PFL Charlotte sent fans home sleepy on Friday night.
Making his sophomore appearance in the promotion, Charlotte's own Bryan Battle entered the cage to take on Dalton Rosta. The middleweight main event ended somewhat controversially, as the hometown middleweight Battle (13-3, 1 NC) came out the victor via a lackluster split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Rosta (11-4) started the early goings of the bout with some strong leg kicks early, chopping at Battle's upright stance. That appeared to be a great recipe for success until it was entirely abandoned for a big Rosta body-lock takedown. Control didn't last for Rosta, as Battle defended well, pushing down Rosta's hands as he stood and walked around the cage wall. That was effectively where the rest of the round was spent until the 30-second mark. Some strikes were attempted between the two, leading to a failed late Battle double leg.
The second frame saw Battle get more aggressive, seeking long punches until Rosta worked his legs with kicks again. Those shots forced Battle to switch stance, and allowed Rosta to pursue another takedown. The remainder of the round was largely "highlighted" with more wall control exchanges and minimal strikes interjected.
Round 3 saw Battle tied up within the first minute to land some elbows and punches against the cage. Rosta started to land some punches at range once separated, and it was right back to failed takedown attempts and cage control in arguably the most forgettable fight of the year.

#cage #control #started

Lorenzo Pellegrini will rejoin Roma today.
After a long and unusual wait of over a month, the number 7 will return to Trigoria today for at least a year.
A medical appointment was scheduled for this morning at the Campus Biomedico, followed by the signing and official confirmation of the contract renewal, strongly supported by Gasperini, in the afternoon.
It's clear that if it were up to the owners, Pellegrini's contract would not have been renewed.
The club's resistance has led to a prolonged stalemate, with even the final details of the new contract being tweaked.

#roma

Any reports that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce came into camp with a "dad bod" are false, according to head coach Andy Reid and former NFL star Robert Griffin III.
RGIII addressed the rumor on his podcast "Outta Pocket."
"First of all, it's a bad camera angle," Griffin said. "Hey homie, Travis, come on, you know I got your back. That's a bad camera angle. He got the jersey up here, you know, it's kind of making the shirt kind of bubble up a little bit. That makes it look worse than it was. It was AI."
RGIII also added that even if some players arrive overweight, the long season gets them back in shape.
"He's using training camp to get in shape. And not just get in shape, but be prepared to be the best version of himself come Week 1, all the way through the season. They're not preparing to have just a 17-18-week season. They're preparing to go all the way to the Super Bowl every single time they step out on the field."

#shape

Napoli are prepared to cash in on Rafa Marín, with two foreign clubs monitoring the Spanish defender as the reigning champions reshape their backline.
According to AreaNapoli, relaying transfer journalist Nicolò Schira, Marín is "edging closer" to an exit, with a pair of overseas sides having already registered their interest.
The willingness to sell is tied directly to Napoli's incoming business: the club have reached a broad agreement with Chelsea to sign Benoît Badiashile on a loan with an option to buy, handing Massimiliano Allegri a centre-back of international pedigree.
CREMONA, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Arayik Eloyan of Armenia fights with Cher Ndour and Luca Marianucci of Italy during the UEFA Euro U21 Qualification match between Italy and Armenia at Stadio Giovanni Zini on October 14, 2025 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)
On the face of it, letting Marín go looks a gamble given Napoli's crowded treatment room. Alessandro Buongiorno is sidelined until January, while Sam Beukema is racing to be fit for the second league match, against Como. Yet the emergence of another option has changed the calculation.

#october #armenia

Pakistan avoided a series defeat by beating the West Indies by eight wickets in the second Test in Port of Spain on Wednesday. The win ended Pakistan's eight-match losing streak in away Tests and gave them their first Test victory outside home in three years.

The two-match series finished 1-1 after the West Indies had won the first Test by 90 runs.

