#The Athletic

The bottom line is that the LIV players are not earning any OWGR points and plummeting in the world rankings as a result. Fair or unfair? OWGR ranking points are important, because a player's position in the rankings is used to determine qualification for some important events. The Masters, for instance, uses the OWGR points list to invite the top…

ST. LOUIS - Tis the season for excessive social media scrolling, baseball fans. The clock is winding down on the MLB trade deadline. It's that time of the year when the St. Louis Cardinals usually find themselves busy making moves, though the chances of pulling off a blockbuster vary each season. Occasionally, the Cardinals will pull the trigger…

Brighton & Hove Albion have turned down a £12 million offer from Tottenham Hotspur for Leandro Trossard, who is also a target for Arsenal, according to The Athletic. Trossard has been a key player for Brighton this season, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in 16 Premier League matches. However, he has fallen out with manager Roberto…

The Chicago Bears know the situation they're in. Holding the #1 pick in the draft brings a certain degree of leverage. It is the one pick in every draft that guarantees whatever player your heart desires. GM Ryan Poles could use it on anybody he thinks is a future superstar. On the other hand, the allure of such a pick can also fetch a massive…

Another week has come and gone as the NHL season continues. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in hold on mode, looking to weather the storms that they find themselves in. After having so much health and favorable availability for most of the first half of the season, 2023 has not been kind to the Pens. Their starting goalie has been out for almost…

You are supposed to root for your team to win the championship. I get this. For those of us blessed to root for a great team, we want to see that greatness capped off with that sweet, sweet, very pointy championship trophy. For those of us who don't have that opportunity, well, it's even better to root for the underdog, is it not? The 2023 Kansas…

If you had to pick a well-known phrase to sum up Eli Drinkwitz's ethos, what do you think it would be? "Look twice before you leap," may be one. "Slow and steady wins the race," could be another. "May The Force be with you," might also fit, though you could potentially sub it out for, "I've got a bad feeling about this," depending on the game…

Here is your morning Arsenal digest on Sunday, January 15. Nketiah's physicality improvement Arsenal frontman Eddie Nketiah has spoken about the improvements he has made to his physicality in recent times. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the North London Derby, Nketiah said: "It's something I've really worked on over the last couple of years,…

The Los Angeles Angels need to make improvements to their roster if they want to make a run at the postseason and convince Shohei Ohtani to stay past this season. The Angels need to make improvements to their pitching staff and also acquire a corner outfielder. Another thing they should do is upgrade their middle infield. This free agency class has…

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still looking to shed a few million (especially after acquiring Miguel Rojas) so they can have a comfortable cushion under the first luxury tax threshold in the event they need to make an addition or two at the trade deadline. All of their strategic, financially-conscious decision making over the last few months has…

ARSENAL have made a fresh bid for Mykhailo Mudryk worth £62million plus add-ons, with the deal progressing. Direct talks with Shakhtar Donetsk have continued this week, according to Fabrizio Romano, who says the two sides are closing in on a deal. Arteta was asked about the deal, and seemed to confirm some interest as he said: "We are trying as a…

So is ex-All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow a realistic chance to play for the Wallabies? The short answer is no: it's theoretically possible, but long odds of happening. The 27-Test halfback made waves this week by telling a French news outlet he was willing to pull on the gold jersey, and Dave Rennie revealed they'd spoken earlier this year.…

There's a reason why betting is a dangerous game. While the financial ramifications are obvious, bets with friends can force you into doing some gross things. Just as Shaquille O'Neal found out: The basketball legend made a wager with his co-host Ernie Johnson on NBA On TNT earlier this week, betting that Georgia would not win their game against…

Tyrese Haliburton enjoys playing for the Indiana Pacers, and the breakout star's performances this season proves this point. The former Sacramento King loves living in Indiana, considering the guard now lives closer to his family. Not to mention, he adores Midwest culture. "I said this when I came from Sacramento, who I am as a person, I love hard.…

Talk to Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw, architect of a penalty kill that now has six short-handed goals in the past month, and one would think he'd be satisfied with its attacking mentality. And he is, to a point. But one nagging issue still eats at him, going against all of his natural coaching inclinations. The Philadelphia penalty kill may not…

What was the BOOM, you ask? Tommy Eichenberg will return for a final season with the Buckeyes in 2023. Get ready for more grunts next fall. Let's have a good Friday, shall we? THE ACHILLES HEEL. The term "Achilles heel" comes from the legend of the Greek hero Achilles, who was dipped in the River Styx by his mother, making him invulnerable…

The NBA trade deadline is a month away, and there is plenty of chatter circulating among league executives about what might happen before the Feb. 9 deadline. Several teams are maneuvering - trying to improve their rosters, reduce their payrolls, acquire draft picks, figure out if a player on an expiring contract is worth keeping or trading. What…

