky, Purdue stayed hot with a road win at Iowa and Duke — as it has done much of the season — dominated another ACC foe to retain its grip on the lead league.

There were plenty of highs and lows from the day, which was largely frontloaded, and there are plenty more to come. To digest it all our team has a recap of some of the day’s biggest winners and losers below.

Winner: Duke sends a message to retain lead in ACC

With No. 20 Clemson one game back in the ACC standings heading into Saturday with a chance to take down top dog and fourth-ranked Duke inside Cameron Indoor, the Blue Devils sent a message with an emphatic 67-54 win, proving once again that they remain the class of the ACC. Duke led by double digits for nearly the entire second half and quieted any potential of a Clemson upset relatively early behind big days from Cameron Boozer (18 points, eight rebounds), Isaiah Evans (17 points) and Cayden Boozer (12 points). The win puts Duke two games clear of Clemson in the ACC standings and keeps it 1.5 games ahead of second-place Virginia. — Kyle Boone

Loser: St. John’s, Providence don’t feel the love on Valentine’s Day

Providence and St. John’s players certainly didn’t get the memo that it was Valentine’s Day. Six players were ejected after a massive brawl broke out in the battle of Big East foes. Providence’s Duncan Powell committed a hard foul on St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins, who played at the school before transferring to the Red Storm this past offseason. Powell was assessed a Flagrant-2 foul and was ejected from the game. This game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes while the officials reviewed what just happened. It wouldn’t be shocking if some subsequent suspensions were handed out after what transpired. — Cameron Salerno

WATCH: Massive brawl breaks out between St. John’s and Providence, six players ejected

Will Backus

Winner: Michigan makes a case to jump Arizona for No. 1

For the last two months, Arizona has occupied the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll. After the Wildcats suffered their first loss against Kansas earlier this week, that spot could be up for grabs. No. 2 Michigan has a strong case to jump the Wildcats on Monday after recording a dominant 86-56 win over UCLA at home. The Wolverines have the most Quad 1 wins of any team in the country, and six of their 12 wins in Big Ten play have been by at least 20 points. — Salerno

Michigan makes case to jump Arizona for the No. 1 spot in next AP Top 25 poll after dominant win over UCLA

Cameron Salerno

Loser: Peterson peters out in KU loss

Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson did not play the final 7:01 of Saturday’s 74-56 loss to No. 5 Iowa State and was largely ineffective in the meager 24 minutes he was on the floor, finishing with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. It was yet another game Peterson failed to finish, which has been a theme for the projected No. 1 pick for much of the season as he’s either missed games or exited early in games he’s played.

KU coach Bill Self said postgame the decision to sit Peterson for the final 7:01 was his to make as he looked ahead to prep the No. 9 Jayhawks for Wednesday because ISU was so in control of the game. He also added that Peterson, who missed Monday’s game vs. No. 1 Arizona because of an illness, did not get a full allotment of practices this week as he dealt with the lingering effects of it. — Boone

Iowa State routs Kansas, snaps Jayhawks eight-game winning streak in Darryn Peterson’s return after illness

Kyle Boone

Winner: Hilton Magic shows off its powers

Far too often this season, Iowa State has relied solely on Milan Momcilovic to be the best shooter in the country and Joshua Jefferson to do, well, everything. But in the 74-56 dismantling of No. 9 Kansas, it was Iowa State’s supporting cast that had its best showing in awhile. Jamarion Bateman came off the bench and splashed three treys. Blake Buchanan (11 points, six rebounds) had his best game in a month. Momcilovic did his thin with 18 points and four triples, but 57 points from everyone not named Momcilovic or Jefferson is exactly what Iowa State needs to reach the peak of its powers. Oh, and a vicious defense doesn’t hurt either. — Isaac Trotter

Loser: NC State chokes late in blowing lead

NC State led by as many as eight points in the second half — and held a seven-point lead with 55 seconds remaining over Miami! — before flailing to the finish in the biggest choke job of the afternoon. Miami scored eight unanswered points in the final 52 seconds, which culminated with three free throws from Miami guard Tru Washington after an ill-advised NC State foul on a 3-point attempt from Washington.

Washington made all three attempts from the charity stripe, and NC State’s attempt to win it with a buzzer-beater on the other end was no good in the 77-76 Miami victory.

“I don’t see a whole lot of positives,” NC State coach Will Wade said. “Poor coaching. Poor coaching on my part that we couldn’t bring that home. We looked like Keystone Cops there at the end of the game.”

