Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott replacement could be a retired all-time great
The Cowboys have yet to secure a suitable Ezekiel Elliott replacement. Could this future Hall-of-Famer back be in the mix?He was born and raised in Texas, he's impressed Jerry Jones, and he's not done playing in the NFL just yet. Former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson se...
2023-05-24 06:57
Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier
Roberto De Zerbi revealed Lewis Dunk has played through the pain barrier to aid Brighton’s European quest as he backed his captain for an England recall. Seagulls centre-back Dunk has been ever-present in the Premier League this campaign but could begin on the bench against champions Manchester City on Wednesday evening due to ongoing calf and back issues. Albion boss De Zerbi admits the 31-year-old took time to adapt to his high-intensity, possession-based style of play after he replaced Graham Potter in September. Yet the Italian says influential leader Dunk has since cemented his status as a guaranteed starter and “deserves” another shot at international football. “At first it was not so easy for him to understand my idea but he gave me total availability,” said De Zerbi. “I would like him to be more open because he doesn’t speak a lot but he’s an example inside of the dressing room, inside of the pitch. “He’s playing with a lot of problems because he has calf and back problems but he is playing every game. “Tomorrow he can start on the bench but I don’t know because if he can play with me in Brighton, he has to play always.” England manager Gareth Southgate will on Wednesday name his squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. Dunk was capped by Southgate in a 3-0 friendly win over the United States in November 2018 but has not featured again for his country. “He deserves to play in the national team,” said De Zerbi. “It’s not my work to decide the players of the national team but for us it should be a target. “I hope he can play in the national team.” Brighton secured continental football next term with two games to spare thanks to Sunday’s 3-1 win over relegated Southampton. Sixth-placed Albion will almost certainly be in the Europa League due to their healthy goal difference but need one more point to banish any prospect of having to settle for the Europa Conference League. De Zerbi has warned the Seagulls must improve their squad during the summer in order to avoid potentially following divisional rivals Leicester and West Ham in slipping from European contenders to relegation candidates. The Foxes are on the brink of falling into the Sky Bet Championship after playing in Europe during the previous two seasons, while David Moyes’ Europa Conference League finalists were in danger of the drop for much of this campaign. “I push with Tony (Bloom, Brighton owner) to improve the squad every day,” said De Zerbi. “I don’t want my club to spend too much money but we have to improve. To compete in four competitions, we have to improve and know the situation. “Leicester, West Ham this year explain the Premier League. “If you don’t improve year by year you can find a surprise the year after because our achievement this year is not important for the next year. “Next year we will start not in sixth position, we start level with the other teams.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Let’s do it – Pep Guardiola wants PL charges dealt with as soon as possible Test ‘addict’ Stuart Broad relishing latest battle with David Warner Players and officials call for racism to be tackled as LaLiga action resumes
2023-05-24 05:51
Let’s do it – Pep Guardiola wants PL charges dealt with as soon as possible
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for more than 100 Premier League charges levelled against the club for alleged financial regularities to be resolved immediately. City were referred to an independent commission in February over alleged rule breaches between 2009 and 2018, with the Premier League also accusing City of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018. The sheer scale of the charges, which the club strongly deny, and the magnitude of the implications if found guilty suggest it is a case which will drag on for months, possibly years. However, Guardiola does not want a cloud hanging over his side’s remarkable achievements and wants a resolution as soon as possible. But the Catalan, who has a contract until 2025, stressed he would not walk away from the club while potential sanctions remain. “I will stay next season while there are 110 breaches against us,” said Guardiola, who when asked whether he could extend three or four years beyond that added: “No, no, no. These two are enough. “What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible, then if we have done something wrong everybody will know it. “And if, we are like we believe as a club for many years, in the right way then the people will stop talking about that. “We would love it tomorrow, this afternoon better than tomorrow. “Hopefully they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best because in the end I know fairly what we won we won on the pitch and we don’t have any doubts. “We accept it is there. If it happened it happened. (But) let’s go, 24 hours sit down and lawyers present. Don’t wait two years. Why don’t we do it quicker? “Let’s have it as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone. We want to defend our principles and if people doubt, OK, let’s go, let’s do it as soon as possible please.” The alleged breaches concern the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations. The club are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018. What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible, then if we have done something wrong everybody will know it Pep Guardiola City have just won a fifth title in six seasons, and have won it seven times since 2011, and are chasing a treble with FA Cup and Champions League finals to come, but while the charges still loom large over the club Guardiola is not close to losing his hunger to win more domestic titles. “Introduce me to a manager who doesn’t want to win. I’m scared to lose, I don’t want to be criticised, I want respect from my players,” he added. “What we say, what we do, is to win. I accept my defeats because I always accept that the opponents can be better and beat us. “So when people say we failed or lost it is like the others are s***. But the others can be good and beat us. It’s like ignoring the other ones. “When people say now that next season just Manchester City can win the Premier league they are stupid comments. “Next season will be tough because all clubs want to beat us. That is the challenge. Next season we defend our crown, it belongs to us for one year and we will work for it. “If they (rivals) want it they have to do it better than us. But if it happens, we will congratulate them. “United can beat us (in the FA Cup). Inter can beat us. They have three Champions Leagues, we don’t have any, but we have to do our best to try to avoid it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier Test ‘addict’ Stuart Broad relishing latest battle with David Warner Players and officials call for racism to be tackled as LaLiga action resumes
2023-05-24 05:49
Jets finally run out of fake buzz words to describe the Aaron Rodgers experience
Aaron Rodgers has turned the New York Jets' team facility into a redundant cliche factory, bro!Who knew that Aaron Rodgers joining the New York Jets would transform Gang Green into the Butch Jones era of Tennessee Volunteers football overnight?!While it is a big deal to have a future fi...