Bob McKeown, the veteran journalist and senior host of "The Fifth Estate," was discussing advertising in sports betting when he was transported back to an old news conference he once covered. It was held in 2006, as Wayne Gretzky was preparing to travel to Italy for the Winter Olympics. The hockey legend and his family were embroiled in a gambling…

The Georgia Bulldogs are national champions once again, as the Bulldogs' 65-7 victory over TCU brought the 2022 college football season to a close. Unfortunately, when the clock hit double zeros in that game, it meant that the college football offseason is officially here. But the 2023 college football season is just seven months away. On Saturday,…

Welcome to NHL 99, The Athletic's countdown of the best 100 players in modern NHL history. We're ranking 100 players but calling it 99 because we all know who's No. 1 - it's the 99 spots behind No. 99 we have to figure out. Every Monday through Saturday until February we'll unveil new members of the list. Brett Hull was just 21 years old and coming…

Welcome to NHL99, The Athletic's countdown of the best 100 players in modern NHL history. We're ranking 100 players but calling it 99 because we all know who's No. 1 - it's the 99 spots behind No. 99 we have to figure out. Every Monday through Saturday until February we'll unveil new members of the list. Martin St. Louis' decorated playing career…

All the top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers... THE SUN Manchester United have reportedly set their sights on Goncalo Ramos and Mohammed Kudus as striker targets for the summer transfer window. Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is reportedly set to leave the club for free at the end of the season. Europe's top celebrity golf…

The New York Mets reportedly have concerns about Carlos Correa's surgically repaired leg. Although the leg hasn't given Correa much trouble during his big league career, teams are weary to dish out a long-term contract to the star shortstop. It was the primary reason for Correa's deal with the San Francisco Giants falling apart. So what should…

The PGA Tour makes the short trip from the island of Maui to Oahu for the first full-field event of 2023 and the 25th anniversary of Sony becoming the title sponsor of the Sony Open. The Sony Open has been contested in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, in the beautiful state of Hawaii every year since 1965. The players will have to contend with…

With the 2022 college football season officially over, it's time to direct attention to the 2023 season. There's no better way to do that than to talk about "way-too-early" top 25 rankings and look at Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff championship odds, so we decided to do just that. We took a look at where Ohio State falls in the…

Penn State finished the 2022 season at No. 7 in the final Associated Press top 25. It is poised to start the 2023 slate inside the top 10, as well. Early rankings and oddsmakers' opinions in the future market have head coach James Franklin's team anywhere from a top-five team to No. 9 nationally. Sporting News places the Lions in the latter spot in…

Fulham have confirmed their shirt sponsor for the 2022-23 season will be the gambling firm W88 after a "record" agreement for the club. The betting firm will be Fulham's front of shirt sponsor for their men's and women's teams and will replace blockchain telecommunications network World Mobile, who have moved to the club's shirt sleeves and…

MANCHESTER UNITED target Wout Weghorst allegedly "clashed with team-mates at old club Burnley due to his arrogance" last season. The Red Devils are interested in signing the Dutch striker in order to bolster their attacking options. Weghorst joined Burnley last season before their relegation prior to moving to Besiktas on a season-long loan in the…

Former San Francisco Giants star Jeff Kent is finally starting to get some traction for the Hall of Fame. The problem is that it is coming far too late to matter. On Monday, C. Trent Rosencrans from The Athletic revealed his Hall of Fame ballot. He voted for ten players, with Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, and Billy Wagner joining the six…

The Lakers, the team Rob Pelinka misassembled (I've written some version of that), LeBron James couldn't carry (ditto) and Anthony Davis couldn't stay healthy enough to support (well … ). The team that reacted to last season's 33-win disaster by ousting the person (Frank Vogel) least responsible for it. That's right … the Lakers. The Lakers-the…

The Memphis Grizzlies are a top two team in the Western Conference with a 23-13 record. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies are just one game behind the Denver Nuggets in the standings. They've gone 6-4 in their last ten and are on a three-game win streak. Memphis has been drafting well in the past and have a lot of young talent on their roster. However,…

With the winter transfer window having opened on January 1, we round up Arsenal's done deals, plus the players linked with moves in and out of the Emirates. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted his side "don't have many options" in attack but insists they are trying to improve this in January. Speaking after their goalless draw against Newcastle,…

The year 2022 ended up being one of the most eventful calendar years for Kansas Athletics that we have seen in a very long time. From a resurgence in the women's basketball program and a national championship in basketball to the accelerated return of the football program to respectability, there were plenty of individual moments along the way that…

It's not too often a player 21 games into the first season of a three-year contract extension becomes a virtual lock to be traded. But here we are with right winger Brock Boeser and the Vancouver Canucks. It's natural to view last weekend's drama as a catalyst and the reason why Boeser and agent Ben Hankinson have been granted permission by the…

