Former New York Jets executive Scott Pioli, who also played a key role in Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots dynasty, gives his reaction to the Jets trading away defensive stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the NFL’s trade deadline.
Robbie Williams wants to open ‘a University of Entertainment’Credit: Getty
“I want to open a University of Entertainment,” Robbie, right, revealed. “I did notice nobody else is doing it.”
He said of the inspiration behind his dream school: “I grew up as a vaudevillian. That’s what I am. I am cabaret.
“I spent all of my youth watching my dad do cabaret and watching all of the acts that he would bring off and on stage — and how talented and hard-working they were, and how genuinely funny the funny acts were, and how genuinely amazing the vocalists were.”
Robbie, who left Take That in 1995 before launching his hugely successful solo career, added: “I arrived in 1995, after Take That, I want to be Oasis.
“I want to be Radiohead. Then, when I opened my mouth and my mind, I came out instead and I’m not cool. And you go, ‘OK, so what am I? Oh, I’m all of these people that I loved — Tommy Cooper, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.
‘In a different place’
“The way they made me feel is how I want to make people feel.”
Robbie will be back on stage next year, kicking off a mini-tour in Glasgow on February 4, before playing three more intimate shows in Liverpool, London and Wolverhampton.
And until then, he said he’s going to be busy working on his new plans.
He told the Heretics podcast: “I’ve got so many fingers in so many pies, giving me so much to peruse. My ambition and my want and my need and my desire has not abated. But the oxygen I once had in my career, where I couldn’t miss every time I went to the table, has been taken away from me just because I’m an older pop star now.
“The rise was a long time ago, 1990 till, say, 2010.
“It’s only different as it’s different for everyone else lucky enough to have had my kind of career. I was the most played artist for ten years in a row.
“And, you know, thank you. I’ve had a nice run, but I’m in a different place now.
“And it’s not over. Where does all of that naked ambition and drive go?
“It goes into purpose. It goes into creating.”
If it ever gets off the ground, I’ll make sure to sign up for a night class.
Little Mix have reunited for a backstage snap, pictured Leigh Anne Pinnock with Jade Thirlwall and pregnant Perrie EdwardsCredit: Instagram/leighannepinnock
Leigh-Anne shared this sweet snap of them together, and one of my mates spotted them dancing and singing along to Angel Of My Dreams.
Jade, whose debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby, peaked at No3 when it came out last month, is now preparing to head Stateside in the New Year.
Let’s hope she can do what Little Mix couldn’t and crack America.
Jade kicks off a run of 14 shows in San Diego on January 30.
Fergie up fur reunion
IT looks like Fergie can’t decide if she’s too hot or too cold.
The Black Eyed Peas singer teamed this crop-top with a faux fur jacket as she performed at One Musicfest in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fergie teamed this crop-top with a faux fur jacket as she performed at One MusicfestCredit: Getty
The I Gotta Feeling singer wowed fans at the event in Piedmont Park, belting out some of her biggest hits including amazing 2006 single London Bridge.
Earlier this year, I revealed that Fergie had created a whole new music video for the track in the capital as part of Lena Dunham’s Netflix series, Too Much.
Fergie left the Black Eyed Peas in 2018, but I told you this summer that discussions are under way about a possible reunion with her bandmates Will.i.am, APL.DE.AP and Taboo.
I’d love to see this happen.
Jovi’s got the Midas Tuchel
I TRIED my hardest to make Jon Bon Jovi a Spurs fan when I hung out with him last week, but his legendary PR Alan Edwards – a die-hard Gooner – persuaded him to follow the reds.
Jon was obviously something of a lucky charm as Arsenal managed a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Bon Jovi met England boss Thomas TuchelCredit: Supplied
And the apparent snub is now the talk of the town.
Our source explained: “All people are still talking about what happened with Geri that night.
“She was seated away from Mel C and Emma, which seems weird given they were there to support Victoria. Inside the party she only seemed to talk to Victoria, too. It all felt rather frosty. No one has seen a photo of the four of them together either.”
And last week, The Sun reported the band – completed by Mel B – were planning on implementing a “rule of four”, to allow the show to go ahead even if Geri wasn’t on board.
A telly insider said: “Geri has been dragging her heels for almost a year now and the rest are keen to plough ahead, as next year marks the 30th anniversary of first single Wannabe.”
Get it together, Ginger.
UpBeat
THE BEATLES raked in £31.8million last year – thanks to their “new” final track Now And Then.
With four biopics in the pipeline and a new Disney+ documentary series, The Beatles Anthology, which is starting next month – I reckon this year will also bring even more bumper profits.
Cops get Raye on track
RAYE has revealed the police have found her stolen car – with her songwriting books on the backseat.
The Where Is My Husband! singer was forced to push back her second album after the thieves nicked her motor last year.
Raye has revealed the police have found her stolen carCredit: Getty
But now Raye is busy putting the finishing touches to the record after getting them back.
Appearing on Global’s Big Top 40, Raye, right, said: “It was a rollercoaster journey but what I didn’t tell people is that the police called me two or three months ago and said, ‘We’ve found your car.’
“Not only did they get it back but not one thing had been taken out of the car.
“All my songwriting books were there untouched.
“There was so much important stuff in there and when I was flicking through it I was like, ‘Thank God this has been returned to me’.”
Mark: I still get nervous
MARK RONSON has a load of hits to his name but has admitted he still questions if he’s any good every time he gets into the studio.
On Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years, which airs all this week on Vernon Kay’s morning show, Mark said: “Every time I get into the studio with somebody for the first time, or even if it’s someone like Dua Lipa, or someone I’ve worked with a lot, it’s that combination of like, before the first day of school meets a blind date, meets every insecurity.
Mark Ronson still questions himselfCredit: Getty
“Am I going to think of an idea? Am I going to be able to deliver?
“I still have that and I know people might be like, ‘That’s ridiculous, you’re good, don’t worry about it’.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes interests Bayern Munich, Liverpool target Nico Williams and Nico Schlotterbeck, while Barcelona weigh up move for Dusan Vlahovic.
Manchester United would want around £40m to allow their 31-year-old captain, Bruno Fernandes, to leave for another European club, with Bayern Munich heavily linked with a move for the Portugal midfielder. (Teamtalk), external
Liverpool are eyeing a 90m euros (£78m) move for Spain and Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, 23. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Liverpool are also expected to make an approach for Borussia Dortmund and Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck, 25, over a summer move. (Sports Illustrated), external
Barcelona are considering a move for Juventus and Serbia forward Dusan Vlahovic, 25, who will be a free agent next summer. (AS – in Spanish), external
Bayern Munich are also said to be a contender for Vlahovic’s signature, with the German giants wary another club could activate a release clause to buy England forward, Harry Kane, 32, from them. (Mirror), external
England international Elliot Anderson, 22, is certain to feature on a long list of summer transfer targets for Newcastle, who are keen to bring the Nottingham Forest midfielder back to the North East. (Mail – subscription required), external
Real Madrid are closely monitoring Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, 26, with the France international out of contract next summer and prepared to listen to other offers. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Real Madrid could send Endrick, 19, out on loan in January, but West Ham are not viewed as a viable destination for the Brazil forward. (Teamtalk), external
Real Madrid are also bracing themselves for offers for forward Gonzalo Garcia in January. The 21-year-old impressed at the Fifa Club World Cup, but has fallen down the pecking order. (Marca – in Spanish), external
Barcelona are watching Hoffenheim and Kosovo forward Fisnik Asllani, 23, who could leave the German club next summer. (Sky Germany), external
Red Bull Salzburg’s 20-year-old midfielder Bobby Clark, who is currently on loan at Championship Derby, is set for a January switch to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic. (Times – subscription required), external
TV star and model Vogue Williams has reportedly signed up to this year’s I’m A Celebrity, 10 years after her husband Spencer Matthews was removed from the ITV camp
Vogue Williams will be hoping to do better than Spencer Matthews(Image: BAFTA via Getty Images)
Model and reality TV star Vogue Williams is the latest famous face to be tipped to be heading Down Under for the gruelling Bushtucker trials. She would follow in her husband Spencer Matthew’s footsteps, but would hope to have a very different experience from him.
The Made in Chelsea star was removed from camp after three days back in 2015 because he was taking steroids and didn’t tell producers beforehand. Now, Vogue has been tipped as “one of the most glam signings” in years.
“She is really fun and gets on with everyone, so bosses reckon she will be a hit with viewers,” a source explained. “It has been a hard decision to go on the show, because it will mean so much time away from her kids, but she wants to fight her fears and go for it.”
They added to the Sun: “Spencer is a massive thrillseeker and is always off on an adventure, but now it is Vogue’s turn to have one.” Vogue and Spencer married in 2018, and they share three children together.
She already has experience with tough shows, having won Bear Grylls: Mission Survive. Vogue might not be the only model in camp as it has been rumoured Kelly Brook will appear despite saying she would never do it.
In 2018, Kelly insisted she would never take part in the series. At the time she said: “I can just think of a million things I’d rather do. I’d rather go and work in my local pub.”
She added: “Even if I had a huge tax bill and I had to pay it really urgently, I still wouldn’t do it.” Kelly went as far as saying doing I’m A Celebrity would be the “beginning of the end”.
However, a source told the publication over the weekend that Kelly has signed up. Other famous faces said to be taking on the jungle include Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley and Shona McGarty who quit her role on EastEnders this year.
Rapper Aitch is also reportedly to be on the bill, which would make him the first in 11 years. The musician is best known for his successful career which includes nine Top Ten hits and working with Stormzy and Ed Sheeran.
TV bosses are hoping that the 25-year-old brings a younger generation of fans. Aitch, whose real name is Harry Armstrong, originally comes from New Moston, Manchester and began his career when he was just 15.
But, ITV are yet to confirm a full list of while celebrities will be on the latest series. A spokesman for ITV said: “We do not comment on speculation about I’m A Celebrity contestants.”
Reigning Masters champion Murphy, 43, was aiming for back-to-back ranking tournament victories after winning last month’s British Open in Cheltenham.
The Englishman continued his excellent form in China to reach another final, but was punished for any errors he made during an opening session which his opponent dominated with ruthless efficiency.
Williams seized control by winning the first four frames, pinching the third and fourth frames with contributions of 56 and 68 respectively after Murphy had held significant leads in both.
A superb 127 break in frame eight, to go with his six earlier half-centuries, ensured Williams went into the concluding session 7-1 ahead.
He compiled a 122 break in the ninth frame to extend his advantage further and although Murphy won two frames in a row to reduce his deficit to 8-3, Williams took the next two either side of the mid-session interval to create snooker history.
Kyren Williams did not know if the questions would come, but if they did he was prepared.
The Rams running back was less than a week removed from fumbling at the one-yard line during a 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.
