Just 15 days after the SLB season tips off, SLBW will do the same.
Cardiff Met Archers host B Braun Sheffield Hatters, the defending championship and play-off winners, in the opening match on Saturday, 3 October.
At Cardiff, four players are salaried while also studying masters degrees at the university.
The rest of the team are made up of players on scholarships, postgraduate and undergraduate students and others that are balancing a career in basketball with full-time work.
“I think there’s an opportunity to build something that people genuinely want to watch and follow,” Archers head coach Stef Collins, a member of Great Britain’s 2012 Olympic squad, told BBC Sport.
“Women’s basketball has shown what is possible internationally, particularly with the growth we’re seeing in leagues like the WNBA, NCAA College Basketball.”
Collins wants SLBW to build on the recent Women’s World Cup in Berlin, at which the United States earned a fifth successive title, beating France in the final.
“It was the most-attended World Cup in the modern era with over 230,000 fans in attendance,” she said.
“For me, it’s also about telling the stories of the players. They’re not just basketball players – they’re students, they’re professionals, they’re international athletes, they’re role models. If we can showcase that properly, I think there’s an exciting future for the Super league.”
The WNBA, the independent women’s equivalent of North America’s NBA, has been among the pioneers in women’s sports leagues across the globe.
In 2025, WNBA clips gained more than one billion views on Instagram, making it the most-followed women’s sports league on that platform, which Collins feels can help SLBW on its path for development.
“The WNBA is a really good example of what happens when you give women’s basketball a platform and make the players and their stories visible,” she said.
“But I think there’s also a lesson beyond the basketball itself. Women’s sport has shown that fans want to connect with the athletes, their personalities and their stories.
“We shouldn’t be afraid to market women’s basketball differently and allow our players to be themselves.”
LONDON — Todd Boehly and fellow co-owner Mark Walter have sold their stakes in Chelsea, handing full control to Clearlake Capital, the English Premier League club said on Wednesday.
“Chelsea Football Club today announced affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group will acquire the ownership interest of Todd Boehly,” it said in a statement.
“As part of the transition, Clearlake will also acquire Mark Walter’s ownership interest and therefore acquire full control of the club.”
Boehly, Walter and Swiss investor Hansjorg Wyss all purchased a 12.8% share alongside the private equity company Clearlake, which had owned 61.5% ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. The Financial Times reported that Walter and Boehly will receive £950 million ($1.3 billion) for their combined stake in a deal that values the club at £5 billion ($6.7 billion) including debt.
Walter’s companies are the subject of multiple investigations that center on how much life insurance companies he owns were invested in the Dodgers and Lakers and why the investments weren’t accurately disclosed. Walter sold his majority share of the Lakers last month for a record $12.5 billion valuation, but Walter’s TWG Global said the decision to sell was not forced by the investigation. People with knowledge of company operations but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times Walter was open to selling his Chelsea share for the right price, but he has no intention of selling the Dodgers and other sports investments.
Boehly has worked with Walter at Guggenheim Partners since 2001 and played a significant role in the purchase of the Dodgers and Lakers, among other Walter owned properties.
In 2022, Clearlake and Boehly combined to take over the club from Roman Abramovich when the Russian billionaire was forced to sell the club after being sanctioned by the U.K. for his connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Boehly now stands down in his role as Chelsea chairman. Fans protested Boehly’s tenure as the club struggled to keep pace in the Premier League title chase amid erratic leadership, unusual player acquisitions and chaotic relationships with managers.
“It has been an honor to serve as chairman of Chelsea Football Club,” Boehly said. “I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans.
“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
“Todd has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea, and we thank him for his time and contribution as chairman,” Eghbali and Feliciano said. “He will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family.
“Clearlake has served as Chelsea’s majority owner since 2022, and as we move to full control our focus is to continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters.”
The statement also said Wyss would “remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group”, and that there would be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club.”
Chelsea, which is sixth in the Premier League standings, next faces London rival Brentford on Friday.
At an extraordinary general meeting in July, delegates backed an FAI motion to proceed with the games amid concerns that boycotting would cause “significant and lasting harm” for the association.
However, the decision has come under increasing pressure, with a ‘Stop The Game’ campaign launched by Irish Sport for Palestine calling for a boycott.
The armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza. The United Nations believes the retaliation has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.
Israel has regularly denied committing genocide or war crimes and has said its actions in Gaza have been justified as a means of self-defence.
