# data[].attributes.headline
All 6 teams leave the Super League - Megan 

# data[].attributes.subject
All 6 teams leave the Super League - Megan 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
European Super League: All six Premier League clubs exit as competition suspends plans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All English teams have signaled they are backing out of the proposed competition

# data[].attributes.body
The Kentucky Derby will be on May 1st at Churchill Downs in Louisville. NBC will be televising the event.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's a lot to know about what Churchill Downs calls "America's Greatest Race" and the fastest two minutes in sports.

With the coronavirus pandemic persisting, the 147th Run for the Roses won't look the same as it has in years past, but it will be closer to normal than the 2020 race run in September.

For now, we'll start with the basics. Here's everything you want to know about the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

When is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby has been held every year since 1875 and has been staged on the first Saturday in May every year since 1946, with two exceptions. The 1945 Derby was held on June 9 because of World War II and last year's 146th Kentucky Derby was held on Sept. 5 after it was moved over fears of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, the Kentucky Derby falls on May 1. The Kentucky Oaks will be held Friday, April 30.

What time is the Kentucky Derby?

The 2021 Kentucky Derby post time is set for 6:50 p.m. on May 1.

Where can I watch the Kentucky Derby?

NBC will televise coverage of the Kentucky Derby and undercard racing on May 1 from 2:30-7:30 p.m. The Kentucky Oaks will be televised on April 30 on NBCSN from 3-6 p.m. Find your local NBC channel at nbcsports.com/tv-listings.
More: From the infield to celebrities, here are 5 things we'll miss at the 2021 Kentucky Derby
What will Kentucky Derby attendance look like in 2021?

Churchill Downs has a regular capacity of 165,000, including general admission tickets. About 55,000 to 60,000 tickets are reserved seats. At 50% capacity of those seats, the track could welcome anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 fans. At 25% to 30% general admission tickets in the infield, there could be an additional 15,000 fans. So altogether, about 45,000 or so fans could be in attendance on the first Saturday in May.

How do I get tickets to Kentucky Derby?

This year, Churchill Downs is selling a limited about of reserved seating all-inclusive tickets and a limited number of general admission tickets. As previously announced, the racetrack will continue to limit the number of reserved seats to 40% to 50% capacity and, up to 60% in certain private areas that allow for social distancing. General admission ticket sales will be limited to approximately 25% to 30% of infield capacity.

General admission tickets can be bought at kentuckyderby.com/tickets/2021-derby-week-tickets.

Fans are encouraged to subscribe to the Kentucky Derby's email distribution list at kentuckyderby.com/tickets/newsletter-signup and follow @KentuckyDerby on social media to stay updated if or when there are changes to ticket availability.

What is the 'all-inclusive' ticket for the 2021 Kentucky Derby?

This year, all reserved seats to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks include all-inclusive food, nonalcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages. This change is intended to reduce the amount of time spent in line, eliminating the need for cash transactions for food and beverages and providing the opportunity to try a greater variety of food, all while observing health and safety recommendations during the continued coronavirus pandemic.

How much are tickets for reserved infield seats?

A ticket for Infield Uncovered Reserved Box Seating for the 2-Day Oaks and Derby is $725 per person and you must purchase as an entire box. Price per 6-seat box is $4,350.

This uncovered seating includes a view of the walk from backside and the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby race with access to betting windows and restrooms. Includes food, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages.
More: What to look for in the Churchill Downs paddock before Kentucky Derby
This location allows access to the Paddock and frontside of the track.

How much are tickets for First Turn seating?

Pricing for First Turn Uncovered Reserved Bleacher Seating for the 2-Day Oaks and Derby is $600 per ticket, which are sold only in groups of 6. Price per 6 tickets: $3,600.

This is uncovered seating with view of the walk from backside and the first turn of Derby race with access to betting windows and restrooms. Includes food, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages. First Turn Bleachers do not have chair backs. This location allows access to the Paddock and frontside of the track.

Tickets to Churchill Downs Racetrack for all Kentucky Derby Week events are on sale at kentuckyderby.com/tickets/2021-derby-week-tickets.

How to buy infield tickets for the 2021 Kentucky Derby

Derby Day infield-only general admission tickets, which will not have access to the front side of Churchill Downs, are $75 if purchased prior to April 18; $80 if purchased between April 19-30; and $85 if purchased on Kentucky Derby Day.

Oaks Day infield-only general admission tickets, which will also not have access to the front side of Churchill Downs, are $55 if purchased prior to April 18; $60 if purchased between April 19-29; and $65 if purchased on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Two-day infield-only general admission tickets for both Oaks and Derby days will sell for $120 if purchased prior to April 18 or $135 if purchased between April 19-29.

An official program included with all tickets.

Guests who purchase infield-only tickets must enter Churchill Downs through the Infield Gate at Central Avenue and Fourth Street. General admission guests will have access to food and beverage options at infield concession stands and will have their own designated restrooms and wagering windows.

Tickets to Churchill Downs Racetrack for all Kentucky Derby Week events are on sale at kentuckyderby.com/tickets/2021-derby-week-tickets.

What COVID-19 safety protocols are in place at Churchill Downs?
The Kentucky Derby 2021 and COVID-19: Is it safe to attend? Health experts weigh in
During all racing, Churchill Downs will continue to rely on health and safety protocols and operate within the guidance of state health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information about Churchill Downs' Health and Safety plan for Kentucky Derby 2021 can be found at kentuckyderby.com/tickets/ticket-options/updates.

Per state and local guidelines, masks are to be worn at all times except when actively eating or drinking. Hand washing locations and hand sanitizing stations will be made readily available throughout the facility. Guests will be encouraged to socially distance themselves from others when possible, according to Churchill Downs.

Will it rain on Kentucky Derby?

The average high for May 1 is 73 degrees and a low of 53, with rainfall 0.71 inches. The 2018 Derby was the wettest ever recorded, and rain drenched the track again in 2019.

The longest stretch of completely dry Kentucky Derby days is 12, from 1875 when it first ran through 1886. The coldest temperature ever on Kentucky Derby day was 36 degrees in 1940 and 1957.

How long is the Kentucky Derby? What is a furlong?

At 1 1/4 miles or 10 furlongs, the Kentucky Derby is almost always the longest race run by horses competing in it, which is considered the first leg of the Triple Crown. Secretariat's 1973 time of 1:59.40 remains the fastest.

Who can run in the Kentucky Derby?
More: 2021 Kentucky Derby betting odds: contenders, horses, jockeys, trainers
The race is open to up to 20 3-year-old horses that have qualified through Churchill Downs' "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points system first implemented for the 2013 running. Prep races running from September through April reward horses doing their best running closest to May 1.

Can a filly run in the Kentucky Derby?

Female horses, or fillies, have run in and won the Kentucky Derby, though none have tried since the current points system came into effect. It requires fillies to race against males before the Kentucky Derby. Among the 40 ladies to run, Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988) were Derby winners.

How big is the purse of the Kentucky Derby?

More known for prestige than the purse, the Kentucky Derby is still a $2 million race, with $1.4 million to the winner. Positions are paid out through fifth place.

When is the Kentucky Derby draw?

Entries are taken and post positions determined on the Tuesday of Kentucky Derby Week at 11 a.m. The process is random but does have a major effect on the outcome. The inside, No. 1 post is considered the worst possible draw. The No. 17 post is 0-for-38, the only one 1-20 to have not produced a winner.

Last year's winner, Authentic, broke from the No. 18 gate. The highest percentage of winners come from the fifth and 10th posts.

Who has won the most Kentucky Derby races?

Riders Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack are tied for most wins by a jockey at five; trainer Ben Jones won six Derbys to lead his division, and Calumet Farm's eight victories are most of any owner.

How can I bet on the Kentucky Derby?

Wagering opens the Friday morning before the Kentucky Derby. With such a large field, this race is seen as difficult but potentially lucrative, with even the favorites often going off above 3-1. If you're a beginning bettor, and are there in person, you probably want to avoid the self-service betting machines and mobile applications, instead opting for a mutuel window with an in-person teller.
More: Everything you need to know about placing a virtual bet at the 2021 Kentucky Derby
Have your money in hand as you approach the teller, then state the race you're betting on, the amount of money you are betting, and then the type of bet you are placing. Finally, state the horse's (or horses') program numbers. It should sound something like this, "Churchill Downs, Race 11, $2 to win #4."
Reach Emma Austin at eaustin@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @emmacaustin.
Once you hand the teller your money, be sure to take the ticket and keep in a safe place. If your bet wins, you'll need the ticket to collect your winnings.

You also can wager through the racetrack's online wagering platform, twinspires.com. You're required to create a username and password, but signing up is free and doesn't take much time. You can transfer money from your bank account into your twinspires account and then place your bets.

A twinspires app is also available on smartphones.

How many horses have won the Triple Crown?

Thirteen thoroughbreds have won the Preakness Stakes at Baltimore's Pimlico and the Belmont Stakes in New York in addition to the Kentucky Derby, most recently Justify in 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kentucky Derby 2021: Everything you need to know about the 147th Run for the Roses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's a lot to know about what Churchill Downs calls "America's Greatest Race" and the fastest two minutes in sports. With the coronavirus pandemic persisting, the 147th Run for the Roses won't look the same as it has in years past, but it will be closer to normal than the 2020 race run in September.

# data[].attributes.body
The NHL and Turner Sports have created a multimedia rights deal to have games, including the Stanley Cup, streamed on TBS and TNT for the next 7 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The NHL and Turner Sports announced a seven-year media rights agreement Tuesday that will have regular-season, Stanley Cup Playoff and Stanley Cup Final games televised on TNT and TBS starting next season and running through 2027-28.

Turner Sports joins the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN as the NHL's national media rights partners in the United States for the next seven seasons. The NHL, the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN announced a multiplatform media rights deal March 10.

As part of the agreement, Turner Sports' networks will televise the NHL Winter Classic, the League's annual New Year's Day outdoor game, in all seven seasons of the deal. They will show all games in the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, 2025 and 2027, one conference final series each season and half of the first two rounds of the playoffs along with 72 regular-season games per season.

Bleacher Report, which is owned by Turner, will have rights to use NHL highlights on its digital platform.

The Stanley Cup Final will air on ABC in in 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2028 as part of the deal with the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN. They have the rights to air one conference final round per season, half of the first two rounds of the playoffs, 25 regular-season games on ABC or ESPN, and 75 additional national games that will stream on ESPN+ and Hulu.

They will also stream more than 1,000 out-of-market games each regular season on ESPN+, which will replace NHL.TV.

NBC has been the NHL's national media rights partner since 2005-06. Its 10-year agreement with the League expires after this season.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NHL, Turner Sports reach TV deal for games on TNT, TBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NHL and Turner Sports announced a seven-year media rights agreement Tuesday that will have regular-season, Stanley Cup Playoff and Stanley Cup Final games televised on TNT and TBS starting next season and running through 2027-28. Turner Sports joins the Walt Disney Co.