It’s the second consecutive loss for NC State after falling at Louisville on Monday by 41 points — its largest loss since 2017. — Boone

Winner: BYU’s Wright goes for career-high for second time this week

For the second time in as many games, BYU guard Rob Wright dropped a career-high in points in a game his team needed every bit of his production. Just four days removed from a career-high 30 points vs. his former team, Baylor, the first-year Cougars star scored 39 points and led BYU to a 90-86 overtime win over Colorado. He finished the game 12-of-16 shooting from the field, made all four of his 3-point attempts and was 11 of 13 from the free throw line. He also added five boards and four steals.

Wright’s production was only second-most important to the timeliness of said production. Twenty-three of his 39 points came in the second half, and a combined 29 of his total 39 points came in both the second half and overtime. In overtime, he scored or assisted on 11 of his team’s 12 points to eventually pull away. — Boone

Winner: TCU gets gritty OT win over Oklahoma State

TCU could have folded after giving up an uncontested layup to Parsa Fallah to force overtime with a tenth of a second left in regulation, but the Horned Frogs continued their standout play with a gut-check 95-92 overtime victory over Oklahoma State. It’s the second key road win for TCU’s ever-improving resume, and Jamie Dixon’s bunch has now won three in a row. Six different Frogs cracked double figures, but Jayden Pierre (16 points, four assists) was the star of the game.

He snuffed any Oklahoma State momentum with his four trey of the game. David Punch (19 points) was also excellent after intermission. TCU has added +1.2 Wins Above Bubble to its ledger in the last five days after knocking off a top-10 Iowa State club and notching a road win — which is vital for WAB — over the Pokes. — Trotter

Loser: Fire briefly pauses Oklahoma vs. Georgia

During the first half of Oklahoma’s 94-78 victory vs. Georgia, the game was paused temporarily after a fire broke out on the concourse at Lloyd Noble Center. Fans near the fire were temporarily cleared out of their seats. The game resumed after a short pause in the action. It appeared that a popcorn machine was what caught on fire. — Salerno

Winner: Louisville’s Brown goes off (again)

Mikel Brown Jr. followed up his 45-point Monday explosion against NC State with 29 points in No. 24’s Louisville’s 82-71 win over Baylor. The freshman flamethrower made 4 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc and also dished out six assists in another sterling performance that demonstrated the Cardinals’ high-end potential. Louisville was just 4-4 when Brown missed over a month due to a back injury, but it is 6-1 since his return. Brown is one of the most exciting guards in college basketball, and his presence on the floor makes Louisville a lethal offensive team. — David Cobb

Loser: Virginia Tech’s resume takes a beating

Virginia Tech entered the day as one of the First Four Out of the NCAA Tournament field in CBS Sports Bracketology after its at-large hopes picked up significant steam Wednesday night in a win at Clemson. That upset victory was worth a meaty 0.78 points in WAB, which is an important metric the NCAA Tournament selection committee uses in evaluating a team’s resume. But the Hokies turned around and gave it all back on Saturday — and then some — while getting run off their own floor late in a 92-69 loss to Florida State.

The Quad 3 defeat will be tough for the Hokies to overcome in their quest to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Big opportunities at Miami (Feb. 17), at North Carolina (Feb. 28) and at Virginia (March 7) still await, and now they loom even larger than before. After faltering at home to lower-tier ACC foe, the Hokies will likely need to win a couple of those. — Cobb

Winner: Purdue scores another important road win

The Big East looks like it’s Michigan to lose until further notice, but No. 13 Purdue took another important step toward remaining in contention with a 78-57 road win at Iowa. It’s the second consecutive road win over an NCAA Tournament quality team this week after downing Nebraska in overtime on Tuesday, and one that gets it to 11-3 in conference play with Michigan coming to West Lafayette on Tuesday night. — Boone

Winner: Florida builds SEC separation

Florida won the national championship last season, but it didn’t win the SEC regular season title. After a 92-83 win over No. 25 Kentucky on Saturday, the No. 14 Gators are well on their way to changing that in 2026. Since starting league play with a loss at Missouri, Florida (19-6, 10-2 SEC) is 10-1 and operating as efficiently as any team in college basketball. A few close early-season losses may have diminished Florida’s national profile, but this team is finding its stride, looking like the clear cut best team in the SEC and a legitimate national title contender. — Cobb

Loser: Texas A&M’s slide toward bubble continues

Long losing streaks for otherwise good basketball teams are a Texas A&M staple now transcending multiple eras of Aggies hoops. Saturday’s 82-69 loss at No. 19 Vanderbilt was the fourth straight for A&M (17-8, 7-5 SEC), which is slipping rapidly toward the NCAA Tournament bubble after it was first in the SEC standings earlier this month. First-year coach Bucky McMillan is new in town, but A&M fans are used to this.

