Category: Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. — At his core, Matt LaFleur is a quarterback.

Maybe not one who many people saw play, unless they were paying attention to NCAA Division II football in the early 2000s or were fans of the Omaha Beef or Billings Outlaws in the early years of the National Indoor Football League.

But that’s how the Green Bay Packers coach sees football — through the eyes of a quarterback.

Perhaps that’s why LaFleur, as he oversaw the transition from four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to first-year starter Jordan Love this season, began the only way he knew how.

“It’s the same approach we do, I would say, every year,” the fifth-year coach explained as he prepared Love and the Packers for Saturday’s NFC divisional round playoff game at the San Francisco 49ers (8:15 p.m. ET, Fox).

Eight months later, that approach not only has Love playing as well as — if not better than — any quarterback in the NFL, but it has also fueled the Packers’ late-season run that has them on the verge of doing the once unimaginable: hitting on and developing a third straight franchise quarterback, continuing a run of excellence that dates to Hall of Famer Brett Favre‘s emergence in 1992.

If anyone thought LaFleur’s success in his first three years — which included back-to-back-to-back 13-win seasons and two NFC Championship Game appearances — was simply a ride on Rodgers’ coattails, then what he has done with Love this season should dispel that notion.

“That’s foolish,” said former NFL MVP quarterback Rich Gannon, who calls games for CBS Sports and SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I just think Matt’s done a great job with this kid.”

A vice president of player personnel for another playoff team agreed.

“I mean, the proof is in the work,” he said.

Another longtime NFL scout used just one word to describe the job LaFleur has done this season: “Incredible.”

The scout, however, was quick to credit general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff for not only having the foresight to make Love a first-round pick in 2020 (after Rodgers had led the Packers to the conference championship game in 2019), but to build the young roster around him — forming the youngest team to reach the playoffs since 1974.

“It’s been elite evaluating and drafting,” the scout said. “It’s all the organization. They do things the right way, and that team is young enough to go up to San Francisco and win.”

The list of coaches who have won big after a Hall of Fame quarterback left the team starts with Bill Walsh, whose 49ers teams went seamlessly from Joe Montana to Steve Young. The modern-era list might end there.

“It helps if the new quarterback is there with the old one and can see how you do things,” said former Packers head coach Mike Holmgren, who worked with both Montana and Young as an assistant with the 49ers.

“The challenge is the second player is never quite the same player. They’re different and they have unique skills. You teach them the same way and you have your standards set the same way, which is important, but then as a coach you have to adjust to that player’s particular talents because it’s not going to be the same.”

Holmgren learned that when he arrived in Green Bay in 1992 and began to work with the gunslinging Favre.

“Coming from Joe Montana, who did everything almost perfect, to Brett — and I tried to teach him the same way,” Holmgren said. “But then after a while, I go, ‘OK, I know he’s trying and I’m trying, but it’s not working. It’s not the same. He’s not the same. So let’s try and identify certain things, let him play while still being disciplined.’”

From afar, Holmgren said it’s fair to assume LaFleur has made the same types of adjustments going from Rodgers to Love.

“I think it’s really showcased the kind of teacher that Matt is because I think you’ve seen steady growth from Jordan throughout the entire year,” said former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who played two seasons (2015-16) in Atlanta with LaFleur as his position coach. “If you just look at the numbers from Week 11 on, it’s just incredibly impressive.

“They went through the growing pains of starting for the first time, and I think Matt took his time and didn’t give Jordan too much too quickly and let him play into it.”

Like Holmgren and most offensive gurus, LaFleur lives by the details. Ryan learned that right away from LaFleur.

“Matt’s got this thing called a ‘Quarterback Pack’ that had every read and progression and what the footwork was,” said Ryan, who now serves as an analyst for CBS Sports. “And it was for every play, every coverage that you go through, and he would do it every week.”

Even with the LaFleur-Love pairing in its infancy, the early returns suggest the coach has at least something to do with the success.

Over the final eight regular-season games, Love completed 70.3% of his passes (third best over that stretch) and was second in touchdown passes (18, one behind Dallas’ Dak Prescott) with only one interception. For the entire 17-game season, Love finished second in the NFL with 32 touchdown passes (Prescott had 36).

“Jordan coming in here in 2020, sitting behind Aaron, getting one start in those three years, and you can just tell he learned so much and really [got] ingrained into Matt’s system,” said Packers guard Jon Runyan, who came to the Packers in the same draft class as Love.

“Matt’s a quarterback. [Love] just took it and ran with being able to learn from Matt and taking this whole offense on himself.”

LaFleur and Love didn’t have much of a base to lean on when they began preparing for this season. Love had one career start, a 13-7 loss at Kansas City in 2021 when COVID-19 sidelined Rodgers for the week. Love went 19-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 33.1 QBR.

LaFleur has admitted time and again that he and the coaching staff left Love ill-prepared for the pressure package the Chiefs delivered that night.

So that’s where LaFleur and his offensive assistants began.

It led them to a key moment in Sunday’s 48-32 wild-card playoff win at the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers were up 14-0 late in the second quarter, and Love suspected the blitz was coming on third-and-7 from the Dallas 20-yard line. He made sure rookie tight end Tucker Kraft knew to stay in and block, which helped give him just enough time to throw off his back foot and hit rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks on a post route for a touchdown.

“That zero blitz is a prime example of something that, going into the year … we made a strong emphasis to make sure that we had answers for when people wanted to all-out us,” LaFleur explained this week.

“It’s time spent, value received, so you got to judge how much time you want to put into that. … A matter of a few seconds to get Tuck to stay in on a protection and to hang in there when you got a free runner at you. I just thought that was so impressive, and I think that’s just a great example of what he is, the growth that’s transpired with him.”

It’s a concept LaFleur might have glossed over with the veteran Rodgers, but for a quarterback who had little experience, the coaching staff knew they could not take shortcuts this time around.

