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A team that refuses to bend will never break.

Consistent, single-minded and unified, No. 4-ranked Kahuku got 11 kills and three blocks from Makamae Schilling in a stunning 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22 victory over No. 3 Moanalua to win its second OIA girls volleyball championship in a row.

This is the 16th OIA girls volleyball title for Kahuku. The match ended at 10:59 p.m., and as is the case for many Kahuku championship teams, the bus would not pull into campus until well past midnight. There was the alma mater and the haka by the football team, which made it to Radford after practice.

Coach Lesina Manutai used a vast amount of patience and common sense as her injured players, some walking wounded, got back close to full power by the playoffs.

“It took a lot of patience to see them through these injuries, let them heal. I’m proud of all our girls. I wish all 15 could play. With the injuries, the girls adjust, play a different position. I couldn’t wait until they got to 100% because they’re so versatile,” she said.

Kahuku’s balance and strength in the middle were in play. Ana Kaufusi had eight kills and two aces, while Talia Soliai-Tui tallied six kills, two blocks and one ace to set the tone at the net. Versatile Haley Kotobalavu had seven kills and one ace, Bella Todd-Purcell stepped up with six kills and one block, and Anny Scott delivered 25 assists and one ace. Ireson Fotu dished 10 assists and one ace.

“It’s a good feeling coming back from an injury. I had to work hard. It wasn’t easy, but I’m just grateful to have these beautiful teammates who could help push me along,” Schilling said.

Soliai-Tui injured her knee last year and continues to play through pain this season while wearing a brace.

“We’re all real tough. It’s my senior year, stepping into a bigger role this year,” she said. “Thank you to everyone for coming. We’re not done yet.”

Kahuku (20-11 overall) will have a first-round bye in next week’s New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships.

Moanalua (34-5) was unbeaten in league play until losing to Kahuku, a team it had beaten twice in the regular season. Junior Surfia Grounds led Na Menehune with 27 kills.

“Tonight was a game changer. We’re going to get in the gym tomorrow and work so hard,” said Grounds, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter. “I think we can win states.”

Kingston Auvaa tallied 10 kills while Alessandra Siazon had six kills and Nora Carey had five for Moanalua. Alea Chew dished 28 assists and Rylie Ramones had 16 assists.

When these teams opened the OIA season at Kahuku, the home team had a 20-13 lead in set three with a good chance to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Instead, Moanalua rallied for a 25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-22 win.

Two weeks later, Kahuku was ahead 2-1 when Moanalua rallied again for a 25-18, 20-25, 15-25, 25-22, 21-19 win, essentially sealing the top seed in the OIA East.

For Kahuku, getting the walking wounded back to near full-strength has taken the whole regular season. Hoping to be ready for a chance to defend its OIA crown.

The opening set was dead even until 22-all. Soliai-Tui drilled a kill and Scott followed with an ace for a 24-22 lead. After a kill by Moanalua’s Hannah Leung, Carey’s serve landed in the net to give Kahuku a 1-0 lead.

That seemed to sap energy from Na Menehune while Kahuku took complete alpha status in the second set. The East second seed opened with a 4-0 lead and kept stretching it with a block party. Kaufusi had two kills, two blocks and two aces in the second game.

Kahuku had five blocks in the second game, including one by Schilling as Kahuku silenced Moanalua’s audience with a 20-5 lead.

Down 2-0, Moanalua seemed to get past its usual once-a-match rough patch, taking a 6-3 lead in the third game.

Down 12-7, Kahuku stormed back and seemed to have a sweep in its grasp with a 21-19 lead. Grounds got kills — eight in the second set and five in the third — but Na Menehune needed more.

That’s when Roxine Justo-Kawakami stepped up with two of her three aces in the set to spark a rally that gave Moanalua a 24-23 lead. Sakoda Frank’s back row kill ended the third set and cut Kahuku’s lead to 2-1 in the match.

Kahuku had an 18-16 lead when a simple volley should have been a free ball for Moanalua. Instead, Na Menehune had their frozen group moment as three players watched the ball fall for the easiest point of the night.

By this point, it was 10:53 p.m. If their players were possibly fatigued, the 150 or so Kahuku students who showed up were fully electric.

A kill by Kaufusi opened the lead to 20-16.

Down the stretch, Moanalua got one kill from Carey and two from Grounds to inch within 21-20. A hitting error by Kotobalavu allowed Moanalua to tie it at 22, but the teams exchanged more hitting errors before Grounds’ shot was long, ending the match.

The New York Knicks opened their title defense with a 106-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, but the biggest concern was not necessarily their lack of depth. It was how much the team relied on its bench to get going while its starters struggled to find a rhythm.

After going 1-4 during the preseason, the Knicks entered opening night with questions about whether their reserves could provide enough production behind the starting lineup. Early on, those concerns appeared to be overblown. Andre Drummond, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado gave New York a much-needed spark, helping the team build a double-digit lead.

The problem was that the energy did not last, and the starters struggled to make up for it when the game was on the line.

Andre Drummond was EVERYWHERE in the 1H!

10 PTS I 12 REB (6 OREB) I 3 AST I 2 BLK

He becomes the first Knick in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to record a first-half double-double in their Knicks debut… New York ahead at the break pic.twitter.com/7CqoRNC10n

— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026

Drummond and the Bench Bring the Energy

The Knicks got off to a sluggish start, shooting poorly and struggling to establish an offensive rhythm. Karl-Anthony Towns also picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, forcing head coach Mike Brown to turn to his bench earlier than expected.

Drummond answered the call.

Making his Knicks debut against his former team, the veteran center immediately made his presence felt on both ends of the floor. He scored around the basket, controlled the glass and gave New York an interior presence while Towns sat with foul trouble.

Drummond finished the first half with 10 points and 12 rebounds, recording a double-double before the break. He ended the night with 12 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

The rest of the bench helped build on that momentum. New York opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, pushing its lead to 10 points. Shamet and Alvarado provided outside shooting, while Clarkson added another scoring option.

The reserves supplied the energy that had been missing from the opening minutes accounting for 25 of the Knicks’ 58 points and a four-point lead heading into the half. For a team whose preseason record raised questions about its supporting cast, the first half was an encouraging response.

The Starters Struggled to Find Their Rhythm

While the bench helped the Knicks build their lead, the starting lineup never consistently found its footing.

Towns’ early foul trouble disrupted his night, forcing Brown to adjust his rotation before the game had settled in. Although Towns recovered late and finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, the Knicks needed more from their starters throughout the game, not just in the fourth quarter.

Mikal Bridges was especially quiet, finishing with just four points in 33 minutes. OG Anunoby also had a difficult shooting night, making only three of his 12 field-goal attempts and going 1-of-9 from 3-point range. His struggles limited another important scoring option for New York.