# data[].attributes.headline
Durant Scores 33 Points in Return, Nets Beat Suns 128-119. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.subject
Durant Scores 33 Points in Return, Nets Beat Suns 128-119. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2021-04-25/durant-scores-33-points-in-return-nets-beat-suns-128-119

# data[].attributes.headline
Bumgarner Pitches 7-Inning No-Hitter, Arizona Sweeps Braves. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.subject
Bumgarner Pitches 7-Inning No-Hitter, Arizona Sweeps Braves. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2021-04-25/gallen-1-hit-7-inning-shutout-d-backs-top-braves-in-opener

# data[].attributes.headline
Alex Smith announces his retirement - Megan 

# data[].attributes.subject
Alex Smith announces his retirement - Megan 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31289953/alex-smith-reigning-nfl-comeback-player-year-announces-retirement-football

# data[].attributes.body
Protests break out amid backlash by player and clubs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
European Super League: backlash builds against breakaway plan - live!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rolling report: Join Gregg Bakowski for the latest news as breakaway plans continue to draw widespread anger and criticism

# data[].attributes.headline
Wizards win 5 straight games and will look to extend their win streak to 6 tomorrow night vs the Warriors- Joseph Zepeda

# data[].attributes.subject
Wizards win 5 straight games and will look to extend their win streak to 6 tomorrow night vs the Warriors- Joseph Zepeda

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2021/4/20/22393186/nba-washington-wizards-oklahoma-city-thunder-beal-bertans-centers-win-steak-statistical-analysis

# data[].attributes.headline
European soccer teams leave to start a new Super league- Megan 

# data[].attributes.subject
European soccer teams leave to start a new Super league- Megan 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
European soccer was rocked by the biggest story in at least a generation when 12 of Europe's biggest clubs announced plans to break away from the established soccer order and form a Super League. The development has the potential to remake the European soccer landscape dramatically, and there is still much that isn't known about what's ahead.

The basics? A group of 12 clubs from across Europe's biggest leagues announced plans to form a new competition called the Super League. The league, should it be established, would offer permanent spots to some of the world's biggest clubs and play matches midweek, while allowing the involved clubs to remain in their domestic competitions. This plan is currently opposed by FIFA and UEFA, the governing bodies for international and European soccer, respectively.

Here's what else we do know so far.

What's the latest news?

Despite the hostility and recent comments from Jesper Møller, Danish FA chairman and UEFA member, who said to Danish outlet DR Sport that semifinalists involved in the Super League -- Real Madrid, Chelsea and Man City -- will be expelled from this season's competition, along with the remaining breakaway participants, by Friday, the Champions League semifinals will go on as planned, according to ESPN's Mark Ogden. That means three of the four teams left in the UEFA competition are part of the breakaway plans for a new rogue league.

UEFA wrapped up its election held for positions on UEFA executive committee and FIFA council in Montreux, Switzerland, and the 55 member associations unanimously approved a declaration strongly condemning the Super League on Tuesday. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a former UEFA general secretary, was in attendance and warned the 12 breakaway clubs that they could not be "half in, half out."

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who earlier this week called those execs involved in breakaway plans "snakes" and a "spit in the face of football lovers," declared European soccer's governing body as "unbeatable" when allied with FIFA before challenging the Premier League's big six to make the difference.

"For some, supporters have become consumers, fans have become customers and competitions have become products," Ceferin said. "Selfishness is replacing solidarity. Money has become more important than glory, greed more important than loyalty, and dividends more important than passion."

Meanwhile, the 14 Premier League clubs not involved held an emergency meeting and "unanimously and vigorously rejected the plans for the competition." Sky Sports reports that one board member from a Premier League team involved in breaking away has warned they will not "back down," but has been told splits are emerging.

The group of 12 teams responded earlier on Monday by sending a letter to FIFA and UEFA leaders, informing them that the Super League has already taken legal action to protect anyone looking to block their competition. The Associated Press obtained the following letter:

"We are concerned that FIFA and UEFA may respond to this invitation letter by seeking to take punitive measures to exclude any participating club or player from their respective competitions

"Your formal statement does, however, compel us to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction, which would not only jeopardize the funding commitment under the Grant but, significantly, would be unlawful. For this reason, SLCo (Super League Company) has filed a motion before the relevant courts in order to ensure the seamless establishment and operation of the Competition in accordance with applicable laws.

"It is our duty, as SLCo's board members, to ensure that all reasonable actions available to protect the interests of the Competition and our stakeholders are duly taken, given the irreparable damage that would be suffered if, for any reason, we were deprived of the opportunity to form promptly the Competition and distribute the proceeds of the Grant."

Want to hear more about the Super League proposals? Listen below as Luis Miguel Echegaray, Jonathan Johnson and Jimmy Conrad break down the latest, and follow ¡Qué Golazo! A Daily CBS Soccer Podcast where we take you beyond the pitch and around the globe for commentary, previews, recaps and more.

What is the Super League?

The Super League is a long-discussed idea for a closed competition that would feature Europe's biggest clubs. Over the years, there have been many different theoretical proposals for what that league would look like. On Sunday, 12 clubs announced their intention to break away from Europe's governing body, UEFA, and form their own league. They plan to add three more permanent members and leave five spots open in the 20-team format that European clubs could qualify for from across Europe's domestic competitions.

Which teams are involved?

The 12 teams currently listed as founding members:

Arsenal

Chelsea

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur

Atletico Madrid

Barcelona

Real Madrid

AC Milan

Inter Milan

Juventus

In addition to these 12 teams, the founders expect to add three more permanent teams as well as five rotating teams per season from the rest of Europe through a qualification process.

Which notable teams are not included?

Paris Saint-Germain: "Paris Saint-Germain holds the firm belief that football is a game for everyone. I have been consistent on this since the very beginning. As a football club, we are a family and a community; whose fabric is our fans -- I believe we shouldn't forget this," said Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the head of Qatar Sports Investments, which owns and operates PSG, also holds a seat in the UEFA executive committee.

''There is a clear need to advance the existing UEFA competition model, presented by UEFA yesterday and concluding 24 months' of extensive and collaborative consultation across the whole European football landscape. We believe that any proposal without the support of UEFA -- an organization that has been working to progress the interests of European football for nearly 70 years -- does not resolve the issues currently facing the football community, but is instead driven by self-interest. Paris Saint-Germain will continue to work with UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA) and all stakeholders of the football family -- based on the principles of good faith, dignity and respect for all."

FC Bayern Munich: "Our members and fans reject a Super League," club president Herbert Hainer said. "As FC Bayern, it is our wish and our aim that European clubs live the wonderful and emotional competition that is the Champions League, and develop it together with UEFA. FC Bayern says no to the Super League."

"On behalf of the board, I would like to make it explicitly clear that FC Bayern will not be taking part in the Super League," said CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who has taken Juventus president Andrea Agnelli's seat at ECA and is expected to do the same at UEFA. "FC Bayern stands in solidarity with the Bundesliga. It always was and is a great pleasure for us to be able to play and represent Germany in the Champions League. We all remember fondly our 2020 Champions League victory in Lisbon - you don't forget such a joyful moment. For FC Bayern, the Champions League is the best club competition in the world."

Borussia Dortmund: ''The board members of the European Club Association (ECA) came together for a virtual meeting on Sunday evening, where it was agreed that the board's decision from last Friday still stands,'' Dortmund chief executive officer Hans Joachim Watzke said. "This decision dictates that all clubs wish to implement the proposed reforms to the UEFA Champions League. The ECA board members took a clear stance in rejecting plans for the establishment of a Super League.''

RB Leipzig: "We are advocates of sporting competition. And sporting competition in professional football means fighting to achieve a position in the domestic league table that allows the team to take part in international competition. For us, changing this is absolutely out of the question," Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said. "We reject any plans to establish a Super League."

Sevilla: The winners of last season's Europa League, expressed their "outright rejection of a tournament based exclusively on economic parameters and outside the scope of action of UEFA." More from the statement sent out by their board of directors on Monday: "The creation of this Super League would only serve to harm football in general and the rest of the teams. At the same time, it would severely hit society and punish the vast majority of real football fans, who would be left without the true essence of the sport: The illusion of enjoying their team and seeing it compete for the highest aspirations."

Lyon: Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas took to Twitter to observe publicly that "the Super League does not obtain popular support as it highlights the virtues of money over the spirit of fair play" and expressed his hope that "we must build bridges, not walls, together with (PSG Chairman and CEO) Nasser (Al-Khelaifi) for a future football where sporting meritocracy and emotion is not forgotten."

AS Roma: "AS Roma is strongly opposed to this 'closed' system, as it fundamentally flies in the face of the spirit of the game that we all love," the club said in a statement. "Some things are more important than money, and we remain firmly committed to Italian football on a domestic level, and to fair, open European competitions for all. We look forward to continuing to work with Lega Serie A, the Italian Federation, ECA and UEFA to grow and develop the game of football in Italy and around the world.

"Fans and grassroots football are at the core of our sport, and this must never be forgotten."

FC Porto: "There were informal contacts from some clubs, but we did not pay much attention for two reasons," club president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa said. "First, the European Union does not allow a closed circuit of evidence as there is in the NBA. Second, since our association is against this and part of UEFA, within this framework, we cannot participate in anything that is against the rules of the European Union and UEFA. If that goes forward, and I have my doubts, UEFA will not end and will continue to have evidence, the evidence that is official."

AFC Ajax: "Ajax are completely taken aback and disappointed by the announcement of a possible Super League. We support the new set-up proposed by UEFA, as confirmed on Monday," the team announced on social media.

Leeds United: Players called out the Super League on shirts worn before Monday's match against Liverpool, one of the founding Super League clubs. The shirts read "Football is for the fans" on the back and "Champions League: Earn it" on the front.

Who is in charge of the Super League?

The first head of the Super League is Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who will serve as chairman. He's supported by two vice-chairmen. Here's the full list:

Chairman: Florentino Perez (Real Madrid)

Vice-chairman: Andrea Agnelli (Juventus)

Vice-chairman: Joel Glazer (Manchester United)

Real Madrid and Super League president Florentino Perez said the financial loss from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is part of the chief reason why he chose to team up with other top clubs to break away. Perez, who spoke to Spanish TV personality Josep Pedrerol on El Chiringuito TV, revealed that the Super League would not be "closed" and would eventually have a pyramid format for others to join.

"The important clubs of Spain, England and Italy have to find a solution to this very bad situation that football is in," Perez said. "We came to a conclusion that by creating a Super League, instead of playing Champions League midweek, we can alleviate lost revenue.

"Football needs to evolve, like life does ... Soccer needs to adapt to the times we live in. Football is losing interest ... Something must be done and the pandemic hastened that. We are all ruined.

"Instead of playing the Champions [League] as it is, which is losing interest, now we must find something enticing which is to play amongst the big clubs. We are at a critical moment. Fifteen teams generate value, and five other teams will make the Super League through sporting merit. It is not a closed league. We believe in the merit of teams so that they fight to deserve to play in a competition like this."

Perez said he believes the clubs and players involved cannot be banned by UEFA or FIFA.

"The players should remain calm because [not being able to play with national teams] will not happen," Perez said. "Nobody should threaten anybody. We've offered to talk, to negotiate...They won't kick out Real Madrid, City or anybody. I'm sure of that."

On the new Champions League format that was announced on Monday, Perez said he did not believe it would be a viable option to produce revenue and prevent financial loss for the top clubs for years to come.

"With all due respect, I didn't understand the new format," Perez said. "And it won't create the necessary revenue to save football ... We want to save football so the next 20 years we can be calm and not say we lost $200 million.

"We don't want the big clubs to be richer and the smaller teams to be more poor. We need to do something. We are in a freefall."

What about the financial backing?

The estimated earnings for would-be fixtures signing up to the proposed Super League are at least $425 million. Each of the would-be permanent members of the proposed Super League are being promised €350 million ($425 million) to sign up, per documents obtained by the New York Times.

JP Morgan Chase & Co. were reportedly approached to raise financing for the project that has seen FIFA back UEFA by threatening to ban any players involved in such a league from future World Cup competition.

Here's what the Super League had to say in their announcement:

The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues. These solidarity payments will be substantially higher than those generated by the current European competition and are expected to be in excess of €10 billion during the course of the initial commitment period of the Clubs. In addition, the competition will be built on a sustainable financial foundation with all Founding Clubs signing up to a spending framework. In exchange for their commitment, Founding Clubs will receive an amount of €3.5 billion solely to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic.