Earlier this week, FAI director of football John Martin said the games had created a “very uncomfortable situation for everyone” and insisted players “shouldn’t be in a position where they get criticised”.
“We want to represent Ireland with the best games and performances that we can. That’s the agreement with all of us,” added Hallgrimsson.
“Obviously we don’t all share the same opinion. That’s just human nature.”
The Nations League games mark the Republic of Ireland’s first competitive action since their World Cup play-off semi-final defeat by the Czech Republic in March.
Since the penalty shootout loss in Prague, they have played four friendlies, beating Grenada and Qatar and drawing with North Macedonia and Canada.
BBC Radio 5 Live brings you more Premier League commentaries than anywhere else this season, with 209 live matches.
You can listen to selected commentaries, plus updates from around the grounds, on BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport app and website and via your smart speaker.
BBC Sounds is the place to find every 5 Live Premier League commentary this season, with more ways to listen via the app than ever before.
Sports Extra 2 and Sports Extra 3 are new radio streams available only on BBC Sounds, offering you the chance to discover more coverage from the Premier League and listen to your team live.
The Football Fix collection now brings you every 5 Live Premier League commentary in one place, plus build-up, reaction, and all the BBC’s football podcasts. Find it here and on the BBC Sounds homepage throughout the season.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games get under way this weekend under the shadow of a housing crisis that has organisers scrambling to placate athletes and officials from participating nations.
The tournament has been mired in complaints over housing options for athletes travelling to Japan, after the host nation decided not to build a dedicated Games village for the 17,000 competitors and officials.
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To cut costs this year, organisers are relying on a cruise ship, temporary wooden cabins and hotels, but this temporary accommodation has met with criticism in the days leading up to the continental competition.
On Monday, South Korean officials slammed beds in shipping container-style huts as the “worst-ever”, as the South Korean basketball chief said the beds were too short to stretch out in.
Here’s everything we know:
Why are the Asian Games facing an accommodation crisis?
The official housing committee said the issue arose because they expected 15,000 athletes and officials, but numbers increased as new sports were added.
This year’s Games will feature several newcomers, including mixed martial arts, padel and surfing, as well as virtual taekwondo and teqball, which combines aspects of football and table tennis.
Ahead of the Games’ opening, chief organiser Hideaki Omura said efforts are being made to ensure athletes are comfortable.
“If there are different opinions, then we will respond to them appropriately,” Omura, who also serves as governor of Aichi prefecture, told the AFP news agency.
“At this point, while we are responding to individual opinions, we have been improving everything as issues arise, and we will continue to respond that way.”
He added that a committee of former athletes, including Olympians, gave a favourable assessment of the plans for the huts built this year.
“We explained everything to them and had them take a look around, and they said it looked functional and good,” he said.
Temporary wooden container huts being used to house athletes [David Gray/AFP]
Where will the Asian Games athletes stay?
Alternative housing options range from a cruise liner and wooden containers to hotel rooms.
On Tuesday, the Italian cruise ship, Costa Serena, which will host 4,000 athletes and officials, arrived in Nagoya.
The shipping container-style huts in the dock area of Japan’s biggest port will host 2,000 other athletes and officials.
On Thursday, Japan’s deputy Chef de Mission Hisashi Mizutori told a news conference that athletes have been going through entry procedures since the cruise ship village opened a day earlier.
“There have been cases where coaches, team officials and athletes have been assigned to the same room. There are also situations where room assignments were made purely based on the numbers, such as assigning five twin rooms for a group of five men and five women,” Mizutori said.
“While the numbers match on paper, practically it creates challenging situations such as men and women being assigned together, coaches being assigned with athletes, or trainers who need to accommodate a lot of medical equipment being assigned together.”
He added that the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) had also anticipated accommodation “challenges” and secured hotels in the city as a backup.
“We are currently working to coordinate and negotiate adjustments wherever possible. For cases where that proves too difficult, we are considering using the backup accommodations that Team Japan prepared in advance as alternatives.”
Why are participating nations and athletes complaining about the accommodation?
“Athletes who are over two metres tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It’s unreasonable.”
Jung also accused the organisers of failing to respond to South Korea’s concerns about the housing options.
“The organisers have still not said anything,” he said, adding: “We are very concerned and discussing extensively with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee what to do about this.”
Player Byeon Jun-hyeong, from the basketball team, posted a video on social media showing a leaking sink and a soaked floor in his hut.
