Does the arrival of two goalkeepers at Newcastle this summer mean the end for Nick Pope?
If so, he has been a fantastic servant, but for some the writing has been on the wall for sometime.
Earlier this week, fans on this page said the 34-year-old's "days were always coming to an end" after "many blunders and bad judgement".
A criticism has been his tendency for erratic interventions outside of his penalty area. Notable instances have been a red card received against Liverpool for handling way outside the box, him being left stranded to concede a goal against Marseille in the Champions League, and bringing down ****** nal's Viktor Gyokeres towards the end of last season.
In October 2024, a Newcastle fan described him on these pages as a "calamity waiting to happen".

#newcastle #league

Sophie Cunningham sparked a debate about trans athletes in women's sports. It's been a hot topic in WNBA discourse for the past week, and now Stephen A. Smith has something to say.
The WNBA has recently become a bit of a battleground for a culture war issue. The Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham caused a stir when she spoke against trans athletes being allowed in women's sports.
This led to a cascading reaction. While many people agreed with Cunningham, many voiced their disagreement. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was prominent among the detractors.
As the controversy has raged on, more big names from around the sport have given their takes. And now Stephen A. Smith has gotten involved, calling Reeve out in the process.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

#sophie #smith #trans #many

The Atlanta Dream played host to the Las Vegas Aces on Monday night in a matchup of two teams firmly in the WNBA playoff picture entering the last two months of the regular season. The night was even more special for Atlanta as it celebrated "Barbie Night," which honored star forward Angel Reese, whose nickname is "Barbie."
Reese recently debuted her own signature Barbie doll with Mattel, featuring Reese's ponytail, pink nails, and an all-pink game-day look, and talked before the game about the importance of having a doll that young black dolls could play with.
"I didn't have a lot of dolls because I didn't have dolls that looked like me much, and that's why I kind of wanna really wanted to make sure this was super intentional," she said before the game.
Although the Dream lost in blowout fashion, with a final score of 109-87, Reese made sure to leave her mark on the floor. She finished the game with only a -3 +/- in a game Atlanta lost by 22 points, and scored 23 points of her own on an efficient 10-for-19 from the field, all while snagging 16 rebounds and making a massive impact defensively.
As great as she was, some fans were upset about one play involving Reese in the second half, as the game was starting to get out of hand. During the play in question, Reese inadvertently elbows Aces defender Stephanie Talbot in the face as she makes a move to the basket. Surprisingly, Talbot was called for the foul, and Reese stood over her and made the "and-1" gesture while Talbot held her face on the ground.

#aces

Within striking distance in the National League wild card race, the Pirates made a couple notable trades in the days and hours leading up to Monday's deadline.
The focus for the Pirates was clear; relief pitching, relief pitching and more relief pitching. In total, Pittsburgh made four trades over the last three days to completely revamp a bullpen that has been the team's Achilles' heel.
While the bullpen was correctly identified as the biggest need for the Pirates, they didn't address a couple other areas that they probably should have.
Overall, how did they do?
The Pirates made their first strike on Saturday, when they acquired veteran reliever Camilo Doval from the Yankees for a pair of prospects. I did a full trade ****** ysis (click here to read) on the deal, so I won't go too much into detail.

#bullpen

We're down to the final hours ahead of Monday's Major League Baseball trade deadline, with the clock ticking down to 6 p.m.
There will be no bigger deal today than the blockbuster trade sending Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, but there's plenty of intrigue remaining and difference-makers to be moved.
The San Francisco Giants' Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray are thought to be the top available players Monday, Arraez a three-time batting champion and Ray a former Cy Young winner. The New York Mets also have pieces to sell off, even after dealing Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays.
USA TODAY Sports will have live trade ******* ysis throughout deadline day:
Cubs receive: RHP Kevin Gausman