“Matt taught him, ‘If you don’t understand protections, we’re just going to get heated up,’” Gannon said. “I think he’s gotten better with that as the season’s gone along.

“There’s a lot of examples as the season has gone along, and you see a guy who clearly understands protections, knows where his hots are, knows where the quick-answer throws are, understands where he can drift to create an extra split second, how to hold the football, how to draw the rush.”

Said LaFleur: “It’s a credit to the players, because not every player can do that — I’ve been around a lot of quarterbacks that don’t ever want to change the protection or just struggle with it, quite frankly — just the amount of work that he’s put in.”

LaFleur also credited quarterbacks coach Tom Clements — the only person to coach Favre, Rodgers and Love — for aiding in Love’s development. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and passing game coordinator Jason Vrable are also among those who have worked closely with Love.

“Obviously with Aaron, just how much knowledge he has of the game, he’s able to understand things and get to certain looks that he might want, where I don’t have as much knowledge in that area,” Love said this week. “But I think Matt gives you all the information you need, all the keys to be successful, and it’s kind of on you to make it happen when you get out there on the field.

“But I think that’s the key — with Matt, with Tom, with Steno — is they coach everybody the same way, give you all the information you need to be successful and kind of put it on you to go out there and be successful.”

None of those three assistant coaches was in his current role at the beginning of LaFleur’s time. The fact that LaFleur lost offensive coaches like Nathaniel Hackett, Justin Outten and Luke Getsy from his original staff and still pulled this off should say something about him as a head coach.

It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen in some unusual places, according to Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

“I believe he has a great working relationship with Jordan,” Bisaccia said recently. “They talk on the bus a bunch before games. They talk a bunch on Bus 1 after games. [In] his team meetings, he’s to the point [and] he’s exact.”

JACKSON CANTWELL – Nebraska

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JARED CURTIS – Ohio State

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JORDON DAVISON – Texas

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JAIME FFRENCH – Florida State

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ELIJAH GRIFFIN – Florida

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JABBAR MUHAMMAD – Alabama

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NATE ROBERTS – Ohio State

*****  

OWEN STREBIG – Notre Dame

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JONAH WILLIAMS – Texas

*****

RYAN WILLIAMS – Alabama

Zak Chelli says he wants to stop Commonwealth and British super-middleweight champion Jack Cullen to achieve “double revenge” when they fight in Liverpool on Saturday.

Live on Sky Sports on the undercard of Natasha Jonas’ world title clash with Mikaela Mayer, the pair are meeting for the second time after a 2020 contest ended in a draw, with Chelli feeling he was unfairly denied victory on that occasion.

Chelli is taking additional motivation from the fact Cullen’s trainer Michael Jennings was in the opposite corner when he suffered a surprise defeat to Mark Jeffers last year.

“I believe I won, I believe most people thought I won,” Chelli told Sky Sports. “I even remember Eddie Hearn messaging me, telling me I won, and wanting a rematch.

“But our paths just went separate ways and it just never happened.

“Now our paths have collided again, and for a British and Commonwealth title. It’s great, I’m over the moon.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what he has. He’s got the same trainer as Jeffers, so it’d be great, double revenge if I beat him.”

‘I’ve got to stop Cullen to show my level’

Both Chelli and Cullen have been fearless in their choice of opponents throughout their professional careers, which has resulted in each suffering defeats that more carefully guided fighters might have avoided.

Cullen was defeated by Kevin Lele Sadjo in a European title fight in 2021 and was knocked out once more by unbeaten American Diego Pacheco last year, before upsetting Mark Heffron to become Commonwealth and British champion.

“I saw his last few fights,” Chelli said. “He’s been stopped twice, but they were high-level opponents.

“One was for the European Zak Chelli targets knockout win over Jack Cullen for ‘double revenge’ in super-middleweight title fight, and once was this really good American, but he’s been stopped.

“So I believe if I want to prove that I’m at that level, I’ve got to stop him as well. Obviously, I’m not going to look for a stoppage, God willing it will come, but I’m looking for the victory.

“Winning would show I’m that level, I’m above British level. I believe Cullen is around British level or maybe even a bit better, but it would prove I’m that level and ready to take the big fights.”

Chelli is clearly delighted to get the opportunity to challenge for a prestigious pair of titles just a year after his defeat to Jeffers, and admits he may be benefitting from Cullen’s desire to settle the score from their previous bout.

“I believe he wants to prove to his fans that he did win,” he said. “Because a lot of people would probably tell him that he lost.

“I hope he comes hungry because I’m going to be starving.”

‘I want Jeffers rematch next’

Chelli had delivered a series of impressive victories before his progress was halted by last January’s points defeat to Jeffers in Manchester.

The 26-year-old says the defeat has made him more aware of the importance of the mental side of the sport, and believes that lesson, along with new management can help ensure a repeat is avoided.

“On the night, I started off slow, I wasn’t really myself and a lot of people could see that, and then I woke up throughout the fight,” Chelli said.

“It made me realise that boxing really is a mental game, I would say it’s like 90 per cent mental and you’ve got to be in the right mindset at the right time. And I saw Jeffers, he had the right mindset.

“People still would say to me it’s a close fight that could have gone either way, but no excuses.”

In the event he is victorious on Saturday, along with Jeffers who takes on Germaine Brown, Chelli would like his next fight to be a rematch against the Chorley-based fighter.

He added: “My plan is to beat Cullen, and once I have those belts, I’ll be like, ‘hey, Jeffers, come take this.’ And hopefully we’ll get a rematch.

“But I’m not looking past Cullen. Cullen’s the guy I want now, Cullen’s the ones with the titles.”

Watch Jonas vs Mayer live on Sky Sports Arena at 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event at 8pm this Saturday. Stream boxing on Sky Sports with NOW

It’s third-round action at the Australian Open, and some massive names are in action. Women’s No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka takes to Rod Laver Arena, while No. 4 seed Coco Gauff clashes with fellow American Alycia Parks. Novak Djokovic headlines the evening session.

