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Yesterday we dug deep into the data to discuss how best to use coach’s challenges in NBA games. Which kinds of calls, which parts of the game...what it takes to succeed with more than 80 percent of your challenges like the Knicks, instead of less than 30 percent of the time like the Spurs (who somehow have only had five successful challenges all season). Today the mission is different: to explain why coach’s challenges were never the right solution. Slow-motion replay can warp your brain into thinking NBA refereeing is easy. But stand on the baseline as Giannis crashes through...

Colin Jost and Travis Kelce bonded over their high-profile relationships with Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift, respectively. The SNL star shared he is more "approachable" than his wife, who people fan over constantly. "I'm probably approached more because she's less approachable... Because I'm on TV ... I'm in their living room, so they're just like, 'Hey what's up man, how's it going?'" "She's actually almost so famous that they don't believe it a lot of times," he said of passersby. "We've been traveling and we've been standing at the passport check and the person's looking at her passport and he'll...

Five Italian tourists have died while exploring underwater caves 160ft below the surface in the Maldives. The group had set off on a diving expedition on Thursday morning to explore the Vaavu atoll, according to local media. Authorities received reports of the divers' disappearance at around 1.45pm local time after they failed to resurface at around midday. During the search and rescue operation, their bodies were discovered. According to initial reports, the five tourists had boarded the 'luxury' Duke of York yacht, a foreign-operated live-aboard diving vessel, and they disappeared near Alimatha, one of the atoll's most popular diving spots....

The World Cup final will feature a star-studded halftime show headlined by Madonna, Shakira and boy-band BTS. FIFA has announced that, for the first time, the final at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert. Soccer’s governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”

Thirty-year-old rugby player Eugene Hanna, of the Glenora Bears from Auckland, New Zealand, died Tuesday after an injury sustained in the team’s opening game May 2. Hanna, a member of the Premier Reserves squad, suffered an injury described only as “unsurvivable,” although the team did not detail the exact malady. He spent 10 days in the hospital attempting to recover before he died. ... The New Zealand Rugby League emphasized the importance of safety protocols in in a statement, while specifically mentioning “head injury and concussion protocols.” “This is truly heartbreaking and something we never want to see happen, and...

The NFL ended a mandate that all 32 teams hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant ahead of the 2025 season and not because of recent pressure from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who on Wednesday issued an investigative subpoena to the league over its hiring practices. Uthmeier, who in March threatened potential civil action against the NFL over the league's Rooney Rule, said Wednesday that the NFL had changed diversity language on its website and that it had "capitulated on some of their discriminatory hiring quotas," while arguing that the revisions raise new questions about the policy. He...

NFLPA head: Players strongly want 'high quality' grass fields play Jordan Raanan May 12, 2026, 12:00 PM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions LikeCelebrateFire 558 While NFL players watch some of their stadiums get new grass fields installed for upcoming FIFA World Cup games, it only reinforces their desire to move away from turf. Fifteen of the 30 NFL stadiums use some sort of artificial turf for American football games. Players have become more vocal in recent years about their desire to play on grass. "What we want is good grass fields. Good, solid fields," NFLPA executive director JC Tretter...

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in March threatened potential civil action against the NFL over the Rooney Rule, has issued an investigative subpoena to the league. In a new letter to commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier noted the NFL altered the language on its website after receiving his initial warning letter, writing that the league had "capitulated on some of their discriminatory hiring quotas," while arguing the revisions raise additional questions about the policy. The NFL's previous Rooney Rule description on its website stated the policy aimed to "increase the number of minorities hired" in leadership positions and said that...

Iran’s football federation has shared a list of conditions with FIFA surrounding the country’s participation in the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, including a ban on LGBTQ+ pride flags. The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) told FIFA that it would compete in the competition “without any retreat from our beliefs, culture and convictions” and insisted that the hosts “must take our concerns into account”, as per Out Sports. The list of 10 demands for Iran’s participation comes after the FFIRI’s president, Mehdi Taj, was denied entry to Canada before the FIFA...