It was Pakistan's first away Test win since July 2023, when they defeated Sri Lanka under Babar Azam's captaincy. Since then, Pakistan went through several changes in coaches, selectors and captains, with Babar stepping down from the role twice. This time, the combination of captain Babar Azam and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed helped Pakistan return to winning ways overseas.

Pakistan chased down the target of 75 runs on the fourth morning, reaching 77/2 shortly after the first session. Abdullah Shafique, who scored a century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 24, while captain Babar Azam also finished unbeaten on 24.

Earlier, Pakistan bowled out the West Indies for 117 in their second innings inside the first half-hour of play on a wearing Queen's Park Oval pitch. Off-spinner Sajid Khan took 4/32 and left-arm spinner Ali Usman claimed 4/39 as the pair shared eight wickets.

The West Indies began the day on 106/3 with a lead of 60 runs, but their lower order could not add much. Ali Usman dismissed Kemar Roach and Shamar Joseph, while Justin Greaves, the last recognised batter, added only two runs before playing Mohammad Ali's delivery back onto his stumps while attempting a cross-batted shot.

The West Indies were also without opener Brandon King in the second innings. He could not bat because of a back injury suffered on Day 3 when he ran out Babar Azam with a direct hit from short cover.

Pakistan's previous away Test win had also come under Babar Azam against Sri Lanka in 2023. During Shan Masood's time as captain, Pakistan lost 3-0 in Australia, 2-0 in South Africa and 2-0 in Bangladesh.

Masood was removed as captain after Pakistan's poor run in Test cricket. Babar returned to the role but Pakistan lost the first Test against the West Indies in Tarouba, which became their eighth consecutive away Test defeat before bouncing back in Port of Spain.

The victory also changed the standings in the World Test Championship. Pakistan moved up to eighth place with 22.22% of points after two wins and four defeats in six matches. The West Indies dropped to ninth with 20.83% of points after two wins in 12 matches.

#test #Pakistan #babar #azam

Stephen Nedoroscik, who turns 28 on Oct. 28, says he'll keep being Pommel Horse Guy in competition as long as his body allows.
"Though recently it's been giving me fuss," he said last week in an emailed response to questions.
Nedoroscik is one of two members of the 2024 Olympic bronze-medal-winning men's team in the field for this week's Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix.
2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships: How to watch, schedule, field, preview
The nation's top gymnasts compete in Phoenix, live on NBC Sports and Peacock.

#stephen #pommel #though

The Chicago Bears are back on the practice field at Halas Hall on Tuesday for their sixth training camp practice of the summer, where's there's been plenty of notable headlines and standouts.
With media and fans in attendance, there's plenty to keep an eye on during Tuesday's practice, which marks the second padded workout of the summer.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is entering his third season with high expectations after a breakout sophomore campaign. He'll lead what was one of the NFL's best offenses from a season ago, where weapons Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland and Zavion Thomas present unlimited opportunities in the passing game. There are also a number of position battles underway, including at nickel cornerback, left tackle and long snapper.
Here are some live updates from those in attendance at Day 6 of Bears training camp:
Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. CT. Reports from practice below! Stay tuned for post-practice coverage.

#plenty #season #halas

"The Notorious" is going under the knife.
It has been just over three weeks since former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two-division champion Conor McGregor finally returned to competition against Max Holloway at UFC 329, highly-anticipated comeback lasted just 69 seconds.
McGregor injured his knee in "Sin City" and was unable to continue, bringing his long-awaited return to a brutal and disappointing end (watch it).
It was later revealed that McGregor tore his ACL and meniscus at UFC 329, putting him on the shelf for roughly one year and requiring surgery.
Well, McGregor announced today (Mon., Aug. 3, 2026) that he is officially headed under the knife.