Follow all the action from Day 6 of the Australian Open here in the live blog.

ON SATURDAY, THE Kansas City Chiefs opened the postseason the same way they had in every one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ previous five seasons as their starting quarterback: With a game at Arrowhead Stadium.

But how they arrived there was much different.

The Chiefs didn’t bring with them their usual passing attack and high-scoring offense that was capable of intimidating opponents. Instead, they finished the regular season 15th in scoring.

The Chiefs led the league in dropped passes (38), were second in offensive penalties and ninth in turnovers. Mahomes has always been asked to shoulder a heavy burden, but never as much as this season.

Mahomes had some signature moments this season, none better than his 424-yard, four-touchdown game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7. He conquered the sub-zero temperatures, gusty winds and the Miami Dolphins defense last weekend in the wild-card round, throwing for 262 yards and a touchdown in leading the Chiefs to the divisional round.

But the late-game magic he is famous for never materialized this season. The Chiefs lost five games by one score, and they had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in four of them.

They failed every time. Those failures weren’t often on Mahomes. Dropped passes and penalties ruined many of those comeback attempts.

The Chiefs won enough games to claim an eighth straight division championship, but this season that in and of itself was a meager accomplishment. No other team in the AFC West finished with a winning record.

The Chiefs finished the regular season at 11-6, the worst record of Mahomes’ career. His QBR (63), passing yards per game (261) and yards per attempt (7.0) were lows. He threw a career-high 14 interceptions, but two were well-placed passes that wide receiver Kadarius Toney deflected to a defender.

Mahomes has had to adapt to problems around him in a way he hasn’t before. He’ll play in the first road playoff game of his career Sunday when the Buffalo Bills host the Chiefs at Highmark Stadium (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

“He’s smart enough to understand that every year is different,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “And with that comes the ability to adapt.

“He completely understands that now [that] we have an exceptional defense that is keeping teams out of the end zone and doing really good things. So let’s play complementary football. We’re so used to the 40, 45 points at will all the time and that’s the goal. But we also have to understand through the course of the season how we’re going to win.”

WITH JUST OVER a minute remaining in the fourth quarter of Week 14 and trailing the Bills 20-17, the Chiefs needed to lead a winning drive to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time since Week 3 of the 2021 season.

On second-and-10 at the Bills’ 49, Mahomes completed a 25-yard pass to Travis Kelce, who then sent a cross-field lateral to Toney that ended in a touchdown. It was exactly the late-game magic the Chiefs needed, except it didn’t count.

Toney had lined up offsides, negating the go-ahead touchdown. Mahomes’ frustration spilled over as he chased down three officials and was caught venting to Bills quarterback Josh Allen after the loss.

Mahomes was visibly frustrated this season like he rarely — if ever — was earlier in his career. He was despondent after Toney deflected a catchable pass to a defender for an interception in a Week 15 game against the New England Patriots when the Chiefs held a sizable lead and were trying to kill the clock.

When the Chiefs were struggling to contain pressure from the Las Vegas Raiders‘ defense the next week, Mahomes was seen shouting at the offensive linemen on the sideline.

But Mahomes was also willing to take blame.

“You have to be critical with yourself,” Mahomes said late in the regular season. “You have to be true to what’s on the film and what’s happening. I think a lot of people will make excuses and that’s why they don’t take that next step or become better because of it. But you got to see the film. You look at the film, you made a lot of mistakes that you can’t make in this league.

“There were times that there were throws there and I didn’t make them. There were times where I went through my reads, maybe didn’t get to the last one. That’s just stuff that I have to be better at. I think if I’m better at that, it’ll make the whole offense better.”

Mahomes talked at times during the season that he felt he was being greedy, trying to force throws for big plays when none were there. He threw two interceptions in a Week 4 win over the New York Jets after the Chiefs took an early 17-0 lead.

The plays helped the Jets get back into the game, though the Chiefs eventually won.

“I’ve had spots in my career where I haven’t had the best few weeks in a row and so I have to make sure that I can go back to the fundamentals and try to be better for the team and then rely on other guys to make plays,” Mahomes said. “I think that’s somewhere where I can be better is just getting the ball out of my hands and let these other guys make plays.

“It’s something that I have to continue to get better and better at throughout my career. Sometimes when stuff may not be going well or if I want to get that deep shot going, I’ll try to force it whereas there’s just times where I have to just throw the ball away or take the check down. It goes against my nature, but it’s something that you have to do at this quarterback position in order to have success.”

COACH ANDY REID, Nagy and quarterbacks coach David Girardi were careful not to try to take away Mahomes’ aggressive nature. They instead preached a balance between that and doing things a different way.

The Chiefs have a struggling group of wide receivers — the wide receivers accounted for 25 of the team’s 38 dropped passes, the most by a team’s receivers since 2012 — but the best defense they’ve had since Mahomes arrived in 2017.

“He wants to make the plays,” Girardi said. “[The coaching points] are more time and place. That’s the big thing. When can you take those shots? When can you be aggressive?

“You don’t want to take that aggressiveness away from him. It’s really about the time and place. Do we have points on the board? Where are we at in field position? How is the game going?”

Reid said, “He knows better than anyone when [he forces a throw]. He came up afterwards [against the Jets] and just said, ‘Hey listen, I’ve got to check it down there or run it.’

“My point [to Mahomes] was, ‘Listen, you do what got you there, and that’s attacking. If you need to check it down as part of the attack, check it down. [If the defense is] settling deep, just check it down and keep firing, keep going. A lot of game left to play. He’s positive that way. He knows that and he’ll normally say something to me before I say something to him.”

The challenge for Mahomes if the Chiefs are going to make another deep run in the playoffs is not to outscore opponents like they have been in the past. Mahomes and the Chiefs scored 35 or more points in at least one postseason game in each of the past four seasons. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 last year to win Super Bowl LVIII.