The Knicks could afford some of those struggles while Drummond and the other reserves were providing a lift. But as Philadelphia found its rhythm, New York’s starters did not do enough to keep the team in control.

Brunson’s Late Misses Seal the Loss

The Knicks’ problems became even more noticeable down the stretch.

After Philadelphia took control with an 11-0 run to close the third quarter, New York spent much of the fourth trying to fight its way back. Towns helped lead that push, knocking down timely three-pointers to keep the Knicks within reach.

But when New York needed its best player to deliver, Jalen Brunson could not find the shot.

Brunson finished with 21 points but shot just 6-for-19 from the field. He struggled to convert in the final minutes, missing a potential go-ahead jumper before airballing a three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining. The miss effectively ended New York’s comeback hopes.

Brunson has earned the trust to take those shots after his performances during the Knicks’ championship run. However, his late-game struggles highlighted a larger problem: New York was relying on difficult individual shots instead of consistently executing as a team.

Anunoby also committed a costly turnover late in the game that led to a Tyrese Maxey fast-break dunk, making the Knicks’ comeback even more difficult.

The bench had helped create the opportunity to win, but the starters could not finish the job.

The Bench Is Encouraging, but Consistency Is Key

The Knicks’ opening-night loss does not mean their preseason concerns about depth were completely unfounded. After making an early impact, the bench became less productive in the second half, scoring only nine additional points after halftime.

Still, the first-half performance offered a reason for optimism. Drummond showed he can provide valuable minutes when Towns is unavailable, while Clarkson, Shamet and Alvarado demonstrated that the reserves can contribute offensively.

The bigger takeaway is that the Knicks need their starters and bench to complement each other. The reserves cannot be expected to carry the team every night, especially when the starting lineup struggles to shoot efficiently and close out games.

New York has plenty of time to clean up those issues over an 82-game season. But on a night meant to celebrate a championship, the Knicks learned that their depth may not be their biggest problem. They need their starting five to play with the same energy and consistency that their bench brought in the first half.

"I think it's good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what's going to happen."

Jalen Brunson talks about the Knicks losing tonight and how it can help them improve: pic.twitter.com/sDFWPHE4Lh

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2026

The post Knicks Bench Players Step Up Amid Starters’ Struggles appeared first on The Lead.

Extra internationals failed to deliver the WRU the expected financial boost in 2025-26 [Huw Evans Picture Agency]

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has spelled out the "tough" economic state of the game in Wales - despite suggesting its financial position was "pretty good" just five months ago.

The governing body has announced a significant decline in its finances, saying it has posted an £18m loss for the financial year to June 2026 - compared to a £7.2m loss the previous year.

Financial boss Gavin Marshall admitted the figures were disappointing and came despite turnover rising £10m to £116.2m.

Just five months ago, new chief financial and operating officer Marshall claimed the WRU's finances were in a "pretty good position".

But it says that rising energy and staffing costs, combined with falling ticket sales and reduced fan spend, were to blame for the dramatic fall.

The Union says it is already predicting a similar loss next year, and said the figures back up its case that four professional regions are no longer sustainable.

"We can't go on like this," said Marshall.

The financial performance of the WRU, on the back of the controversial decision to cut the number of regions from four to three, is sure to provoke dismay, frustration and even anger from clubs and fans.

"The numbers are tough and not where we want them to be, but it's been a challenging year," said Marshall.

"As an executive team we are accountable for these numbers, so we have to look at our performance and where we can do better.

"But we can only control certain things and it's a tough world out there impacting all sport with the cost of living crisis affecting what people spend as well as our own costs.

"We should be aiming to break even but we're quite some way off where we want to be. I'm ambitious and we need to grow our way out of that deficit but the gap, right now, is stark."

• WRU publishes data on why west Wales team will be cut
• What Welsh shake-up means and why it matters to rest of rugby world
• Can people fall back in love with Welsh rugby?

'Run out of money'

The WRU insists Welsh rugby is "living beyond its means" and cannot go on sustaining such losses.

The official accounts for the past financial year are expected to be lodged with companies house on Friday but have already been shared with clubs.

The WRU's audited annual report for the 2023 financial year showed new profit and loss figures for the previous two years, with the loss in 2023 re-listed as £14m up from £4.9m - although the profit in 2022 now stood at £37.3m rather than £2.9m.

Since that re-audited positive 2022 figure, the financial situation has continued to decline.

When former WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood and a new board took charge at the start of 2024, he admitted the finances were "a mess".

In an interview with the BBC the following year he revealed the extent of the problem, saying that "in January 2024 the WRU had run out of money - we were up against our overdraft limit".

The WRU had taken out an £18m Covid support loan from the Welsh government in 2022, for which it subsequently appealed for an improvement in terms.

But Marshall oversaw a new £55m debt-refinancing package that was agreed in January 2026 – via banks HSBC and Goldman Sachs – that was designed to see the Welsh government loan and a separate commercial loan paid off.

In the past few years, the Union has also paid out £1.9m to departing employees, as well as keeping Cardiff afloat since taking over the struggling region in April 2025.

The WRU will struggle to avoid the accusation from west Wales that the regions threatened with closure - Ospreys and Scarlets - are paying the price for the WRU's financial performance.

"We have a lot of costs, including the stadium [£26m], the national teams [£20m], interest on our loan [£3m], funding community rugby [£4m]," said Marshall.

"That leaves about £20m to invest in professional rugby but at the moment we're funding £26m across the four clubs. From a financial perspective, we just can't afford that.

"We need to grow revenue but also sensibly manage our costs, investments and distribution of funds.

"We could have as many clubs as you want but it's how you fund those clubs, how competitive they can be with that funding and how much benefactor funding goes into the clubs. At the moment we're not sustainable."

Under-performing Wales not helpingWales played in front of their smallest Six Nations crowd in Cardiff when just 57,744 watched a 54-12 hammering by France in February [Getty Images]

The men's national team is the biggest driving factor behind the WRU's revenue, contributing almost half its income.

So it is clear that while a successful Wales boosts the coffers, a team on a record losing run, as Steve Tandy's side were until March, sees income stall.

Empty seats for last year's home Test against world champions South Africa and again in the Six Nations game against France reflected a declining appetite among fans who, on average, are also spending less when they do attend the Principality Stadium.

"We hosted seven men's internationals compared with five the previous year but match income increased by only £2m," said Marshall.

"This was challenging and reflected lower average ticket prices, some lower attendances and the global economic pressure on consumer spending."

The WRU is now caught between encouraging more fans to buy tickets - broadening the price categories from three to six - and the need to maximise income from those key matches.

When will WRU sell Cardiff?

Adding fuel to the fire from west Wales is the WRU sustaining Cardiff's £1.2m loss for the past financial year.

That figure is not startling given Ospreys and Scarlets both lost more the previous year - the most recent figures on record.

The Union took over the failing region in April 2025 and while a deal with Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media later fell through, Marshall confirmed Cardiff will be put up for sale again, though not until the current shake-up is complete.