Weren't there plans to reformat the Champions League?

UEFA and the ECA on Monday released the finalized version of an updated format to the Champions League this season, switching the tournament to a "Swiss Model."

Gone are the days of six group-stage games. Instead, UEFA plans to expand from 32 to 36 participants and have each play 10 group stage games, five home and five away. This shift produces over 100 new matches. We would still see a pretty similar knockout stage compared to this current season. The big difference is that the winner of the competition would have played at least 17 matches as opposed to 13 under the current format.

Latest UEFA news

On Monday, in a fiery press conference, Ceferin, the UEFA president, emphasized the potential consequences for players participating in the league. "The players that will play in the Super League will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros.

"They will not be allowed play for their national teams," Ceferin said while also calling on teams participating in the Super League to be banned from all UEFA competitions.

UEFA has taken a hardline stance against the proposed Super League. On Sunday as news of the possible breakaway occurred, Europe's governing soccer body released the following statement:

"If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we -- UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, La Liga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations -- will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever, UEFA said in a statement.

"We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.

"As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.

"We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."

Latest ECA news

The ECA executive board met again on Monday to form an executive committee "to work under the auspices of the executive board to manage day-to-day work during this transitional period."

Agnelli, who was the ECA chairman, has now resigned from his seat to join the Super League. Rummenigge, Bayern's CEO, has taken Agnelli's seat at ECA and is expected to do the same at UEFA.

Here are the board members in the committee:

Nasser Al-Khelaifi (Paris Saint-Germain)

Michael Gerlinger (FC Bayern Munich)

Edwin van der Sar (AFC Ajax)

Dariusz Mioduski (Legia Warsaw)

Aki Riihilahti (HJK Helsinki)

Michele Centenaro (Independent member)

Here's more from ECA, via a statement sent out on Monday:

The Board was unanimous in its condemnation of the actions of the departing members, which it holds to be self-serving and to the detriment of the game's well-being and in clear opposition to ECA's values. We believe that European Club Football can be reformed from within the system to achieve the collective best interests of all stakeholders in the game. The Board reiterated ECA's clear position as the only legitimate and fully recognized voice of the leading clubs in Europe and, as such, has taken a number of decisions to ensure that it is able to continue to perform its role efficiently and effectively.

Latest FIFA news

Back in January, FIFA announced it would ban clubs and players from participating in domestic and international competitions if they were to join a breakaway league. On Tuesday FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the UEFA Congress and strongly condemned the actions taken by the breakaway clubs. Here's what he had to say.

FIFA is an organization which is built on values, the true values of sport, It is an organization that is built on our statutes, the statutes that define the institutional framework, with the pyramid, with FIFA, the confederations, the associations, the leagues, the clubs, the players. And at FIFA, we can only strongly disapprove the creation of a super league which is a closed shop, which is a breakaway from the current institutions, from the leagues, from the associations, from UEFA and from FIFA, which is outside of the system. There is no doubt whatsoever of FIFA's disapproval for this.

Latest Premier League and English soccer news

The Premier league issued the following statement on Tuesday.

The Premier League, alongside The FA, met with clubs today to discuss the immediate implications of the Super League proposal.

The 14 clubs at the meeting unanimously and vigorously rejected the plans for the competition.

The Premier League is considering all actions available to prevent it from progressing, as well as holding those Shareholders involved to account under its rules.

The League will continue to work with key stakeholders including fan groups, Government, UEFA, The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA to protect the best interests of the game and call on those clubs involved in the proposed competition to cease their involvement immediately.

The Premier League would like to thank fans and all stakeholders for the support they have shown this week on this significant issue.

The reaction proves just how much our open pyramid and football community means to people.

In addition to the joint statement sent out by the major federations in Europe, the Premier League also issued a statement condemning plans from their big six on Sunday.

"The Premier League condemns any proposal that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid. Fans of any club in England and across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top and play against the best. We believe that the concept of a European Super League would destroy this dream."

Here's what the FA said:

"The FA has been made aware of certain English clubs planning to form a closed European Super League with other European Clubs. It is clear that this would be damaging to English and European football at all levels and will attack the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are fundamental to competitive sport.

"For new competitions to be formed involving clubs from different associations, approval would be required from the relevant National Associations, confederation and/or FIFA. We would not provide permission to any competition that would be damaging to English football, and will take any legal and/or regulatory action necessary to protect the broader interests of the game.

"We note FIFA confirmed earlier this year that they and the six confederations would not recognize any such competition and, as such, any player or club involved may not be permitted to participate in any official competition which falls within the auspices of FIFA or their respective confederation.

"The FA will continue to work with UEFA, FIFA and the Premier League to seek to ensure that nothing is approved that has the potential to damage English football. We will work with fans, The Premier League, EFL, PFA and LMA, as well as other stakeholders, at home and abroad, to defend the integrity and future prospects of English football in the best interests of the game."

And the English Football League's statement:

The EFL stands with the Premier League, The FA, PFA, LMA, the FSA and colleagues across European professional football in condemnation of proposals which attack the foundation of open and fair competition upon which our game is built.

A strong pyramid based on promotion, relegation and ultimately European qualification, is fundamental to our game's continued success. The EFL opposes any reform that doesn't support competition integrity or offer Clubs the prospect of one day competing at the highest end of the game.

Latest news from other European soccer leagues

The Spanish league chimed in on Monday:

"LaLiga strongly condemns the recently published proposal for a breakaway, elitist European competition that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid.

"Today football fans across Europe can dream that their club, no matter the size, may excel, climb to the top and compete at the pinnacle of European football. LaLiga defends this European tradition of football for all. The concept proposed by 12 European clubs destroys that dream, shutting the door to the top of European football, allowing in just an elite few.

"LaLiga has a proud, 90-year history as an open, merit-based competition. Millions of fans around the world follow the 42 clubs of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank. The success of our competitions has helped football to become a key contributor to the Spanish economy, accounting for nearly 1.4% of GDP and providing employment for nearly 200,000 people.

"The newly proposed top European competition is nothing more than a selfish, egotistical proposal designed to further enrich the already super rich. It will undermine the appeal of the whole game and have a deeply damaging impact on the immediate and future of LaLiga, its member clubs, and all the entire footballing ecosystem.

"In addition, the breakaway league threatens the rest of Spanish sports to which, in the current season, LaLiga will contribute more than 126 million euros as part of its agreement with the Spanish government and the Spanish FA.

"This destruction of the European football ecosystem will also ultimately cause the failure of this new competition and its participating clubs, which have built their success based on the achievement of sports titles and triumphs, which will now be more limited.

"We use all measures at our disposal and work with all stakeholders to defend the integrity and future of Spanish football in the best interests of the game."

Serie A clubs met Monday to discuss the Super League and Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan -- Italian participants of the Super League -- were a surprise participants. The three breakaway clubs expressed their intentions of staying in Serie A while also participating in the Super League, Romano reports.

How would the Super League be formatted?

The Super League would be a 20-team league made up of 15 permanent members with the remaining five members of the league comprised of teams which qualified through domestic European League competition. The 20 teams would compete in two groups of 10 teams each with a balanced schedule of home and away matches against every team in the group.

The top three finishers in each group would qualify for the quarterfinals, while the fourth- and fifth-place finishers would play in a two-legged play-in round to qualify for the knockout stages. Then a two-legged knockout format would be used to play down to the finals, which would be a single match to crown a champion.

From the Super League announcement:

20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.

Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.

An August start with clubs participating in two groups of 10, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarterfinals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarterfinal positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.

What would this mean for women's soccer?

On Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain turned in a come-from-behind effort to slay five-time winner Lyon in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women's Champions League. PSG join Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea in the semifinal round. If a breakaway league were to be formed, at least two of those clubs would be involved in what could be a new competition, but it doesn't appear that it would begin play the same time as the men's breakaway league.

"As soon as practicable after the start of the men's competition, a corresponding women's league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women's game," according to the announcement from the Super League.

Latest updates from ex-players, coaches, executives

Gary Neville, Manchester United ex-captain, described it "an absolute disgrace" and called club owners "bottle merchants" motivated by "pure greed."

"I'm not against the modernization of football competitions, with have the Premier League, we have the Champions League," Neville said during Sky Sports' broadcast of the Premier League. "But to bring forward proposals in the midst of COVID, in the midst of the economic crisis that exists for all clubs is an absolute scandal. United and the rest of the big six clubs that have signed up to it against the rest of the Premier League should be ashamed of themselves. Are Arsenal in that? They have just drawn with Fulham, Manchester United are drawing with Burnley. I cannot concentrate on the game. To sign up to the Super League during a season is a joke, they should deduct points off all six of them."

Sir Alex Ferguson, legendary Manchester United manager, told Reuters it would end 70 years of football history.

"Talk of a Super League is a move away from 70 years of European club football," Ferguson said. "Both as a player for a provincial team Dunfermline in the 60s and as a manager at Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners' Cup, for a small provincial club in Scotland it was like climbing Mount Everest. Everton are spending £500 million to build a new stadium with the ambition to play in Champions League. Fans all over love the competition as it is. In my time at United, we played in four Champions League finals and they were always the most special of nights. I'm not sure Manchester United are involved in this, as I am not part of the decision making process. With many fans, we are concerned that this plan could create a closed shop at the very top of our national game."

Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil: "Kids grow up dreaming to win the World Cup and the Champions League -- not any Super League. The enjoyment of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week. Really hard to understand for all football fans out there."

Current PSG midfielder Ander Herrera said he "cannot remain silent" and will not support the "rich stealing what the people created":

"I fell in love with popular football, with the football of the fans, with the dream of seeing the team of my heart compete against the greatest. If this European Super League advances, those dreams are over, the illusions of fans of those teams that are not giants of being able to win on the field competing in the best competitions will end. I love football and I cannot remain silent about this, I believe in an improved Champions League, but not in the rich stealing what the people created, which is nothing other than the most beautiful sport on the planet."

Portuguese legend Luis Figo says a Super League would be disastrous for women's soccer:

This so-called "Super League" is anything but "Super." Figo chimed in on Twitter on Monday. "This greedy and callous move would spell disaster for our grassroots, for women's football, and the wider football community only to serve self-interested owners, who stopped caring about their fans long ago, and complete disregard for sporting merit. Tragic."

Liverpool great Jamie Carragher, who is also an analyst for CBS Sports' coverage of the Champions League, did not hold back any punches against his lifelong club:

For more player reaction, click here.

Aside from the Royal Spanish Football Federation chiming in with UEFA and the top European domestic leagues, La Liga president Javier Tebas lashed out at the breakaway plans, which involve three Spanish clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

"At last, the 'gurus' of the 'powerpoint' super league, drunk with selfishness and lack of solidarity, are going to leave the '5 o'clock bar,' from the 'underground,'" Tebas tweeted. "UEFA, the European leagues and La Liga have been working at this for a long time and they will get their due answer."

As the news spreads more and more people around the soccer world are voicing their displeasure.

Latest updates from Europe's political leaders

United Kingdom prime minister Boris Johnson issued the following statement of disapproval: "Plans for a European Super League would be very damaging for football and we support football authorities in taking action. They would strike at the heart of the domestic game, and will concern fans across the country. The clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps."

Johnson, along with Keir Starmer, Labour Party leader, are drawing up potential government enforced consequences for clubs if they go ahead with the Super League, Alex Wickham of Politico reports.

On Tuesday the U.K. government reiterated its stance issuing a statement.