Under Buzz Williams last season, A&M dropped four straight late in conference play but was still a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance. In 2024, it dropped five straight in February and still ended up as a No. 9 seed. The Aggies lost eight straight in league play during 2022 and nearly reached the NCAA Tournament anyway. The trend even dates back to Billy Kennedy’s tenure, when the Aggies started 0-5 in the SEC in 2018 and still managed to reach the Sweet 16. — Cobb

Winner: Navy (!) continues its breakout season

Navy has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1998, but the Midshipmen added another chapter to a breakthrough season under first-year head coach Jon Perry. Navy waltzed into Colgate, usually the Patriot League titan, and emerged with an 84-80 road victory to improve to 21-6 and 13-1 in conference play. Jordan Pennick splashed six treys and finished with 22 points. Donovan Draper came off the bench and added 20 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists. These Midshipmen can hoop. — Trotter

Loser: Georgia’s tourney outlook dims with ugly OU loss

Mike White’s Georgia Bulldogs entered Saturday as one of the Last Four In the 68-team NCAA Tournament field as projected by CBS Sports Bracketology — and then laid a giant egg on the road in a tough-to-swallow loss to an OU team that was tied for last place in the SEC entering the day. UGA’s 94-78 loss to the Sooners will almost certainly dim its immediate tourney outlook, but worst of all, it’s a loss that will potentially fester and stick as a Quad 2 loss given OU’s downward trajectory. Few games in SEC play qualify as can’t-lose games, but falling to this Sooners team at this time and by 16 points — while dropping the fifth game in its last six outings — is a tough one to stomach.

Georgia shouldn’t feel good at all about where things are right now with respect to their March Madness hopes. There is work to do to bolster its lacking resume, and the schedule only gets more stiff from here. — Boone

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8 minutes ago

7 March 2026

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The warning signs for Tadej Pogacar as cycling’s king kicks off 2026 campaign

Published

22 minutes ago

7 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Seven years ago a rangy young Slovenian took his first professional victory, outsprinting bona fide climbers Wout Poels and Enric Mas atop the gruelling Alto da Foia climb, the highest peak in the Algarve.

That Slovenian went on to be the dominant force of modern cycling, certainly the best rider of the 21st century and increasingly non-contentiously, the best rider of all time.

But all eras must come to an end and while Tadej Pogacar, now 27 and in his prime, shows no sign of being conquered, the next generation are coming. And this weekend’s Strade Bianche, one of the most thrilling of all the Classics, may be the time they shine.

One of them, 19-year-old Paul Seixas, is unnervingly similar in many ways to the four-time Tour de France champion – and recently took his own maiden pro victory on the very same Alto da Foia, before soloing away Pogacar-style to a dominant win at Faun Ardeche.

And in years to come the teenager from Lyon will be able to call on a similar financial might to the super-teams, as his Decathlon CMA CGM squad bid to become a top-three team in the next three seasons, having dispensed with long-time sponsor AG2R La Mondiale.

Last year’s European bronze medallist, Seixas is one of the most exciting talents in a sport which all too frequently churns through brilliant young things and discards them when they fail to live up to expectations. French cycling abounds with such cautionary tales, most recently with the permanently unlucky Thibaut Pinot and yesterday’s hopeful, David Gaudu.

But if Seixas can keep his feet on the ground – perhaps not the best metaphor for a man whose best attribute is pedalling up into the clouds – he may yet end a French Tour de France drought going back decades, and challenge the indomitable Pogacar.

Potentially starting at Strade Bianche. The sweeping white roads of sterrato – gravel – of the Tuscan hills play host to one of the most romantic races on the cycling calendar, not quite a Monument but almost monumental in its grip on the sporting imagination.

Pogacar crashed last year but still powered back to win (AFP via Getty Images)

Three of the last four editions have been won by Pogacar, both times soloing away into the distance, disappearing in a plume of white smoke, and striding up the punishing Via Santa Caterina to glory in Siena’s honey-coloured city centre.

But there is positive news for the challengers. This year’s parcours is slightly shorter, at 203km, and features 18km less gravel than last year, in a bid to open up the race slightly and avoid yet another Pogacar procession.

And he is not infallible: last year he made a rare mistake on the sterrato, put under pressure by Britain’s Tom Pidcock on a descent, and slid out. Pidcock – the champion in 2023 – waited for the blooded and bruised Slovenian but may have regretted the sportsmanlike gesture as he ultimately finished second, nearly a minute and a half behind Pogacar.

But the 26-year-old is at his best in Classics like Strade Bianche and remains a serious threat this weekend, even after a disappointing 48th-place finish in last week’s curtain-raiser, Omloop Nieuwsblad.