#down #deadline #Baseball #tarik

The Detroit Tigers reportedly explored a different path before sending Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to MoccBomb, Detroit pushed to acquire Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson in any potential Skubal deal. Milwaukee reportedly refused to include the young starter, leaving the Tigers to continue searching for a return built around a premium player.
"Sources: #tigers were insistent on landing #brewers Logan Henderson in any deal made for Tarik Skubal. #brewers didn't budge. Once #Dodgers came to the conclusion to move Hope they scratched him and traded him immediately as the main piece for Skubal. It was all but over for #brewers ."
Henderson would have given Detroit a controllable pitcher who has already produced impressive results in the majors.
The 24-year-old entered Sunday with a 5-1 record, 2.66 ERA and 0.909 WHIP across nine starts in 2026. He had struck out 54 batters while issuing only nine walks over 44 innings.

#skubal #milwaukee

Opinion rankings are just that: opinion, but there are trends with these things, and when it comes to stadium rankings of college football programs, Ohio Stadium (affectionately known as the Horseshoe), where Ohio State plays, is generally ranked pretty highly. The architecture, the updates, the history, and how loud it gets on the banks of the Olentangy all play into the atmosphere and the perception of a stadium.
The latest of these stadium rankings comes from our mothership, USA TODAY, and a panel of four writers that ranked the top 25 college football stadiums. Some leaned into the visual appeal, some into how hard it is to play, and some into tradition, but in the end, ten staff members came up with a comprehensive 25-stadium list, and Ohio Stadium is very high on the list as you'll see below.
We go through the stadiums with the top ten first, from ten down to No. 1, then the rest of the top 25. This list will differ based on who makes it and from what part of the country it is penciled in from, but this is a more national one starting with No. 10.
What USA TODAY says:
"Florida fans singing Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down' before the fourth quarter might be a new tradition. It's also peak college football. The Swamp can roar with the best of them, even if the Gators haven't matched their glory years in recent seasons. Consider last season: Florida went 4-2 at home, including an upset of Texas, and 0-6 away."

#rankings #college #opinion

Erling Haaland poses with Michael Jordan in post-World Cup highlight originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Erling Haaland is having an adventurous offseason that included posing for a photo with Michael Jordan.
The Norwegian footballer captivated fans throughout his World Cup performance on and off the field. Now that the World Cup is over, fans are still keeping up with Haaland's post-World Cup run.
Haaland posted a photo alongside Jordan on Instagram Friday, August 1. Fans loved that the two linked up and flooded Haaland's comment section.
"They making each other look like normal height," one fan wrote.

#jordan #erling #post #preferred

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers saw T.J. Watt take a few steps back last season. Well, the rest of the NFL apparently saw his regression, too.
On Friday, Watt was revealed as No. 41 in the peer-voted NFL Top 100 Players of 2026, falling 30 spots from his No. 11 placement in 2025.
In the hype video for the No. 41 selection, fellow NFL players complimented Watt's level of play, including guest speakers like Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, and Steelers teammate Alex Highsmith.
Watt didn't have the 2025 season he was hoping for after landing a historic $123 million extension with Pittsburgh, recording just seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 14 games.
Still, when healthy, Watt is capable of completely wrecking the game plan of opposing offenses and will be looking to turn back the clock in DC Patrick Graham's new defense.

#steelers #Friday

Xabi Alonso has backed Maxence Lacroix to become a leader at Chelsea, following his £52m arrival from Crystal Palace.
Lacroix hascompleted his move to Chelsea with the defender signing a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge. He becomes Chelsea's fourth signing of the summer and reinforces the Blues' backline under new head coach Alonso.
Alonso knows the 26-year-old from his time in the Bundesliga and has been impressed with Lacroix's rise since arriving in thePremier League two years ago.
The centre-back won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League at Palace, while breaking into the France national side.
Alonso has no doubts that Lacroix will become a central figure in his Chelsea side this season. Lacroix will link up with Chelsea following the club's return from a pre-season tour of Australia and Asia.