It’s safe to say the WNBA is the most toxic and dysfunctional professional sports league in US history. And the league is incapable of learning from its mistakes. As Joe Hoft reported earlier this year, Caitlin Clark was injurted in the 2026 pre-season opener for the Indianapolis Fever. They had their golden goose, and they ran it over. To date, rather than provide officiating that was fair and protected Clark, the league allowed women in the league to pull, push, hit, poke, hammer, and totally abuse Clark. The beatings and abuse took their toll. No one could have put up...

'm all about respect and sportsmanship, but I also love a healthy dose of gamesmanship, and that seems to be what we're getting from the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is still in the playoffs and currently tied with the Anaheim Ducks 2-2. However, they were the talk of hockey at the end of the regular season when they fired then-head coach Bruce Cassidy with just eight games left in the season and the team on track to make the playoffs. It was a shocker — especially after Cassidy led the team to a Stanley Cup in 2023 — and the...

One day after Lane Kiffin opened up on why the location of Ole Miss hurt him in recruiting at his old school and how “diversity” has helped him at LSU, the college football coach apologized. Kiffin, in a lengthy interview with Vanity Fair, revealed that unspecified recruits told him while he was leading Ole Miss that certain players would have issues coming to the school. “[They would say], ‘Hey, Coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi,'” Kiffin told Vanity Fair. “That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were...

Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, died following a “valiant” battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, his family announced Tuesday. Collins was 47. The ex-Nets player and 13-year NBA veteran had revealed his diagnosis in December in a piece published by ESPN. Stage 4 glioblastoma is one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer.

Brandon Clarke, forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, has died. He was 29 years old. It is unknown exactly when, how or where Clarke died. What they're saying:"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke.Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time," the team shared in a statement on its official X account on Tuesday. Brandon Clarke, forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, has died. He was 29 years...

Football coach Lane Kiffin says some top recruits would tell him they were not interested in coming to Ole Miss while he was running the program there before his move to LSU. Kiffin discussed the concerns in a recent article in Vanity Fair. "[They would say], 'Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren't letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi,'" Kiffin said, according to the magazin Source Ue. "That doesn't come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus' diversity feels so great: 'It feels like there's no segregation. And...

The biggest sporting event in world history might have a less-flattering title soon: the most expensive sporting event in world history. The World Cup, which kicks off June 11 in Mexico City, has become a carnival for the rich so expensive it resembles a monthlong Met Gala. Just last Thursday, FIFA rolled out a $32,970 seat for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium, triple the cost of its most expensive ticket before then. Even in the group stage, tickets are priced in the hundreds of dollars. So is parking and, in some cities — including New York and Boston...

Soccer fans are not happy after Katy Perry was announced as the headliner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony. The 41-year-old singer was announced as the headliner on Friday, May 8, and many in the soccer community had strong opinions on the choice. Pop Crave shared the announcement on their X account and the comments section featured a mixed bag of reactions. Many were against the organization's decision to sign her as the headliner, with one commenter writing, "I honestly think they could've picked someone better." "On behalf of the football community we don’t know Katy Perry," another...

A Canadian junior hockey team's pockets are thousands of dollars lighter after one of the team's scouts got into trouble during an interview at the league’s draft. The problem? Telling a reporter she was good-looking.

A top Padres prospect has self-deported to Mexico after pleading guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States. Humberto Cruz, a pitcher ranked as the Padres’ fifth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to receiving money for the transport, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and acknowledged it was a “virtual certainty” he’d be deported. The Athletic confirmed that Cruz, 19, had decided to self-deport and was back in Mexico. The Padres’ understanding is that Cruz would lose his work visa for 10 years, but could reapply after five years of good behavior, the...

Creatine is often linked to gym performance, but its real impact goes much deeper. Creatine is widely recognized as a supplement used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to improve performance. But its effects extend beyond the gym. Scientists have been studying how this naturally occurring compound influences both physical and mental function, revealing a more complex picture than many people expect. From supporting energy production to its possible role in future medical treatments, creatine continues to attract attention from researchers. Dr. Mehdi Boroujerdi, a pharmaceutical researcher and former professor, conducted a detailed review of creatine in the Handbook of Creatine...