That could mean holding onto Cardiff until at least 2028.

"The strategy is not to own Cardiff but we decided that while we are in this restructure and level of uncertainty, it's a tough environment to sell a club," he said.

"When there's certainty for Welsh rugby, that will enable us to find the right buyer and right value for the Cardiff."

Should WRU stage more concerts?

The WRU aims to increase the number and range of non-rugby events at the Principality Stadium.

While concerts only raise modest funds, they are seen as risk-free opportunities given promoters pay rent for the venue while the WRU earns from food and drink sales.

However they face rising costs and increasing competition from other venues, which will include a new 16,500 music arena under construction in Cardiff Bay, while Kanye West - set for two nights at the stadium - was refused entry to the UK.

But football's Community Shield returned to Cardiff in August while the stadium will host world heavyweight boxing between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in December, before summer concerts by Andrea Bocelli and Sam Fender.

However, Marshall confirmed there are no immediate plans for the regional derby event Judgement Day to return to the stadium.

Ospreys and Scarlets are both vying for one west Wales regional licence [Huw Evans Picture Agency]What's next for WRU?

These latest figures will come under scrutiny from member clubs at next month's annual general meeting (AGM).

Marshall also confirmed the WRU had received £9.6m for its stake in a portion of United Rugby Championship (URC) shares - shared by all five competing unions - sold to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

The one-off deal will mean less participation money each year from the league but the WRU insisted Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets will get enough of the £9.6m to cover that reduction.

Meanwhile, the Union remains committed to its investment into the community game and pointed to a profit made by the Parkgate Hotel it owns in Cardiff.

However, the WRU has already raised worrying concerns for the next financial year as it is already predicting an operating loss of £16m.

"Our responsibility is to build a financially stronger organisation capable of supporting the game at every level," added Marshall.

• Cardiff Rugby appoint Barnsley's Flatman as CEO
• Tandy on copping flak and his tough Wales calls
• Uncapped Dragons get Wales Nations Championship call

After the Indianapolis Colts moved on from GM Chris Ballard earlier in the week, there has been a lot of trade speculation around a number of players, including running back Jonathan Taylor.

However, potentially being traded is not something that has crossed Taylor's mind.

"I haven't given it any thought," Taylor said, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. "That would be crazy right now, especially we got a great Minnesota Vikings team that we have to go against. I think it would be a discredit and a disservice to my teammates and this whole organization to think about what could, what should, what may be -- it's what's happening right now, and right now it's a Thursday. It's not going to get any easier, nobody is going to feel sorry for us -- 'oh our general manager is gone' -- nobody is going to feel sorry for us. ...We gotta pull ourselves up and we gotta go fight."

Jonathan Taylor on if he’s thought about being traded: pic.twitter.com/DOEz6XCn9p

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) October 22, 2026

Although the Colts did just sign Taylor to a two-year, $44 million contract extension just a few months ago, as ESPN's Dan Graziano noted, the recency of that deal does not make it impossible to trade the star running back.

However, whether or not that's actually in consideration for the Colts remains to be seen. Everything as of now is just conjecture.

For now, as Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a statement after GM Chris Ballard was fired, the Colts' goals for the 2026 season remain the same. That said, how the next few weeks unfold with matchups against 5-0 Minnesota and 4-2 Jacksonville may end up largely dictating whether or not the Colts sell -- or how heavily they sell -- at the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor addresses trade speculation

The return of Waipahu girls volleyball to title town was just 51 years in the making.

Junior Aliya Ilaoa led the way with 17 kills, three blocks and one ace as third-seeded Waipahu stunned top-seeded Kaiser 25-21, 26-28, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13 in the final of the OIA Division II girls volleyball playoffs.

Te‘a Suan tallied 13 kills while Ariah Apostol had nine kills and a key ace in the final set. Freshman Zanirah Fidow drilled eight kills and Maiya Beltran added seven kills for Waipahu (14-10 overall).

Junior setter Justice Malacas dished 42 assists.

Ilaoa is the daughter of Sanoe Ilaoa and her father is former UH football player Nate Ilaoa. Sanoe Ilaoa played for current Waipahu coach Sheri Sagayaga when she was at Moanalua.

“These girls, they dug really deep. They went beyond our expectations,” said Sagayaga, who guided Moanalua to a league title in 2000, and Radford to a D-II OIA title in 2005. “I’m very thankful for these girls giving 100%. I knew at the beginning of the season it was going to be tough coming in from different clubs. Then we went to Vegas (to play in the Liberty High School tournament) and we came together as one.”

For a good stretch of the final set, Kaiser took full command. Ka‘ele Kuamo‘o roofed Ilaoa’s one-handed volley and Amaral-Boyd sliced a perfect cross-court kill to open a 5-3 lead for Kaiser. Then it was a Naia Egami kill, Leia Nishida ace, Hatesa Sopoaga right-side kill to open the lead to 8-3.

After handling the serve well most of the night, Waipahu struggled to get into system at the worst time. Kills by Amaral-Boyd and Sopoaga helped extend the lead to 12-5.

Waipahu scored the next three points, but Egami came through with a crucial kill. The Marauders’ 8-1 run tied the game at 13-all. An ace by Apostol kept the run going, and Ilaoa’s kill tied it.

Serenity Bajet-Kalauokaaea’s kill gave Waipahu the lead, and Ilaoa’s final killed capped a stunning 10-1 run to end the match.

Emma Amaral-Boyd, a 6-foot-4 junior, hammered 27 kills to lead Kaiser (14-6 overall). Egami tallied 19 kills and Sopoaga chipped in five kills.

Mylah-Ann Burgess Heely had 24 assists, three aces and two kills. Leia Nishida had 18 assists and one ace.

“I give Waipahu credit. They came back from 12-5. That’s an incredible thing. We had the momentum, they got it back and that’s all she wrote,” Kaiser coach Scott Young said. “For us, we’ve got a great team. We’ve got to stick together. We still have something to play for. We can do a good job at states and go far if we stick together.”

The New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball D-II State Championships begin on Tuesday.

Waipahu’s only other OIA championship was in 1975 under coach Rudy Sambrano.

“I remember him. He’s very passionate about the sport. When I grew up with him, he was always a positive coach and person. He’s never, ever said anything bad,” Sagayaga said.

An energetic packed house at Radford’s James Alegre Gymnasium saw Waipahu play its best match of the season. The title match was a big change from the first meeting between the teams. That OIA season opener was a 25-15, 25-20, 25-19 sweep by Kaiser, which was unbeaten in league play.

This time, Waipahu was the team with more depth, more weapons and an x-factor in freshman reserve Fidow. Recently called up from the junior varsity team, Fidow is a tall, athletic, explosive, bonus weapon Kaiser didn’t quite have a counter to.

Waipahu went on an 11-3 run to open an 18-12 lead in the opening set.