Now he is in Pacific Palisades, preparing to work with youth flag football players practicing for the first time since last January’s wildfires.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday before flying to London ahead of their Week 7 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“If they ask me, ‘Man, why did you fumble?’” Williams said, raising the pitch of voice to resemble a child’s, “I’m going to tell them exactly why it happens — because it happens.
“They’re wondering more than anything. They’re not trying to knock you down. So for me, tell them how it was, be accountable. Be honest about it and tell them, ‘Man, mistakes happen. … I’m going to grow from this mistake and it’s not going to define who I am.’”
The third-year pro, who received a $23-million extension before the season, is an integral part of an offense that features quarterback Matthew Stafford, the NFL’s leading passer, and receiver Puka Nacua, the league’s leading receiver.
Williams has rushed for 368 yards and a touchdown. He has 16 catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
In three-plus regular seasons and three playoff games, Williams has touched the ball as a running back or receiver 805 times. He has fumbled 11 times.
Williams was not the only running back to fumble against the 49ers. Backup Blake Corum dropped the ball on a pitch play.
But Williams’ miscue came at a more dramatic moment.
The Rams were trailing 23-20 when Stafford drove them to the three-yard line with just more than one minute left in the game. Williams took a handoff and plowed toward the goal line, but the 49ers knocked the ball from his grip and recovered the fumble.
Rams running back Kyren Williams, center, loses the ball on a fumble late in the fourth quarter against the 49ers on Oct. 2.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Williams also was stopped on a fourth-and-one play at the 11-yard line in overtime to end the game.
Afterward, he blamed himself for the fumble that he said cost the Rams the victory. The feeling lingered into the next week.
“Throughout the game, I had great ball security,” Williams said. “The one time that I saw pay dirt, I saw green, and I let up and I saw what happened.
“So for me the lesson I learned throughout the situation is, man, you can’t be comfortable until all double zeroes are on that clock.”
Coach Sean McVay said the Rams would take steps to improve ball security. But he stood by Williams.
“Love that guy.” McVay said. “I’m riding with him, and we have to figure out a way to improve, and he’ll be the first to take accountability, which is why you want to put your arm around him and be right there with him.”
As Williams moves forward, he anticipates sharing lessons learned from the situation during his charitable work.
Rams running back Kyren Williams instructs young flag football players in Pacific Palisades on Oct. 7.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Last Monday, Williams met with Molly Higgins, the Rams executive vice president of community impact and engagement, and told her that he wanted to commit to an event or an opportunity every Tuesday of the season.
“After a tough game on Thursday night, for him to want to sit down on Monday, I was fully prepared to say, ‘Hey, we can take a beat,’” Higgins said. “But he was like, ‘No, I want to sit down.”
Said Williams: “I know how when I was little, seeing people who I wanted to be like, how I was inspired and impacted and motivated. … So for me it’s remembering who I was and kind of trying to go above and beyond.”
Williams plans to do the same on the field when the Rams attempt to bounce back against the Ravens.
The fumble against the 49ers will not define him.
“I’m not happy that it happened the way that it did,” he said. “But I’m able to grow from the situation. I’m able to overcome it and show people that like, man, I’m so much better than what I put out there.
During a recent interview on the New York Times’ ”Popcast” to discuss her latest solo album, the Paramore lead singer was asked whether she would like to “name names” to reveal who she means when she sings about being “the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar” in the title track.
“It could be a couple but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen,” Williams said. “I don’t give a s—. Find me at Whole Foods, b—, I don’t care.”
In 2021, Wallen was caught on video drunkenly using a racist slur. The Grammy-nominated country star’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen, named after one of his songs and paying homage to his upbringing, opened in Nashville last year.
(Video of Wallen’s 2024 arrest for reckless endangerment is making headlines again this week too. In police bodycam video obtained by the Associated Press, Wallen denies throwing a chair off a Nashville bar’s roof but apologizes for “caus[ing] problems.” He took a plea deal after being charged in the case and was sentenced to seven days’ incarceration at a DUI Education Center, two years’ probation, a $350 fine and payment of court fees.)
Williams, who was born in Mississippi, met her future Paramore bandmates after moving to Tennessee as a child. She has been open about her political beliefs and having to navigate her own upbringing as a white southern Christian. Some of her latest music addresses religious hypocrisy and the racial tensions and racist legacy of the South.
“I’m never not ready to scream at the top of my lungs about racial issues,” Williams said in her interview. “I don’t know why that became the thing that gets me the most angry. I think it’s because it’s so intersectional that it overlaps with everything from climate change to LGBTQIA+ issues.”
In addition to her years with Paramore and the inspiration behind her latest solo work, Williams spoke about how proud she is of the diversity of Paramore’s fan base and audience at shows.
“I’m very passionate in that we have a long way to go in making people feel like that they belong in the world,” she said. “The repercussions of people not feeling like they’re a part or they belong, we see it all the time in the news. I think music is not only the easiest but the beautiful way to tap into people’s hearts and their subconscious and change their minds.”
ROBBIE Williams has revealed his life-changing health battle for the first time, admitting ‘you’re always looking for the cure.’
The music star said he’s been secretly living with Tourette’s syndrome.
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Robbie Williams has revealed his life-changing health battle for the first time, admitting ‘you’re always looking for the cure’Credit: Getty
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Robbie has battled several addictions since rising to fameCredit: Getty
Robbie, 51, has claimed that his Tourette’s are ‘intrusive’ while speaking on a podcast about it for the first time.
The music legend starred on the first episode of the new season of Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir’s podcast I’m ADHD! No You’re Not.