The Prime Minister and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden met with representatives from the Football Association, the Premier League and football fan groups this morning to discuss action against the proposed European Super League.

He expressed his solidarity with football fans and agreed they must always be at the heart of any decisions about the future of the game.

He reiterated his unwavering support for the football authorities and confirmed they have the government's full backing to take whatever action necessary to put a stop to these plans.

All attendees agreed that action was necessary to protect the fairness an open competition we expect to see in football, and to uphold the fundamental principle that any club should have the chance to play and win against the biggest players in the game.

The Prime Minister confirmed the government will not stand by while a small handful of owners create a closed shop.

He was clear that no action is off the table and the government is exploring every possibility, including legislative options, to ensure these proposals are stopped.

French president Emmanuel Macron is also condemning a breakaway league: "The President of the Republic welcomes the position of French clubs to refuse to participate in a European football Super League project threatening the principle of solidarity and sporting merit. The French State will support all steps taken by the LFP, FFF, UEFA and FIFA to protect the integrity of federal competitions, whether national or European."

Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said on Monday he supports UEFA's stance "to preserve national competitions, meritocratic values and the social function of sport." Here's what he said, according to ANSA:

"The government is carefully following the debate around the soccer Super League project and supports with determination the positions of the Italian and European soccer authorities to preserve national competitions, meritocratic values and the social function of sport"

Add the Spanish government and José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, the country's minister of culture and sports, among those opposing the Super League.

"The government of Spain does not support the initiative to create a soccer Super League promoted by several European clubs, including three Spanish clubs, because it understands that it has been conceived and proposed without counting on the representative organizations of this sport, both nationally and internationally.

"The minister of culture and sports, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, has held meetings and conversations throughout the day with the most representative parts of Spanish and continental football. Specifically, Rodríguez Uribes has spoken with the presidents of UEFA, RFEF, La Liga de Fútbol Profesional, as well as with the presidents of Fútbol Club Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, the Spanish teams that support this initiative.

"The government of Spain, through its minister of culture and sports, has defended before its interlocutors that it must return to the path of dialogue and agreement in the areas of decision and organization to which these same clubs belong to achieve an agreed solution that it is convenient for football and sports, both for national and international organizations and for teams, professionals and the fans in general.

"Sportsmanship must be demonstrated through the search for broad agreement. The Government has confirmed the willingness of all parties to this dialogue throughout the talks held today with minister Rodríguez Uribes and wishes it to bear fruit with an agreement that is beneficial to all."

What's next?

UEFA will make a decision regarding the current semifinalists for Champions League and Europa League later this week after meeting with its legal team, according to Romano. They'll decide in that meeting whether to exclude Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Man United and Arsenal from this season's competitions. Ceferin wants to ban them as soon as possible, but it all depends on the direction of UEFA's legal team, Romano reports.

According to Romano, Spanish clubs are planning for a meeting on Thursday to discuss Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid's position after joining Super League.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
European Super League explained: What is it? Teams in and out, FIFA, UEFA, Premier League reax, news, updates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
European soccer was rocked by the biggest story in at least a generation when 12 of Europe's biggest clubs announced plans to break away from the established soccer order and form a Super League. The development has the potential to remake the European soccer landscape dramatically, and there is still much that isn't known about what's ahead.

# data[].attributes.body
Rematch for the welterweight championship
Leo v.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UFC 261 on April 24 will be the first time Zhang Weili enters the Octagon since a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas roared in appreciation of her first title defense on March 7, 2020. It will also mark the first time a packed house will be on hand for a UFC event since Weili's thrilling win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk over a year ago.

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, sold out within hours, and 15,000 fans are expected to be on hand for three title fights and numerous intriguing storylines:

The UFC will host a full crowd at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Fla., where three title fights -- headlined by welterweight champ Kamaru Usman defending against Jorge Masvidal -- will play out in front of 15,000 fans. Women's strawweight champ Zhang Weili and flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko also defend their belts.
Purchase UFC 261 here
UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal
* Saturday, April 24, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
* Main card: 10 p.m. ET, PPV
* Prelims: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+

* Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+

Subscribe to ESPN+ to get exclusive live UFC events, weigh-ins and more; Ariel and the Bad Guy; Dana White's Contender Series; and more exclusive MMA content.

Welterweight champ Kamaru Usman makes his fourth title defense, and his second against Jorge Masvidal, in the main event. Usman dominated Masvidal in a unanimous decision win last July, but Masvidal took the fight on six days' notice, and he had to cut around 20 pounds and fly halfway around the world for the fight in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Usman said Masvidal took the fight only because he had a built-in excuse, and the champ wants to put an exclamation mark on his superiority of Masvidal, who believes the fact he went the distance with Usman despite the circumstances bodes well for his chances in the rematch.

Zhang makes her second defense when she faces former champion Rose Namajunas. Zhang's win over Jedrzejczyk was a violent classic, considered perhaps the greatest women's title fight in UFC history, and the champ will need a strong encore to put away Namajunas.

Women's flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko defends against Jessica Andrade, whose first-round stoppage of Katlyn Chookagian -- which she accomplished primarily with body shots -- in October raises the specter of an upset. Shevchenko also had moments of adversity, which for her was surprising, against Jennifer Maia in November, before earning a unanimous decision win.

All three titleholders are favored to win, but 2021 already has crowned one new champ when Francis Ngannou dethroned heavyweight king Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Will Bruce Buffer get another chance to say "and new" on April 24?

Real or Not: Is Usman vs. Masvidal 3 going to happen?

Fight week for UFC 261 has arrived, and with a card of this magnitude, the stakes could not be much higher. Three title fights could reshape the trajectory of the welterweight, strawweight and women's flyweight divisions overnight.

The topics our panel breaks down are: If Masvidal wins, would a trilogy bout vs. Usman make the most sense? Will it help Usman to have Ngannou in his corner? Will ring rust play a role in Zhang vs. Namajunas? Is this Shevchenko's toughest matchup at 125 pounds?
Read the entire story.
Returning the favor: Ngannou will work Usman's corner

Kamaru Usman was in the corner for Francis Ngannou when Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title last month. Now, Ngannou will return the favor for his fellow champion friend.

Ngannou will be a cornerman for Usman's welterweight title defense against Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 261 on April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida, Usman told ESPN on Thursday.
Read the entire story.
Namajunas says anti-communism motivates her vs. Zhang

UFC strawweight contender Rose Namajunas said she doesn't regret saying her opposition to communism is at least part of her motivation for her April 24 fight against champion Zhang Weili at UFC 261.

Zhang is UFC's first and only champion from China.
Read the entire story.
Real or Not: Is this Jorge Masvidal's last title chance?

Jorge Masvidal doesn't view his UFC 261 main event as his last shot at UFC gold, but only because he won't allow himself to accept the possibility he'll lose to champion Kamaru Usman.

"I feel like every fight, I have to win," Masvidal told ESPN. "But no, I don't feel like [this is his last title opportunity] at all. I just feel like I'm going to win this fight, and I'm going to continue to do bigger and better things before I close the chapter on this MMA thing."

But what if the oddsmakers are right? Masvidal is currently a +310 underdog, according to Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. If Masvidal, 36, loses, he'll be 0-2 against Usman with several other elite contenders in the division ready to take shots of their own, or get their own rematches.
Read the entire story.
Masvidal easing into weight ahead of rematch

The biggest difference for Jorge Masvidal ahead of his rematch with Kamaru Usman is that he didn't have to cut about 20 pounds after taking the fight on six days' notice.

Masvidal has had a longer camp, less weight to cut, and he didn't have to fly halfway around the world.

What will it mean?
Read the entire story.
Real or Not: Namajunas, Andrade will dethrone the champs

This will be Zhang Weili's first fight since her epic split decision win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk on March 7, 2020. She'll face a fighter in Rose Namajunas with a complete arsenal of skills who will be looking to regain her title.

Meanwhile, Valentina Shevchenko was challenged more than expected by Jennifer Maia on Nov. 21, 2020, before pulling out the unanimous decision. Did Jessica Andrade learn something from that fight that could help her dethrone the champ?
Read the entire story.
What they're saying

Leon Edwards doesn't see what Jorge Masvidal could do differently against Kamaru Usman to change the outcome of their upcoming rematch.

(via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/LocajAwCyH
- ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 5, 2021

Kamaru Usman believes "there's levels" when comparing himself to Jorge Masvidal.

(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/sKKHwilklF
- ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 6, 2021

The goons going to Jacksonville to watch a baptism #andnew https://t.co/4Mo7jbwANc
- Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) March 26, 2021

They must've forgot about the "BMF" but you'll remind everyone soon enough Champ! #UFC261 #AndNew https://t.co/EeYcJcgO58
- Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) April 6, 2021

Videos

Jorge Masvidal reflects on his loss to Kamaru Usman as he gets ready for a rematch with him at UFC 261.

Dana White reveals that UFC 261 will have three title fights, including a Kamaru Usman-Jorge Masvidal rematch, in front of a full crowd in Jacksonville.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Everything you need to know about UFC 261: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UFC 261 on April 24 will be the first time Zhang Weili enters the Octagon since a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas roared in appreciation of her first title defense on March 7, 2020.

# data[].attributes.headline
Steelers Sign Coach Mike Tomlin to a 3-Year Contract Extension. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.subject
Steelers Sign Coach Mike Tomlin to a 3-Year Contract Extension. - Jeffrey 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mike Tomlin wants to be part of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers on Tuesday signed their longtime coach to a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2024 season.

Tomlin is 145-78-1 in 14 years with the Steelers, winning one Super Bowl and going to another. The franchise has reached the playoffs nine times during Tomlin's tenure and captured its seventh AFC North title under him in 2020.

"I am extremely grateful for this contract extension and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 14 seasons," Tomlin said in a statement. "We have a goal of winning the organization's seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn't be more enthusiastic about this upcoming season."

The Steelers went 12-5 in 2020, winning their first 11 games before stumbling down the stretch, including a blowout loss to Cleveland at home in the first round of the playoffs. The team is in the midst of a mini-overhaul, particularly on offense after two assistants were let go and center Maurkice Pouncey and tight end Vance McDonald retired.

Still, Roethlisberger restructured his contract to lessen his salary cap hit, a move that helped the Steelers free up enough money to persuade wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to return on a one-year deal.

The extension likely means Tomlin will stick around for whatever happens after the 39-year-old Roethlisberger retires. There is no succession plan in place for the future Hall of Famer, though Tomlin opting to sign the extension means he intends to be part of the process whenever Roethlisberger calls it quits.

The agreement deepens Pittsburgh's extraordinary commitment to its head coaches. The Steelers have had just three men in charge since hiring Chuck Noll in 1969: Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin. Noll and Cowher are in the Hall of Fame.

The 49-year-old Tomlin already is 21st in NFL history in career wins and is one of just two coaches to begin their career with 14 consecutive non-losing seasons.

"Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League," Rooney, the team president, said in a statement. "We are confident in his leadership to continue to lead our team as we work to win another championship."

The agreement also gives the Steelers some stability heading into the draft. They have the 24th overall selection and have glaring needs on the offensive line and at running back to bolster a ground game that finished last in the NFL in 2020.

They also need to figure out - at some point - what they're going to do at quarterback. Tomlin and Roethlisberger have formed one of the league's most successful coach-QB tandems in the league during their long run together, though Tomlin pulled off a remarkable coaching trick in 2019 when the Steelers finished 8-8 despite losing Roethlisberger at halftime of Week 2 with a season-ending right elbow injury.

Tomlin is remarkably popular within the locker room, though the team has been only modestly successful in the postseason since last reaching the Super Bowl a decade ago. The Steelers are 3-6 in the playoffs since 2011 and have advanced past the divisional round just once, falling to New England in the 2016 AFC championship game.