2023-05-24 05:28
Did Derek Carr just take a shot at the Raiders?
Saints quarterback Derek Carr wants the Raiders to know he's thriving on his new team. Nothing but winning vibes here.Derek Carr joined the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason and hasn't looked back since. Well, he's looked back a few times to flip the bird to his old team, ...
2023-05-24 04:46
Braves Rumors: Marcell Ozuna drama, Freddie Freeman nostalgia, a trade holdup
When can we stop asking Freddie Freeman about the Braves?Alright, it's been fun. I have thrived on the Atlanta Braves-Freddie Freeman content perhaps more than anyone else in sports media, but it's been over a year since he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Isn't it time to move ...
2023-05-24 03:55
Is LeBron James going to retire? Deciphering everything he said after Game 4's loss
Lakers star LeBron James has the world holding its breath waiting for his next career move. Will he stay in LA, switch teams, or retire?It took 192 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers to get knocked out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.Time of death: Monday night, May 23, 2023.It too...
2023-05-24 03:48
Oh, honey: No one told Davis Mills why the Texans took C.J. Stroud
Davis Mills seems to think the Houston Texans have two quarterbacks, and not just C.J. Stroud.Eventually, someone will have to tell Davis Mills why the Houston Texans drafted C.J. Stroud.The former five-star quarterback coming out of high school played precisely 14 games for the Stanford Car...
2023-05-24 03:25
Players and officials call for racism to be tackled as LaLiga action resumes
LaLiga players and officials called for racism to be tackled in Spain as the competition resumed in the wake of the latest Vinicius Junior incident. Before Tuesday night’s game between Celta Vigo and Girona, players from both sides, as well as the match officials, stood behind a banner which read “Racism, out of football”. LaLiga shared the pre-match clip on its official Twitter account with the hashtag #JUNTOSContraElRacismo (#TOGETHERagainstRacism). The footage also showed a supporter holding up a placard with ‘No Al Racismo’ (No to Racism) written on it. Play on the field resumed after a turbulent weekend when Real Madrid forward Vinicius was allegedly subjected to racist chants during Sunday’s game at Valencia and later claimed it was an example of “continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain”. LaLiga will request greater jurisdiction to punish clubs whose fans are guilty of racist abuse after feeling “powerless” at the lack of current sanctions in the wake of the latest Vinicius incident. According to the country’s law, LaLiga can currently only identify and report incidents, and punishment is rarely handed out. Now it wants legislation changing so that it has the power to impose punishment such as forcing games to be played behind closed doors or financial penalties. This comes on the day four people were arrested in Spain under suspicion of hanging an effigy of Vinicius off a bridge in January. An inflatable doll dressed in a Vinicius shirt was hung from the railings with a banner that read ‘Madrid hates Real Madrid’ ahead of Real’s Copa del Rey game with city rivals Atletico at the start of the year. And Spanish police confirmed on Tuesday that four suspects had been apprehended. They tweeted: “Arrested in #Madrid 4 people who allegedly hung a mannequin with the #Vinicius shirt on a bridge near the Ciudad Deportiva del @realmadrid.” The Brazil international threatened to leave the pitch in the second half after being subjected to alleged monkey chants at the Mestalla. Real Madrid said the abuse constituted a “hate crime” and filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office. Valencia on Tuesday confirmed that police have identified three fans suspected of racial abuse, but denied their fanbase is racist. In a statement, the club said: “The match against Real Madrid was broadcast live and it is totally false that the entire stadium was shouting racist remarks. “There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation in the last few days. Valencia demand a responsible and serious approach to the matter. “This is a very sensitive issue and everyone must remain factual. We cannot accept the labelling of Valencia fans as racist. It is not true. We call for respect. “Racism has no place in football or in our society. Valencia strongly condemn racism.” Vinicius tweeted on Monday night: “Every round away from home is an unpleasant surprise. And there were many this season. Death wishes, hanged doll, many criminal screams… All registered. These are not isolated cases. They are continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain (and even in a television programme). Vinicius Junior “But the speech always falls on ‘isolated cases’, ‘a fan’. No, these are not isolated cases. They are continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain (and even in a television programme). “The evidence is there in the video. Now I ask: how many of these racists had names and photos exposed on websites? I answer to make it easier: zero. None to tell a sad story or make those fake public apologies. “What is missing to criminalise these people? And punish clubs sportingly? Why don’t sponsors charge LaLiga? Don’t televisions bother to broadcast this barbarity every weekend? “The problem is very serious and communications no longer work. Not blaming me to justify criminal acts either. You are not football, you are inhuman.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Newcastle celebrate Champions League qualification – Tuesday’s sporting social Jack Draper ‘in a good place’ after another win in Lyon St Helens’ Morgan Knowles urged to improve discipline after latest ban
2023-05-24 03:17
Kyler Murray turning around unfair 'lazy' reputation
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been working hard to get back into physical and mental game-ready form.Kyler Murray's homework may finally be paying off. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback is reportedly progressing well ever since he tore his ACL in his right knee late last season....
2023-05-24 02:53
NFL announces a major rule change and warns more are coming
The NFL owners are just making up rules on the fly as they go without any repercussions at all.At some point, we need to ask ourselves if the NFL owners actually think the product they are putting forth is a good one...This is the most wonderful time of the year where the 31 owners, plus wha...
2023-05-24 02:24
Pacers 2023 offseason primer: Targets, outgoing free agents, trades, draft needs and more
The Indiana Pacers have some strong pieces in place but need to make the most of offseason trades, free agency and the NBA Draft to take the next step.The Indiana Pacers got off to a surprisingly hot start to the 2022-23 season, putting up a 12-9 record and positive point differential through th...
2023-05-24 02:23