This season’s Chiefs haven’t been equipped to win like that. They reached 35 points just once this season.

So the quest for Mahomes is to lead the Chiefs to wins even if they have a couple of unproductive quarters, as frequently happened this season. The Chiefs successfully defending their Super Bowl championship may depend on it.

“Not everything is going to be easy,” Mahomes said. “You have to find different ways to win.

“It’s always good when you find ways to win. You can win pretty but you have to win ugly too in order to win Super Bowls. Even though I hate it while it’s happening I feel like it makes you better in the end if you win games when not everything is going perfect.”

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In what has developed into a historic rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will play at Highmark Stadium in the postseason for the first time.

The Chiefs did come to Orchard Park in the 2020 regular season, but that game was played without fans in the stands because of COVID-19. Since Mahomes and quarterback Josh Allen have started games, the Chiefs and Bills have met six times, with five of those occurring in Kansas City.

The opportunity to finally host Mahomes in the postseason and have this divisional round game played at home is something that isn’t lost on the Bills.

“[Mahomes has] only been here once. So, he’s never been here. Simple as that,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “Pat has never been to the Bills’ stadium in full. … The environment will be different and not to say it’s in our favor, but stadium is our favor. Stadium is us. That helps us. I don’t care what nobody says. This is the most dopest feeling I’ve ever had. We’re having two back-to-back playoff games home. Come on now, like we get to leave and go eat wings. It’s cool. So good luck.”

The Bills beat the Chiefs 20-17 at Arrowhead last month in a game that started their current six-game winning streak. Kansas City has won both of the postseason meetings since 2020 — 2020 AFC Championship Game and 2021 divisional round — while Buffalo has won three of four regular-season matchups during that time.

While the Bills’ 2022 season did end with a home playoff loss to Cincinnati Bengals, historically they have seen significant success in home playoff games with a 14-2 record since 1970, best in the league among teams with a minimum of five home games during that time.

The Bills are preparing for this game in the midst of a second lake effect snowstorm hitting the Buffalo-area in a week, but have maintained a normal practice schedule on a short week after the wild-card round game vs. the Steelers was pushed back. The team is already asking fans to help shovel snow out the stadium Friday for a second straight week.

“It’s nice to have the fans behind you. I think little nuances, like not having to use silent cadences is always a plus,” center Mitch Morse, a former Chiefs player, said. “I think especially with a short week like we had, it’s really nice to have this home field advantage. But we also know that in the playoffs, these teams that have made it this far are used to adversity and adverse situations.”

This game will make Mahomes and Allen the fourth pair of quarterbacks to meet at least three times in the playoffs within their first seven seasons. As of Thursday, the Chiefs are three-point underdogs, per ESPN BET, the second time in Mahomes’ postseason career that he’s an underdog, joining last year’s Super Bowl.

With a win, it would mark Allen’s second AFC Championship Game appearance and Mahomes’ sixth.

“They’ve been at the top of the mountain. They know what it takes to get there. We’ve yet to do that,” Allen said. “Again, as a competitor, as a player to be in a situation like this is something you dream about. I know guys on this team have been waiting for this moment for a long time. To think about how far we’ve come even from seven, eight weeks ago to where we are now to have an opportunity to host a game against — they’ve won two championships in the last couple years — you can’t help but be excited about that.”

Diamond Sports Group, the regional sports operator for 37 teams across MLB, the NHL and the NBA, dropped a bombshell early Wednesday, announcing a partnership with Amazon that, if approved in court, would place local games on Prime Video and allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy in a reimagined state.

Diamond revealed that it had secured $450 million from creditors to fund a reorganization plan, plus an additional $115 million provided by a new minority investor in Amazon. In exchange, Amazon would have access to all MLB, NHL and NBA teams for which Diamond possesses streaming rights, giving fans in nearly two dozen markets direct-to-consumer access.

It’s a stunning turn of events for a company that initially took on more than $8 billion of debt and seemed headed for liquidation — but there is still a lot to work through. Below we address some of the most pressing questions.

How surprising was this announcement?

There were reports in mid-December about the possibility of Amazon investing in Diamond to essentially secure its streaming rights. But based on comments from attorneys representing MLB and the NBA in bankruptcy court Wednesday, league officials were not involved in those talks and learned the details of this agreement along with everybody else.

In fact, the deal has the potential to undo previous agreements the leagues had negotiated with Diamond. Last fall, Diamond secured wind-down plans with the NBA and the NHL in which it would broadcast the teams in its portfolio for the 2023-24 seasons, then revert the rights back to those leagues. MLB had the framework in place for a similar deal. This Amazon arrangement could change everything. Attorneys for the NBA and MLB said in court Wednesday that they still had a lot to digest.

Which teams are part of the new agreement?

Diamond owns the linear TV rights for 15 NBA teams, 11 NHL teams and 11 MLB teams. But it’s streaming rights that matter here. Diamond has the streaming rights for all of the NBA and NHL teams under its portfolio, but for only five MLB clubs — the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals.

These are the 15 NBA teams under Diamond: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs.

And these are the 11 NHL teams: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning.

What would become of that wind-down plan Diamond negotiated with the NBA and the NHL?

This agreement, if it is ultimately approved by a federal bankruptcy judge, could supersede the prior deals, which were seen by Diamond executives as something of a placeholder while the company ironed out a set restructuring plan.

Between now and the end of the regular season, nothing will change for either league. But if this deal comes together, a source familiar with the agreement said, rights would no longer revert back to the NBA and the NHL. Diamond would maintain its portfolio, though the company could then negotiate different deals with some of those teams or drop some entirely — a decision that will have to come before a predetermined March 22 deadline to provide specifics of its restructuring plan in bankruptcy court. Attorneys for the company said in court Wednesday that it expects to have that firmed up well ahead of the deadline.