“Please help us,” he posted.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino also said that while all his athletes had been given a room, “some officials, like coaches, were moved to different hotels and Airbnb”.
The Costa Serena, a 290-metre-long cruise ship that will be used as an accommodation facility for athletes and officials during the 2026 Asian Games, is docked at the Port of Nagoya [Fred Mery/AFP]
Why will cricketers get the best accommodation at the Asian Games?
According to Miyaji, the cricket tournament is being run by the Asian Games organising committee in collaboration with the Asian Cricket Council.
He said that the two bodies had been discussing accommodation options “for a long time”.
“The participating teams in cricket are being offered hotel accommodation,” Miyaji said.
“Many other sports are being accommodated in much more limited facilities, such as a cruise ship or container hotels.”
What other issues have hit the Asian Games?
While the opening ceremony has yet to take place, several events such as basketball, football, cricket, hockey and modern pentathlon have already begun.
On Thursday, Tropical Storm Dujuan was located off Japan’s Pacific coast as of 03:00 GMT and heading northwest towards central Japan, where Nagoya is located.
Kosei Inoue, Japan’s chef de mission for the Games and a senior executive board member of the JOC, said at a news conference on Thursday that some competitions have already experienced “delays or postponements, and there is also a possibility that a typhoon could approach on September 21”.
“Under these circumstances, we are holding thorough meetings within the JOC to ensure that we are fully prepared and capable of responding appropriately to these situations.”
A river that is home to about 500 saltwater crocodiles has been given the OK to host Olympic and Paralympic rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Brisbane Games.
The course on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, has passed an independent technical assessment into its suitability.
The assessment did not consider the crocodiles but instead looked at “how the course would perform under a range of conditions, weather patterns, water levels and flood risk at both Games time and throughout the period leading into the Games”.
The report was commissioned by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA), which noted, external that the Fitzroy River Flatwater Facility “is already a training and competition venue for flatwater sports, supporting school state championships, local regattas, and national team training camps”.
As a recognised rowing facility, contingency plans are in place at events for when crocodiles are spotted and Olympic officials have previously been assured of rower safety.
World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide, formerly International Canoe Federation, both endorsed the course.
“Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games, consistent with the requirements of Olympic and Paralympic Rowing,” World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland said., external
Paddle Worldwide President Thomas Konietzko said: “The quality and depth of the technical work undertaken has significantly improved our understanding of the field of play and provides confidence to us and our athletes that the course can deliver fair competition for Canoe Sprint athletes.”
Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris played down the issue of crocodiles last year.
“There are sharks in the ocean and we’re still surfing… it’s a can do, not a can’t do – please change the mindset here,” he said at the time.
Speaking on Thursday about the venue having now been given the go-ahead, he said: “The endorsement provides additional certainty as we move into the next phase of venue planning and Games delivery, ensuring all future design and operational work continues to focus solely on Rockhampton.”
Saltwater crocodiles – known locally as Salties – live in both freshwater and saltwater and can grow to be in excess of six metres long.
Basketball superstar Kyrie Irving has offered to pay a fine for American football player Azeez Al-Shaair, who was penalised for wearing the name of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Al-Shaair was handed a fine of $11,941 by the National Football League (NFL) on Wednesday as he was found to be in breach of the NFL’s rules on players’ equipment and clothing during his team Houston Texans’ game against the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
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Shortly after the fine was announced by an NFL reporter on X, the pro-Palestine basketball player responded to the tweet by saying he would “take care” of it.
Al-Shaair, 29, is a linebacker for the Houston-based NFL team and a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights.
During his team’s last NFL game, Al-Shaair wrote Rajab’s name on his eye black, a sticker or paint frequently used by NFL players to reduce glare.
Five-year-old Rajab was killed in Gaza after Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s stranded car. A phone call by the Palestinian Red Crescent documented her final moments and was the subject of an Oscar-nominated docudrama.
Al-Shaair, a Black American Muslim player, has frequently spoken about the plight of Palestinians and has paid the price for it.
He was also fined in January, during the NFL’s last season, when he displayed the message “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape. While it did not specifically refer to a particular conflict, it was widely understood to be about Gaza and Sudan.
NFL criticised for ‘inhumane’ fine on Al-Shaair
The NFL’s fine on Al-Shaair comes at a time when Robert Kraft, the owner of the Boston-based team New England Patriots, confirmed that he pressured pop star Ed Sheeran to drop rapper Macklemore from his tour of the United States.