French teenager Seixas beat Pogacar's former teammate Ayuso to the line on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve — French teenager Seixas beat Pogacar’s former teammate Ayuso to the line on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve (AFP via Getty Images)

The Briton is the undisputed core of Pinarello Q36.5, the second-tier outfit pushing to disrupt the hegemony of big-budget squads like Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

What they lack in resources they make up for in ambition and fighting talk: Pidcock’s coach Kurt Bogaerts told Dutch outlet Wielerflits this is “one of the races that [Pidcock] gets out of bed for”, and added: “Tom has a good sense of his capabilities, and then it’s a matter of waiting to see how the opposition reacts. We’re going to try to do that again.”

This is Pogacar’s first outing of the season and his form is unknown. While it’s unlikely he’ll have an off-day, the rest of the peloton can still dream of glory in Tuscany, with the season wide open before them.

Strade Bianche is a race for the Classics specialists, but also the mavericks. Swashbuckling Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe may be in the mix; at the very least he will put in a romantic, possibly doomed attack. Wout van Aert will be there too, but on the basis of his crash-ridden, disrupted winter and season so far, it will be disappointment again for the Belgian star.

Puncheur Ben Healy – another born racer – is a major contender after a stellar 2024, in which he wore the yellow jersey, won a stage of the Tour de France, and came third in the World Championships.

Pogacar has not raced since winning his fifth Il Lombardia title in October (AP)

A race like Strade Bianche suits the Irishman’s unpredictability, as it does moustachioed cowboy Quinn Simmons. The American is another capable of keeping pace with Pogacar on difficult Classics terrain, most recently at Il Lombardia last October, and if he takes to the start line with his hair flowing in the breeze – indicative of an impending attack – he could be a major threat too.

Seixas may have company in the young super-talent category, in the form of Pogacar’s teammate Isaac del Toro who on any given day can shine too. Here it is likely to be in the Slovenian’s shadows, as he is expected to serve as the springboard for a race-winning attack, but he has outsmarted and outmuscled teammates before, notably Juan Ayuso at last year’s Giro d’Italia.

All this may be wishful thinking, but even if it takes years to arise, the results of this spring may well set in motion the beginnings of a new era in cycling.

The decision of organisers RCS to make the parcours easier compared to some in previous years could reverse the trend of the past decade towards tougher and tougher racing, with inevitable results.

And even if brutally hilly courses are here to stay, the likes of Seixas are not content to let Pogacar run amok. Instead the talented teenager plans on taking the fight to him, come what may – and that may be just the shake-up cycling needs.

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Heavyweight who sparred Wardley and Dubois gives fight verdict: “He has unbelievable power”

Published

35 minutes ago

7 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois collide in Manchester in two months’ time in what a sparring partner of both men calls a ‘barnstormer.’

Champion Wardley takes on challenger Dubois in one of the year’s standout heavyweight bouts, with extreme power in each corner and questions for both men to answer.

Wardley was elevated from interim to full WBO champion, and is looking to satisfy fans with a dangerous first defence. The best way to do that is by facing a genuine knockout puncher – something his record arguably lacks so far.

As for Dubois, the 28-year-old once again faced questions of his heart and grit under pressure when he lost for a second time to Oleksandr Usyk last year. A career-best performance prior to that against Anthony Joshua reminded us how devastating he can be, but many feel he has to deliver more consistency.

Speaking to Seconds Out, fan favourite heavyweight Johnny Fisher looked back on his experiences sparring both men.

“Great fight. Fabio – I’ve seen his rise. I’ve sparred him many times in the earlier days, four, five years ago. Daniel, obviously I’ve been around him in the Sims gym, been around and sparred him before that as well. It’s a fantastic match-up.
“People have written off Fabio Wardley many times. That’s probably not a wise thing to do, so I’m not going to do that. And Daniel Dubois – unbelievable, electric power that I’ve felt myself … It’s a barnstormer.”

Fisher, who did not make a prediction, went on to praise Wardley more.

“[Fabio] is everything that we see that he is – a warrior. His mental toughness, coming back from looking like you’re in trouble, to swinging and getting someone out of there… He’s also a great boxing technician, we’ve got to give him credit for that fight with Parker as well – not just knocking someone out, showing the skills to be a world class heavyweight.”

The fight has all the ingredients of a British heavyweight classic, with the winner targeting another major scalp later this year.

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NFL Players from Long Beach Polytechnic H.S. (CA)

Published

48 minutes ago

7 March 2026

NewsAdmin



  By SuperWest Sports Staff

Here is an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California.

Consequently, players taken in the upcoming draft will not be included until they have seen the field.

The League does not officially recognize players who appeared only in preseason exhibition games.

Long Beach Poly is a prep football powerhouse, ranked as the No. 1 pro football player-producing high school in the state, and the second NFL football player-producing high school in the nation.

California has produced a total of 3,331 NFL players from 793 schools, with 264 pros currently active.

See where all the other schools in the Golden State rank here, with links to their respective players.