NBA and NHL officials, however, were hesitant to say anything with much certainty. Representatives for both leagues spent the day sorting through the intricacies of the Diamond-Amazon agreement. The NBA had been eager to take back streaming rights for its teams, especially given that the league’s national television contracts expire after the 2024-25 season. The NHL might wait to see how open Diamond is to renegotiating some of the longer-term deals in place before the original bankruptcy announcement.

What about MLB in 2024 and beyond?

An attorney for Diamond asserted in bankruptcy court that the company will broadcast all the games and honor all the rights fees for nine of the teams in its portfolio: the Tigers, Marlins, Royals, Brewers, Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves. There are three others, the attorney said, in talks about restructured contracts. The names weren’t disclosed, but those three, according to sources, are the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins (the Twins are essentially a free agent; their contract with Diamond expired at the end of the 2023 season).

Other than the five teams partnered with Diamond, the streaming rights for the other 25 MLB teams belong to the individual teams and the league, the latter of which has shown no willingness to provide the company with additional rights beyond the 2024 season. Diamond’s hope is that Amazon’s presence could ultimately change that, though a person familiar with the agreement said Amazon’s involvement is not contingent on securing additional streaming rights.

In the short term, though, MLB had been working for months on gaining clarity with Diamond on the 2024 season. Many owners have pointed to that uncertainty — and the uncertainty that hangs over the entire regional sports network business, from which teams draw a significant amount of local revenue — as a reason for reduced spending this offseason. The Amazon deal going through would seemingly provide teams that remain under Diamond with the cost certainty they have coveted — but it would seemingly interrupt MLB’s long-term plan of fitting all of its rights under a national umbrella.

Does this position Amazon to become the primary partner with leagues if they look to break from the old RSN model and work with streaming companies, end blackouts, etc.?

Amazon was in position to be a primary partner before all this, and it’s tough to say how its partnership helps or hurts its cause at the moment. MLB was hopeful of securing a deal with a major streaming service — Amazon, Apple TV+, Hulu, Netflix, ESPN+, etc. — before the start of the 2025 season. But that was under the assumption that it would have at least 15 teams to offer (the 12 Diamond teams, including the Twins; the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who fell off their deals last season; and the Colorado Rockies, left without a TV deal now that Warner Bros. Discovery has exited the regional sports business). The calculus would change if the portfolio isn’t as robust.

It’s also worth noting Amazon has long been considered a front-runner to be part of a new NBA agreement, alongside at least the two current partners (Disney and Turner Sports). Those negotiations are set to play out over the next several months. However this specific agreement shakes out, what seems clear is that Amazon is going to be a significant part of the NBA’s broadcast future. As this calendar year plays out, we’ll find out just how big of a part that will be.

My favorite team’s RSN is run by Diamond. Are all my team’s games going to be on Amazon Prime now?

Only if you’re streaming. Essentially, Amazon Prime would fill the role Diamond originally envisioned for its Bally Sports+ app — providing local fans who ditch their cable subscriptions with a streaming option. The funding in this deal would allow Diamond to also keep the linear television rights in its portfolio, so fans who stick with cable can maintain their normal viewing habits.

It’s important to note, though, that location would still matter. Diamond teams on Amazon Prime will be available only to in-market fans. Out-of-market fans would still be able to watch through the leagues’ streaming services, be it MLB.tv, NBA League Pass or, for the NHL, ESPN+. But because those original cable deals would still be in place, blackouts would probably still be an issue.

How much extra is this going to cost me?

A news release from Diamond Sports Group stated that “additional details regarding pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.”

Will the broadcasts still be called Bally Sports?

As part of this agreement, Diamond broadcasts will continue to operate under the Bally Sports name this year, after which a new partner will be sought.

Is this the end of the ongoing RSN saga?

One of Diamond’s attorneys called this deal — which includes Sinclair, Diamond’s former parent company, paying a $495 million settlement and providing reorganization support — “transformational.” Another called it a “watershed” moment for a company that finally has a defined path to continuing operations beyond the 2024 MLB season.

Diamond shared projections Wednesday that showed it expects direct-to-consumer revenue to grow from $49 million in 2023 to $658 million in 2026 under the new deal. (Linear revenue would continually decline but would still account for the biggest chunk in earnings; Diamond projected a drop from $2.47 billion in 2023 to $1.78 billion in 2026.)

But Wednesday’s hearing ended with an attorney for the unsecured creditor committee poking holes in Sinclair’s settlement and the $450 million financing, casting doubt on whether it could ultimately come together. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez called the deal an “encouraging” development given where Diamond stood by the end of 2023 but added that it still must satisfy bankruptcy code.

“There’s a lot to take in,” Lopez said. “A lot to digest.”

Tim Bontemps and Kristen Shilton contributed to this report.

The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday’s newspapers…

THE SUN

There is growing noise in Spain that Real Madrid want to use Erling Haaland’s friendship with Jude Bellingham to tempt the Manchester City striker to eventually move to the Bernabeu.

Raphael Varane could face a probe over holiday snaps that appeared to show the Manchester United defender at a ski resort – United are understood to forbid players from skiing during the season due to the risk of injury.

Chris Smalling has hit back at now former Roma boss Jose Mourinho over claims the defender could have played through his knee injury, saying his absence was one he could not control and that he remains totally committed to the club.

David Beckham is locked in a secret multi-million legal battle over fake products including clothes and fragrances bearing his name.

DAILY MAIL

Sources behind the Qatar-based bid for Manchester United have rubbished claims they did not meet the Glazer family’s asking price for the club and failed to produce proof of funds and may seek a corrective statement from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Joelinton may have played his last game for Newcastle United amid reports he will need season-ending surgery on a thigh injury and remains in a stand-off with the club over a new contract beyond the summer of 2025.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is set to start for Cameroon in their Africa Cup of Nations clash with Senegal on Friday after missing their opening game with travel issues.