The billionaire is the owner of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, one of the venues where Macklemore was due to appear on stage as the opening act for Sheeran’s US tour in late September.
Letting Macklemore perform in Gillette Stadium would, Kraft said, cross a line, as he described the rapper’s recent performances as including a “broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery”.
Kraft is known for launching a so-called “anti-Semitic campaign” during Israel’s genocide in Gaza in 2023, when players, coaches and executives from his Patriots team wore blue pins.
On October 15, 2023, the NFL observed a moment of silence for Israel during a game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans in London, United Kingdom, while the league has sanctioned its player for raising awareness for Palestinians.
The NFL was criticised on social media for slapping a fine on Al-Shaair, with one user calling the move “inhumane”.
“He is advocating for the murder of this innocent child Hind Rajab in Palestine and they fine him?! Nah, that is so inhumane. You should be ashamed of yourself,” the user wrote.
Prominent American Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman questioned whether Al-Shaair would have faced a similar punishment if his tape carried the name of Holocaust victim Anne Frank instead.
“Why is honoring murdered Palestinian children ‘an unauthorized message’?” he asked in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations backed Al-Shaair over his continued advocacy for Palestinians.
“We commend Al-Shaair for using his platform to highlight the memory of Hind Rajab, one of the many children murdered by the Israeli government during its genocide in Gaza,” the rights group said in a statement on its website.
“The NFL has no problem with coaches wearing pins developed for genocide supporter Robert Kraft’s “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign, and it should have no problem with an NFL player mentioning the name of a girl killed in that genocide,” the statement went on to add.
“Al-Shaair’s message was rooted in basic human decency and concern for innocent lives. That should not be controversial, much less subject to a fine.”
Irving’s pro-Palestine stance
Meanwhile, nine-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Irving has previously made his pro-Palestine stance on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza clear.
In February, Irving wore a shirt reading “PRESS” at the NBA All-Star Game to honour journalists who had been killed in Gaza while covering the war.
According to reports, the tag on his shirt read: “Dedicated to our beloved journalists in Gaza showing the world the truth.”
In April, Irving changed his display picture on Instagram to an image of a Palestinian child blocked from attending school by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.
During a pre-game interview in 2024, he was seen wearing a chain with the Palestine flag in the shape of Israel’s landmass.
In 2023, the basketball player wore a keffiyeh, a cotton headdress with a distinctive checkered pattern worn in many parts of the Arab world that represents Palestinian identity, during a post-match news conference.
Ally Sentnor, Ary Borges and Taylor Suarez scored in Angel City’s 3-1 victory over the Seattle Reign on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium.
In the 18th minute, Angel City midfielder Maiara Niehue’s volley attempt drew a handball on Seattle Reign midfielder Angharad James-Turner. Sentnor converted her second penalty kick in consecutive weeks to open the scoring.
Off a corner kick from defender Evelyn Shores in the 40th minute, an unmarked Borges headed it home to double the lead. Within 30 seconds of subbing on, Suarez raced past multiple defenders and placed it in the side-netting for the 3-0 lead in the 81st minute.
Defender Sofia Huerta’s long-range blast in stoppage time provided the Reign with their lone goal of the game.
Angel City (10-8-6) is unbeaten four matches unbeaten and now only trails the Reign by a point for the last spot in the playoffs. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for Seattle (11-9-4).
Cal Raleigh had two hits and three RBIs, Josh Naylor had two hits and two RBIs and the Seattle Mariners kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 7-2 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night.
Randy Arozarena also walked, singled and scored three runs for Seattle, which is 5 1/2 games behind Texas and Houston in the American League West and 6 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the third AL wild-card spot with nine games left.
It was 2-2 when Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (1-6) walked Arozarena and Dominic Canzone with one out in the fifth. Raleigh roped an RBI double to left for a 3-2 lead, and Julio Rodriguez was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Angels first baseman Vaughn Grissom made a sliding, backhand stop of Naylor’s potential double-play grounder, but his throw to second sailed into left field for an error, two runs scoring on the play for a 5-2 Seattle lead.
Mariners reliever Carlos Vargas (1-0) struck out Josh Lowe and Christian Moore — each on three pitches — with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the fifth, and Seattle pushed the lead to 7-2 on RBI singles by Canzone and Raleigh in the sixth.