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Steelers Sign Coach Mike Tomlin to 3-Year Contract Extension

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mike Tomlin wants to be part of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh. The Steelers on Tuesday signed their longtime coach to a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2024 season. Tomlin is 145-78-1 in 14 years with the Steelers, winning one Super Bowl and going to another.

# data[].attributes.body
The PGA tour is going to pay players that are popular and draw fan attention.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The PGA Tour has created a lucrative bonus structure that will reward golf's biggest stars regardless of how they perform on the course, Golfweek has learned. The new system is designed to compensate players who are judged to drive fan and sponsor engagement, like Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Rickie Fowler.

Known as the Player Impact Program, the concept is seen as a direct response to Premier Golf League, a proposed splinter tour funded by the Saudi Arabian regime that has tried to lure golf's biggest names with the promise of a massive guaranteed pay day. PGL has spent years trying to gain traction but seems no closer to signing a sufficient number of elite players to be viable. The stuttering PGL effort nevertheless forced the PGA Tour to devise a means to reward stars for the value they add to the overall product rather than solely for their on-course performance.

A PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed to Golfweek that the Player Impact Program began January 1 to "recognize and reward players who positively move the needle." At the end of the year, a pool of $40 million will be distributed among 10 players, with the player deemed most valuable receiving $8 million.

The 10 beneficiaries will be determined based on their "Impact Score," a number generated from six separate metrics that are designed to quantify that individual's added value. According to a document the PGA Tour distributed to players, the contents of which were shared with Golfweek, the metrics on which players will be ranked against their peers include:

(1) Their position on the season-ending FedEx Cup points list.

(2) Their popularity in Google Search.

(3) Their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, which places a value on the exposure a player delivers to sponsors though the minutes they are featured on broadcasts.

(4) Their Q Rating, which measures the familiarity and appeal of a player's brand.

(5) Their MVP Index rating, which calibrates the value of the engagement a player drives across social and digital channels.

(6) Their Meltwater Mentions, or the frequency with which a player generates coverage across a range of media platforms.

The Tour will employ an algorithm to turn the values from each metric into Impact Scores for every player and a ranking of those Scores then determines the bonus amount due. The FedEx Cup rank is the only measurement explicitly determined by performance on the golf course, but the others can be directly impacted by strong play.

The names of those players most likely to benefit from the new program are unsurprising. The document circulated to players by the Tour included simulated Impact Scores using 2019 figures to illustrate how the ranking will work. Predictably, the player with the best score-the man judged to have added most value to the Tour's product-was Tiger Woods, who won the Masters that year. Woods was followed by FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy, with Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler rounding out the top five.

Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose and Adam Scott completed the top 10.

The 2021 ranking of player Impact Scores-the list that will actually determine bonus payments at year's end-will likely look very different to that simulated version. Bryson DeChambeau, arguably the most talked-about player on Tour this year, finished 12th in the '19 simulation, one spot behind Tony Finau. While Woods is recovering from a car crash, Koepka is nursing an injury and both Mickelson and Fowler are slumping, it's assumed all would still earn bonuses since they continue to drive significant engagement with the Tour's product.

"Tiger should be No. 1 on that list no matter what," Koepka told Golfweek when asked about the new bonus plan. "He's the entire reason we're able to play for so much money, the entire reason this sport is as popular as it is, and the reason most of us are playing. Not even close."

While the lucrative Player Impact Program will be popular with its beneficiaries, its reception is more mixed among journeymen who are unlikely to ever reap its riches. "There I was thinking they were compensated enough," said one veteran Tour winner. "We earn our money through performance. Using metrics will definitely cause complications at some point. What if you're a really awesome player but don't move the needle in those metrics?"

Another player with multiple Tour wins, who asked not to be identified, told Golfweek: "Most players feel it is a shoo-in money grab for only those at the top, and it's extremely hard to break into that category if you're not already in it. For example, the same people are always on TV, including the same names always on PGA Tour Live, which the Tour chooses who gets on that. Also, the top, top guys are invariably the ones with the most social media followers, and that results in more money from this plan. The overriding thought is why not do something to help all of the players? The FedEx Cup already takes care of the top."

A PGA Tour spokesperson said that as part of the program the Tour is providing extra resources to help all players manage their social media and branding, including charitable foundations, and to maximize their off-the-course business opportunities.

It's believed the formula used to calculate Impact Scores will distinguish between positive and negative coverage a player generates. One metric being used-the MVP Index-is generated by a company founded by Jordan Spieth's father, Shawn Spieth.

"It's a substantial source of revenue," one player agent said of the proposed bonuses, adding that the amounts involved are equivalent to another one or two sponsorship deals annually for some stars. "It's a smart way to reward stars and it's no time commitment from the players."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exclusive: PGA Tour to create $40 million bonus pool for stars like Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The PGA Tour has created a lucrative bonus structure that will reward golf's biggest stars regardless of how they perform on the course, Golfweek has learned. The new system is designed to compensate players who are judged to drive fan and sponsor engagement, like Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Rickie Fowler.

# data[].attributes.headline
Russell Westbrook continues to make history- Joseph Zepeda 

# data[].attributes.subject
Russell Westbrook continues to make history- Joseph Zepeda 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/wizards-russell-westbrook-becomes-first-player-in-nba-history-with-multiple-triple-doubles-against-every-team/

# data[].attributes.body
5 years ago kobe played his last game and scored 60

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Kobe's signing."

The word went out through the hallways at Staples Center before tipoff of his final NBA game, teammates, staff and locker room attendants all scrambling to get something in the hands of Kobe Bryant, the retiring Lakers star, while he was holding onto a marker and in the mood.

Over the course of Bryant's last season, he'd become a memorabilia machine, signing sneakers for stars like LeBron James and Paul George. For the people with the Lakers? It was a little different.

People who knew Bryant for decades maybe asked only two or three times for Bryant to sign something. They didn't want to impose. And they didn't want to give Bryant any reason to believe that they weren't on the same level (even if it was true).

On April 13, 2016, it was different. No more judgments or intimidation. Just an old-fashioned autograph signing session - that just happened to take place inside an NBA locker room.

They grabbed sneakers, jerseys, programs. Some sent locker-room attendants out with credit cards to go get something - maybe one of those $38.24 T-shirts - upon which Bryant could sign his name with that familiar signature - that loopy K with the long-tailed "e" and "t."

"It was a frenzy before the game," Mark Madsen, an assistant coach at the time, remembered. "... You just, it just wasn't something you did. You just didn't ask Kobe for his autograph. But I think everyone, everyone knew, you know, that this was it."

As they handed Bryant any surface that could handle a signature, no one could've known what was about to happen, that Bryant would deliver a 60-point, 50-shot masterpiece that perfectly encapsulated him as a player.

The ink on those sneakers and uniforms eventually will fade. The memories from Bryant's last game as a professional basketball player? They're too ridiculous to vanish.
::
For much of his 20-year career, Bryant demanded a level of greatness, setting the bar so high that only a few could get to his level. For his final game, No. 1,346, Bryant set the bar much lower.

"I just didn't want to play bad," he said after the game.

There was some faux humility in the statement, but considering Bryant's last season with the Lakers, not playing badly might have been an appropriate goal. There were some truly awful games on the way to the finish line, the Lakers losing 10 of 11 while Bryant's field-goal percentage crept down near 35%.

He had one last game to create one more moment, the Lakers long eliminated from the playoffs and again headed into the draft lottery, meaning Bryant would walk into the building knowing he'd never be back as a player.

After briefly flirting with the idea that his last game would be "normal," Bryant gave in to the inevitable. This was going to be a circus - so if a championship was off the table, an epic performance would be the best he could give.

He arrived at the building in all-black outfit - suit, shirt and tie - as he slithered to the locker room with a swarm of cameras following his every step. By walking away, he managed to bring the Lakers back to the top at the end of a 17-win season, creating an event worthy of the Lakers and Los Angeles, one with stars scattered throughout the stands.

If you were on the Lakers and you wanted to check into the game, you had to step over Shaquille O'Neal's size 23s as the Hall of Famer sat courtside. Referee Monty McCutchen had another fan in the front row heckling his first whistle and he turned around to see rock star Adam Levine. Kanye West eventually got into the Lakers' locker room. Jay-Z dribbled through the back hallways on his way to Staples Center's subterranean parking lot.

Before the game they watched a pair of tribute videos and listened to Magic Johnson call Bryant the greatest to wear "the purple and gold." Then, after they roared upon hearing Bryant announced as a starter, they promptly watched him miss his first five shots.

But he wouldn't let his story end that way.

"It just adds to his legacy of greatness even more," Madsen said of what was to come.
::
Before the Lakers tipped off with the Jazz, longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak stood in the tunnel to the team's locker room. He asked Clay Moser, who was handling analytics for the team and later became a full-time assistant coach, if he thought the team could send off Bryant the right way and Bryant could score 30 points.

"'He's still Kobe,'" Moser recalled replying. "'Yeah he can get 30'" ... and then we had that conversation in increments of 10."

Thirty points was sort of the informal goal for the Lakers and Bryant's teammates, a worthy sendoff that still seemed sort of realistic. The people inside the organization and locker room knew not to expect too much. They knew what Bryant was up against.

Throughout his final season, Bryant rarely was at practices or shootarounds. The team often wouldn't know if his 37-year-old legs would be able to play until he arrived at the arena on game night. Bryant already had a reputation for being a bit of a isolationist, so the work to get him ready to play was exhaustive, taking hours.

So yeah, 30 points would've been a giant success. But this night was different, the energy, the emotion, the stakes helping transport Bryant back in time, showing his two young daughters in attendance the kind of player he used to be without them logging on to YouTube to see his greatest hits.

"All of Kobe's pet moves were on display," NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein said. "I think I expected him to score 40 that night. I was startled when he reached 50. And I was amazed when he made it to 60."

Bryant called the game "a constant dance" between being in the moment and noticing how wild things had gotten. He might not have realized, but it was a shared connection with so many different people in the building.

At the scorer's table, NBA communications vice president Tim Frank and Lakers public relations director John Black couldn't stop laughing at what they were seeing.

"Every time he made a shot, it just got funnier," Frank said. "It was just so him."

On the court McCutchen was relying on his training as an official to do the same thing, to stay in the game and not get caught up in what he was witnessing. He had gotten the assignment a few weeks before the finale, slowly realizing that he'd be on the floor with Bryant for his last game.

"The biggest thing I walked away from was living up this feeling of wanting to live up to the trust of the league, but also this legacy of one of our seminal players in the league history," said McCutchen, now the NBA's head of official training and development.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Bryant got hot at the end of the first quarter, shaking off the 0-for-5 start to score 15 points in a four-minute flurry. A split trip to the line got him to 22 at halftime, the 30-point goal easily within reach.

The Lakers were down 10 in the third quarter when Bryant got to 30 and down 12 early in the fourth when he got 40 on a 26-foot three-pointer. He hit another three and a mid-range jumper to get to 45, but with a little more than three minutes left, the Lakers were down 10 and on the verge of losing, a bitter taste for Bryant, who was obsessed with winning.

So something happened.

"It was like 'The Natural,'" McCutchen said, "you know, like the last at-bat going out there ... and hitting the grand slam."
::
It started with Bryant at the left elbow, his back to the basket, Gordon Hayward defending. Bryant spun baseline and paused, drawing the defense off balance. He glided underneath the rim and pushed up a reverse. On the Lakers' next possession, he drilled two free throws to give himself 50.