Everton’s much-delayed takeover by 777 Partners is having a major impact on the future of key players, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose contracts expire in the next 18 months.

Manchester United have teamed up with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport to use their expertise in Artificial Intelligence and attempt to use it for competitive advantage.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Liverpool great John Aldridge has disclosed his worries about football’s dementia crisis, admitting to experiencing “some problems” and having undergone tests.

Chelsea are facing another backroom shuffle after long-serving medical director Dimitrios Kalogiannidis informed the club he would be leaving after 13 years for family reasons.

Joe Schmidt is set to be confirmed as Eddie Jones’ replacement as Australia head coach leading to the prospect of a clash with his former Ireland assistant Andy Farrell when the British & Irish Lions visit.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has joined the growing band of voices calling for an Anglo-Welsh rugby union league.

England spinner Rehan Ahmed has revealed he turned down the chance to play in the IPL to work on developing a new delivery like Shane Warne’s famous flipper.

THE TIMES

Manchester United have been placed on red alert amid reports that Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt could leave this summer because of a tense relationship with boss Thomas Tuchel and a lack of playing time.

THE GUARDIAN

Reading’s dire financial state has left staff to rejig training plans and avoid turning the undersoil heating on to try and curb costs, while a further 19 members of staff have been made redundant and suppliers are still owed around £4m.

DAILY MIRROR

Roy Keane claims Manchester United no longer strike fear into opponents, that clubs now actually enjoy visiting Old Trafford, and has also accused his former club of going soft.

Jan Molby says Liverpool should prioritise a move for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise as they look to add further goal power to their attacking options as well as avoid him joining rivals Manchester United.

DAILY STAR

Langley FC from the Combined Counties League, the 10th tier of English football, have made a cheeky seven-day notice of approach to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

Ligue 1 side Brest have made a formal request to French football authorities demanding that VAR is removed from football after previous condemnation from their manager Eric Roy over decisions which have gone against his side.

DAILY RECORD

New Hibs signing Myziane Maolida was branded a player “as lazy as I have seen” by one of his former Hertha Berlin managers Pal Dardai in a savage attack last year.

Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay says the club has gone above and beyond their current wage structure to try and keep striker Lawrence Shankland at Tynecastle but warned fans breaking the bank now could come back to bite them in the future.

Manny Diaz and his staff at Duke are off and running with the 2025 recruiting class now that Ma’khi Jones is onboard. The defensive back out of Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton announced his commitment to the Blue Devils, choosing them over Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and many others.

“I decided Duke was the school for because of the relationship I’ve built with coach Diaz and that staff with them coming over from Penn State,” Jones said. “They were recruiting me since I was in 9th grade. The question is ‘Why not Duke?’ They have education, athletics, and play Power Five football. It’s really hard to find the red flags when committing to Duke.

“I have a great relationship with coach Gabe Infante, coach Rick Lyster, and coach (Harland) Bower,” he said. “It shows loyalty for them to come after when I was younger and then they switch schools and still wanted me. It shows that they actually wanted me and invested in me.

“My safeties coach is a New Jersey guy so I can relate to him on that level,” said Jones. “There are a lot of New Jersey natives on that staff that I can relate to and bring that swagger.

“I’m versatile,” he said. “I can play corner, nickel, and safety. I know coach Diaz likes to move those guys around. He plays with four or five defensive backs at a time. The plan is to move me around and get me on the field as early as possible.

“I’m the first 2025 commit so it means that I’ll be able to help build this class and get some of my guys,” Jones said. “I know a lot of 2025 guys who could make an impact on this Duke football team in Georgia, New Jersey, and everywhere. Being the first commit, it makes it easier for me to help build it up.”

Jones explained he wants to recruit his quarterback Luke Nickel, a Miami commit, and his friend Jahmir Joseph, a Rivals250 defensive back from New Jersey.

Last season Jones tallied 73 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception.

MOBILE, Ala. — Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Terrell Williams and New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as head coaches at the Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl, a weeklong audition for NFL prospects, announced the coaching staffs for the Feb. 3 game on Thursday.

Williams, who is the Titans’ assistant head coach, will lead the American team. Ulbrich will coach the National team.

The Titans have the seventh overall draft pick and the Jets own the 10th selection.

It’s the second year the Senior Bowl has used coordinators and assistant coaches in elevated or different roles. Williams and Ulbrich were picked from a pool of nominees submitted by head coaches and general managers from non-playoff and wild-card teams.

They were chosen by a group of league office executives and representatives from the General Managers Advisory Committee. At least one coach from all 18 teams submitting nominations were chosen for the Senior Bowl staffs.

The American team’s staff includes New England Patriots wide receivers coach Troy Brown (offensive coordinator), Cleveland Browns defensive backs coach Ephraim Banda (defensive coordinator) and New York Giants assistant special teams coach Mike Adams (special teams coordinator).

The National offense will be led by Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney. Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte James will coach the defense, while New Orleans Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano will serve as special teams coordinator.

The list reads like one of those T-shirts: Tony + Kasey + Brad + Tim. From Tony Meola to Kasey Keller to Brad Friedel to Tim Howard, the U.S. men’s national team spent two decades with an ace in net. (The shirt’s hipster version includes Juergen + Marcus too, for Juergen Sommer, who played in the English first division, earning 10 caps and two World Cup roster spots for the U.S. between 1994 and 1998, and former Reading star Marcus Hahnemann.)

No matter the quality or depth of the 10 outfield players — for as long as the majority of American fans can remember — everyone knew the USMNT had a high quality goalkeeper to clean up the mess. At times, the performance rose to legendary: Keller single-handedly stopping a Brazilian onslaught at the 1998 Gold Cup, Friedel’s 2002 World Cup heroics, Howard’s 16-save show against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup. But beyond the heroics, the consistent steadiness of the netminders was the key.