Kikuchi threw 37 pitches during a two-run, three-hit first in which the Mariners scored on Raleigh’s sacrifice fly and Naylor’s RBI single.
Below-par showings were forgiven last season as Celtic simply just had to get by to stay in touch at the top before eventually leapfrogging Heart of Midlothian on the final day with a seventh successive league victory.
That Premiership-winning streak has been extended to 13 games following six straight victories to start the campaign, but concerns about performance level remain. Four of those six wins have been by a one-goal margin.
Twelve goals over three wins at Kilmarnock, Dundee United and in the first leg of the Champions League play-off against LASK sent an ominous warning to Celtic’s domestic rivals amid a period of high spending, particularly in forward areas.
Camilo Duran has been the standout summer recruit so far with six goals and three assists in 10 appearances, while record signing Kasper Hogh and fellow big-money arrival Haissem Hassan are yet to fully settle.
Sutton said his old club have been “flat-track bullies” by “beating the teams you expect them to beat”, but the collapse in Austria, plus Sunday’s bruising loss, has highlighted glaring deficiencies.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, former striker Sutton also expressed his “great concerns” for O’Neill’s men and said they have “big issues” after a “lightweight” midfield was “run all over” by Rangers.
Celtic have struggled to build up play against coherent pressing teams, which results in opposition sides being offered too much encouragement when the ball turns over.
They faced a whopping 60 shots across both legs with LASK. Forty of them came in a mess of a second leg. In the Premiership alone this season, they have faced 64 attempts, the same number as Hearts and six more than Rangers.
Over just six games, that tally already makes up almost a quarter of the total they faced in the entirety of the 2024-25 league-winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers.
That said, in comparison to last term, which was overseen by Rodgers, Nancy and O’Neill, Celtic’s Premiership numbers show they are currently averaging a far better goal concession rate while scoring and shooting more.
Come Sunday, though, the most crucial statistic could be in the points column.
With a rapid rematch against Rangers offering the chance to move eight points clear of their city rivals after a test against European-level opposition, the next four days will at least be mood-shifting.
Whether that is to O’Neill’s benefit remains unclear.
Sydney: Australia will reduce migration by curbing “visa hopping”, tightening rules on students and working holiday makers as well as cracking down on overstayers, its interior minister said Thursday, as the far-right surges in the polls.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the National Press Club in Canberra that immigration was “fundamentally a strength” for Australia, but accepted that housing pressures required changes.
He denied his ruling Labor party was tightening visa rules in response to the rise of One Nation, which has become one of the country’s most popular parties this year with pledges to drastically slash migration. Business groups warned such cuts would cause economic damage.
“We need immigration to soften enough that housing has a chance to catch up,” he said, while stressing the housing shortage was not caused by migrants.
Net overseas migration – the net gain or loss to the population through movement to and from Australia – reached a peak of 538,000 in 2022 after a surge in arrivals when borders re-opened after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Numbers fell to 292,100 in the year to March, data on Thursday showed.
Burke said this was 47 percent below the post-Covid peak — and that policy changes would help to reach a target of 225,000 for next year.
Australians want to know the government was “taking control” of migration but also “being decent about it”, he said.
Students are the largest group of arrivals, with 753,000 international students in Australia, most from China and India, data shows.
Under the new rules, family members seeking to join students in Australia will face new curbs and it will become harder for students to move between courses to extend their stay, Burke said.
A backlog of applications from the UK for working holiday visas would continue to be processed slowly after a record 80,000 applications — a matter that is under discussion with the UK government, he said.
Working holiday makers in rural areas will enter a ballot to stay for a second or third year, with just 5,000 visas available for the latter.
Family members seeking to visit Australians will have “no further stay” conditions attached to their temporary visas.
Migrants with construction and housing skills will be prioritised for visas, he said.
Australia would return to a policy of a decade earlier in which visa overstayers were given two weeks to leave the country or face detention and deportation, he said.
An additional 100 compliance officers and 250 more beds in immigration detention centres would show there are consequences to overstaying a visa, he said.
But he stressed “this is not the sort of operation that some people have seen on TV happening in other countries” — a nod to hardline immigration policies in the United States.
A third of Australia’s resident population of 27.6 million was born overseas, the latest census data shows.
Ospreys will be “stoked” if the new quartet make an impact like Smith did in his first season.
Wales might also be watching with interest after the signing of former Wallabies captain Wright.