#side

Looney has spent many years trying to contain Doncic as a defender and it is something he is happy to not have to do this season. The Lakers center made it clear that he is very excited to be able to team with the superstar guard as opposed to trying to defend him. "Playing against him sucks, especially being a big man," Looney said on Mason & Ireland on ESPN LA Radio. "You're in a lot of pick-and-rolls, you're getting iso'd, he picks on people and you gotta guard him 1-on-1 and he's probably the toughest guy to guard 1-on-1 in the league. Got to compete against him on the Lakers and in the playoffs when he was in Dallas. "I'm excited to be on his team, be able to learn from him, be able to play pick-and-roll with him. He's probably the best pick-and-roll player in the league so being able to learn how he wants me to set screens and different things like that I'm excited about it. He's one of the best guys in the league and it makes my life a lot easier playing with him so I'm super excited."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Playing against him sucks, especially being a big …

#guard #looney

Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Arsenal target Eli Junior Kroupi is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a fractured foot, dealing a significant blow to both the player and Bournemouth ahead of the new season.
The 20-year-old sustained the injury during Bournemouth's pre-season trip to Austria before returning to England for treatment.
He underwent surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be out for between three and four months.
The setback comes after an impressive breakthrough campaign in which Kroupi scored 13 Premier League goals in his first full season in England (with five ****** ists).

#eddie #getty #arsenal #junior

Roma have been searching for a wing-back for quite some time, even more so after Zeki Celik's about-face, and they have recently been focusing their efforts on Ivan Fresneda, while Abde Ezzalzouli has emerged as a candidate to shore up their frontline, Alfredo Pedullà reports.
The Giallorossi have spoken with Sporting CP and the defender's camp three times recently. His valuation is around €17/18M plus hefty bonuses. They haven't decided to push for him for the time being, but he's one of the few players on their list. He headed to Portugal from Real Valladolid for €9M in 2023 and has racked up 81 appearances, scoring 4 goals and dishing out 3 **** ists.
In addition to tracking Fresneda, Roma poked around Ezzalzouli, but he's as pricey as their other offensive targets, some of whom have fallen through. He has hit the net 29 times and provided 18 helpers in 128 games with Real Betis. He has starred 37 times with Morocco.
The Giallorossi haven't given up on trying to acquire Antonio Nusa, but the negotiation is very complex. Instead, on the wing, they placed a small bid for Club America's Israel Reyes. They tendered €2.5M, while the counterparty asked for a lot more, €7M, Mexican publication Excelsior reports. He's been a stalwart for his current team for the past 5 seasons, featuring 146 times.
They need multiple wingbacks after the Celik fiasco and likely won't be able to splurge for two, especially since their interest in signing a big-ticket attacker hasn't waned despite capturing Santiago Castro. Wesley and Devyne Rensch's versatility gives them flexibility, but they should decide where they prefer using the former before adding.

#ezzalzouli

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane could be ready to kickstart contract discussions in just a matter of a few days — something that the majority of fans would welcome:
Bayern will open formal contract negotiations with Harry Kane at the beginning of August once he returns from vacation. The Englishman is currently Bayern's highest earner alongside Jamal Musiala with around €25m gross per year. Bayern typically aim to cut the salary of players over 30 year old, but with Kane a pay cut will certainly not be a topic. Kane received inquiries from other clubs, but for him it was always clear that Bayern is the perfect club for his career plans
The decisive question for the negotiations will be the new contract duration. Bayern will offer Kane a contract until at least 2029. Meanwhile, the striker is already aiming for the 2030 World Cup and wants to continue playing at the highest level until then. So the situation would be as follows: either a longer contract (until 2030) with a lower salary, or a shorter deal (2029) with a higher salary.
Surely, Bayern Munich will not want to create any ill-will with Kane, who will ***** uredly want a massive number and as long a deal as he can squeeze out of the Bavarians. The talks could be a tricky dance, but it seems very clear that both sides want this deal pretty quickly.
After some speculation that he could leave the club, Vinícius Júnior might be about to get a massive deal from Real Madrid:

#kane #salary #negotiations

WESTFIELD — Colts general manager Chris Ballard tried to characterize the team's offseason interest in former Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold as part of an effort to leave no stone unturned.
Arnold's agent, Nicole Lynn, told a Florida court that the Colts were one of four teams who'd expressed interest in Arnold, who is awaiting trial on felony kidnapping and robbery charges after a June arrest.
Houston worked out Arnold in July, and Lynn also said the Seahawks and Jets were interested.
"We look at every player that hits the market," Ballard said. "Every player."
Ballard defended the team's interest by saying that Arnold's guilt hasn't been determined yet.