He said: “I’ve just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don’t come out.
“They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn’t come out.
Read More on Robbie Williams
“Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as (a distraction), but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.”
Another week, another big-name running back across the field on the opponent’s sideline.
Rams running back Kyren Williams acknowledged the well-deserved attention Saquon Barkley received last week before the Rams played the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Now Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL’s leading rusher, is coming to SoFi Stadium.
Williams said a “competitive mindset” drives him when high-profile backs are in the building.
“I know how people look at those guys,” Williams said, “and so it’s like, ‘Bro, you better look at me the same way.’ I love it.”
Williams, who signed a $23-million extension before the season, and second-year pro Blake Corum are providing the Rams with the backfield balance coach Sean McVay envisioned as the Rams built a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
Last season, the 5-foot-9, 207-pound Williams carried the ball 316 times. Only Barkley (345 carries) and Derrick Henry (325) of the Baltimore Ravens had more. The Rams averaged 103.8 yards rushing per game, which ranked 24th among 32 teams.
Through three games, the Rams are ranked ninth, averaging 127 yards rushing per game.
Williams, a fourth-year pro, has rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown in 55 carries (4.1 yards per carry). He also has five receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Rams running back Kyren Williams celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum has rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries (7.1 yards per carry). He has one catch for 14 yards.
“Those two play off each other really well,” McVay said, adding, “We feel really good about where both of those guys are at, and continue to lean into it and look for a good balance of being able to keep Kyren feeling good throughout it and take advantage of Blake’s skill set.”
McVay has said that ideally he would like to see Williams get 65% of the carries, Corum 35%. But the flow of the game dictates whether that plays out.
After Williams carried the ball 18 times, and Corum only once, in the opener against the Houston Texans, the duo provided more balanced production in the next two games.
“It was a good one-two punch,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
That is what McVay and general manager Les Snead aimed for after Williams carried a combined 544 times in the previous two seasons.
“We’ve got it kind of dialed into where, like, we’re able to feed off each other,” Williams said of he and Corum. “It’s like friendly competition as well. I go out and make a play, now Blake is going to come in and make a play.
“It allows me to stay fresh throughout the whole game. So it doesn’t feel like I just took 50 carries and it’s only the second quarter. To me it’s a great system.”
Rams running back Blake Corum carries the ball during a preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys in August.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum, a 2024 third-round draft pick from Michigan, is enjoying the expanded opportunity after getting only 58 carries last season.
“It’s been great getting my feet under me, being able to just go out there and play free and fast,” he said. “Kyren and I are feeding off each other, so it’s been phenomenal.”
Against the Eagles, Williams bested Barkley, who was limited to 46 yards rushing in 18 carries.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champion, arrives Sunday averaging 112.7 yards rushing per game. Last week, he gained 102 yards and scored three touchdowns in 17 carries against the Tennessee Titans.
After each of the last two games, Taylor was named AFC offensive player of the week.
Both Williams and Corum aim to continue their production, and to break free for long gains. This season, each of their longest runs has been 15 yards.
“I know I’m capable to create not those 15-yard runs but those 40- and 50-yard runs,” Corum said. “Just need to keep working in practice to hopefully go out and show that on Sundays.”
As the production for the upcoming Harry Potter TV show continues, bosses have reportedly splashed out in a bid to make the show look as realistic as possible and not rely so much on CGI
23:55, 24 Sep 2025Updated 23:55, 24 Sep 2025
Harry Potter the TV show is in production(Image: HBO)
The bosses for the upcoming Harry Potter TV show have provided a touch of royalty to the set. It’s said a famous screen locomotive has been delivered to Prince William’s garden, with Hogsmeade Station also on show.
With the set costing £4million, a half a mile of track is ready to run through woodland which is approximately a mile to the back of Forest Lodge in Windsor. It’s claimed bosses have spared no expense for the new production, with the set up likened to that of a military operation.
“The creative team wants the new TV show to look as realistic as possible and not rely so much on CGI like the Harry Potter movies,” an insider said.
Speaking to The Sun, the source said: ““That was why they wanted the forestry on the Prince of Wales’s doorstep to replicate the Scottish Highlands. Thankfully it’s far enough away that it won’t disturb the royals — but close enough that they could easily nip down to make a flying visit.”
And it’s said that could be music to the ears of William’s children, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, with the pair reportedly big fans of the franchise. It’s claimed the kids’ grandfather, King Charles, has read the JK Rowling’s books to the youngsters.
In 2017, Queen Camilla revealed the sweet family connection, saying the King “does all the voices, because he is a brilliant mimic”.
As the set started coming together, lorries were seen transporting the Hogwarts Express into Windsor Great Park last week. Despite being hidden under tarpaulin, the iconic shape was clearly recognisable to fans.
With filming under way, the series for HBO television is expected to be released in 2027. It comes 15 years after the unforgettable Deathly Hallows Part Two film was released..
Each series of the new TV drama is expected to focus on a novel, diving into the books in more detail than the iconic movies. It has been reported that Warner Bros is auditioning both men and women for the role of the terrifying Lord Voldemort, a part that was originally brought to life by actor Ralph Fiennes.
In July, HBO shared the first sneak peek at this production. It comes after in the months leading up to the start of filming, some of the cast list was announced.
It included 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin playing the main character of Harry Potter, while Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout were announced to be playing Hermione and Ron respectively.
“This is the first official image of Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter for the upcoming series on HBO Max,” X account Daily Harry Potter wrote in a Twitter/X post in July.