NFL Players from Long Beach Polytechnic HS

Player	Pos	Teams	From	To
Alex Austin	DB	HOU,NWE	2023	2025
Jack Jones	DB	NWE,LVR,MIA	2022	2025
Marcedes Lewis	TE	JAX,GNB,CHI,DEN	2006	2025
JuJu Smith-Schuster	WR	PIT,KAN,NWE	2017	2025
Aaron Shampklin	RB	PIT	2024	2024
DeSean Jackson	WR	PHI,WAS,TAM,LVR,LAR,BAL	2008	2022
Jayon Brown	ILB	TEN,LVR	2017	2022
Jurrell Casey	DE	TEN,DEN	2011	2020
Jamize Olawale	FB	OAK,DAL	2012	2019
Kaelin Clay	WR	BAL,CAR,BUF,NYG	2015	2018
Winston Justice	T	PHI,IND,DEN	2007	2013
Isaiah Green	CB	PIT	2013	2013
Terrence Austin	WR	WAS	2010	2011
Darnell Bing	DB	DET	2008	2009
Pago Togafau	LB	PHI,ARI	2007	2009
Willie McGinest	DE-LB	NWE,CLE	1994	2008
Omar Stoutmire	DB	DAL,NYJ,NYG,WAS,NOR	1997	2007
Manuel Wright	DT	MIA,NYG	2005	2007
Samie Parker	WR	KAN	2004	2007
Mark Washington	LB	MIA	2007	2007
Marques Anderson	DB	GNB,OAK,SFO,DEN	2002	2005
Brandon Whiting	DE-DT	PHI,SFO	1998	2004
Larry Croom	RB	ARI	2004	2004
Ken-Yon Rambo	WR	DAL	2001	2002
Marquez Pope	DB	SDG,RAM,SFO,CLE,OAK	1992	2001
Player	Pos	Teams	From	To
Mark Carrier	DB	CHI,DET,WAS	1990	2000
Don Sasa	DT	SDG,WAS,DET,CAR	1995	1998
James Burton	DB	CHI	1994	1997
Leonard Russell	RB	NWE,DEN,STL,SDG	1991	1996
David Howard	LB	MIN,DAL,NWE	1985	1992
Dennis Price	DB	RAI,NYJ	1988	1992
Stephone Paige	WR	KAN	1983	1991
Chuckie Miller	DB	IND	1988	1988
Randall Morris	RB	SEA,DET	1984	1988
Al Williams	WR	SDG	1987	1987
James McDonald	TE	RAM,DET	1983	1987
Charles Clinton	DB	HOU	1987	1987
Kirk Jones	RB	CLE	1987	1987
Tony Hill	WR	DAL	1977	1986
Kendall Williams	DB	BAL	1983	1983
Andre Tyler	WR	TAM	1983	1983
Gene Washington	WR-SE	SFO,DET	1969	1979
Earl McCullouch	WR-SE	DET,NOR	1968	1974
Carl Weathers	LB	OAK	1970	1971
Johnny Morris	FL-HB	CHI	1958	1967
Mike Kellogg	FB	DEN	1966	1967
Jeff Smith	LB	NYG	1966	1966
Willie Brown	WR-HB	RAM,PHI	1964	1966
Gerry McDougall	FB	SDG	1962	1964
Bill Jessup	E-FL	SFO,DEN	1951	1960
Player	Pos	Teams	From	To
Henry Wallace	DB	LAC	1960	1960
Sam Cathcart	DB-HB	SFO	1949	1952
Royal Cathcart	HB	SFO	1950	1950
Quentin Klenk	T	CHR,BUF	1946	1946
Kelly Moan	TB-DB	RAM	1939	1939
Red Franklin	TB-HB	BKN	1935	1937
Corrie Artman	T	NYG,BOS,PIT	1931	1933
Bullet Baker	BB-WB-TB-HB	NYY,GNB,CRD,SIS	1927	1931
Jack Evans	BB	GNB	1929	1929
Don Hill	TB-WB-HB-C	CRD,GNB	1929	1929
Jim Lawson	E	NYY	1927	1927

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Canucks notch rare win after ‘stressful’ trade-deadline week

Published

1 hour ago

7 March 2026

NewsAdmin

CHICAGO – The roiling, dark skies above Chicago flashed with lightning Friday evening. Incredibly, it was sunny around the Vancouver Canucks.

Blue-sky days have been rarer than wins for the Canucks this season. But the merciful passing of Friday’s National Hockey League trade deadline allowed the rain to pause above the Canucks, who took advantage of the break in the weather to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 in the first game of the rest of their season.

After the strain of this dismal season for the Canucks and the stifling stress of deadline week, when virtually all of their experienced players were mentioned in trade conjecture, and three – Tyler Myers, Conor Garland and David Kampf – were dealt elsewhere for draft picks, there was an obvious lightness around the team.