The 28-year-old has won six caps but, courtesy of his grandfather from Pembroke, will be eligible to play for Steve Tandy’s side next summer.
That opens up the possibility of Wright targeting a World Cup spot, but the forward is concentrating on Ospreys after injury torment since a shoulder blow suffered playing against Wales in 2024.
“I know that I want to get myself back playing good enough footie and consistent enough footie to push for international honours again,” he told Scrum V.
“I’ve always imagined that for Australia, I didn’t come over here because of the Welsh heritage and trying to flip.
“But given my journey, it would be irresponsible to try and think too far ahead. I want to play good footie for Ospreys and put a lot of minutes under my belt, making sure that I am loving footie again.”
Brian Wolfe, a standout pitcher at Servite who played three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, has died at age 45, his wife shared Tuesday on Facebook.
“I’m am sorry to write this but after a really really difficult and torturous battle Brian Wolfe passed away early this morning,” Rachell Wolfe wrote.
No other details have been provided.
Wolfe was one of Orange County’s most dominant high school pitchers during the late 1990s. After going 8-0 with an ERA of 0.27 as a sophomore in 1997, he was the Friars’ ace the next two seasons.
Honored both years as a member of The Times’ All-Orange County team, Wolfe went 11-2 with a 1.37 ERA and a county-best 139 strikeouts as a junior and was 12-0 with a 1.30 ERA and nearly 100 strikeouts as a senior.
After committing to Cal State Fullerton in the fall of 1998, Wolfe opted to sign with the Minnesota Twins organization after being drafted in the sixth round (179th overall) the following summer. He spent the next several years working his way up through the minor leagues with the Twins, Milwaukee Brewers and Blue Jays before making his major league debut with Toronto as a relief pitcher in 2007.
Wolfe appeared in 72 games over three seasons with the Blue Jays, compiling a 5-5 record and a 3.81 ERA in 82.2 innings pitched. He became a free agent after the 2009 season and spent the next nine years playing in Japan with Nippon Professional Baseball, playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (including the 2013 season as teammates with Shohei Ohtani), Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (winning the Japan League title in 2014 and 2015) and Saitama Seibu Lions.
Former MLB outfielder Brandon Barnes posted a tribute to Wolfe on Wednesday, calling his fellow Orange County native “one of my best friends and a mentor.”
CINCINNATI — Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell left his start against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday after one inning, with what the team identified as left groin tightness.
Snell gave up one hit, a single to Sal Stewart, which he quickly erased with a successful pick-off that caught Stewart in an inning-ending run-down.
Snell threw 19 pitches. Blake Treinen replaced him in the second inning.
Wednesday marked Snell’s eighth start of the season. His 2026 debut was delayed by shoulder fatigue. After one start, he landed back on the injured list to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.
Since returning, he hasn’t given up more than one run in a start. Through Wednesday’s abbreviated outing, Snell has a 1.86 ERA.
Snell has a history of left groin and adductor strains. He spent time on the IL in 2021, 2022 and 2024 for such injuries.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has also sold his stake, meaning Clearlake – led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano – have now acquired full control of the club.
Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, with Clearlake previously owning 61.5% of the Blues.
American Boehly will leave his role as chairman, a position he has held since 2022, when the consortium bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin – something he has denied.
Multiple sources said talks started within Chelsea‘s ownership group after a rift, first apparent in 2024, led both sides to explore buying each other out.
Boehly, who is a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an “honour” to serve as Chelsea chairman.
“I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans,” he added.
“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Fog Walk is a seasonal outdoor entertainment destination combining nature and relaxation. Runs until Feb. 28. For more details, visit abha.platinumlist.net.
Joe Buck will call his seventh Super Bowl in February. It will be his first with ESPN — and, it turns out, won’t be his last.
The “Monday Night Football” play-by-play announcer and the network agreed to a six-year, $108-million extension, according to the Athletic. Buck’s deal was set to expire following this season.
Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium will be broadcast on ESPN and simulcast on Disney sister network ABC. It will be the first Super Bowl on ESPN and the first on ABC since Super Bowl XL, which followed the 2005 season. The game is scheduled to rotate back to ESPN/ABC in February 2031.
While Buck seems locked in for that Super Bowl LXV broadcast, his longtime booth partner may not be — at least not yet. The Athletic reports that color commentator Troy Aikman remains unsigned beyond this season.