#mcgregor #city

Day 5 of Indianapolis Colts' training camp practices will begin on Monday at 10:00 AM ET.
There will certainly be plenty to watch for over the next month of practices and preseason games, with playing time and roster spots up for grabs at several position groups as the Colts enter a now-or-never season, and GM Chris Ballard knows it.
We will update this article as Monday's practice unfolds.
2 Colts' training camp battles not gaining traction early on (Link)
Colts' coach shares early impression of Day 3 draft pick in training camp (Link)

#camp #link #Monday #Ballard

Spain's LaLiga president Javier Tebas has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to quit over the World Cup investor affair and other leadership issues.
"INFANTINO MUST NOT CONTINUE," he said on X late Saturday. "That FIFA has withdrawn its proposal to privatise its competitions is good news. But it would be a grave mistake to think that this has resolved the governance problem.
"The confederations, ******* ociations, leagues, players... should not settle for this withdrawal and consider the matter closed. The issue is much deeper," he said.
Infantino said early Saturday that the plan allowing private investors to buy stakes in a new company overseeing FIFA's commercial rights and tournament operations was stopped.
The decision came after a fierce backlash culminating in UEFA's threat to boycott FIFA events if the scheme became reality, and rejections from other confederations meant that Infantino had no majority for the plans.

#president

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Sarah Hodel and Rachel Koehler arrived at Robin Roberts Stadium more than four hours before the first game of the Women's Professional Baseball League. Once inside, Hodel stopped periodically for pictures as she walked along the concourse.
She wanted to savor every moment.
"Back in high school I was on my speech team and my informative speech was on women in baseball," said Hodel, a 43-year-old athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota. "So as soon as I saw this happening a couple years ago it was my goal to come."
That moment finally arrived on Saturday night, when Mo'ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens took on Denae Benites and the New York Heights in a rainy debut for the first women's professional baseball league in the United States in almost 30 years.
"Growing up I played softball," said Koehler, 33, of St. Paul, Minnesota. "I wanted to play baseball because going professional was always like the dream, but there (were) no opportunities. ... So now that that's actually an opportunity and something that girls can look up to I think is amazing."

#Baseball #hodel #koehler

Victor Wembanyama's unselfish choice has Dylan Harper calling him 'the most genuine person ever' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs reached the NBA Finals this past season behind All-NBA center and unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama. After witnessing his rapid rise to superstardom, the Spurs wasted no time rewarding him with a massive contract extension.
The deal came at a discount, as Wembanyama was eligible to sign an extension worth more than $300 million. Instead, he accepted a smaller figure to provide San Antonio with greater financial flexibility.
Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama earned widespread praise for the decision. Recently, Spurs rising star Dylan Harper shared his thoughts on Wembanyama and his willingness to take less than the maximum extension.
"I feel like for a 22-year-old, he's probably one of the best leaders I've been around, just the way he carries himself, his maturity, from top to bottom, whether it's basketball treatment, in the weight room, personal life," Harper said.

#victor #dylan

The Lobos' fall camp schedule is out.
New Mexico released dates and times for 13 practices over the next month, starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the practice fields adjacent to the Tow Diehm Athletic Facility.
Practices are open to the public at no charge. UNM is asking fans in attendance to not film practice and to sit in the stands when a session is in University Stadium.
The full schedule, with dates and times:
*

#practices #diehm

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams was a second-team All-Pro honoree in 2025, but his status as a top five player at the position was not solidified in AP's positional rankings this year.
The ****** ociated Press released their interior defensive linemen rankings on this summer, with Williams being left out of the top five, though he received votes.
Williams had a strong season in 2025 where he registered seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits on the year. He helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl at the end of the previous season.
The 32-year-old plays with the speed and ability to get through opposing teams' guards and centers with superb technique that distinguishes him from his peers in the league. He is primed to have a strong season once again with the Seahawks in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks star Leonard Williams left off AP preseason IDL rankings