Judging by the boisterous cheers rolling into the hallway outside their dressing room at the United Center after the game, there was some honest-to-goodness joy, too.

“You could feel before the game that guys were just kind of, you know, excited to play and I think looking forward to the rest of the way here, just knowing this is the group we’re going with,” veteran winger Drew O’Connor said. “It felt good, kind of a weight off our shoulders.

“It was a stressful week. It’s kind of the first time I’ve been a part of it where you didn’t really know who was going to go and who was going to stay, and it was difficult. I think it was difficult on all of us leading up to this week. We lost some guys that have been here a long time and meant a lot to the organization, so that’s difficult. At same time, I think it’s a bit of a relief now that we know what our group is. We’ve got to move forward and try to build something. It was really nice to get the win tonight.”

The Canucks will meet their newest player, waiver pickup Curtis Douglas, Saturday in Winnipeg before Vancouver plays for the second time in less than 24 hours. Maybe the rain will be back, but not the storm.

They have some emotional clarity and some freedom now to just go play the final quarter of their season, even if it starts with them hopelessly last in the NHL standings.

Dangled as trade rentals since November, free-agent-eligible Canucks Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane were not jettisoned on Friday. General manager Patrik Allvin said he received no offers for them. He did, however, wrangle sixth-round picks from the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins for Kampf and minor-leaguer Lukas Reichel, respectively.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Blueger smiled about three hours after taking the opening faceoff. “Nothing has changed with me wanting to be here and be a part of this group. I haven’t been here that long, but I feel like we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with guys like Fil (Chytil) and Demmer (Thatcher Demko) and Brock (Boeser). You feel like you get close with guys when you go through stuff, both the ups and the downs. And as a person, I value loyalty, so that is something that definitely plays a role with me.”

Allvin has left open the possibility of the Canucks circling back on Blueger and seeing what it might cost to bring him back next season. Kane is gone – but not yet. Management’s plan is to have him finish the season in the NHL with the Canucks before the 34-year-old embarks on free agency.

Other veterans whose names had been cast on social media like breadcrumbs to pigeons this week, like Boeser, O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson, survived the deadline.

“Every time that deadline is done . . . there’s definitely a sense of relief,” DeBrusk said. “You know where you are; you don’t have to question anything. Obviously, there were some guys that didn’t know . . . and we lost some troops as well. So it’s a tough day.

“I don’t know if I agree with playing on the trade deadline day itself. Guys didn’t nap today (waiting for the deadline to pass). They (the Blackhawks) lost their captain, Nick Foligno. You’re looking at everything going on and, you know, obviously other guys in different positions are probably doing the same thing. (But) we have a job to do, and that’s what it is.”

The Canucks did the job Friday better than the Blackhawks, who traded their captain to the Minnesota Wild so the Foligno brothers, Marcus and Nick, can try and win a Stanley Cup together.

Boeser scored twice for the Canucks, capping the team’s third win in 24 games with an empty-netter. Fittingly, O’Connor, DeBrusk and Blueger all scored. Max Sasson also scored into an empty net while goalie Nikita Tolopilo, who stopped 20 of 23 shots, made his best saves at pivotal moments.

“Yeah, it’s so hard,” Boeser said of losing Myers and Garland this week. “Some of my closest friends over the years. It sucks. We kind of knew it was coming (but) we didn’t know who was going to go. We’ve got to make sure we’re looking forward now and really start to build this thing up.

“It’s nice to get (the deadline) past and now we can just focus on some better hockey.”

Mired in a poor season personally, like so many Canucks, Boeser suddenly has six goals in his last 11 games and is up to 15 goals for the season – two behind team leader, Kiefer Sherwood, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 19.

“I’ll catch him,” Boeser smiled.

He said it was “crazy” how few Canucks remain from the team that went two rounds deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs less than two years ago.

“Someone posted the lineup of our playoff series against Edmonton, and how much has changed in just two years,” Blueger said. “Such a short period of time. Obviously, that’s not ideal, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”

The transaction Friday that will have the most immediate impact on the Canucks was the waiver claim of Douglas from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is a six-foot-nine forward who has 92 penalty minutes (and two assists) in 29 games this season.

“With our young guys in the lineup … I want the players to feel safe,” Allvin explained. “I don’t want them to get beaten up. And we’ve been looking for a player like this with more size, physicality. So when he was available here … we felt that would be a good fit for us.”