For 20 years, one of, if not the best, player on the USMNT was the goalkeeper, succeeding for both country and club. Now, however? Meh.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
– Read on ESPN+: Ranking the USMNT’s top U-21 prospects

The situation is not dire. USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter has options in Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson and a handful of others coming through the ranks. Turner — whose wild, wonderful and weird path to the English Premier League is a true American soccer success story — played well between the posts during the 2022 World Cup. He’s been a mostly solid No. 1 since taking the U.S. job, the recent debacle against Trinidad & Tobago more of an outlier than the norm.

But still, goalkeeping is now a relative spot of weakness — an unusual position for the U.S. after years of never worrying about it. The top American goalkeepers these days are either not starting, or they’ve had to move to lesser clubs and easier leagues in search of playing time.

This perception of weakness is a reflection of past success and reality. Asked by ESPN about the heroes of the past, Pittsburgh Riverhounds goalkeeping coach Jon Busch summed it up thusly: “Maybe we got spoiled, right?”

Keller, who played in goal through those USMNT golden years, agrees.

“Where U.S. Soccer goalkeeping was in the 1990s and 2000s is something that is almost impossible to explain,” Keller told ESPN by phone. “At one point, we had four starting goalkeepers in the Premier League, which is 20 percent of the league. It became normal, and there was this expectation that we’re always going to have two or three starting goalkeepers in the Premier League, but it’s not realistic to expect that would continue.”

He added: “When you have success in a position that brings attention to other players from that country, people think, ‘Oh, well, if Kasey can do it, great, then maybe Brad can do it. If Brad’s doing it, then maybe Marcus can do it, and how about this young American?’ so they bring Tim in. You have this conveyor belt.”

Meola, Keller, Friedel and Hahnemann were all born between February 1969 and June 1972. That’s a golden generation of goalkeepers, a level of success that is unsustainable. But the U.S. performance really has dropped off.

Turner, the presumed No. 1 for the U.S., left Arsenal after making just seven appearances in all competitions for the club, and he has been up and down since joining Nottingham Forest. Among all 34 Premier League goalkeepers who have played this season, in goals prevented — an advanced stat that looks at expected goals on target vs. goals conceded — Turner ranks 23rd with minus-0.19 per 90 minutes. One tiny silver lining: Odisseas Vlachodimos, Turner’s competition to start in goal at Forest, ranks even worse at minus-0.83 goals prevented-per-90, low enough for 32nd in the league. As a result, Turner has been able to win back the starting spot at Forest.

Nonetheless, Turner’s numbers are far away from what he did with the New England Revolution — his goals prevented-per-90 in his last two full Major League Soccer seasons were plus-0.20 (2021) and plus-0.37 (2020) — albeit in a much more difficult league.

Horvath, consistently a plus-goalkeeper during his early years, also fell off with a goals prevented-per-90 of minus-0.03 during the 2022-2023 season at Luton Town, per ESPN Stats & Information. Since returning to Forest, he hasn’t played, and hasn’t even made the bench since early September. Steffen barely played between 2020 and 2022, then made 42 starts for Middlesbrough last season, where he posted an uninspiring goals prevented-per-90 of minus-0.05. He’s played so little it’s hard to know where the former Columbus Crew stalwart is mentally or physically.

Beyond those three, Drake Callender, Roman Celentano and Patrick Schulte have been solid in MLS, but that level of competition might be their ceiling. While 19-year-old Gaga Slonina, 19-year-old Chris Brady and 17-year-old Diego Kochen represent a talented, potential-packed next generation, they are a trio of teenagers with fewer than 100 first-team games between them.

“I think the pecking order now is Matt Turner and then whoever Gregg [Berhalter] thinks is next,” Tony Meola told ESPN. “It’s a tricky situation. We’ve never really had it, not in the goalkeeper position.”

One question is whether this moment of positional insecurity is an unusual blip or a symbol of a more systemic issue. The answer, as always, is a little bit of both. The goalkeeper position is undergoing a metamorphosis where the traditional athletic strengths that Americans bring are no longer enough.

“The role of the goalkeeper has changed immensely,” former MLS goalkeeper Joe Cannon said. “In the last 10 or 15 years, you see goalkeepers who are able to play with their feet. This ‘Brazilian goalkeeper’ has kind of combined with what we would see with the athleticism of the United States goalkeeper. There’s a little bit more nuance, a little bit more composure on the ball.”

Perhaps it’s not a surprise that Turner is an above-average shot-stopper and a below-average passer.

But it’s also a matter of reps. Keller noted that he, Friedel and Hahnemann bounced around England, starting and succeeding in the second-division Championship before their strong Premier League showings.

“It is not easy to be thrown into a Premier League side and think you’re going to be a successful starter with only MLS experience,” Keller said. “You just don’t make that big of a jump and think it’s going to be seamless. Matt has 20 games experience in the topflight in Europe. He doesn’t have 200 games experience in the topflight. You don’t have the situational experience.”

The biggest issue for all the goalkeepers is playing time: Fight to get into net, then stay there. On that front, Turner’s return to the Forest cage is a positive sign, and Steffen’s move to Colorado should open opportunities. Horvath needs to find a settled situation and Chelsea, which paid big money for Slonina, has a vested interest in their young goalkeeper continuing to get playing time on loan spells. There’s Copa America this summer and the 2026 World Cup isn’t too far off.

“They’ll all be in the prime of their careers, looking at a home World Cup,” said Aron Hyde, head of goalkeeping at Charlotte FC and former U.S. goalkeeper coach. “There can’t be any more motivation for any of them really to get themselves into a position where they’re playing well heading into ’26.”

Despite the recent wobbles, a smart bettor would take the U.S. getting its goalkeeping situation sorted. There’s too much success to overlook.

“We have two and two and a half years to get this thing rolling in the right direction,” Meola said. “Hopefully Gregg has five goalkeepers to choose from when we get to 2026. That wouldn’t be a bad problem for us.”

Matt + Zack + Ethan + Drake + Gaga, anyone? And don’t forget the possibility of Roman + Patrick + Chris + Diego, either.