Ninety seconds after the reverse, he again went to the rack and scored, the Lakers now down six and the crowd in total pandemonium. Teammate Julius Randle grinned. Bryant panted for air, his chest pulsing in and out. Sweat beaded and dripped down his aged face.

The outcome was becoming clear.

Mid-range jumper? Swish. Deep three? Swish. Fifty-six points and the Lakers down one.

"That's the way to do it, O.G.," reserve center Tarik Black said as Bryant collapsed into a timeout huddle.

Next, he had the ball at the top of the key, Randle creating space with just a bone-crunching (and almost certainly illegal) screen. Bryant dribbled right to the wing opposite the Jazz bench and somehow elevated enough to get off a 20-foot jumper. Again, swish. Bryant pounded his chest

The Lakers were leading. He scored his 59th and 60th points at the free-throw line, icing the game and leaving the floor as a winner.

"Then for him at the end to go into the locker room and just tell everybody, he said, 'Listen, I gave this game everything I had every single night. I'll never had any regrets on how I played or how I left the game,'" said Byron Scott, the Lakers' coach at the time. "He encouraged those guys to go out every night like that and play like it's your last every single night. It was emotional. It was heartfelt, and he meant it. And he told the truth."

"It's just like a dream," Bryant later said.
::
At first, he didn't want to take off his jersey.

Bryant sat and spoke to the media in his sweaty, gold uniform, reflecting on 20 years and 48 incredible, final minutes.

Team employees eventually had to round up a team sweatsuit because he was too tired to get back into the all-black suit he arrived in.

Bryant milled around the court, signing the floor. He spent time talking to anyone there who had a connection to the organization. He posed for photos with his wife and girls. You don't just perform a miracle and bolt. You bask in it.

In a career full of officiating games, only Michael Jordan's 55-point night in Madison Square Garden rivals Bryant's farewell in McCutchen's memory.

During one trip to the foul line, McCutchen briefly escaped the game to share a moment with Bryant, telling him how much he always appreciated the way the Lakers star dealt with him, the authenticity, good and bad, that Bryant operated with.

"That meant a great deal to me, because that's how steel gets forged is through fire. And the fire can only take place if both people are being real and authentic," McCutchen said. "And I took the time to tell him ... I think the exact words I said was, 'Whatever got exchanged between you and I was real. And I'm appreciative of that.'"

It was a sliver of a moment in a night that ended up being full of them - the tributes, the on-court magic, the postgame celebration and obvious exhaustion. Everyone there had a memory, a smile when thinking about their role in a perfect farewell.

As Bryant walked around the court, confetti falling from the ceiling, he turned to one longtime Lakers employee and asked something like, "What did I just do?"

For one final time as a player, Bryant made history, authoring a story that was almost too good to be true.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kobe Bryant's 60-point final game, through the eyes of those who were there

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Kobe's signing." The word went out through the hallways at Staples Center before tipoff of his final NBA game, teammates, staff and locker room attendants all scrambling to get something in the hands of Kobe Bryant, the retiring Lakers star, while he was holding onto a marker and in the mood.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hubert Davis becomes the first black coach at UNC. He use to play for them and was an assistance to Roy Williams.- Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.subject
Hubert Davis becomes the first black coach at UNC. He use to play for them and was an assistance to Roy Williams.- Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31263076/hubert-davis-hires-turns-former-north-carolina-basketball-players-fill-coaching-staff

# data[].attributes.body
Blen Hailu

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A basketball coach and teacher at a North Carolina charter school was killed last Thursday during a shootout that involved a drug cartel, local police told WBTV. The violence broke out as a result of a home invasion that took place in a mobile home park.

Barney Harris, the man identified as the teacher, was a basketball and track coach at Union Academy. According to the Alamance County Sheriff's Office, Harris and his brother-in-law, broke into what is believed to be a stash house for a Mexican drug cartel. Law enforcement believes the two were trying to steal money and drugs from the home.

According to police, Harris' brother-in-law shot a drug runner for the cartel, which kicked off the shootout. Harris was then shot multiple times and found dead when officers arrived at the scene. Police also reportedly seized 1.2 kilograms of suspected cocaine, five guns and about $7,000 in cash.

Union Academy released a statement in the wake of the incident which reads, "Union Academy's first priority is caring for and protecting our students and staff. Earlier today, law enforcement released details about last week's death of one of our teachers, Barney Dale Harris II. The Union Academy family was shocked and devastated to hear the information and will continue to focus on supporting our students and families. Any questions about the investigation should be directed to law enforcement."

The local sheriff revealed the connection to a Mexican drug cartel in a press conference Wednesday. No one in the surrounding mobile homes was hurt in the shootout, though some trailers were struck with bullets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Carolina high school basketball coach killed in shootout with drug cartel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A basketball coach and teacher at a North Carolina charter school was killed last Thursday during a shootout that involved a drug cartel, local police told WBTV. The violence broke out as a result of a home invasion that took place in a mobile home park.

# data[].attributes.headline
Today is Jackie Robinson Day and this is how the sports world is Honoring the MLB Icon. - Jeffrey Sterns 

# data[].attributes.subject
Today is Jackie Robinson Day and this is how the sports world is Honoring the MLB Icon. - Jeffrey Sterns 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
AP Photo/Bill Chaplis, File
Thursday marks the 74th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, going 0-for-3 with a run scored in a 5-3 win over the Boston Braves. He went on to be named National League Rookie of the Year and finished fifth in NL MVP voting in that first season.

As MLB has done every year since 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated across the sport on this date. The league is also extending the commemoration to Friday, since eight teams don't have games scheduled today.

The Atlanta Braves shared a quote from franchise icon Hank Aaron, who died in January at the age of 86, about what Robinson meant to him:

The Chicago Cubs showed off their No. 42 jerseys and other decorations around Wrigley Field that will celebrate Robinson when they play the Braves on Friday afternoon:

Prior to being signed by the Dodgers in October 1945, Robinson played that season with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues. He hit .387 with five homers and 13 stolen bases in 47 games.

Former American League Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and David Price honored Robinson's legacy:

Teams across MLB and Minor League Baseball shared quotes, images and highlights from Robinson's life and career to honor him:

As part of the tradition on Jackie Robinson Day, every player, manager, coach and umpire will wear the No. 42.

Robinson played 10 MLB seasons, all with the Dodgers, from 1947 to 1956. He finished in the top 20 in NL MVP voting eight times, winning the award in 1949 after leading the NL with a .342 batting average and 37 stolen bases. The UCLA alum was also a six-time All-Star.

Five years after retiring, Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame his first time on the ballot. His No. 42 has been retired across MLB since 1997.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jackie Robinson Day 2021: How Sports World is Honoring MLB Icon

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AP Photo/Bill Chaplis, File Thursday marks the 74th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, going 0-for-3 with a run scored in a 5-3 win over the Boston Braves.

# data[].attributes.body
White Sox No-Hitter is historic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indians 0, White Sox 8 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Follow MLB results with FREE box scores, pitch-by-pitch strikezone info, and Statcast data for Indians vs. White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field

# data[].attributes.body
Kobe will be inducted into the hall of fame by Michael Jordan
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10001588-kobe-bryant-to-be-presented-by-michael-jordan-for-2020-basketball-hall-of-fame-class

# data[].attributes.headline
The WNBA Draft is will happen on April 15th, Who do you think the Dallas Wings will take with the number 1 pick ?-Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.subject
The WNBA Draft is will happen on April 15th, Who do you think the Dallas Wings will take with the number 1 pick ?-Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/31253949/wnba-mock-draft-2021-version-50-three-point-guards-projected-top-eight-picks

# data[].attributes.body
Washington Wizards snap Jazz's 24 home game win streak
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
Post NCAA tournament mock draft looks at NBA hopefuls. (msH)
Post NCAA tournament mock draft looks at NBA hopefuls.  (msH)
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
NBA, NHL, & MLB postpone games in Minneapolis- Megan
NBA, NHL, & MLB postpone games in Minneapolis- Megan
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
Jamal Murray Tore his ACL aganist the Warriors. Huge blow for the Nuggets. They need him for the playoffs but other players have to step up-Sumaya Ahmed.
Jamal Murray Tore his ACL aganist the Warriors. Huge blow for the Nuggets. They need him for the playoffs but other players have to step up-Sumaya Ahmed.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31249220/denver-nuggets-guard-jamal-murray-suffers-torn-acl-left-knee-indefinitely
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
SOCCER/FUTBOL
more_vert

add
Man U transfer deal
Man U transfer deal
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
U.S Soccer announces collaboration with Esports Engine
U.S Soccer announces collaboration with Esports Engine


thumb_up
1
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
OLYMPICS
more_vert

add
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan.
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan. 
alex seok

thumb_up
1
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
MOVIES
more_vert

add
Space Jam 2 is coming out in July and this is everything you need to know, also with the trailer. - Jeffrey Sterns
Space Jam 2 is coming out in July and this is everything you need to know, also with the trailer. - Jeffrey Sterns 
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
The Last Chance U came out for basketball hoping for these players of becoming pro, this documentary is something you will need to check out.-Sumaya Ahmed
The Last Chance U came out for basketball hoping for these players of becoming pro, this documentary is something you will need to check out.-Sumaya Ahmed
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2565495/where-last-chance-u-basketballs-stars-are-now
thumb_up
0
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
a famous soccer player debut
a famous soccer player debut 
thumb_up
1
thumb_down
0
Your avatar
Add comment
BOXING/MMA
more_vert

add

# data[].attributes.headline
Wizards finish their 6 game road trip 4-2 and are on a 2 game winning streak and a game away from play-in spot- Joseph Zepeda 

# data[].attributes.subject
Wizards finish their 6 game road trip 4-2 and are on a 2 game winning streak and a game away from play-in spot- Joseph Zepeda 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2021/4/15/22385090/nba-wizards-kings-westbrook-bertans-avdija-beal-statistics-ppa

# data[].attributes.body
The Mets-Phillies game was postponed a half an hour before the start time due to heavy rain.

# data[].attributes.headline
Post NCAA tournament mock draft looks at NBA hopefuls.  (msH)

# data[].attributes.subject
Post NCAA tournament mock draft looks at NBA hopefuls.  (msH)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Share this article

196 shares

Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams around the league as they decide whether or not to return to college.

Based on the general consensus learned thus far, now is a great time to offer an update since we last published a mock draft back in February.

The main difference from the big board that I published last month is that my mock also factors intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I'm projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This should act as a barometer for a player's stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into the light over the next few months, expect some potentially significant changes.
This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on April 12.

Guard, 6-4, Gonzaga (Freshman)

Big, 7-0, USC (Freshman)

Wing, 6-8, Florida St (Freshman)

Big, 6-9, Duke (Freshman)

Guard, 6-2, Baylor (Junior)

Guard, 5-11, Auburn (Freshman)

Guard, 6-4, LSU (Freshman)

Guard, 6-4, Illinois (Junior)

Big, 6-11, Iowa (Senior)

Wing, 6-7, Arizona St. (Freshman)

Big, 6-10, Besiktas (Turkey)

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Wing, 6-6, Pittsburgh (Sophomore)

Wing, 6-5, Florida (Sophomore)

Share this article

196 shares

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Latest updates after March Madness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
196 shares Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage. With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility.

# data[].attributes.headline
Washington Wizards snap Jazz's 24 home game win streak

# data[].attributes.subject
Washington Wizards snap Jazz's 24 home game win streak

# data[].attributes.body
Joseph Zepeda

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Bradley Beal (34), Russell Westbrook (25), Daniel Gafford (15)

Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (42), Bojan Bogdanovic (33), Joe Ingles (18)
SUMMARY
The Wizards defeated the Jazz 125-121 on Monday night in Utah in the fifth game of a six-game road trip. Bradley Beal scored a team-high 34 points while Russell Westbrook notched his fifth consecutive triple-double with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 42 points and led a furious comeback late in the fourth quarter that came up short.