#left

The following article contains a discussion of suicide.
Each day Mark Beard spends in recovery is a reminder of what could have been. He is living a version of the future that his brother, the late former Liverpool Women manager Matt Beard, could have had.
Mark is a professional development coach at Premier League club Hull City. His brother Matt was a revered women's football coach synonymous with Liverpool, where he won back-to-back Women's Super League ***** les in 2013 and 2014 before returning to guide them back into the top flight in 2022. He also led West Ham Women to an unlikely FA Cup final, was twice voted WSL manager of the season and was posthumously inducted into the league's Hall of Fame this year.
Matt died at the age of 47 last September. The inquest into his death is not concluded, but a coroner's court was told that he took his own life.
In the months after Matt's death, Mark went to Sporting Chance, the residential treatment facility and mental health clinic founded by former ***** nal and England captain Tony Adams to help professional sportspeople. Mark checked himself in to address the drinking that had spiralled out of control as he faced the reality of life without Matt.

#Liverpool #former

What's the deal between Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and his good friend Brandon Aiyuk?
It's been a wild summer for Aiyuk, the disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver who has made it clear how much he wants to play for the Commanders and reunite with Daniels, his former college teammate. Unfortunately for Aiyuk, he remains under contract with the 49ers and on the reserve/left squad list. He has yet to apply for reinstatement with the NFL and has made it clear that he does not plan to report to San Francisco.
That hasn't stopped him from reportedly buying a home near the Commanders' training facility in Ashburn. Or continuing to wear Commanders' gear on social media, and texting reporters that he was the "final piece" for the 2026 Commanders. But there was a speed ****** p along the way in his relationship with Daniels.
Earlier in the month, while Daniels was at a World Cup game in Los Angeles, a 49ers fan yelled at Daniels about Aiyuk. Daniels simply laughed it off. That apparently didn't sit well with Aiyuk, who criticized his good friend the next day, leading the two to unfollow one another on Instagram.
That led to some Washington fans wildly thinking that Daniels was colluding with Aiyuk in some social media game. That's just not Daniels' style.

#friend #made

Roberto De Zerbi has told Lucas Bergvall he must show the "right spirit" if he wants to stay at Tottenham amid speculation linking the midfielder with a move away from the club.
The uncertainty comes after Bergvall made his first pre-season start in Spurs' 1-1 draw with Sydney FC on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old endured a challenging 2025-26 campaign, making only 17 starts and frequently playing out of his preferred position. This summer has seen further competition arrive in the centre of midfield with the big-money signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
It is understood that bids from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle for Bergvall this month have been rejected. However, the midfielder could still depart Tottenham before the transfer window closes, driven by his desire for regular first-team football in the upcoming season.
Despite De Zerbi speaking positively about the Swedish international staying at Spurs after the Sydney draw, an element of the unknown persists regarding immediate plans for Bergvall.

#TOTTENHAM

SEATTLE (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 32 points, Kelsey Mitchell added 28 and the Indiana Fever won their fourth straight game, beating the Seattle Storm 105-95 on Tuesday night.
Clark and Mitchell took over for Indiana (18-10) after Aliyah Boston took a hard fall and had to exit in the second quarter with a lower-leg injury. Boston had 11 points and did not return, but wasn't ruled out.
Clark went 9 for 14 with four 3-pointers, made all 10 of her free throws and added seven ****** ists. It was the ninth time she has scored 30-plus points with five-plus ****** ists. It has happened only eight other times in the team's history.
Mitchell has scored 20-plus points for a franchise-record 12th straight game, tied for the third-longest streak in league history.
Monique Billings had 14 points and 11 rebounds to help Indiana top 100 points for a league-record 12th time this season. Sophie Cunningham scored 11.