The lingering storyline and elephant in the room - for Minnesota and MLB at large - is Carlos Correa's situation with the Mets. The shortstop agreed to terms with Steve Cohen and New York more than two weeks ago, but still no contract has been signed as the Mets - like the Giants before them - ran into concerns in Correa's physical. It's a bizarre…

The Los Angeles Lakers are nearing a coaching hire after firing Frank Vogel shortly after the regular season, and each of the three candidates represent a different path philosophically for the Lakers. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers have three finalists in Terry Stotts, Darvin Ham and Kenny Atkinson. The next step will be in-person…

Let's call it two years, 11 months. On Feb. 4, 2020, the initial (and better) version of the Mookie Betts trade broke. An organizational failure spanning three baseball bosses, and a punt to the groin that fundamentally changed how a sizable percentage of people viewed the Red Sox. By Jan. 4, 2023, their likes had only grown, and the snowball of…

For MLB fans waiting with bated breath for the new season, there is some good news. The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is returning in 2023 and will feature a slurry of prime MLB talent. The 2023 World Baseball Classic will be played between March 8th and March 21st, 2023, at stadiums around the USA, Japan, and Taiwan. It is carefully planned to take…

Orioles GM Mike Elias said the team is not going to "flip a light switch" and get to its max payroll capacity again, according to Nathan Ruiz of the BALTIMORE SUN. It was believed that "when the time came, Elias would be able to boost payroll as he saw necessary." But the level of expenditures during and following the Orioles' stint as the AL's…

DALEY BLIND is on the verge of a shock move to Bayern Munich, reports say. The former Man United midfielder terminated his contract with boyhood club Ajax in December after a successful career and had been on the lookout for a new club. The Dutchman had been linked to Belgian side Antwerp but now it appears he could be on the move to a far more…

CHELSEA are said to have had a huge bid for Enzo Fernandez REJECTED by Benfica. The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the Argentine and Gianluca Di Marzio has stated that a deal is close. Details were being discussed on payment terms over a €127million deal which is to be paid in three €40million instalments, he states. However, there…

Newcastle United want to sign Ivan Fresneda and claims are emerging that Real Valladolid are already saying goodbye to the right back. Newcastle have been focusing their attention on signing another right back this month. Emil Krafth and Javi Manquillo are unlikely to have long-term futures at Newcastle. The idea is to bring in a young right back…

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout hasn't played in a game since July 12 because of what was originally diagnosed as back spasms. He was later placed on the injured list with a stated diagnosis of rib cage inflammation. Although more than a week have passed since, there's no greater clarity on when he'll return to the lineup. The Angels do,…

I can't be the only person whose pulse spiked seeing the words "Rafael Devers" and "agreement" on their phone Tuesday until realizing it was just for a $17.5-million deal covering his last year before free agency. No matter. Good news is good news, and avoiding even the suggestion of arbitration with The Last Red Sox Superstar qualifies as…

CHELSEA appear to be closing in on the signing of Enzo Fernandez, with reports in Italy revealing the structure of a deal. The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the Argentine and Gianluca Di Marzio has stated that a deal is close. The last details are now being discussed on payment terms over a €127million deal which is to be paid in…

Javier Báez is headed to Detroit on a six-year, $140 million deal, The Athletic confirmed on Tuesday. The deal is pending a physical. Báez, who turns 29 Dec. 1, will be the third on the list of top free-agent shortstops to sign in the last few days, with both Marcus Semien (seven years, $175 million) and Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million)…

A state representative has written a bill that could position Oklahoma to capitalize on the growing popularity of sports betting. Rep. Ken Luttrell (R-Ponca City) introduced House Bill 1027, which would authorize tribes to offer sports betting in casinos and on mobile devices. Luttrell proposed a similar bill earlier this year, and it failed to get…

CRISTIANO RONALDO has completed his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, according to reports. Reports in Saudi have claimed the Portugal star has now signed a two-year deal after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are prioritising the signing of Jude Bellingham in 2023, it's been reported. The England star has…

Ahead of Arsenal's Europa League game away against Bodo/Glimt in October, The Athletic asked the locals about Odegaard's standing in Norway and the hopes that the country has for him. To one side of the airport is the Norwegian Sea. The other hosts the snow-topped mountains of the Arctic Circle. This is Bodo, a northern Norwegian town of 55000…

The Montreal Canadiens are a quarter through the season and have both good and bad news regarding the rest of their 2022-2023 NHL schedule. According to the ever-popular Tankathon website, the Canadiens currently have the 11th and 13th best odds to win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. Owning both their own and the Florida Panthers' 1st round picks, the…