Beal and Westbrook combined to score the Wizards' first nine points of the game. With the game tied 9-9, Utah went on a quick run to take a 15-9 lead before the Wizards countered with a 7-0 run to lead by one. Beal and Daniel Gafford combined for 20 points in the opening frame, but the Wizards couldn't slow down Mitchell, who scored 17 first quarter points and helped push the Jazz to an early nine-point advantage. The Washington offense went off in the second quarter, hitting 13 of their first 15 field goals and 16-23 (.696) overall. Beal scored 13 of his 34 points in the second, leading the Wizards from down nine at the start of the quarter to up seven with two minutes remaining.

The Wizards cooled off to start the second half, hitting two of their first nine field goals in the third quarter before a Gafford jumped sparked a 13-3 run to put Washington up 92-83. Gafford finished the night with 15 points on 6-8 (.750) and four rebounds in 18 minutes. The Wizards hit four 3-pointers in the final 3:23 of the third quarter, including three from Davis Bertans, to take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter. Bertans has now hit multiple 3-pointers in 27 of the last 28 games he's played, excluding a game he exited due to injury. A 17-2 scoring run for Washington came to an end early in the fourth quarter and Utah turned momentum back in their favor. Led by 21 fourth quarter points from Mitchell, the Jazz quickly erased the Wizards' 19-point lead. Starting with a Rudy Gobert dunk with 8:05 left in the game, the Jazz went on an 18-5 run, capped by a Joe Ingles three, to cut the lead to six with 3:18 remaining. With Washington up nine with 1:26 left, another Utah run brought the Jazz within two points. Beal and Raul Neto, played the first four seasons of his career in Utah, hit free throws in the final seconds to seal the Wizards' win.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW Washington ends Utah's 24-game home winning streak
The Wizards' win over the league-leading Jazz on Monday night puts an end to a 24-game home winning streak for Utah. The Jazz had not lost at Vivint Arena since a New Year's Eve matchup with the Suns. It also snapped a five-game road losing streak for Washington in Utah. With wins in both of the teams' matchups this season - Monday night and a nine-point win in D.C. in March - Washington earns its first season sweep over Utah since the 2014-15 season.
Beal leads the way in return from injury
After missing the Wizards' Saturday night matchup with the Suns with mid-back tightness, he returned on Monday night in full force. Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said postgame that Beal said minutes into the game that he felt healthy and was capable of pushing through the injuries that had limited him in recent weeks. Brooks obliged, and the league's leading scorer poured in 23 of his 34 points in the first half and fueled Washington's explosive second quarter. Beal finished the night 14-31 (.451) from the field and added five assists. Beal has put on a show in both of Washington's wins over Utah this season. In his first meeting with Jazz on March 18, Beal scored 43 points to lead the Wizards to a high-scoring win.
Westbrook's triple-double chase continues
Westbrook finished the night with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, his fifth consecutive triple-double and ninth in the last 10 games. He becomes the first player since Elfrid Payton in March of 2019 to record a triple-double in five consecutive games. There have only been four streaks longer than five games since 1983-84, three of which belong to Westbrook and the other to Michael Jordan. Westbrook now has 23 triple-doubles on the season and 169 for his career, putting him just 12 behind Oscar Robertson for the most in NBA history. Westbrook came up huge in the closing minutes, including a mid-range jumper with just over 30 seconds left to give the Wizards a six-point lead.

Westbrook was efficient all night, shooting 8-15 (.533) from the field and 9-11 (.818) His nine free throws were the most he's made in a game since mid-March. The former MVP has now recorded triple-doubles in both matchups with Utah this season after totaling 35 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in the teams' March 18 meeting in D.C.

NEXT UP: Wizards at Kings / Wednesday, April 14 / 10:00 P.M. / Golden 1 Center
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT

TWO HANDS! #WizJazz | @russwest44 pic.twitter.com/NH9UJNcVJF
- Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 13, 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Recap: Wizards win 125-121, snap Utah's 24-game home winning streak | Washington Wizards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SCORING LEADERS Wizards: Bradley Beal (34), Russell Westbrook (25), Daniel Gafford (15) Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (42), Bojan Bogdanovic (33), Joe Ingles (18) SUMMARY The Wizards defeated the Jazz 125-121 on Monday night in Utah in the fifth game of a six-game road trip.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
REVEALED: David de Gea offered to Europe's elite with a Man United exit set for summer after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made Dean Henderson No 1... with PSG, Real Madrid and Atletico on alert

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picking Dean Henderson on Sunday spoke volumes

Henderson played a seventh game in a row between the sticks against Brighton

And David de Gea, on £375,000-a-week, could leave Old Trafford this summer

PSG, Real Madrid and former club Atletico are all interested in the Spaniard

David De Gea is being offered to Europe's top clubs by his representatives as the Spain goalkeeper prepares to leave Manchester United this summer.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's decision to keep Dean Henderson in goal for a seventh game in a row against Brighton on Sunday has cast further doubt over De Gea's future at the club.

It is understood the 30-year-old is ready to call time on his United career after a decade at Old Trafford and his camp have begun sounding out potential buyers.

No transfer fee has been mentioned yet - although United would want in the region of £50 million - but De Gea's £375,000-a-week wages will be a stumbling block in the current economic climate.

Real Madrid, who came within minutes of signing De Gea in the summer of 2015, are likely to be interested again at the right price, while he has also been consistently linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Atletico Madrid, who sold De Gea to United for £18.9 m in 2011, may also consider re-signing him if Jan Oblak leaves this summer.

De Gea appears to have lost his status as United's No 1 to Henderson even though Solskjaer says both keepers will have opportunities over the remainder of the season.

It is understood when the United boss told England goalkeeper Henderson, 24 last month that he would be in goal for six games while De Gea was on paternity leave, the indication was that the Spaniard would play again after the international break.

Solskjaer must now decide whether to recall De Gea when he returns to Spain for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final against Granada.

If not, Henderson's run in the team will extend to eight games.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
David de Gea eyes up summer transfer away from Manchester United

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picking Dean Henderson on Sunday spoke volumes Henderson played a seventh game in a row between the sticks against Brighton And David de Gea, on £375,000-a-week, could leave Old Trafford this summer PSG, Real Madrid and former club Atletico are all interested in the Spaniard David De Gea is being offered to Europe's top clubs by his representatives as the Spain goalkeeper prepares to leave Manchester United this summer.

# data[].attributes.headline
Space Jam 2 is coming out in July and this is everything you need to know, also with the trailer. - Jeffrey Sterns 

# data[].attributes.subject
Space Jam 2 is coming out in July and this is everything you need to know, also with the trailer. - Jeffrey Sterns 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Everything You Need to Know About 'Space Jam 2'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After what has felt like several decades of speculation, Space Jam: A New Legacy is finally set to be released this summer. But with only a few months until its release, what do we actually know about the highly-anticipated semi-sequel? Warner Bros.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Last Chance U came out for basketball hoping for these players of becoming pro, this documentary is something you will need to check out.-Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.subject
The Last Chance U came out for basketball hoping for these players of becoming pro, this documentary is something you will need to check out.-Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2565495/where-last-chance-u-basketballs-stars-are-now

# data[].attributes.body
Jeff Fisher returns to coaching college football, after coaching in the NFL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
After several years out of the NFL, former head coach Jeff Fisher is back in the football world, this time with the Tennessee State Tigers.

Fisher has been hired to serve in an advisory role to help with staff hirings at the FCS program. The move brings him back to Nashville, the city where he led the Tennessee Titans for 14 of his 17 years with the organization.

It also reunites Fisher with former Titans running back Eddie George, who was hired as head coach of the Tigers despite having no prior coaching experience. George was one of the engines behind Fisher's best years with the Titans, rushing for over 10,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in his first eight seasons.

Fisher has already gotten to work on bringing some familiar faces to Tennessee State. His son, Brandon Fisher, is reportedly already on board as defensive coordinator.

The reaction to Fisher's hiring has been mixed. While most people are critical of Fisher as a coach, many people seem to respect Eddie George reaching into the NFL ranks to build his staff.

From multiple reports, I've now seen Eddie George has brought in:

Jeff Fisher - Special Advisor
Brandon Fisher - Defensive Coordinator
Hue Jackson - Potential Offensive Coordinator

I said I wasn't going to be pessimistic, but I wanted to see how his staff forms. I see you Coach

- Justin Credible (@FearlessDeuce) April 12, 2021

🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/rVPixegj3W

- Trent Dilfer (@DilfersDimes) April 12, 2021

But the overwhelming majority of responses are 7-9 jokes - the NFL regular season record Fisher is infamous for attaining in three of his five seasons with the Rams before his firing in 2016.

If they played 16 games they'd be sure to finish 7-9.

- Paul MacInnis (Very Stable Genius) (@PaulMacInnis4) April 12, 2021

How dare they announced this April 12th and not July 9th

- Justin Galacki (@Galacki) April 12, 2021

Tennessee State have not had a winning season in several years. Perhaps the all-star staff Eddie George is trying to assemble can fix that.

Do you approve of Eddie George and Tennessee State bringing Jeff Fisher on board?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
College Football World Reacts To Jeff Fisher News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After several years out of the NFL, former head coach Jeff Fisher is back in the football world, this time with the Tennessee State Tigers. Fisher has been hired to serve in an advisory role to help with staff hirings at the FCS program.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan. 

# data[].attributes.subject
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan. 

# data[].attributes.body
alex seok

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and not everyone in the country being vaccinated, many are worried the games -- which have already been postponed once -- will not be safe to hold.

On Monday, a Kyodo News poll showed that the majority of those asked in Japan are in favor of postponing or canceling the games altogether. Here are the stats from a Kyodo News poll:

"Amid lingering concern over a fourth coronavirus wave and the slow progress of vaccination, the poll found 39.2 percent believe the postponed Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled, while 32.8 percent think they should be rescheduled. Only 24.5 percent responded that the games should be held as scheduled."

According to the Wall Street Journal, only one percent of Japan's population is vaccinated against COVID-19.

As noted in the Kyodo News report, and highlighted by the Wall Street Journal information above, the concern for the Olympic events come in large part due to Japan's COVID-19 vaccine rollout which, because it is relying heavily on getting vials from other countries, is not moving as fast as desired.

According to nationwide telephone poll conducted and reported on by Kyodo News, 60 percent of people in the country are "dissatisfied" with the how the vaccine is being distributed. On Monday, Japan moved on to the phase of the rollout that includes vaccinating those who are 65 and older. Before Monday, health care workers were prioritized.

The poll also touched on the torch relay, with 13.2 percent saying it should continue, 49.3 percent saying in areas with high COVID-19 rates it should be canceled and 35.9 percent saying it should be canceled entirely. The torch relay began on March 25 in Japan.

Nearly all polled are concerned about COVID-19 cases rising, as Kyodo News wrote that "92.6 percent said they feel anxious about a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tokyo Olympics: 72 percent of Japanese polled want the games canceled or postponed over slow vaccine rollout

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Tokyo Olympics are only three months away now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding the event, specifically among those living in Japan. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and not everyone in the country being vaccinated, many are worried the games -- which have already been postponed once -- will not be safe to hold.

# data[].attributes.headline
NBA, NHL, & MLB postpone games in Minneapolis- Megan

# data[].attributes.subject
NBA, NHL, & MLB postpone games in Minneapolis- Megan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
mlb and nhl postpone minneapolis games following fatal shooting of  daunte wright - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NBA, MLB and NHL postpone Minneapolis games following fatal shooting of Daunte Wright

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NBA, MLB and NHL postponed their Monday games In Minneapolis following the death of Daunte Wright, a Black man killed in a traffic stop Sunday.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jamal Murray Tore his ACL aganist the Warriors. Huge blow for the Nuggets. They need him for the playoffs but other players have to step up-Sumaya Ahmed.