#scored #plus #straight

HNB are reporting that Antwerp are considering bringing former QPR striker Michael Frey back to the club. The Swiss forward enjoyed a prolific time with the Belgian side but left during their **** le winning season after being replaced by Vincent Janssen. However, his move to QPR didn't go as planned and after a few months back in Switzerland he is now a free agent. Janssen has since departed Antwerp and the side could certainly do with having an experienced physical presence like Frey up front. It is not clear yet whether or not Frey is open to the return, given he did not leave Antwerp on the best of terms.
After coming through with Young Boys, Frey moved to Lille in 2014. After just 21 games and three goals, with a loan spell back in Switzerland with Luzern, he returned to Young Boys in 2016. Spells with FC Zurich and Fenerbahce followed, as well as a loan to FC Nurnberg, but Frey could not replicate the success he had had in Swiss football. That was until he joined Beveren, then Waasland-Beveren, on loan for the 2020/2021 season. Despite the sides relegation from the Pro League, Frey impressed with 17 goals in 31 games.
The following season Antwerp brought Frey to Belgium permanently. Frey enjoyed a fantastic first season with the club, scoring 24 goals in 46 games. However, after nine goals in 23 games the following season, Frey wanted to leave, with Janssen having taken his starting spot. Frey joined Schalke 04 initially on loan for the back end of the 2022/2023 season, but failed to score in 15 appearances.
In January of 2024 he left Antwerp permanently, joining QPR. After one goal in nine games, Frey entered the 2024/2025 season hoping to push on. He had a decent if not spectacular first full season for QPR, with nine goals in 31 games. However, he fell down the pecking order and after 13 games without a goal left to join Grasshopper back in Switzerland. Frey ended last season with the Zurich based side, scoring two goals in 16 games.
GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson

#season #games #however #loan

Where will you finish in the league and why?
I don't take too much interest in the League Cup group stages and will judge the team after the first round of games. Saying that though, there is no reason why we can't make top half. A lot of teams have weakened over the summer and consistency will be key, I'll go with sixth.
Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?
Goalkeeper Toby Steward, who we had on loan last season, had more clean sheets than anyone in the country and I was buzzing that he's continuing to gain experience with us again this season.
What do you want from your manager this season?

#saying #goalkeeper

I remember, when I was young and playing sports, the parents, who we called coaches, said 'give 110%'. Well, you can't/shouldn't do it all the time. You go all out, you are likely to injury something,
Addison Barger is going to have season ending elbow surgery. He'll either have Tommy John or an internal brace surgery. Either way, he's likely to be out until the start of the 2027 season. If it is Tommy John, he'll likely miss the first part of the season.
Apparently, his elbow had been bothering him for a while, then he threw that 101.2 mph throw to get Jorge Soler at the plate on May 9th.
All the best in your recovery Addison.
Tonight's game is only on Apple. 7:15 start time.

#either

The 49ers have often entered training camp with four quarterbacks under Kyle Shanahan. Last year, it was Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke, Tanner Mordecai, and Carter Bradley. There was an extra quarterback in the fold with Rourke recovering from a knee injury.
The previous August, it was Purdy, Mordecai, Brandon Allen, and Josh Dobbs. In August 2023, It was Purdy, Allen, Sam Darnold, and Trey Lance.
The 49ers have four arms on the roster currently, with Purdy, Jones, Rourke, and Adrian Martinez. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Niners will work out former UFL MVP Jack Plummer for the Orlando Storm. Plummer led the league with 2,188 yards and had 17 touchdowns with only one interception in 10 games. Plummer went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but was waived by the Carolina Panthers last August during roster cuts.
The 49ers might want to give Brock Purdy rest during the next month, or need a quarterback to throw late in preseason games. To me, the team working out a quarterback is a sign they want to upgrade from Martinez. Plummer’s stat line would suggest he is the kind of quarterback Shanahan would gravitate toward.