#Ballard #every #lions

Real Madrid are hoping to complete a blockbuster double transfer in the next few days, as they aim to finalise Jose Mourinho's squad ahead of the 2026-27 La Liga season getting underway in a few weeks' time. A deal for Yan Diomande in close, and following him to the Bernabeu could be Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.
In recent weeks, Real Madrid have turned their attention back to Rodri. They were priced out of a move for leading target Enzo Fernandez, but that could work in their favour as they are closing in on signing one of the world's best midfielders, as well as the recipient of the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball.
Previously, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had ruled out signing Rodri as retribution for election rival Enrique Riquelme promising to bring the 30-year-old to the Bernabeu, but he's since changed his tune. As per Ramon Alvarez de Mon, he's gave the go-ahead last week for a move to be made for the Man City man, who should be available on a cut-price deal due to being in the final 12 months of his current contract.
Real Madrid believe that a deal can be done imminently, although they may need to raise their offer if they are to convince Man City to sell this summer. Despite already having an agreement on personal terms in place with the former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal midfielder, they have been quoted €80m to get a deal done now, whereas they are presently only willing to pay €50-60m.
It will be interesting to see how the Rodri situation develops over the coming weeks. Real Madrid will hope that Man City relax their stance sooner rather than later, knowing that they are unlikely to be able to agree a new contract with the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

#weeks #bernabeu #midfielder #move

Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have enjoyed much success as co-owners of soccer team Wrexham AFC.
The North American celebrities have taken the Welsh team from the fifth tier of English football all the way up to the Championship (second tier).
They are now gearing up for the 2026/27 season, which kicks off in August, and Wrexham are once again back in the United States of America for their pre-season tour.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
The Red Dragons have been to America several times since Ryan and Rob became owners, allowing them to face off against some big soccer teams in friendly matches.

#wrexham #tier #reynolds #north

Caitlin Clark had just finished making her own pitch for LeBron James when the actual news broke. The Indiana Fever star was speaking to reporters ahead of WNBA All-Star weekend Friday in Chicago when word came down that James had joined the Philadelphia 76ers – moments after Clark had jokingly lobbied for him to join her own Indiana Pacers. "No way! I just pitched him for the Pacers -- it didn't get to him fast enough," Clark said during her media availability. "The 76ers? Wow, wow."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Caitlin Clark on LeBron James joining Philadelphia: 'No way! I just pitched him for the Pacers'

#james

During Mark Pope’s first two seasons in Lexington, we have yet to see him develop a lottery pick in the NBA Draft.
That may be changing next year, as Malachi Moreno is already generating buzz as a potential lottery selection in the 2027 NBA Draft.
Over at Sports Illustrated, Derek Parker has Moreno ranked as the third-best returning college player who was a 2026 NBA prospect.
Kentucky big Malachi Moreno fell victim to the depth of the ’26 class, putting up enough production to be an intriguing late-first bet in most classes.
In his freshman season with the Wildcats, he averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 ****** ists and 1.5 blocks in just 22.6 minutes per game, showing off versatility on the interior. With similar or better production, he could massively boost his stock.