Kaiser settled in and rallied to within 19-18 with Amaral-Boyd hammering away at Waipahu’s defense.

Waipahu then scored the next four points. Bajet-Kalauokaaea then put the first set away with a right-side kill.

In set two, Kaiser rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take an 8-7 lead, but the Cougars had a frozen moment with the score 12-10. A hustle play beyond the back line led to a high bump to the middle of the court, where four Cougars let the ball fall.

That rejuvenated the Marauders. who had limitless energy on the court and from their very loud fans all night. With Nishida at serve, Kaiser caught a little spark and took a 20-18 lead.

The battle extended to 26-all, when Amaral-Boyd pounded consecutive kills to even the match at 1-all.

Amaral-Boyd continued her hot hand in the third set with five more kills while Kaiser took a 9-6 lead.

Fidow took her first swings for Waipahu, connecting on two kills to help the Marauders regain the lead, 13-12. Kaiser went up 19-17 and seemed to have momentum, but the freshman, Fidow, roofed Amaral-Boyd, and Ilaoa delivered an ace to give Waipahu a 20-19 lead.

Kaiser called time out, but Waipahu scored four of the next five points. Fidow had a right-side kill while Amaral-Boyd uncharacteristically had two hitting errors as the Marauders opened the lead to 24-20.

With Suan at serve, Waipahu closed out the third set.

Waipahu zoomed to a 5-0 lead in set four as Kaiser, the much taller team, began to look like the more fatigued squad in the humid gym.

Sopoaga came alive with two kills in the fourth set, and her roof on Caitlyn Bolibol helped the Cougars open a 22-20 lead.

Amaral-Boyd’s roof on Ilaoa ended the set, tying the match at 2-all.

One tip, one long pass and one bucket in five seconds.

The Khalilah Mitchell era of Rainbow Wahine basketball is off and running as the first-year head coach watched her team clobber Hawaii Pacific 90-38 on Wednesday night at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in front of a crowd of 327.

Bailey Flavell scored a game-high 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting and Hawaii pushed the pace with at least 20 points in each the first three quarters to top the Sharks.

Hawaii shot 32-for-56 (57.1%) from the field and outscored Hawaii Pacific 29-0 in fast-break points.

“That is what we expect to do more,” Mitchell said. “When I talk about tempo, we want all of it. We want them to play within in the tiered system that we have.”

Ritorya Tamilo added 14 points 12 rebounds, three rebounds and officially three blocks despite not being credited for two late in the third quarter.

Teyahna Bond added 13 points and her sister, newcomer Taryn Bond, had nine points.

All 10 players available for the game had scored a point by halftime.

“I thought we were really ready to play and we were tired of playing each other within our scout team so it was really good to play someone else,” Mitchell said. “I thought the biggest thing for us and for the year is our standard and what we want to do.”

Cori Wilcox and KalysaMarie Ng each had six points to lead Hawaii Pacific.

Jovi Lefotu, who returned for her fifth season, handled the starting point guard duties and had nine points and three assists with one steal in 18 minutes.

“I love playing with Jovi,” Flavell said. “It has been super cool seeing her come from last year and this was her first full summer that she’s had with us so I think it’s pretty cool. This is her last year so I’m really excited for her. She really suits the style of play.”

Hawaii shot 67% (10-for-15) in the opening quarter from the field and led 10-0 in points off of turnovers after forcing seven by the Sharks.

Flavell and Bond each had nine points to lead the way and Lefotu closed the quarter with a driving left-handed layup to put Hawaii ahead 27-7.

UH had already emptied the bench by the end of the first quarter.

Tamilo exerted herself in the post and showed some added physicality to her game in the second quarter.

She finished the half with 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks in less than nine minutes played

Newcomer Zyriah Price made one of two free throws to give UH its largest lead of the half before a 3-pointer by the Sharks’ Ng made it 48-20 at intermission.

Tamilo added two more blocks in one possession after checking back into the game late in the third quarter.

Flavell made all three shot attempts she took in the quarter to push the Hawaii lead to 71-29 after three quarters.

Liz Udeze made two free throws with less than 30 seconds remaining to get the Rainbow Wahine to 90 points.

Hawaii begins the regular season on the road at Oregon on Nov. 2.

David Richard-Imagn Images

Cavs vs. 76ers injury report: Jarrett Allen questionable for Joel Embiid matchup appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After spoiling the defending champion New York Knicks’ ring ceremony on Opening Night, the Philadelphia 76ers have their sights set on going 2-0 when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their chances of doing so could be improved significantly given the official injury report.

Jarrett Allen is the big name on the list for both teams. The Cavs big man is listed as questionable to play due to right patellar tendinopathy. Meanwhile, Khalifa Diop and Nae’Qwan Tomlin are both listed as out.

For the 76ers, they have a trio of big men in Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall, and Ariel Hukporti listed as out. Meanwhile, Dean Wade is listed as questionable due to a left ankle sprain.

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Allen’s potential absence would take his marquee matchup with Joel Embiid of the table, which would be a disappointment. Embiid had an inefficient offensive performance against the Knicks as he finished with just 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting. However, he performed tremendously well on the defensive end, grabbing 11 rebounds with three blocks and two steals.

Embiid has his sights on being an All-Defensive Team player this season. If Allen does miss out, Embiid could instead lock horns with Evan Mobley, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25.

On the Sixers’ side, they were without Dean Wade for the opener against the Knicks, but they did not seem to need him. Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Anfernee Simons got most of the minutes off the bench as the starters played heavy minutes. With LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers have more than enough size on the wings to fade Wade’s absence once again.

Cavs Injury Report

Jarrett Allen – Questionable (Right Patellar Tendinopathy)

Khalifa Diop – Out (Left Knee Injury Management)

Nae’Qwan Tomlin – Out (Low Back Stress Reaction)

76ers Injury Report

Dominick Barlow – Out (Low Back Stress Reaction)

Tacko Fall – Out (Left Quadriceps Strain)

Ariel Hukporti – Out (Right Achilles Tendon Tear)

Dean Wade – Questionable (Left Ankle Sprain)

Related: Kyrie Irving didn’t want to use ‘graphic word’ to describe Mavericks’ absolutely appalling effort vs. Rockets

Related: Kevin Durant says everything you need to know about how Fred VanVleet changes everything for Rockets

mpi099/MediaPunch / MEGA; Mega

Vice PresidentJD Vance visited his favorite NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, on Wednesday, October 21.

The politician, who was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, arrived at the team’s Kettering Health practice fields with six black SUVs, police vehicles and motorcycle cops, according to Fox News.

Vance, 42, has reportedly been a Bengals fan since childhood. However, he didn’t get a chance to chat with the team’s star quarterback, Joe Burrow, during his visit.