Williams said it was “an exciting time to be joining Newcastle” as they enter a period of new ownership, reflected in their team name.
“I came up to speak to [director of rugby] Steve Diamond, to see the set-up and hear his plans for how it is all going to evolve, and I’m just keen to get into it,” Williams said.
Williams is the 14th player signed by Newcastle since energy drinks company Red Bull became involved with the club.
They begin their league campaign on Friday with a home match against Saracens.
Williams has featured in five Tests for the British and Irish Lions and made 93 appearances for his country, and he remains hopeful of reaching his century of Test caps.
ANGE Postecoglou was left cursing his luck as Martin Dubravka’s stunning double kept him waiting for a first win.
Clarets keeper Dubravka pulled off two stunning stops in two amazing minutes, to leave Postecoglou throwing his hands up in frustration on the touchline.
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Neco Williams scored the fastest goal of the Premier League seasonCredit: Getty
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But Jaidon Anthony’s equaliser meant the teams shared the pointsCredit: Getty
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To be fair, it was no more than Burnley merited, in a game neither deserved to lose – or did enough to win – yet for Ange it is three games and counting as Forest chief without a victory.
First Dubravka went full length to push away an Igor Jesus header with the Forest sub’s first touch off the bench.
But while that was good, the Slovak stopper’s next was out of this world, getting down superbly to push Neco Williams’ volley behind as it flew through a packed area.
Mind you, defeat would have been harsh on a Clarets side which had gone ahead after barely 90 seconds.
With a start like that,, you felt maybe their ill fortune of recent weeks was about to change.
Seven days ago a rush-of-blood handball gifted Liverpool a last-gasp penalty winner, while a fortnight earlier there was an even harsher spot kick in an Old Trafford loss.
Well there was no luck involved in Williams’ early opener – just a finger-snapping strike that flew in.
When Fiorentino turned away a Douglas Luiz corner to the edge of the box, Williams hit a rocket that took a slight deflection, but not enough to deviate off a true line.
It certainly didn’t impact Dubravka’s chances of saving it – he wouldn’t have got close in any case – for the Welsh defender’s third goal in 111 Forest appearances.
Opposite number Quilindschy Hartman got in on the act with his own screamer which, while it was never likely to catch out Matz Sels, certainly warmed his palms.
And then Olekssandr Zinchenko joined in the full back fun with a swerving long ranger that Clarets keeper Dubravka was happy to beat away.
Moment Roy Keane shuts down Sky Sports host live on TV
If the Ukraine defender was nearly a hero at one end, he was swiftly case in the role of villain just minutes later, as Burnley levelled.
He was initially outjumped by Lyle Foster as Hartman hung up a deep cross which fell kindly for Jaidon Anthony on the left of the box.
Anthony’s strike was anything but crisp, although it was at least on target and would probably have crept in of its own accord.
Yet Zinchenko made sure it did when his attempt to clear merely saw him tumble onto his backside and hook the ball into the opposite corner.
Strictly speaking it couldn’t be classed as an own goal, given the ball was – almost apologetically – heading for the net, but ZInchenko should have done better.
To be fair to Forest, they dusted themselves down and were soon pinging it around again, and one pinball passing move had Dubravka diving to push away a Dilane Bakwa snapshot.
Mind you, Burnley went even closer to a winner with a thunderbolt free kick that would have taken Matz Sels hand into the net if he’d got anywhere near it.
Loum Tchaouna’a whipped-in 20-yard piledriver had the crossbar rattling so much you’d swear the woodwork was still shaking come the final whistle.
But it would have been even worse had it not been for Dubravka, who came up with those two stunning late stops.
And even when Dubravka was out of the equation – when Arnaud Kalimuendo looked sure to score at the far post, Hartman saved the day by blocking his goalbound drive.
At least it ensured Forest didn’t mark the 21st anniversary of Brian Clough’s death with defeat.
Yet ff it hadn’t been for the Burnley keeper, they’d have done so with all three points instead of just the one.
The uncertainty over his future puts his hopes of reaching the milestone of a century of Test appearances agonisingly out of reach at just two short.
“I fear that the international ship has sailed,” said Williams, who also played in a World Cup semi-final having made his debut in 2012.
“I’ve not called time on that but it would be impossible without a club.
“If I start playing regularly and there are some injuries in the back three then Steve [Tandy, head coach] may give me a call.”
Williams worked with Tandy on the Lions’ tour to South Africa in 2021 and believes he can help turn around Wales, who ended an 18-match losing streak in the summer.
“Steve’s personality is a good fit for Wales, he’s very passionate, productive and positive,” said Williams.
“Wales is in a sticky spot but we have a young squad and hopefully the guys can thrive over the next couple of years.”
Williams hopes he can still play a part in that recovery before hanging up his boots.
One of the most thrilling and unexpected moments in the tennis world in recent weeks was headlined by a Latina.
On Aug. 25, during the first round of the U.S. Open women’s singles tournament, U.S. player Madison Keys — who went into the competition ranked sixth in the world and had previously won the 2025 Australian Open — was defeated by Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa after three neck-and-neck sets.
The Mexican native, who is ranked 82nd in the world, previously had an 0-6 record against opponents ranked in the top 10.
After the over-three-hour match, Zarazúa revealed that she was so nervous before playing Keys that she was nearly in tears — but that she felt dialed in as the first game began.
“I’m a little bit small in height, so coming in here, it was like: ‘Oh, my God. This is huge!’ But I was just trying to focus on the court,” said Zarazúa, who stands 5 feet 3 inches tall. “I just tried to find my way and enjoy it, because I knew that when I retire, I’m going to be really happy about it.”