When asked about the contract situations for Buck and Aikman, an ESPN spokesperson directed The Times to a statement executive vice president of communications Josh Krulewitz gave to the Athletic.
“With this historic season for ESPN now underway, our entire focus is on bringing fans the best possible football coverage, culminating with our first Super Bowl,” Krulewitz said. “To that end, we won’t be addressing talent contract specifics publicly before the Super Bowl.”
Buck broke into broadcasting in 1989, calling games for the Louisville Redbirds, a minor-league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Two years later, he joined his father, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Jack Buck, in the radio and TV booths for the Cardinals’ games.
In 1994, Buck was hired by Fox Sports. He eventually became the network’s top play-by-play voice for the NFL and MLB, calling 24 World Series and six Super Bowls for the network. Buck joined his father in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2022.
Buck and Aikman have been calling football games together since 2002 and left Fox for ESPN together before the 2022 season. Last season, “Monday Night Football” averaged 15.8 million viewers per game, the second-best ratings in ESPN’s 20 seasons of broadcasting the franchise (it averaged 17.4 viewers in 2023).
LONDON: Pope Leo XIV expressed satisfaction with Jordan’s preparations for the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River, according to a Jordanian priest on Wednesday.
Fr Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan, described the meeting with the pope in Rome last week to the Jordan News Agency as taking place in a “friendly and spiritual atmosphere.”
The Jordanian priest returned this week from a two-day religious dialogue platformed at the Vatican. The Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World, affiliated with the International Dialogue Center, held its meetings early this month. The Jordanian delegation included Sheikh Omar Rousan of the department of fatwas.
The 2,000th anniversary of the revered event is scheduled for 2030 and will take place at Christ’s baptismal site, also known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts Christian pilgrims and other visitors.
Jordan is home to many important Christian sites, including Mount Nebo in the Madaba governorate, where the Bible says Moses saw the Promised Land before he died.
In the past 24 hours there has been a backlash against Gabriel and his family, for the direction he is taking and around his professionalism and attitude.
Sources close to the player believe this is massively unfair and overlooks the dedication and commitment which means he is so well-regarded by so many clubs.
In addition, he is not the first young player to have a difference of opinion over their future direction with their club.
Jadon Sancho was 17 when he stopped training at City to force through a £10m move to Borussia Dortmund in the belief that he would play more often in Germany than under Pep Guardiola.
Morgan Rogers was Barry’s team-mate in the West Brom side that reached the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 2019. Within three months he had left for City, a move completed on his 17th birthday.
Sources feel that, in meetings with the United hierarchy that led to Gabriel committing his short-term future to the club last summer, promises were made over his career path that have not been kept.
He did start to appear in senior training sessions, initially under Ruben Amorim and then Michael Carrick, but speculation around a senior debut last season, which could only be in the FA Cup, was doused by Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher, who had by now taken the senior team manager’s role on an interim basis following Amorim’s dismissal. Fletcher felt it was too early for Gabriel.
It had been anticipated that Gabriel would feature during United’s pre-season programme.
His absence from the trip to Helsinki for a meeting with Wrexham on 18 July was put down to the date he returned for pre-season training.
He was part of every squad after that, but played only once, for eight minutes against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm.
Did that lack of action sow the seeds of discontent? Gabriel travelled to Trondheim for a meeting with Rosenborg on 24 July. Carrick used 11 substitutes that day. Gabriel was one of two United players who did not come on. Five of those who did have left, either permanently or on loan.
It was noted that 18-year-old Tynan Thompson was given a 45-minute senior debut against Leeds United at Croke Park – another game Gabriel travelled to but was not involved in – three weeks after his arrival from Tottenham.
Nevertheless, it was felt Gabriel was likely to become United’s youngest player this autumn – probably in the EFL Cup.
While the third-round draw delivered an Old Trafford rematch with Brighton, United’s Champions League schedule opened up another avenue.
It is conceivable that Azerbaijani champions Sabah could be the least difficult home game Carrick’s side have this season.
United were 3-0 up at half-time and Carrick had used all five substitutes by the 72th minute.
But Gabriel was not among them. As with Max Dowman at Arsenal last season, Uefa’s registration rules meant that, because he was 15, Gabriel could only feature if he was named on United’s A list of players.
It is not entirely clear why that did not happen. United named a maximum of 25 players, but among them was midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who will not play until after the registration window opens again in January because of a knee injury. Thompson was also on the list.