“We did not,” Burrow, 29, told reporters when asked if he exchanged words with Vance, per Fox News. “We did not. He came with everybody and left with swiftness and efficiency before the end of practice, so I didn’t get to.”

Burrow said what he enjoys most is seeing how his love of the game brings people together.

“Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people around, you know, that’s what I love about what I do is, it brings a lot of people together, and people want to take time out of their day to come and watch what we do, watch what I do, and watch all the work that I’ve put in to come and watch greatness, and that’s everybody in the locker room,” Burrow said, per the outlet.

CNP i/AdMedia / MEGA

The NFL star added: “That’s why we do what we do, and whether it’s on the TV, whether it’s in person, whether it’s on the practice field, and that’s what we do.”

During his visit, Vance also toured the Bengals’ locker room and shook hands with players and head coach Zac Taylor.

He also left with a football, though it was unclear whether it was a gift from the team or one he brought to be signed.

Also on Wednesday, the vice president, who reportedly has a home in Cincinnati’s East Walnut Hills neighborhood, delivered a speech at the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office and held a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center.

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This story Joe Burrow Says Vice President JD Vance’s Visit to Bengals Practice Ended With ‘Swiftness and Efficiency’ first appeared on First for Sports. Follow First for Sports on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

After the NBA investigation surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers' salary cap circumvention delayed a trade that ultimately sent Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, the 35-year-old Leonard was left with a limited runway to the regular season.

With reduced preseason work, the two-time NBA Finals MVP has found himself antsy for more game reps, so much so that he asked back into a season-opening blowout of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night in Toronto.

That said, after scoring 23 points on just 5-of-17 shooting in the 135-92 victory, Leonard isn't putting a date on when he'll return to midseason form.

"You can't rush greatness," Leonard said postgame, when a reporter inquired if the seven-time All-Star had a target for when he'd like to be at that level again.

"Whenever the medical [staff] thinks I could push forward and I'm feeling great, whatever numbers we're looking at or they're looking at, then that's when that time will come. So yeah, I'm just happy to be out there and try to do the best I can with my minutes."

Leonard bargained for more Wednesday, finishing with 24. In the process, he also piled up 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and 1 block.

"I really love the fact there that he asked to play more minutes in the fourth quarter just to get his legs under him," head coach Darko Rajaković said.

Rajaković later added: "We had a plan for him, but he was like, 'Coach, I would like to play a little bit more there.' So, I mean, the game was kind of at that point a little bit out of the reach, but I wanted just to save him, and he was like, 'No, no, I want to go back.' So I put him back."

The Toronto Raptors' season-opening fan giveaway at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct. 21 commemorated the return of Kawhi Leonard with a T-shirt that features his hand, which is responsible for Leonard's signature nickname, "The Klaw." (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)Steve Russell via Getty Images

The Raptors also got 20-plus points from three other players: RJ Barrett had 20 on the dot, and both Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley clocked out with 23 points.

But the attention was on Leonard, who was playing in his first regular-season game for the Raptors since the 2018-19 campaign, which culminated in Toronto's lone NBA championship.

On Tuesday, Leonard posted a video essay on social media ahead of that highly anticipated game.

In it, he said, "I'm not here to live in the past. I'm here for what's next. Here in the North, we got a young team. Hungry and ready. And just like we had our moment, we trying to shock the world, again."

As I Return. pic.twitter.com/yMv1iqMt30

— Kawhi Leonard (@Way2Whi) October 20, 2026

Leonard said after Wednesday's game that the post was for the fans, to show them that he genuinely cares about the season and that he's going to connect with them along the way.

"Just a fan interaction and just connection, really," said a noticeably open Leonard. "You'll probably see a little bit more of me, what I'm doing in the community and just personality …"

Leonard's personality has been veiled at times throughout his NBA career. Following the Raptors' first regular-season outing, though, he was introspective and willing to share.

"Me being the oldest on the team, being 35, I have to give them that pedigree, that experience of the will to win," Leonard said after being asked about how he sees himself in a mentor role.

"And even when we're down, just making sure that everybody's enjoying the moment and knowing that in hard times, that's what makes you better, especially on nights when the ball's not going in. I feel like those are the special nights because you have to dig deep and grind it out or just think forward, forward think. Everybody could come and play well when shots are falling. That's the easiest game. So it's always great to have a challenge."

Wednesday was one of those challenges for Leonard. He overcame it with 11 free throws and a diverse defensive impact.

On a night that featured his "Klaw" on the fan giveaway T-shirts, his fingerprints were fittingly all over the game, regardless of his capped minutes and shooting struggles.

Kyrie Irving was fighting ‘revolution’ with offer to pay Azeez Al-Shaair’s fine for honoring murdered Palestinian girl appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A month after Kyrie Irving offered to cover Azeez Al-Shaair’s fine for his eye black that honored a murdered Palestinian girl, the NBA player explained why.

Speaking to reporters, Irving explained why he wanted to help Al-Shaair, whom he called a “friend” and a “brother.” Together, they are fighting a “revolution.”

“He’s a friend of mine. He’s a brother that I consider in this revolution that a lot of this generation is building,” he explained. “It’s a selfless act when you can show up for others that don’t necessarily have a voice for themselves.”

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Kyrie Irving on why it was important for him to say he’d pay the fine for Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair, who wore the name Hind Rajab on his eye black during Week 1. Rajab was a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in Jan. 2024.

“He’s a friend of mine. He’s a brother that I… pic.twitter.com/dBxaeG7qjx

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) October 22, 2026

He believes that people have to “stand up” for what they believe in. This can even be done with “small instances of revolutionary acts,” such as Al-Shaair wearing Hind Rajab’s name on his eye black. It can show how “selfless” you are. Irving didn’t, however, reveal whether or not he paid Al-Shaair’s fine.

The NFL fined Al-Shaair $11,492 for writing Rajab’s name on his eye black. She was a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli military in 2024.

In the wake of the news, Irving offered to pay his fine. He responded to a report about the fine on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “I’ll take care of his fine.”

This was not the first instance of Al-Shaair delivering a message with his eye black. During a playoff game in January 2026, he wrote, “Stop The Genocide,” on his eye black, resulting in a $11,593 fine from the NFL.

Al-Shaair is in the middle of his third season with the Houston Texans. He spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans earlier in his career. The Texans are on a two-game win streak after starting the season 0-4. Al-Shaair has 49 tackles (20 solo, 29 assists) in five games. He missed the team’s Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Related: Charles Barkley jokes about Shaq’s ‘dangerous’ Kash Patel relationship after FBI Special Agent honor

Related: Bengals’ Joe Burrow completely downplays JD Vance’s practice visit

Oct 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacts before the game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Joe Buck locked in his future at ESPN earlier this season, signing a hefty six-year, $108 million extension to stay on as the voice of Monday Night Football. His booth partner, Troy Aikman, is still waiting on a new deal of his own as he plays out the final year of his contract, and that gap has created plenty of room for tension between the two.