By securing this win, Zarazúa became the first Mexican player to defeat a top 10 seed at a major since Angélica Gavaldón upset No. 3 player Jana Novotná in the 1995 Australian Open.
When she was done with post-match obligations, Zarazúa noticed her phone was blowing up with messages and mentions online.
“It was funny because it was the first time I got a lot of followers in a few hours,” she told The Times in a Zoom interview. “It was hard at the moment, because I didn’t want to distract myself too much with social media. So I just left it until the tournament was over, and now I’m just looking at the messages and all of that. The attention was a bit more than I expected. Singers and actors and actually [reached out] and I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool.’”
Mexican actor Eiza González was one of the stars whose message surprised Zarazúa; she admitted she is a big fan of the “Baby Driver” star. She also noted that notable brands like Evian and sports networks like ESPN and Televisa also contacted her following her first-round win.
But Zarazúa didn’t let the spotlight affect her preparation for her second-round singles match against France’s Diane Parry.
“I honestly kept my routines going exactly the same. Even though the chaos was going on, the next day [my team and I] were back on the courts at 9 a.m. practicing, because that’s how I was preparing before my first round,” she said. “I didn’t really celebrate because I don’t think it was the right time. I literally stayed in my room, had dinner and went to bed early.”
During her second singles match on Aug. 28, she began to feel the weight of expectations as a sizable Mexican crowd cheered her on.
“I felt like I just couldn’t shake the nerves off. I just didn’t want to let the people down,” Zarazúa said. “At some point during the match I realized I should be doing this for me. I should be winning for me and not to please people. That’s what helped me settle the nerves and when I started playing better.”
Zarazúa ultimately exited the tournament after losing to Parry in a three-set match that ended in a super tiebreak.
“My mind started overthinking a little bit more than I should have, but I think that will help me as an experience for the next matches that I’m in that situation,” she said. “I’ve never felt that much support from the people. It was one of those days that you will remember forever, but it was also really heartbreaking.”
Zarazúa was also eliminated in the second round of women’s doubles play on Sunday alongside her partner Miyu Kato, after losing to the duo of Wu Fang-Hsien and Fanny Stollár.
When asked what it felt like to be the face of Mexican tennis, Zarazúa said she doesn’t feel burdened by the title.
“For me it’s more of a motivation, actually, because I’m a little bit older in the tennis world. I’m 27, so sometimes you really need that push to keep you going or something to look forward to,” she said. “For me to be that face of Mexico is what keeps me alive. Honestly, I don’t take it as an extra pressure on myself.”
Over on the women’s doubles side of the bracket, perennial star Venus Williams staged her comeback after a 16-month hiatus alongside 22-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
There is an over two-decade age gap between Williams and Fernandez (who has Ecuadorean and Filipino heritage). Yet their chemistry on the court did not point to that being a struggle.
The duo was a late wild-card entry into the tournament, and handily defeated its first three opponents without dropping a set.
“I feel like we kind of don’t really need to say much on court, and it just kind of flows,” Fernandez said after one of the pair’s wins last week. “That’s what I like, that we don’t need to talk as much, plan so many things. When I cross, I know Venus is behind me moving to the other corner; when she crosses, I’m going to go to the other corner. Just kind of like a nice harmony dynamic.”
Williams added, “I think we have a very similar mindset, similar attitude. So I think we’re on this wavelength that makes it easy for us to really move in the same direction.”
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But this isn’t the first time that Fernandez has found success on the U.S. Open stage. In 2021, she made it to the women’s singles final of the tournament as an unseeded player before losing to fellow tennis youngster Emma Raducanu in straight sets. Their match was the first U.S. Open women’s singles final between two teenagers since 1999. En route to the final, Fernandez beat marquee players like Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Aryna Sabalenka.
Williams and Fernandez’s underdog run came to an end Tuesday in a straight-sets loss to the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals.
Following the loss, Fernandez thanked Williams for reminding her why she decided to play tennis.
“It’s just been an incredible week and a half being here and learning so much from from Venus. I’m just kind of like a sponge, so I’m just sucking everything in and learning,” Fernandez said in a post-match interview Tuesday. “Venus playing on the court, for joy, brought me back [to] why I started playing tennis … I started playing tennis for the love of the game and for bringing joy on court, not only for myself, but also for the fans.”
Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia entered the U.S. Open as the top-ranked active Latina player in the tournament. The 29-year-old São Paulo native advanced to the women’s singles round of 16 before being bested by American Amanda Anisimova. Haddad Maia and her doubles partner, Laura Siegemund, were eliminated from the women’s doubles bracket in the second round by Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Three Colombianas also made an appearance at the U.S. Open earlier in the tournament.
Camila Osorio lost her first-round singles match against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in three sets. The 23-year-old player also reached the women’s doubles round of 16 with her partner Yue Yuan, where they lost to Townsend and Siniakova.
Emiliana Arango ran into Iga Swiatek, the second-ranked player in the world and 2025 Wimbledon singles champion, in the first round of the women’s singles tournament. The 24-year-old Arango was defeated by Swiatek in her U.S. Open debut.
Julieta Pareja was also making her U.S. Open debut on both the singles and doubles brackets. At 16, she was the youngest player at this year’s tournament. Pareja was eliminated in the first round of singles play by 9th-ranked Elena Rybakina. She and her doubles partner Akasha Urhobo were ousted in the first round by Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.