# data[].attributes.subject
Jamal Murray Tore his ACL aganist the Warriors. Huge blow for the Nuggets. They need him for the playoffs but other players have to step up-Sumaya Ahmed.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31249220/denver-nuggets-guard-jamal-murray-suffers-torn-acl-left-knee-indefinitely

# data[].attributes.headline
The Capitals and the Wizards can have fans at 10% capacity in late April- Megan

# data[].attributes.subject
The Capitals and the Wizards can have fans at 10% capacity in late April- Megan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals have announced the dates this month when they will start to allow fans at home games at 10% of their capacity.

About 2,100 spectators can attend the Wizards' game against the Golden State Warriors on April 21.

The Capitals will first welcome back fans for their game against the New York Islanders on April 27.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, it's been more than a year since either team has let spectators into the arena they share in downtown D.C.

Last week, the city approved the teams' request to sell tickets to their games. The Wizards and Capitals were among the few remaining U.S. teams in each league to play without spectators in the building.

MLB's Washington Nationals have been allowed to host up to 5,000 fans at their home games since the season began early this month. The city now will let the Nationals increase their capacity to a little over 10,000 fans -- 25% capacity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wizards, Capitals to host fans at 10% capacity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals have announced the dates this month when they will start to allow fans at home games at 10% of their capacity. About 2,100 spectators can attend the Wizards' game against the Golden State Warriors on April 21.

# data[].attributes.headline
U.S Soccer announces collaboration with Esports Engine

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S Soccer announces collaboration with Esports Engine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
as the official production provider for the U.S Soccer, the football federation for the United States of America, has named esports operations company eNational Team Closed Finals. Esports Engine
Esports Engine to manage Halo Infinite global esports
The collaboration is the first time Esports Engine has joined forces with a sporting federation. In recent months, the company has expanded its UK operations staff, hiring former Gfinity employees Martin Wyatt and Paul Kent as Head of UK Program Operations and Head of UK Production Operations.

The eNational Team Closed Finals, which begins on April 9th, is the conclusion of its nationwide online competition. The winner of the event will represent the U.S eNational Team that will compete in the FIFAe Nations Online Qualifier 2021.

Adam Apicella, Co-Founder and President of Esports Engine , commented on the partnership in a release: "As gaming and sports culture become more intertwined, we see events like the U.S. Soccer eNational Team Finals as unique opportunities to drive engagement amongst current fans, reach new audiences, and grow love of the sport."
Learfield IMG strikes Esports Engine, Mainline and Endeavor deals for Level Next
Esports is an area that isn't new for U.S Soccer. The federation first launched its search for eNational team representatives in 2019, with the victors taking part in the FIFA eNations Cup.

David Wright, Chief Commercial Officer at US Soccer , spoke on the initiative: "We are excited to open a pathway to the eNational Team for the broader community of players and fans across the United States, while also recognising the commitment and success by those at the top of the FIFA Global Series rankings.

"Esports continues to provide us with an opportunity to connect with new fans and grow interest in the sport of soccer here in the United States. We are looking forward to a thrilling competition and determining our two eNational Team representatives for this year."

Esports Insider says: US Soccer joining forces with Esports Engine is a solid move. The operations company has a wealth of experience in producing and operating a range of esports events making this collaboration a good deal for all parties involved.
Check out the ESI 2021 Events Calendar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S Soccer announces collaboration with Esports Engine - Esports Insider

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
as the official production provider for the U.S Soccer, the football federation for the United States of America, has named esports operations company eNational Team Closed Finals. Esports Engine Esports Engine to manage Halo Infinite global esports The collaboration is the first time Esports Engine has joined forces with a sporting federation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why is Justin Fields sliding in the draft?? A year ago he was the best quarterback with Trevor Lawrence and now he might be taken 5th. -Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.subject
Why is Justin Fields sliding in the draft?? A year ago he was the best quarterback with Trevor Lawrence and now he might be taken 5th. -Sumaya Ahmed

# data[].attributes.body
https://247sports.com/Article/Justin-Fields-NFL-Draft-2021-sliding-Zach-Wilson-Trey-Lance-Todd-McShay-Trevor-Lawrence-160738869/

# data[].attributes.body
Golf is a hugely popular sport in Japan, and Hideki Matsuyama is the first winner of  the Masters tournamanet to hail from that country..    (msH)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By winning the Masters, the publicity-shy golfer will face a news media spotlight that trails every move of Japanese athletes abroad.

Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters on Sunday, the first victory by a Japanese man in a major championship. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

TOKYO - Hideki Matsuyama has never been a fan of the spotlight. Even as he rose to become Japan's most successful male golfer, he did his best to avoid the attention lavished on the every move of other Japanese athletes who have shined on the global stage.

But with his win on Sunday at the Masters in Augusta, Ga., the glare will now be inescapable. His victory, the first by a Japanese man in one of golf's major championships, is the fulfillment of a long-held ambition for the country, and it guarantees that he will be feted as a national hero, with the adoration and scrutiny that follows.

Japan is a nation of avid golfers, and the game's status as the sport of choice for the Western business and political elite has given it a special resonance. Success in sports has long been a critical gauge of the country's global standing, with the United States and Europe often the standard by which Japan measures itself.

"We have always dreamed of winning the Masters," said Andy Yamanaka, secretary-general of the Japan Golf Association. "It's a very moving moment for all of us. I think a lot of people cried when he finished."

Those tears reflect, in part, an island nation that sees itself as smaller and less powerful than other major countries, even though it is the world's third-largest economy. That means athletes who represent it globally are often burdened with expectations and pressures that transcend the field of play.

The country's news media has followed the exploits of its athletes abroad with an intensity that some have found unnerving. When the baseball star Ichiro Suzuki joined the Seattle Mariners, Japanese news organizations set up bureaus in the city devoted exclusively to covering him. Television stations here broadcast seemingly obscure major league games just in case a Japanese player appears. Even modest scoring performances by a Japanese N.B.A. player can trigger headlines.

Golf is no exception. Even during low-stakes tournaments, a gaggle of Japanese reporters often trail Matsuyama, 29, a degree of attention that the media-shy golfer seems to have found overwhelming.

At Augusta, the pressure - at least from the news media - was blessedly low. Covid-19 restrictions had kept attendance by journalists to a minimum, and Japan's press turned out in small numbers. After finishing Saturday's third round with a four-stroke lead, Matsuyama admitted to reporters that "with fewer media, it's been a lot less stressful for me."

Image

The pressure is on for Matsuyama to win a gold medal in golf for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

His victory was a major breakthrough for a country that has the world's second-largest number of golf players and courses. The game is a ubiquitous presence throughout the nation, with the tall green nets of driving ranges marking the skyline of virtually every suburb. In 2019, the P.G.A. added its first official tournament in Japan.

In the century since the game was introduced to Japan by foreign merchants, the country has produced a number of top-flight players, like Masashi Ozaki and Isao Aoki. But until now, only two had won major tournaments, both women: Hisako Higuchi at the 1977 L.P.G.A. Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women's British Open.

Earlier this month, another Japanese woman, Tsubasa Kajitani, won the second ever amateur women's competition at Augusta National.

Matsuyama's Masters victory was the crowning achievement of a journey that began at the age of 4 in his hometown, Matsuyama - no relation - on Japan's southern island of Shikoku. His father, an amateur golfer who now runs a practice range, introduced him to the game.

He excelled at the sport as a teenager, and by 2011, he was the highest-placed amateur at the Masters. By 2017, he had won six PGA events and was ranked No. 2 in the world, the highest ever for a Japanese male golfer.

In recent years, however, he seemed to have hit a slump, haunted by an uneven short game and a tendency to buckle under pressure, squandering commanding leads on the back nine's putting greens.

Through it all, Matsuyama has led a private existence focused on golf, while other athletes have racked up media appearances and corporate endorsements. He has earned praise for a work ethic that has sometimes led him to cap off a major tournament appearance with hours of work on his swing.

He seems to have no hobbies or any interest in acquiring them. In 2017, he surprised the news media when he announced that his wife had given birth to the couple's first child. Few even knew that he was married. No one had ever asked, he explained.

When Donald J. Trump - a devotee of the game who was fond of conducting presidential business on the links - visited Japan in 2017, the prime minister at the time, Shinzo Abe, recruited Matsuyama for some golf diplomacy. The threesome did not keep score, and Matsuyama - true to his nature - had little to say about the experience.

With his victory at Augusta, the expectations on Matsuyama will increase dramatically. Media attention is likely to reach a fever pitch in the coming weeks, and endorsement offers will flood in.

Although golf has dipped in popularity in Japan in recent years, sports analysts are already speculating that Matsuyama's win could help fuel a resurgence in the game, which has had renewed interest as a pandemic-friendly sport that makes it easy to maintain a healthy social distance. The Tokyo Olympics this summer will also focus attention on the game.

Matsuyama chatted with Dustin Johnson, left, the 2020 Masters champion, after receiving his green jacket for the victory. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

Munehiko Harada, president of Osaka University of Sport and Health Sciences and an expert on sports marketing, said he hoped that Matsuyama would use his victory to engage in more golf diplomacy, and that it would ameliorate the anti-Asian rhetoric and violence that have flared during the pandemic.

"It would be great if the victory of Mr. Matsuyama would ease negative feelings toward Asians in the United States and create a kind of a momentum to respect each other," he said, adding that he hoped President Biden would invite the golfer to the White House before a scheduled meeting with the Japanese prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, this week.

In remarks to the news media, Suga praised Matsuyama's performance, saying it "gave courage to and deeply moved people throughout Japan."

The pressure is already on for Matsuyama to notch another victory for the nation.

"I don't know his next goal, maybe win another major or achieve a grand slam, but for the Japan Golf Association, getting a gold medal at the Olympics would be wonderful news," Yamanaka, the association's secretary-general, said.

News reports have speculated that Matsuyama will be drafted to light the Olympic caldron at the Games' opening ceremony in July.

Asked about the possibility at a news conference following his victory, Matsuyama demurred. Before he could commit to anything, he said, he would have to check his schedule.

Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ready or Not, Hideki Matsuyama Is Now a National Hero in Japan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By winning the Masters, the publicity-shy golfer will face a news media spotlight that trails every move of Japanese athletes abroad. TOKYO - Hideki Matsuyama has never been a fan of the spotlight.

# data[].attributes.body
Vinh Pham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
AC Milan and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to make his big screen debut in the next Asterix film.

The 39-year-old posted the word "Antivirus", the name of his character, on his Instagram account using the typeset and colours associated with the Goscinny/Uderzo heroes.

Ibrahimovic, who was recently recalled to the Swedish national team and is likely to feature in this year's delayed Euro 2020, will play a Roman called Caius Antivirus in Asterix and Obelix: the Middle Empire, the fifth film in the live action series.

The film, which will be directed by Guillaume Canet who also plays Asterix the Gaul, will also star Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard as Cleopatra and Gilles Lellouche as Obelix.

Production of the film was due to take place last year but was delayed due to the pandemic.

With a budget of over 60m euros, it is already shaping up to be one of the biggest French productions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Antivirus': Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make big screen debut in Asterix film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AC Milan and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to make his big screen debut in the next Asterix film. The 39-year-old posted the word "Antivirus", the name of his character, on his Instagram account using the typeset and colours associated with the Goscinny/Uderzo heroes.