As Aikman’s free agency approaches, the NFL world has a front-row seat to what feels like a player’s contract saga. NFL chief media officer Hans Schroeder said the league has “no concern” about the issues surrounding the duo and praised their work in the booth. Dallas Cowboys owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones chimed in recently when asked whether he’s paying attention to what’s happening between Troy Aikman and ESPN.

“I sure am. I think the world of Troy,” Jones said, via Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. “And I’m always very interested and so proud of what he’s become, the person as well as the career he’s having. And I’m proud of that and it feels good to have been with him early as a player. So yes, I pay a lot of attention to him.”

When asked whether Aikman would thrive in a front office position if he ever left the booth, Jones only praised his former QB.

“Troy is very capable,” Jones added. “And he’s so really, relatively speaking, he’s in his youth as careers go. And he’s very capable of doing any one of a number of things, certainly anything to do with football. I don’t know of any area, short of getting back out on the field … that Troy Aikman wouldn’t be qualified and competent to go into.”

Jones and Aikman’s relationship preceded his announcing days, as Aikman gave the Cowboys organization 12 years and three Super Bowl titles as quarterback. Jones’s response to the impending situation is endearing, as speculation swirls about ESPN’s intentions.

Tensions between Aikman and Buck reportedly escalated during Week 5, when the two argued over their differing contract situations, but the dispute eventually de-escalated, and they carried on with another MNF broadcast.

As details surrounding Aikman’s future with ESPN have yet to be officially announced, professionalism will be closely watched. February approaches; if Aikman and Buck cover new broadcasting milestones during ESPN’s first Super Bowl broadcast, it will be hard to believe a departure is in order afterward.

The post Jerry Jones reacts to Troy Aikman, ESPN drama appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The ebbs and flows of an NFL season have always been funny to me. Three weeks ago, it felt like everyone was happy with the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, a three-game losing streak happens, and the mood shifts to doomsday prepping!

I get it, though. A lot of people (myself included) got their hopes up with an undefeated start in September, only to get let down with a disappointing October so far. But the Raiders have a good opportunity to get back on track against a very hobbled Los Angeles Rams team in Week 7. All of that should give us plenty to talk about for this week’s mailbag.

As always, anything Raiders-related is on the table and fire away with anything that’s on your mind. Send your questions my way by either dropping a comment in the comments section below, tweeting at me (@MHolder95) or via email at SBPQuestions1@gmail.com. I’ll follow up with another column in the coming days.

If you don’t have a commenting account already, you’ll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it’s a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines.

As the Hawaii football team’s starting quarterback, Micah Alejado is the undisputed leader of the pack.

And the pack has his back.

“It’s about figuring out where the problems are,” Alejado said the Rainbow Warriors’ 1-6 start, “and obviously it starts with me. Figuring out myself, figuring how I can get better in areas to give us the best chance to win.”

Alejado pointed to a crucial turnover against New Mexico this past Saturday. On third-and-goal from the 12, Alejado raced on a keeper toward the end zone in an attempt to add to UH’s 10-7 lead. But safety Drew Speech knocked the football free from Alejado’s grasp at the 1, and UNM’s Mercury Swaim recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback. The Lobos then went 80 yards for what proved to be an insurmountable 14-10 lead with 6:57 to play.

“Just undisciplined stuff by me,” Alejado said. “I started to reach out before I got there. It was a good head’s-up play by the defender. We preach ball security. We preach not turning the ball over. It was undisciplined.”

It was the Warriors’ third lost fumble of the season, all by Alejado.

Teammates were quick to support Alejado, emphasizing losses are collective responsibilities.

“That’s our QB1,” linebacker Wynden Ho‘ohuli said. “He’s been putting his body on the line for us. We respect that. It’s not a one-man team. It’s all of us. Everybody gets connected. It all starts at that. We don’t point fingers at anybody. We always have his back.”

Center Judah Kaio said: “There are 11 guys on the field at a time. You can’t just blame one person.”

Of the setbacks, Ho‘ohuli said, “odds are in our favor at times, odds aren’t in our favor at times. You just have to accept it and go and play. Chin up, chest out. That’s all we have to do.”

Associate head coach Chris Brown has served as mentor since Alejado was a freshman at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.

“The one thing with Micah is he has ice in his veins,” Brown said. “He can take the heat. I told the offensive staff, ‘don’t be afraid to get into him. He does really well when he gets coached hard.’ That’s where he came from at Gorman. (Offensive coordinator Craig) Canfield and head coach (Brent) Browner were not easy on him. They laid into him. I think that’s what makes him such a great quarterback.”

Brown said Alejado manages to block out the exterior noise.

“When it comes to anything outside, whether it’s media or what the people are saying, he doesn’t listen to that,” Brown said. “He knows what he can do. He knows he’s close. He has to settle himself down.”

Brown remains confident Alejado will regain the groove that led to being named the Mountain West’s preseason offensive player of the year.

“Micah is a special player,” Brown said. “I’ve rarely seen a quarterback with that much accuracy and that much intelligence for football. The thing is he’s trying to win the game on every play. What he has to do is play every play. He needs to take one snap at a time. We’ve got to get him back to what he does well. Once he gets his feet down and he goes through his eye progressions and distributes the ball, I think he’s one of the best in the country because of his accuracy and savvy for where the ball should go.”

—

I keep flirting with a sub-.500 weekend of picking games. Which serves as another reminder that it's impossible to consistently bet and win at football.

I don't bet. I won't bet. I enjoy football for what it is. I don't need the dopamine rush that comes from the period of hopeful anticipation between locking in the wager and waiting for the final score. It's no different than the practice of bastardizing the games into a "fantasy football" team adds nothing at all, for me, to the enjoyment of staying within the boundaries of reality when following the sport.

Sure, I shoot my shot every week with a gut-level guess at who will win each game. But when the games start, I still root for an entertaining game, regardless of whether my pick ends up being right or wrong.

And it's much easier to be pragmatic about the football-viewing experience when I'm doing a crappy job of picking games. Last week, I was 7-7. That puts me at 52-40-1 for the season. In the past, I've flirted with a full-season success rate of 66.6 percent. This year, I've got plenty of work to do to get there.

Here's the next shot at getting better (or worse), thanks to the latest slate of games.

Patriots at Bears (Thursday night)

It would be fitting to see the first Super Bowl played after the passing of Mike Ditka to feature a rematch of the Super Bowl that capped the magical season of the '85 Bears. Much needs to happen for a reunion of Super Bowl XX in February. For now, we'll get the rematch as the first game of Week 7.

The Patriots have turned it around, but they may be a little too banged up to keep it going against a healthy Caleb Williams and a defense that knows how to get off the field.

Bears 24, Patriots 20.

Steelers vs. Saints (Paris)

There's still no guarantee that this one won't be switched to London, which would introduce a curveball for both teams. The Steelers have been more consistent on both sides of the ball, and they need to win the games they should in order to keep pace with the other teams of the NFC North.