It was ICE’s first major event since $170 billion was earmarked for border and immigration enforcement in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4. Included in the legislation was tens of billions for new deportation agents and other personnel.
According to ICE, 3,000 people attended the expo, and nearly 700 received tentative job offers. This adds on to the more than 100,000 applications that the Department of Homeland Security claims to have received in recent weeks.
The agency has tried to sweeten the deal with incentives such as bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment benefits, in an effort to hire 10,000 deportation officers by the end of the year.
As aspiring ICE agents created a line out the doors of the career expo, a group of about 30 protesters yelled “Go home Nazis,” among other things, at expo attendees.
Of particular note was the sizable Latinx representation among the ICE agent hopefuls.
An interaction that Mejia captured between one young Latinx man named Ricardo with his friend over text captured the tension of communal versus personal goals.
“Oh hell no Ricardo I thought you was joking. I will not speak to you ever again if you become and ice agent … You have a dad who was deported dude.”
ICE officials say it’s the first of several hiring events planned around the country. According to the ICE website, there is a DHS expo scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 in Provo, Utah.
On any other day, Townsend, playing at her home major, would have been the crowd favourite.
On Sunday, the Louis Armstrong Stadium rode every high and low as she spurned eight match points before losing to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets to exit the women’s singles in the last 16.
But on the same stage in the doubles, she was playing against a partisan crowd.
Williams is, after all, a four-time champion at Flushing Meadows across the formats, winning back-to-back singles titles in 2000 and 2001 and earning two doubles titles alongside sister Serena in 1999 and 2009.
Across her career, she has fought back from wrist and back injuries as well as being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.
This was her first appearance in the last eight of a Grand Slam since reaching the semi-finals in the singles in New York in 2017 and her first doubles quarter-final since winning Wimbledon in 2016.
But despite the raucous reception as she walked on to court, the match was one-way traffic.
The top seeds were relentless, winning 12 of the first13 points to race into a 3-0 lead.
Their success was met with polite, if muted, applause and it was not until the fourth game, when Williams rolled back the years with a bruising forehand winner off Siniakova’s serve, that the crowd erupted into life.
Williams later held her second service game to 15 but Townsend and Siniakova, who only dropped six points on serve throughout the match, had one foot in the last four after 22 minutes.
The second set proved more competitive, with Williams and Fernandez both holding their serves, but with their opponents sending down 12 winners and just two unforced errors, they could not get a foothold in the match.
Townsend and Czech Siniakova, who have yet to drop a set, will face fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for a place in the final.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski – the sixth seeds – fought back from a set down to reach the third round of the men’s doubles with a 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win over Monaco’s Hugo Nys and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
However, Briton Marcus Willis was knocked out as he and Karol Drzewiecki of Poland fell to 4-6 6-3 6-1 defeat by Czech pair Tomas Machac and Matej Vocel.
Venus Williams had made it to the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open women’s doubles competition five times. Each time, she was partnered with younger sister Serena Williams.
Venus Williams is back in the U.S. Open quarterfinals this year, for the first time since 2014, with new doubles partner Leylah Fernandez.
Williams’ retired sibling hasn’t made it to Flushing Meadows for any of this year’s action so far, but the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion made a plea for that to change following her and Fernandez’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zhang Shuai and Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday.
“She’s so happy for Leylah and I, and she’s given us advice,” Williams said of her sister during an on-court interview. “We just need her in the box. So, my message is: Serena, you need to show up.”
Williams was responding to a question about a recent TikTok post by Serena in which the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is watching Williams and Fernandez on TV and rolling her eyes. Once she notices she is being filmed, however, Serena forces some humorously fake-looking smiles.
“When you see your sister @Venus Williams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else…” the caption reads.
Venus Williams called the post “very funny.”
The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam titles (including the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2009) and three Olympic gold medals as doubles partners. While Serena hasn’t played since the 2022 U.S. Open, Venus returned to the court after a lengthy hiatus for July’s D.C. Open.
At that tournament, the 45-year-old Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match with a first-round victory over 23-year-old Peyton Stearns. Williams also won a first-round doubles match with 23-year-old partner Hailey Baptiste.
At the U.S. Open, Williams lost her first-round singles match to 29-year-old Karolina Muchova in three sets. But she and Fernandez, a 22-year-old Canadian who played in the 2021 U.S. Open singles final, have been on a roll. They have yet to drop a set in three rounds of play.
Williams told reporters that Serena has actually been very supportive.
“She’s definitely coaching from afar, and she’s so excited,” Williams said. “She gets so nervous watching, and she’s got the kids watching. They’re all at home, just really on our side.”
Williams also addressed her earlier request for her sister to “show up” for Tuesday’s quarterfinal match against the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
“If she came, it would be a dream for both of us,” Williams said. “We’d have her on the court coaching. And we’d force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often.”
She added with a laugh,”So it’s probably best she doesn’t come because we’d just like, probably bully her.”
“Love Island USA” star Taylor Williams says he is “all good” after being thrown from his horse during the Arizona Invitational Black Rodeo in Scottsdale.
In a TikTok video, Williams’ horse seemingly trips over another horse before falling to the ground. Williams and his horse appear to be trampled by other participants before the horse rolls over Williams and rises to its feet. Williams, 24, was still lying on the ground when officials rushed over to help him.
Williams gave an update on his condition later that day on social media, saying that his injuries would not get in the way of him attending an event that he was scheduled to appear at Saturday night, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“Was in a horse accident last night but I’m still pulling up tonight injured and all,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “It’s my brothers’ bday [you know] we still turnt!”