#Purdy #brock #jones #mordecai

Mid-Illini Conference football is coming to Dozer Park.
Morton and Metamora will play their Week 9 league game on Friday, Oct. 16 at the home of the Peoria Chiefs. This game was originally scheduled to be played at Carper Field in Morton.
However, Potters coach Adam O'Neill announced the venue change via social media on Thursday, July 23 with a graphic ******* led, 'Dozer Dust Up.'
"Excited news for the pottersfootball," he posted. "Week 9 we will be playing at Dozer Field in Peoria"
More: The top high school football teams in Illinois for 2026, according to the Massey Ratings

#illini

There has been a school of thought that Bronny James doesn't have a future with the Los Angeles Lakers and that it is virtually a lock that the 21-year-old guard will be traded to the team his father, LeBron, signs with in free agency this summer.
But Dan Woike of The Athletic recently wrote that the younger James is well-liked within the organization and that "assumptions that the father and son staying linked going forward are false." On top of that report, Khobi Price of the California Post went on "Brock & Alex" of 97.1 The Fan LA and said that it would take "something real" for Los Angeles to want to trade the younger James (h/t BasketNews).
"If LeBron chooses X team, what if X team is willing to send the Lakers, I don't know, a second-round pick for Bronny James? That would automatically make Bronny James the most likely player to go there. Now, what I want to make clear is that the Lakers are more than happy to keep Bronny James," the Lakers reporter said.
"They drafted him in the second round two years ago, they developed him, and they're a fan of him. He has a lot of people who like him within the building. So, it's not going to be one of those situations where they're just going to send Bronny to wherever LeBron goes. It would take something real for the Lakers to want to trade him."
The University of Southern California product showed a bit of improvement this past season, which was his second in the NBA, and averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 ******* ists in 8.9 minutes a game. He shot 38.6% from 3-point range versus 28.1% as a rookie, and after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries in early April, he had a few decent outings off the bench.

#lebron #angeles

For almost five hours, the clock — metaphorically — threatened to strike midnight on the Dayton Dragons many times.
They trailed 6-0, 7-3 and 13-10.
But, at 11:59 p.m., the Dragons escaped midnight and defeat by putting the ball in play. Jacob Friend lofted a fly ball to deep left field, sending Julio Carreras home for the tie-breaking run and a 14-13 victory over Cedar Rapids with few left to witness it at Day Air Ballpark.
“It’s always fun to be the guy,” said Friend who was mobbed by teammates behind first base. “The goal there is just to pass it to the next guy. So that’s what we were trying to do. I just got in the air enough.”
Ninety-nine percent of the fans who were in the stadium for the first pitch cleared out after a one hour and 29-minute rain delay in the middle of the seventh inning. To be fair to those who left, the Dragons trailed 12-10. They had seen their money’s worth for seven innings, but they sure missed a lot in the final three and a half innings.

#first

Hello! I'm Jon. When Alex and I were piecing together the script for "The History of the Seattle Mariners" way back in 2019, our short Lenny Randle segment went through a couple of revisions. Although he only spent a small fraction of his career in Seattle, Lenny established himself as a Mariners legend, and we had to rein ourselves in from writing an extensive tangent covering his entire story.
It took us long enough, but six-plus years later, Lenny finally gets his own Secret Base video. Time and again, he found himself standing center stage during baseball's oddest, most chaotic scenes. Sometimes he just happened to be there and passively observed the ruckus. Other times, he conjured it himself. Since "The History of Charging the Mound" is, above all else, a story about baseball chaos, it was inevitable that he'd find himself here.
Hope you enjoy his story as much as I did. As always, if you want more from this series, or more special projects like this, and get them as soon as they're ready – check out Secret Base on Patreon. If you're a member over there, then you would've gotten to see an uncensored ******* in this video. Best sales pitch we've got.

#story #history #alex

Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about giving his take.
The star of ESPN's "First Take" was spared from the network's latest round of layoffs, but some of his colleagues weren't so lucky. That includes Ryan Clark, the former NFL safety who was a regular guest on "First Take" and a prominent figure in ESPN's NFL coverage.
It was news that came as a shock to most, including Smith, who voiced his displeasure with the company's decision on his YouTube channel on July 21.
"It hurts. It really does," Smith said. "I understand the business. I understand layoffs come. I understand that there have been other names that have been a part of it in the past and there's going to be names in the future. ***** , one of them might be mine."
Smith referred to Clark on multiple occasions as someone he considers to be "arguably the best NFL ***** yst in America."