Steelers 23, Saints 20.

49ers at Falcons

The 49ers continue to surge, despite a long list of injuries. The Falcons continue to perform differently in the daylight.

49ers 27, Falcons 20.

Bengals at Ravens

The Ravens need Lamar Jackson to return. If he does, it will become a lot easier for Trey Hendrickson to wreak havoc on his former team.

Ravens 28, Bengals 24.

Buccaneers at Panthers

The Bucs end up in yet another one-score game. And the Panthers are hoping to run away with the NFC South.

Panthers 20, Buccaneers 17.

Giants at Texans

Can J.J. McCarthy get it done against a stout Houston defense? Even if he does, it will be hard for the Giants to overcome a Texans team that has rediscovered its footing.

Texans 27, Giants 17.

Colts at Vikings

Four years later, the Vikings shouldn't have to come back from a 33-0 deficit to the Colts.

Vikings 30, Colts 17.

Dolphins at Jets

The Dolphins get a rare chance to avoid creating the ultimate NFL bookends: 17-0 and 0-17. Maybe they'll win the rematch in Miami.

Jets 16, Dolphins 13.

Browns at Titans

The Browns are finally good enough to have trap games. And to periodically step right into one of them.

Titans 19, Browns 13.

Broncos at Cardinals

The Cardinals have gotten their win for the month.

Broncos 24, Cardinals 13.

Packers at Lions

The Detroit defense needs to make a stop, at some point, to win this one.

Lions 28, Packers 27.

Rams at Raiders

If the Rams get to five losses with 10 games left, they could be done.

Rams 26, Raiders 23.

Chiefs at Seahawks

If the Seahawks can play just a little cleaner, they can get back to where they were supposed to be.

Seahawks 27, Chiefs 23.

Cowboys at Eagles

The Eagles have an excuse or two for being 2-4. The Cowboys don't. It's desperation time in Dallas. Absent a turnaround, the changes for 2027 could be dramatic.

Cowboys 21, Eagles 13.

Two would-be Providence College basketball players who sought to win NCAA eligibility in U.S. District Court were denied on Thursday, Oct. 22, by Judge Melissa R. DuBose.

In a 21-page ruling, DuBose described Derek Simpson and Joseph Pinion as "two highly accomplished and talented student-athletes who are currently enrolled at Providence College, seeking to compete on the men’s basketball team for this upcoming season," and are local examples of athletes across the country "who had exhausted their four years of eligibility under the old NCAA rule (four seasons across five years) ... [and] are seeking to take advantage of the new rule" which allows student-athletes to compete in five seasons over five years.

Pinion was seeking a fifth year with Providence after previous time at Arkansas, Arkansas State and South Florida. He transferred from the Razorbacks to join Hodgson with Arkansas State in 2024-25 and followed him when new Providence coach Bryan Hodgson was hired away by South Florida for 2025-26. Simpson played two years at Rutgers from 2022-24 and two years at Saint Joseph’s from 2024-26, earning all-conference honors in the Atlantic 10 with the Hawks last season.

In denying their bids for another year of eligibility, the judge wrote, "Based on the abbreviated record before the Court and the posture of the case, Plaintiffs have not carried their burden and therefore the Motions for Temporary Restraining Order are DENIED." l

Providence tips off its season on Monday, Nov. 2.

This is a breaking story. More to come

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI judge shoots down Providence basketball players' eligibility

Bruno Fernandes has laid into Manchester United once again following their loss to Como -Credit:Ciancaphoto Studio, Getty Images

Bruno Fernandes has accused fellow Manchester United figures of dwelling on past glories in a second attention-grabbing interview following the humiliating defeat to Como in the UEFA Champions League.

Fernandes' comments poured fuel on the fire after United were hammered 4-1 in northern Italy on Wednesday. Speaking to TNT Sports, the United captain openly challenged Michael Carrick's tactical approach, heaping pressure on the manager just 11 games into the campaign.

While the United hierarchy are not yet ready to pull the plug on Carrick just months after handing him the role on a permanent basis, his position is anything but secure. Director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is understood to be advocating for the appointment of Julian Nagelsmann should United dismiss Carrick, who desperately requires a victory against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, as per The Mirror.

• Bruno Fernandes questions Manchester United staff's tactics after defeat to Como
• Ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp still grieving Diogo Jota's death in new biography

-Credit:Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images

The defiant words of Fernandes will do little to dispel the notion that not everybody at the club is pulling in the same direction. Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, the midfielder made his feelings crystal clear.

"Everyone at the club must understand that it's no longer the same," Fernandes said. "We're no longer in the past and we must look to the future. We must create something different in the present.

"At this club, we focus too much on what was achieved in the past, but we are no longer the same. The club and the players must understand this.

"Unfortunately for us, especially the players, those who come think about winning trophies, matches, and reaching the highest level, but unfortunately it's been very difficult at this club in recent years. That's the situation."

In an intriguing development, Sky Sports Italy reporter Pierluigi Bagnulo revealed that Fernandes was prohibited by the club from conducting the heated interview in Italian, despite being fluent in the language following stints earlier in his career at Novara, Sampdoria, and Udinese.

To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE

"It's a very difficult moment for us, we're not getting the points and results we want," Fernandes added. "The most important thing is that we're not performing as we expect.

"Unfortunately, it's one of those moments where it seems like we can't get out of it. We have to do something to change this situation and start winning because it's important."

Carrick drew considerable attention by substituting Fernandes for Joshua Zirkzee in the second half against Como. "Nobody likes to leave the pitch, especially with a result like that," the United captain said when asked about the decision.

"It was a very difficult match for us, it was almost impossible to play with the ball, we weren't close enough to maintain possession and play in their half. Como were very brave in their man-to-man pressing, we never did that and we gave them too many opportunities to play between our lines, thus managing to create chances to score."

United have managed only two victories this season, coming against newly promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League minnows Sabah. They welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday before making the trip to Chelsea the weekend after.

Screenshot

Charles Barkley took a shot at Inside the NBA colleague Shaquille O’Neal on Wednesday for his recent photo op with FBI Director Kash Patel.

Last month, Patel took part in a ceremony for the latest graduating class of the FBI National Academy. During this ceremony, he named O’Neal honor FBI special agent. Patel also praised O’Neal as “one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country.”

Congratulations to our newest session of FBI National Academy graduates session 299 – represented by 265 law enforcement officials from around the country.

This session is historic – FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country -… pic.twitter.com/GeIBiBf9Sr

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 17, 2026

O’Neal also gave remarks at the ceremony, jokingly telling the graduates in the room to “arrest” Barkley if they saw him.

Shaq has been named an honorary FBI Special Agent by director Kash Patel, and of course, he mentioned Charles Barkley in his speech.