#malachi #lexington

The Hundred men's competition, Lord's
Manchester Super Giants 138-9 (100 ****** ): Seifert 67 (45); Livingstone 2-14
London Spirit 131-6 (100 ****** ): Livingstone 69 (40); Atkinson 2-15
Manchester Super Giants won by seven runs
Scorecard. Table

#super #livingstone #hundred #seifert

ONE Championship
(ONE), the world’s largest martial arts organization, and Visit Qatar have announced the renewal of their landmark three-year partnership, bringing a series of ONE’s globally celebrated martial arts events back to Qatar starting March 2027. Building on the success of ONE 166 in 2024 and ONE 171 in 2025, the partnership reflects the continued impact of hosting ONE events in Qatar.
Over the next three years, Visit Qatar and ONE will host multiple flagship events in Qatar featuring World Championship bouts and showcasing the brightest Middle Eastern talent alongside international superstars competing across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. The events are expected to attract international visitors, generate global media exposure, and further reinforce Qatar’s reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events.
The first event kicks off at the Aspire Dome in Doha on Friday, March 26, 2027. Ticket information and additional details will follow in the coming months.
Hua Fung Teh, Co-Founder and Group President of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is thrilled to bring the world’s best martial artists back to Qatar over the next three years. Our partnership with Visit Qatar guarantees a world-class experience for athletes and fans, aligning perfectly with our vision to provide the biggest global stage for martial arts. ONE’s return in 2027 will showcase our grandest event in the region yet, featuring World Champions across all disciplines. We are excited about the limitless possibilities in this dynamic Middle Eastern hub and thank Visit Qatar for the chance to make history together.”

#partnership

Southend United have signed forward Ryan Colclough, who was handed a suspended prison sentence for ******* ault earlier this month.
Colclough, 31, was given a 28-month term - suspended for two years - after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm without intent at Derby Crown Court.
He had been without a club since leaving AFC Fylde in January and previously worked with Southend boss Kieron Dyer at Chesterfield as the Spireites won promotion to League Two in 2023-24.
The Shrimpers have also signed midfielder Tommy Backwell, 23, and 22-year-old winger Sahid Kamara following successful trials at Roots Hall.
Colclough has signed a one-year deal with the option of a further year.

#colclough #year

The Los Angeles Lakers rewarded rookie forward Arthur Kaluma with a two-way contract on Monday after an impressive Summer League outing with the team, according to ESPN.
Kaluma, 24, made the most of his opportunity after joining the Lakers organization on an Exhibit 10 contract following the 2025 NBA Draft. He spent the 2025-26 season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League before emerging as one of L.A.'s top performers during Summer League.
The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 **** ists in seven games while shooting 55.1% from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range.
He also posted a standout 34-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks, knocking down six 3s while shooting 11-of-16 from the floor.
Kaluma's path to the NBA has included stops at three major college programs. The Boston native began his career at Creighton, earning Big East All-Freshman Team honors in 2021-22 before helping the Bluejays capture the 2022 Big East Tournament **** le. He later transferred to Kansas State for his junior season before finishing his collegiate career at Texas.

#Lakers #kaluma #forward

Registration for the 92nd Stark County Amateur Golf Championship will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.
The 36-hole individual stroke play event will be held on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 at Ohio Prestwick Country Club in Uniontown. All amateur players are welcome regardless of residency.
The entry fee of $175 is paid at registration and includes green fees, cart, range ******* and prizes.
To enter online, visit golfhub.golfgenius.com.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sportscantonrep.com.