This season, the one after relegation back down to League Two in May, started with such promise for MK Dons.

The vastly experienced Graham Alexander, appointed in late May, said he would work “every single minute to give the MK Dons supporters a team that had been successful” and, initially, he stayed true to his word; four wins from the first five earned him the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month award.

Then the rhythm dropped, and drastically so: WWLWW became LDLDLDL – and from first-place they dropped to 16th.

“We have unbelievable ways of shooting ourselves in the foot,” exclaimed Alexander after a 2-2 draw at home to Barrow on October 14, where they shipped two goals in second-half stoppage time.

“It’s nothing to do with luck – ‘I hope our luck changes, I hope someone sprinkles some magic dust over us’ – we’ve got to stop believing in fairy tales,” he added. Two days later, after just 16 games in all competitions, he was gone.

Within 24 hours, Mike Williamson had arrived at Stadium MK. The former Newcastle defender had spent almost four-and-a-half years at Gateshead, guiding them to the National League North title in 2021/22 and the FA Trophy final the following year.

At the Gateshead International Stadium, he had built a reputation for his attractive, possession-based style of play, which garnered praise from Toon boss Eddie Howe after a pre-season friendly last summer.

It was clear from that very first interview in Milton Keynes that winning was high on his list of priorities, as was kickstarting an “evolution”.

That seems to be taking shape already. Eight wins from his first 12 games have propelled MK Dons into the play-off places – even so, he is not taking the credit.

“This is a reflection on the boys and nothing more than that,” he says, speaking to Sky Sports after being named Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month for December, when he oversaw four wins from four.

“They are a great group to work with. They are really receptive, want to learn and grow and the results are a pure reflection of their performances.

“We’re very process-driven and we want to keep learning and developing. We believe the results will come off the back of that, as well as a better understanding and interpretation of what we are trying to achieve.”

The contrast in style – and thus fortunes – between Williamson and his predecessor is made clear by a closer look at the numbers.

Under the new boss, they have conceded 34 fewer shots from inside the box, completed almost 2,000 more passes and are now averaging 60 per cent possession, as opposed to 48 per cent beforehand.

They have also kept twice as many clean sheets and are averaging almost one point more per game. All of that having played one game fewer.

“I don’t think it’s largely down to my methods because you can see periods of the way we want to play and how to control games, but we’re still quite far away and I think the lads know that,” Williamson continues.

“They bring chemistry, they are an unbelievably fit group, a physically strong group and we’ve got many good footballers in the building. We’re trying to do everything we can by keeping standards high to improve the concentration and understanding.

“We’ve all got to be on the same page because the way we play takes a lot of focus, attention and intensity, but it’s mentally fatiguing. Everyone’s looking for the utopian Man City, Liverpool, Brighton style of play and it’s easier said than done.

“The evolution is that the understanding keeps getting cleaner and you can see the outcome of what we’re trying to do and not necessarily just the points tally or the reflection of the results.

“You can actually see the desire to play a certain way and we think the results and performances will improve off the back of that.”

That feeds into his overall, people-centric philosophy, too.

“We want to play a certain way and that takes buy-in from everyone. Around the training ground and in my office, there’s no real hierarchy, there’s no egos.

“If someone’s got something to say all the way through the club and we think it’s going to add value, I’m open to listening.

“I’m very much about developing the person and if the person comes in and enjoys his time here, the player will improve as a by-product of that. I love the psychology of football and humans and our behaviour and it all starts with the person.”

MK Dons’ rise up the division has happened so quickly that it appears to have gone under the radar somewhat. Not that Williamson is bothered.

“No – I don’t know where the radar is and I’m not too interested in the radar,” he says with a smile.

“We’ve got three games at home in a week coming up; three very, very big tests and difficult challenges for us. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I learned during my time at Gateshead that it’s more than a cliche.

“You’ve got to keep your focus on the next game, so if you start looking at the form table and ifs and buts, you take your focus off what’s right in front of you.”

Needless to say, thoughts of the play-offs and promotion are far from his mind.

“It’s probably not what people want to hear, but I’m not interested in the last game of the season – that will take care of itself.

“You come into a football club and bring different methods and you’re judged on the outcome of it. That is where we are measured, but our focus is on the process . I also know fans aren’t going to accept losing week in, week out when I’m talking about improving the process. It’s actually got to reflect in the results.

“I’ve got to a point where I’ve started to really understand that every challenge is an opportunity and that pressure is a privilege. When we lose a game, it’s not all doom and gloom, it’s an opportunity to improve and I try and get the lads to understand that.

“We want to win – as human beings, we want to be the best – and for us it is about how we go about that and the points tally will take care of itself. The league table will never lie at the end of it, so we’ll just get our heads down and focus on what we can control.”

That said, the long-term aim is clear. MK Dons were in the Championship this time eight years ago and reached the League One play-off semi-finals in 2021/22 – they are itching to get back.

“If you speak to the chairman and directors here, they see this as a sustainable Championship club,” says Williamson.

“I’m not going to hide away from expectation or where we see ourselves, but my job right now is to prepare the best I can for Morecambe at home on Saturday.

“The stadium is fantastic, the staff are incredible and genuinely good people are operating behind the scenes and on the pitch. All aims are to achieve that, but we can only achieve that if we focus our attention on Saturday.”

MK Dons have looked for stability in the dugout ever since Karl Robinson left the club in October 2016, with seven permanent managers or head coaches having been and gone ever since.

In Mike Williamson, they might just have found the perfect tonic.

ALABAMA PICKING UP THE PIECES

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LSU SET FOR BIG FEBRUARY FINISH

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FLORIDA ON THE VERGE OF BLUE-CHIP ADDITION(S)

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NEW TEXAS A&M STAFF GETTING AFTER IT

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ANOTHER PORTAL SPLASH UPCOMING AT GEORGIA?