United coaches have previously suggested that Gabriel is not yet at the physical level required to be a senior player. Sources close to the player reject this.
Instead, they see how Arsenal gave Dowman his chance at 15 and Bayern Munich gave Lennart Karl his debut at 17, and wonder why United are not doing the same.
He became the youngest debutant and goalscorer in Ecuadorian top-flight history at the age of 15 before making his debut in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, later that same season.
Later in 2023, aged 16 years and 131 days, he made his second appearance for Ecuador, becoming the second-youngest South American international to feature in World Cup qualifying after Diego Maradona.
A month later, he became the youngest South American to score in a World Cup qualifier in a 2-1 win away to Bolivia.
It was understandable, therefore, that Chelsea believed the attacker, who had two international goals and 18 caps when they agreed to sign him, was destined for big things.
Chelsea allowed him to train regularly with the first team before he was officially eligible to join the club following his 18th birthday.
They also provided security for Paez, his family and the family of international team-mate Moises Caicedo after violence broke out in Ecuador in early 2024.
A few months later, Paez was filmed in a New York strip club while away on international duty.
He initially impressed on loan at Chelsea‘s sister club Strasbourg by winning September’s Young Player of the Month award in the French top flight, but then came in for criticism from then-manager Liam Rosenior.
“We expect more, clearly,” Rosenior said later that season. “I’m tired of using the excuse of the player’s youth.”
Despite Strasbourg’s links to Chelsea through their shared ownership, the loan was cut short after one goal in 21 appearances. Instead, he joined Argentine giants River Plate on a two-year loan spell.
Sources in Argentina expressed similar concerns about his attitude when asked by BBC Sport. They point to a disappointing display in the 1-0 Superclasico defeat by fierce rivals Boca Juniors at the Monumental in April.
Shortly afterwards, Paez was named by club president Stefano Di Carlo as one of 15 players training away from River Plate’s first team, although other sources felt he could have been given more opportunities.
His loan ended by mutual consent after Paez scored once in 14 appearances in 461 minutes for River Plate.
Ahead of the international break, concern has been expressed in Ecuador, having built him up as the country’s next great attacking talent.
Michel Deller, the owner of Independiente, told Hincha Amarillo: “He’s like a son to us. We care about him deeply.
“He’s a good kid who’s had a tough time and has made decisions that have complicated his life.
“We are always hopeful he’ll show his exceptional talent one again but right now, it’s up to him to decide what to do with his life.”
These concerns are not dismissed completely by Chelsea or Paez’s environment. However, there is a belief they are grossly overstated, highlighting he is owed time to grow as a player and person.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has apologized for his public reaction to a video that was altered by AI to show Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and knocking her to the ground.
Talking to reporters on Monday, Manning brought up the video, then laughed about it and called it “a good one” and “hilarious.”
The next day, the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning posted an apology on his Instagram Story.
“In my press conference yesterday, I made an insensitive comment about an AI video,” Manning wrote. “There is nothing funny about it. It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that.
“I specifically want to apologize to Holly Rowe for what she has personally had to deal with because of my comments. I have a ton of respect for her and appreciate her showing me grace in this moment. I need to do better and will be more thoughtful going forward.”
Rowe posted Manning’s apology on X and indicated she’s not holding a grudge.
“Thank you Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this — which will remain private,” Rowe wrote. “Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”
On Saturday, Manning rallied the then-No. 4 Longhorns from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat top-ranked Ohio State 24-23. In the real video of Rowe attempting to interview Sarkisian, the coach yelled a few Texas cheers before rushing away from the veteran sideline reporter to join his team’s celebration.
Glentoran have identified Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton as their preferred candidate to take over from Declan Devine.
Devine left the Oval club on Monday after two years in charge following a poor start to the season.
Assistant managers Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann oversaw Tuesday night’s home defeat by Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine.
Magilton has emerged at the front-runner with the Glens making a formal approach to speak with the Cliftonville boss, with the clubs set to meet in an Irish Premiership fixture at Solitude on Saturday.
The 57-year-old former Northern Ireland international was appointed Cliftonville boss in 2023, succeeding Paddy McLaughlin, and led the club to Irish Cup glory the following year, ending a 45-year wait for the trophy.
Magilton, who previously worked at Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory, also led the Reds to the 2025 BetMcLean Cup, beating Glentoran in the final, but lost to Dungannon Swifts in the Irish Cup decider two months later.