After answering a host of questions on media day, many of them asking his thoughts about a possible trade, San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and representative at the 2026 All-Star Game went out and did what he has done all season for the Brown and Gold.
The National League’s saves leader was called upon to face just one batter to start the ninth inning and got a strikeout, as the America League All-Stars rode a three-run first inning to a 4-0 win over the National League All-Stars on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Pitching was the standout for the evening, as the National League was limited to just three hits — one more than the fewest in All-Star Game history set by the NL in 1990. The AL set a new All-Star Game record with 15 strikeouts, and the sides broke the combined strikeouts record with 27 punch-outs.
The lone batter Miller faced was Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami, whom he pumped four consecutive fastballs against — all of them over 100 MPH. All three swings failed to make contact, as Miller overpowered the Majors’ second-highest first-year home run hitter. It was the first time he and Murakami faced off.
Miller extended his career All-Star numbers to 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and 11 of his 16 offerings going for strikes after having earned the win as a member of the Athletics in 2024. His appearance was the shortest appearance by a Padres representative since Kirby Yates did not appear despite being selected in 2019.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Charles Snowden has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the season following his plea deal to settle a DUI charge.
The league announced Snowden’s suspension on Tuesday.
Snowden was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge in 2024 while he was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. Police in Las Vegas say they found Snowden “passed out” behind the wheel of his Jeep Cherokee as it was running and that he “had almost rolled off a four-foot retaining wall.”
Per police, results of two blood tests returned BACs of .18 and .19, more than twice the legal limit of .08. Snowden initially pleaded not guilty but reached a deal with prosecutors in January by entering a no-contest plea, per KLAS.
Per the plea deal, Snowden was required to pay a $1,000 fine and attend coroner's and DUI classes, and his charge was conditionally reduced to reckless driving pending the completion of his side of the deal.

After over a decade spent as a middleweight, Robert Whittaker made his light heavyweight debut at UFC 329, dominating Nikita Krylov en route to a third round TKO win. Could the fight have gone any better for “The Reaper?” Maybe if the commentary team hadn’t spent the whole fight taking about how he was too small and looked bloated for the division.
“The commentary called me fat!” Whittaker exclaimed on the Ariel Helwani Show. “Talking about my weight. Did I look that out of shape? I had abs the day before. I just had some salt. Salt bloat going on.”
While Whittaker was happy to joke about the commentary, he did admit that he had serious concerns about the decision to move up as camp for UFC 329 progressed.
“We already had a lot of nerves coming into this fight off back to back losses, as close as the last one was,” Whittaker said. “And then a middleweight moves up to light heavyweight, everyone’s seen how this story ends a thousand times. So there’s a lot of self imposed pressure on myself and nerves and whatnot.”
“Then seeing all the comments and reading about people saying, ‘Too small,’ etcetera, ‘Too short,’ blah blah blah. And, it was one of those moments, like, you just gotta kinda find the belief. I started to doubt. Listen to the circle that’s important to you. Listen to the the ones that matter. The ones that have the informed information. And, yeah, just keep working, I guess.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the best record in baseball, but that doesn't mean they're immune from criticism.
Just ask first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is in Philadelphia for the All-Star Game and addressed the team's first-half performance, which included many highs, as well as some reasons for concern.
Speaking with reporters, Freeman started with the positive, including the team's best record in baseball at 61-36.
"I mean, when you end 25 games over .500, I think everyone's going to be pretty thrilled about how we played," he said.
However, he quickly segued to the recent downturn that's concerned many Dodgers fans.

Veteran wide receiver Trent Taylor has announced his retirement.
Taylor made the announcement on social media over the weekend. He spent last season on the 49ers' injured reserve list.
Taylor entered the NFL as a 49ers fifth-round pick in 2017 and spent four seasons with the team. He spent two seasons with the Bengals and one with the Bears before returning to the Niners in 2024.
Taylor caught 88 passes for 845 yards and three touchdowns for his career. Eighty of those catches and all the touchdowns came while he was playing for the 49ers. He also averaged 9.4 yards a return while serving as a punt returner for all three teams.

Bahia were far from pleased with the refereeing decisions led by Jodis Nascimento de Souza during this Sunday's (12) friendly against Fluminense.
The Rio de Janeiro side beat the team from Bahia 2-0 thanks to goals from Hulk and Germán Cano.
And coach Rogério Ceni did not hold back after the match at the Maracanã.
Two incidents prompted the outburst: Erick's disallowed goal for an alleged foul by Willian José — when the score was still 0-0 — and a possible penalty on Ademir that was not given.
Ceni pointed out that he had requested referees from outside Rio de Janeiro, which did not happen.