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Luka Doncic joins elite club with 44 points in Lakers win

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1 hour ago

7 March 2026

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NBA: Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers

Mar 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) and center Jay Huff (32) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic recorded 44 points, nine rebounds and three steals in three quarters of action to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a solid 128-117 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

Doncic made seven 3-pointers and notched his 10th 40-point effort of the season to break a tie with Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards for the most this season. He also became the fourth different Laker to record 10 or more 40-point games in a season, joining a trio of Hall of Famers — Kobe Bryant (four times), Elgin Baylor (three) and Jerry West (three)

Doncic’s scoring was needed on a night in which the Lakers were without LeBron James (left elbow, left foot). James injured the elbow in a hard fall during Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Austin Reaves scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out for Los Angeles, which won for the fourth time in the past five games. Luke Kennard had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench, Rui Hachimura scored 13 points and Marcus Smart added 11.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points for the Pacers, who lost their eighth straight game. Indiana has dropped the past five games by an average of 19.6 points.

Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and eight assists and Jay Huff scored 16 points for the Pacers. T.J. McConnell added 10 points off the bench for Indiana.

The Lakers, who also were without Deandre Ayton (left knee), shot 52.9% from the field and made 17 of 37 from 3-point range.

Indiana connected on 46.9% of its attempts but was just 8 of 35 from behind the arc.

Doncic was 5 of 5 from 3-point range and scored 22 points in the opening quarter as the Lakers led 35-27.

Doncic scored seven points in the second quarter to increase his output to 29 as Los Angeles led 64-51 at the break.

He tallied 15 points in the Lakers’ 35-point third quarter before exiting. He capped the period in style by banking in a 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left as Los Angeles took a 99-80 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Pacers were within 103-89 after a 3-pointer by Jarace Walker. However, Reaves scored nine points during an 11-2 surge as the Lakers pushed the lead to 114-91 with 7:34 left. The margin topped out at 24 before Indiana narrowed the score.

–Field Level Media

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Raiders trade Maxx Crosby to Ravens for pair of first-round picks

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1 hour ago

7 March 2026

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The Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens made a blockbuster trade ahead of the start of NFL free agency.

Las Vegas is trading five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens, per multiple reports.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium on Aug. 23, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

The Raiders will receive two first-round picks from the Ravens, including the No. 14 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft, one report said.

The 28-year-old Crosby had 10 sacks last season and has reached double digits four times in his seven seasons.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (96) and defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrate during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 21, 2025. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

The Raiders last appeared in the playoffs back in 2021 but have gone 7-27 over the past two seasons. They have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, which is expected to land them Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Ravens, meanwhile, are entering a new era, after firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh and replacing him with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders sniffs smelling salts during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

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Aaron Judge hits first World Baseball Classic homer in Team USA win

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2 hours ago

7 March 2026

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Aaron Judge wasted no time clubbing his first World Baseball Classic homer.

Judge, the Team USA captain, hit a first-inning two-run home run, while Brice Turang had three hits and four RBI to lead Team USA to a whopping win over Brazil in its World Baseball Classic opener Friday night.

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Cal Raleigh #29, Byron Buxton #25, and Roman Anthony #3 of the United States celebrate after scoring from an RBI double hit by Brice Turang #13 of the United States in the fifth inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

There was one out and one on in the first when Judge, the first player to commit to the team last April, connected off Bo Takahashi at Houston’s Daikin Park.

Lucas Ramirez homered twice for Brazil with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in attendance. He cut the lead to 2-1 with his leadoff homer, and his solo shot in the eighth got Brazil within 8-5.

Aaron Judge #99 of the United States celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

At 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history with a multi-homer game.

Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with his double to left field two pitches later to make it 7-1.

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Brice Turang #13 of Team USA hits a three-run double in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Brazil at Daikin Park on Friday, March 6, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Brazil is in the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013. The team fell to 0-4 all-time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.

Another highlight for Brazil came when 17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras got Judge to ground into a bases-loaded double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who played 11 MLB seasons.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Beat the Streets rolls out to more UK locations

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2 hours ago

7 March 2026

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By Kath Hudson 07 Mar 2026

Beat the Streets launches in five more locations this spring

Founded by Dr William Bird, it turns every journey into a game

Offering free participation, it has been proven to engage individuals from the most deprived communities

In 2025, social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult

Beat the Streets has announced plans to launch in a number of new towns this spring.

Bloxwich launched in February and will be followed by Colchester on 11 March. Hendon and Grangetown; Penzance and St Austell will all launch later this month.

Beat the Streets turns towns and cities into a giant game with friendly competition to see how far an individual or their team can walk, run or cycle around their community, turning every journey into a game.

First introduced near Reading in 2013, it has now reached two million adults and children in more than 200 places across the world.

It was the brainchild of Dr William Bird, who founded Intelligent Health in 2010 to create a world where every community is designed for health, and every individual has the agency and the environment to flourish.

An analysis of nine programmes in 2024/25 showed that 40 per cent of registered participants came from the 20 per cent most deprived communities. Children from the most deprived areas (IMD 1–2), demonstrated a 7 per cent reduction in the proportion classified as less active and the rate of children achieving more than 60 minutes of daily activity increased by 8.4 percentage points.