#names #youtube

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians' (MI) top brass will meet in England next week to thoroughly review the previous season and make key decisions for the road ahead. It is understood that everything, from captaincy to coaching to trade talk, will be on the table when the management, including the ownership, reviews head coach Mahela Jayawardene's post-season report.

While the dressing room unrest and trade talk involving Hardik Pandya have hogged most of the limelight, Jayawardene's return to the set-up has slipped under the radar. Under the 49-year-old, the five-time champions finished fourth in 2025 and a disappointing ninth in the 2026 edition. It remains to be seen whether he holds on to his position as the franchise aims to press the reset ******* on in the hope of returning to its glory days.

As TimesofIndia.com reported, there is a lot of interest in a Hardik Pandya trade, and clarity will emerge after the MI season review. The franchise's position will be key, and it will be interesting to see how they position themselves to get the best out of the deal. The trade talk is unlikely to be restricted to just the all-rounder, as another former India captain's name has also generated interest among franchises.

Bumrah or Tilak?
Apart from the coaching and trade talk, Mumbai Indians need to figure out their captain for the 2027 edition. They are known to be a unit that doesn't believe in stop-gap arrangements, so the direction they take next week will be very crucial. Will they choose Jasprit ******* rah or invest in the young Tilak Varma, who is also rising on the India leadership ladder?

Bumrah is a strong candidate and has hardly missed games for the team over the last three seasons. While Tilak is young, his returns with the bat have been far from consistent. Some believe he is still a work in progress as a T20 batter, and captaincy will only weigh him down.

The 32-year-old, who made his Mumbai Indians captaincy debut in the IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings in the absence of both regular captain Hardik Pandya and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav, hinted at his captaincy ambitions.

"I didn't think that I would be a Test captain before becoming MI captain," he had said at the toss.

Bumrah has led India in Test cricket and captained the team to a win over Australia in Perth in the first of five Tests during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Not to forget, ******* rah was the franchise's highest-paid retention ahead of the mega auction in November 2024.
132408152
So, is ******* rah the best bet for at least the 2027 season before the overhaul happens in the next cycle?

Surely, that's not the only tough call the decision-makers will make when they ******* emble.

Dan Hooker would like to see Conor McGregor close out his career in the ring.
McGregor (22-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) injured his right knee just 69 seconds into his rematch against Max Holloway (28-9 MMA, 24-9 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 329 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He is set to undergo surgery for what is suspected to be a torn ACL.
With McGregor sustaining another injury after a five-year layoff from a broken left leg, Hooker wonders if his body can handle competing in MMA anymore. He sees boxing as a better option for "The Notorious."
"I feel like we're just as excited to see Conor McGregor box one of these big-name guys for $100 million as we were before that fight," Hooker told Submission Radio. "To force him to squeeze out one more MMA fight where maybe his body can't – obviously boxing is a very difficult sport, but it's far less taxing all over on your body. I feel like boxers sustain a lot more head trauma than MMA fighters do, just the bigger gloves and just the duration of you're fighting 12 three-minute rounds with the cushioned gloves.
"I feel like they sustain a lot more head trauma, but I feel like all over the body, MMA's obviously a lot more taxing on your joints, and you get like niggly on all your ligaments and your knees, and you've got your back and your neck, and there's a lot more different places to get fatigued and get injured. So, it's just coming to a point now where maybe his body can't hold up in the MMA ***** e, and they should just let him box and earn some crazy money in his last couple of years of fighting."

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden gets past Chicago's Montez Sweat for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game on Jan. 10, 2026.
The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur.
Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.
Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC’s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
“No way you should lose games in this league when you’re up that much,” running back Josh Jacobs said.