“If you see Charles Barkley, arrest him.” pic.twitter.com/FQqeHqmhHA

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 18, 2026

On Wednesday, Inside the NBA returned on ESPN for the first full slate of NBA games. Moments before tip-off between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Barkley took a swipe at O’Neal for attending the FBI ceremony.

“Kenny, should we be standing this close to Shaq?” Barkley said to co-host Kenny Smith. “Hey listen, he be hanging out with Kash Patel. That’s dangerous!”

Charles Barkley: "Should we be standing this close to Shaq?… He's been hanging out with Kash Patel. That's dangerous."

Ernie Johnson: "Oooh! Ooooh! Oh, I didn't know you were going there. But I should have known you would." pic.twitter.com/zNk8Z2iT1o

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 21, 2026

The studio immediately erupted into laughter as O’Neal put his arm around Barkley with a smile on his face.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were gonna be going there!” Ernie Johnson said. “But I should’ve known you would!”

Through his laughter, O’Neal repeatedly said, “Alright, Chuck,” as Inside the NBA went to a commercial break.

The post Charles Barkley Roasts Shaq for FBI Photo Op: ‘He Be Hanging Out with Kash Patel!’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Barcelona playmaker’s remarkable run ends after a fresh injury against PSG

Barcelona have been handed yet another fresh injury blow this week as Dani Olmo picked up a knock in the recent defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

The key playmaker is set to spend at least four weeks on the sideline after an adductor tear and will miss the upcoming match against Real Madrid.

A remarkable run comes to an end

While the timing of the setback is a cruel one, it also brought a quietly impressive streak to a close.

Olmo’s withdrawal against PSG ended a remarkable run of 44 consecutive appearances for Barcelona across the calendar year of 2026.

Olmo had remained injury-free for a long time. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

Since January 3, the Spaniard had featured in 32 games during the 2025/26 campaign and a further 12 so far this term, turning out in every single Barça fixture this season.

Factoring in his international duty with Spain, the 28-year-old had already racked up 15 matches in the current campaign alone.

Meanwhile, the injury struck on the very night Olmo made his 100th appearance for the club, bringing an abrupt end to a year-long spell free of any muscular problems.

Why Barcelona need Olmo back soon

For all of Barcelona’s attacking riches, losing Olmo at this juncture is far from ideal.

The playmaker has been one of Hansi Flick’s most reliable performers, offering a blend of creativity, clarity and goal threat in the final third that few in the squad can replicate.

Olmo will miss a critical part of the season. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

With the club having relied on a rotating cast of forwards and false nines this season, his ability to link play and unlock stubborn defences has proven invaluable.

Barcelona head into a defining stretch of the campaign, with the Clasico against Real Madrid the immediate priority, and doing so without one of their influential creators only adds to an already lengthy injury list that includes Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen.

A four-week lay-off means Olmo faces a race to return for the latter stages of a congested first half of the season.

The sooner Flick can call upon him again, the better, as Barcelona look to protect their position at the summit while returning to winning ways in the UCL.

The Detroit Tigers will have a major question in right field for the 2027 MLB season, and Seiya Suzuki is one name already attached to it. Riley Greene will be in left field and Max Clark will be in center field. It is questionable if Kerry Carpenter or someone else will be Detroit’s right fielder. Carpenter made 41 starts in right field in 2026 and is still on the Tigers’ 40-man roster, but he has not locked the job down.

One player who will be a free agent is outfielder Seiya Suzuki. He played for the Chicago Cubs in 2026, appearing in 143 games with a .270 batting average, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and three stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .368, his slugging percentage was .473, his OPS was .841, and his WAR was 5.1.

Bleacher Report lists the Tigers as a dark horse for Seiya Suzuki

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed the Tigers as a dark horse to sign Suzuki in free agency, placing them in an American League dark horse group alongside the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals. Reuter wrote, “The Tigers used 10 different starting right fielders in 2026, with Zach McKinstry (49 starts) and Kerry Carpenter (41 starts) the closest thing they had to regular options at the position. Suzuki’s right-handed power bat would be a nice complement to left-handed hitters Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle, but like the Orioles, rebuilding the starting rotation figures to be their No. 1 priority.”

Seiya Suzuki would add power at a price

Suzuki has played in Chicago for the last five seasons, arriving ahead of the 2022 campaign. He no doubt would give Detroit some extra power in the lineup. With that being said, Suzuki is 32 years old, and president of baseball operations Scott Harris may not want to give him a hefty contract.

If Detroit wants to bring Suzuki in for one or two years, that is fine. They don’t need to sign him to a long-term contract that they are going to regret.

A short-term deal would buy Zyhir Hope time

Signing Suzuki short term would also help Zyhir Hope’s development in the outfield. Hope is the top prospect in Detroit’s farm system, and he arrived from the Los Angeles Dodgers in August. He played 124 games at the Double-A level in 2026, split between the Tulsa Drillers and the Erie SeaWolves.

He hit .287 with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs, along with 26 stolen bases on 32 attempts. Hope also posted a .367 on-base percentage, a .513 slugging percentage, and an .880 OPS. He is 21 years old and no doubt has a long-term future in the Tigers outfield, specifically in right field. He could very well start the 2027 season with the Toledo Mud Hens in Triple-A.

Having Suzuki for a season or two is not bad. Hope will need to be the right fielder eventually. Signing Suzuki for next season would mean Detroit is ready to be a playoff team again. If not, it means the Tigers are gearing toward their younger players.

Oliver Mansson responds to Arsenal transfer linksArsenal are among several Premier League clubs tracking a highly rated Swedish teenager, with the midfielder now responding to the growing transfer talk.

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Arsenal are reportedly keeping an eye on Oliver Månsson, the 17-year-old Swedish youth international who has started to make a name for himself with IFK Göteborg.

The midfielder has broken into Göteborg’s first team and is understood to have caught Arsenal’s attention with the way he has handled senior football.

Chelsea have also been linked, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest either club has gone beyond just watching him.

TEAMtalk first reported the interest on 17 October, citing a source in Sweden who said Arsenal and Chelsea were particularly impressed by Månsson and “intrigued” by his long-term potential.

Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland were also named among the clubs following him.

Månsson himself does not appear to know much more about it than anyone else.

Asked about the Arsenal and Chelsea links after Göteborg’s 2-2 draw with AIK, he told Expressen: “No, I had no idea. I saw it on social media like everyone else. So… no, I didn’t know that.”

When asked to choose between the two London clubs, he laughed and replied: “Haha, it’s hard to choose.”

He is under contract with Göteborg until December 2028, so there is no immediate pressure on the Swedish club to sell.

No asking price has been reported either, and even Transfermarkt have no value for him.

Månsson also said he does not support a Premier League club and has instead followed Barcelona.

“No, I don’t actually have one. I haven’t. It’s been Barca for me, but… well, it’s always fun to have interest if there’s something. That’s how it is.”