An era which once promised so much at Barcelona has reached its epilogue.Xavi Hernandez, the once marvellous midfielder who functioned as the beating heart of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Catalans, revealed in January that his tenure as Barca coach will draw to a premature close at the end of the 2023/24 season.The current campaign has been one of indifference for Spain’s reigning champions, with the tension and “entorno” surrounding the club playing major factors in Xavi’s decision to step down. Much of the discourse in the wake of Xavi’s announcement has focused on who’ll succeed the Spaniard at the helm. Little…
Author: rivalryedition
Chael Sonnen’s gut is telling him that a big fight is about to fall through. UFC 298 is just around the corner and one of the most highly anticipated matchups on the card sees former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on top contender Paulo Costa in the co-main event. Or at least that’s what it says on the schedule. Speaking on his Beyond the Fight show, Sonnen speculated that something strange is going on with the pairing and it’s a feeling that he’s had before with other high-profile fights. “Does Whittaker and Paulo Costa go off as planned?” Sonnen said.…
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has connected with a former Giants star before the NFL Draft, and that could pique New York’s interest. The 21-year-old revealed that Eli Manning, who starred for New York from 2004-19, is advising him before the draft in April.”I’ve been working with Eli throughout the process, getting on Zooms and talking football with him,” Maye said, via Mark Cannizzaro of The New York Post. “I’m working out in Mobile, Alabama, and his backup quarterback in college was Dave Morris, and he’s training me for the draft. Pretty small world. And I was at the Manning…
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Robert Horry, Metta Sandiford-Artest, Dwayne Wade, Jordan Farmar, Jerry West, Jamaal Wilkes, Gary Vitti, Joyce Sharman (Bill Sharman’s widow), Mark Madsen, Larry Nance Jr, Lisa Leslie are among the various luminaries for Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling – 6:26 PM
David Purdum, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 8, 2024, 07:11 PM ETClose Joined ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008LAS VEGAS — Just days before the Super Bowl, an interesting development was shaping up at Caesars Sportsbook — there were more bets on Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to score a touchdown in Sunday’s game than there were on the favored San Francisco 49ers overall.”I can’t think of another player who demands so much attention,” said Craig Mucklow, vice president of trading for Caesars Sportsbook.Kelce is one of three players who are odds-on favorites to score a touchdown…
England will be on a passion mission in their Six Nations homecoming against Wales on Saturday. That is what they want to generate on the pitch and in the stands at Twickenham.They don’t want the visitors to have a monopoly on big-match emotion. Steve Borthwick’s settled side are determined to re-engage with the country’s rugby public by showing just how much this historic fixture and rivalry means to them. The Welsh are not the only ones driven by a fervent desire to claim cross-border bragging rights at the expense of their neighbours.It’s the same every year; Wales —as well as…
By Ben Sully @SullyBen Borussia Dortmund will look to bounce back from a goalless draw against Heidenheim when they play host to Freiburg on Friday. Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 Borussia Dortmund After beginning 2024 with three consecutive wins, Dortmund had to settle for a frustrating goalless draw in last Friday’s away meeting with Heidenheim. While die Schwarzgelben remained in the top four, they are just one point clear of fifth-placed RB Leipzig. Despite dropping points last weekend, Dortmund can be pleased with the fact they have claimed three clean sheets in their last four league matches. However,…
A report has named Liverpool as the club which has suffered most from incorrect VAR decisions this season.Premier League chief Tony Scholes wants improvements to the VAR process amid concerns over both the frequency of checks during games but also the duration of those checks, which he acknowledges are impacting the experience of fans.The length of an average check has risen ever since Liverpool benefitted from the biggest VAR error of all – the decision to allow Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham in September – but ESPN state that the Reds also have the worst luck when it comes to…
Themba Gorimbo is a man on a mission. This past Saturday, Gorimbo had the best performance of his career, knocking out Pete Rodriguez in just 32 seconds at UFC Vegas 85. This followed up Gorimbo’s win this past May over Takashi Sato, where the Zimbabwean fighter caught the eye of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Needless to say, it’s been a life-changing past 12 months for Gorimbo, who believes that everything that has happened is proof that he’s destined for still greater things. “I did ask myself [why me], but I always say, this is not me, this is God,” Gorimbo…
Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School Top100 four-star athlete Cameron Sparks is closing in on a final decision. The 6-3, 210-pounder has narrowed his recruitment, wants to take some visits this offseason, and will then announce his commitment.On Thursday, he informed 247Sports that he has six finalists. Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida State, Miami and Auburn are the programs still in play.“All of these schools are dynamic programs,” said Sparks. “I believe all of them can get me to the next level.”