On average, programmes engage 12 per cent of the population and 68 per cent of adult players were women.

The social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult participant and extrapolated to 54,365 adult players this generated an estimated wellbeing value of around £17.5 million.

The game is free for all players and for partners purchasing the programme for their area, the average cost to engage a participant was £12.73 in 2024/25.

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Free emblems, new cosmetics, and more

Published

2 hours ago

7 March 2026

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Diablo 4 is collaborating with yet another major franchise in Season 12: Season of Slaughter. This time, the crossover is with Doom: The Dark Ages, bringing the Slayer’s aesthetic to Sanctuary through thematic rewards, premium cosmetics, and free emblems during a limited-time event.

This event will begin on March 11, 2026, at 10 am PT and is set to run until 10 am PT on March 18, 2026.

Everything we know about the Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration

Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

This crossover introduces the “most expansive earnable Reliquary yet” to Diablo 4 Season 12. During its run, players can battle enemies to earn Dark Ages Currency, a new currency tied to the Doom: The Dark Ages event.

To earn Dark Ages Currency, players must slay Elite and Champion enemies. The currency can then be spent on Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the event reliquary.

The reliquary contains 10 unique transmogs inspired by the Doom Slayer’s arsenal. Each cosmetic costs 100x Dark Ages Currency. Examples include:

Shield Saw cosmetic skin
Doom Slayer’s Flail weapon cosmetic

These items give your character a Doom-inspired makeover, perfect for facing Sanctuary’s demons.

Once you have acquired all the rewards, you will be able to claim the bonus Forsaken Gates Town Portal.

Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Doom Chests: Boss drops

In addition to the reliquary rewards, players can earn loot by engaging bosses. Lair Bosses in Season 12 have a chance of dropping Doom Chests, which contain Unique items with Doom Crucible-themed transmogs. This provides players with special cosmetic versions of gear and an incentive to challenge high-tier bosses in the Season of Slaughter.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12: The strongest builds, based on PTR meta

Free Doom: The Dark Ages emblems in Diablo 4 Season 12

Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment is also giving away multiple free emblems during the event period via the in-game shop. You can claim them on the following dates and timings:

March 11, 12 pm PT – Dark Before the Dawn
March 13, 12 pm PT – Grandeur of the Gutted
March 15, 12 pm PT – Rip and Tear

These emblems are completely free; you only need to log in to the game in order to claim them.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12 PTR: Best builds for every class

Paid premium cosmetics

Alongside free rewards, you can also obtain optional paid cosmetics from the in-game shop starting from March 12, 2026, at 12 pm PT. The items include:

Doom Slayer Armor (cross-class armor set)
Mecha Dragon Serrat cat mount skin
Cacodemon pet

Blizzard has not yet confirmed the prices of these cosmetics. However, based on previous crossover cosmetics, they may range between $20 and $30 each.

Also read – D4 Lord of Hatred will bring back iconic crafting item from D2

The Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration will launch with Season 12: Season of Slaughter, which also introduces Bloodied Items, the Killstreak system, and the player ability to temporarily transform into The Butcher, complete with unique skills and gameplay mechanics.

Players will also be able to check out the new Paladin Class (from the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion) up to level 25. With free reliquary items, Doom cosmetics, and a Paladin class trial, Season 12 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet in Diablo 4.

For more details on Diablo 4 Season 12, visit the game’s official website.

Check out our other guides related to the game:

WordUp News

Winners and losers: St. John’s tops Providence after ugly fight; Florida extends SEC lead

Winner: Duke sends a message to retain lead in ACC

Loser: St. John’s, Providence don’t feel the love on Valentine’s Day

Winner: Michigan makes a case to jump Arizona for No. 1

Loser: Peterson peters out in KU loss

Winner: Hilton Magic shows off its powers

Loser: NC State chokes late in blowing lead

Winner: BYU’s Wright goes for career-high for second time this week

Winner: TCU gets gritty OT win over Oklahoma State

Loser: Fire briefly pauses Oklahoma vs. Georgia

Winner: Louisville’s Brown goes off (again)

Loser: Virginia Tech’s resume takes a beating

Winner: Purdue scores another important road win

Winner: Florida builds SEC separation

Loser: Texas A&M’s slide toward bubble continues

Winner: Navy (!) continues its breakout season

Loser: Georgia’s tourney outlook dims with ugly OU loss

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Related Article

Beat the Streets rolls out to more UK locations

Free emblems, new cosmetics, and more

Everything we know about the Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration

Doom Chests: Boss drops

Free Doom: The Dark Ages emblems in Diablo 4 Season 12

Paid premium cosmetics

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