He followed up the post with a photo of himself lying on a hospital stretcher, wearing a neck brace and holding two thumbs up. “Preciate all the love!” he wrote over the image. “I’m good.”
Williams’ girlfriend and fellow “Love Island” alum Clarke Carraway later posted a video via Instagram Stories, which showed Williams being wheeled out of a hospital, while Maverick City Music’s “The Story I’ll Tell” plays in the background.
In a second video, Carraway poses next to Williams, who has one arm in a sling, while they rock matching cowboy hats.
The Oklahoma native, who said he “was on a horse before I could walk,” appeared on the seventh season of Peacock’s “Love Island,” which aired earlier this summer. The veterinary student became known for wearing cowboy hats and talking about his love for the rodeo.
Williams first coupled up with fan-favorite Olandria Carthen on the reality dating show, but ultimately ended the series with Carraway, from Charlotte, N.C. The couple made it to the second-to-last episode, but were booted off the island shortly after making their relationship “exclusive.”
During the reunion, which was hosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen last week, Williams and Carraway said that they were still going strong and making their long-distance relationship work.
Williams, a seven-time singles and 14-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, is playing her 25th US Open.
She won the first of her two women’s doubles titles in New York with younger sister Serena in 1999, three years before Fernandez was born.
Addressing Williams in her on-court interview, former US Open singles runner-up Fernandez said: “Seeing you play on court with the same big smile you had back then is so inspirational and motivates me to keep going. I love that you love tennis.”
It is the first time that Williams has reached the quarter-finals of a major since winning the Wimbledon title, also alongside Serena, in 2016.
Asked if she had a message for her younger sibling, Williams joked: “She’s so happy for Leylah and I, she’s given us advice and we just need her in the box, so my message is ‘Serena, you need to show up!'”
Their quarter-final opponents could be top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, whose third-round match had not begun when Williams and Fernandez left the court having signed autographs for many of their waiting supporters.
For Alexandrova, it was the second defeat of the day on Louis Armstrong Stadium, having earlier been knocked out of the singles by Iga Swiatek on the same court.
By Tim Greiving Oxford University Press: 640 pages, $40 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
Only John Williams could have put me in the orbit of one of history’s most famous basketball players. Kobe Bryant, like so many others, was a huge fan of Williams’ music; he befriended and sought out the composer for career advice and, when he made his post-athletic pivot to filmmaking, hired Williams to compose a short score.
And because I cover film music for a living, I was able to interview Bryant — along with Williams and Disney animation legend Glen Keane — for The Times in the spring of 2017. I even got to meet Bryant in person, backstage at the Hollywood Bowl, when he rehearsed his narration of “Dear Basketball” at an all-Williams concert. It was an obscenely hot day, and I waited outside Bryant’s dressing room while they finished drying his sweat-soaked shirt with a hair dryer before he came out and cheerfully shook my hand.
I gave Bryant and “Dear Basketball” a fair amount of real estate in my new book, “John Williams: A Composer’s Life,” not because of his fame or athletic prowess, but because I feel that his short film inspired one of Williams’ most beautiful works of the last decade, and also because there was something poetic and moving about the whole affair, and about saying goodbye to the thing you love the most — especially as the film became a kind of eulogy for Bryant after his untimely death in 2020.
[The below excerpt is from Tim Greiving’s “John Williams: A Composer’s Life,” out Sept. 2. Greiving is a frequent contributor to The Times.]
Tim Greiving
(Laura Hinely)
Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star, was an unexpected admirer of John’s music: as a boy, Bryant would tie a towel around his neck and run around to the theme of Superman; as a player, he used the Imperial March to hype himself up before games; and as a father, he would rock his infant daughters to sleep on his chest listening to Hedwig’s Theme. The six-foot-six athlete from Philly could hardly have been less like John, but he recognized mastery when he heard it. “I asked myself a question,” Bryant said: “What makes a John Williams piece timeless? How is he using each instrument? How is he using the space between them? How is he building momentum, and then how is he taking it away to build it again?” As a basketball player, Bryant said he was “essentially conducting a game,” “so I just wanted to talk to him about how he composed music and try to find something similar that I can then use to help my game as a leader and winning championships.”
Bryant first contacted John for counsel just before the 2008 NBA season. “The first thing I told Kobe was, I’d never seen a basketball game,” John confessed. “High school, college, professional, or television. And of course he laughed.” “But once I had told him my reason for reaching out to him,” Bryant said, “he saw the connection immediately…If we look in our same industry and we just look at things from that funnel, then you wind up essentially recycling information. So sometimes you look outside of that discipline to have a new point of view, a new perspective on it. [John] was digging it.”
They continued to see each other over the years, with Bryant often visiting John backstage after shows at the Hollywood Bowl. When Bryant retired from basketball in 2016, he turned his attention to entertainment. He wrote a sentimental open letter, “Dear Basketball,” as a retirement announcement, and one of his first post-game projects was turning that text into a short film. He wanted it crafted by undisputed masters of their fields, so he commissioned Disney animation veteran Glen Keane— who designed and animated Ariel in The Little Mermaid, among other achievements— and he asked John to write the score. The first thing John said to Bryant was, “I do classical pieces, and it’s all by hand,” almost as a warning. Bryant answered: “The piece will be hand-animated by Glen Keane, who is you in the animation space. I want it to have the human touch. I don’t want it to be poppy, I don’t want it to be hip-hoppy. I want timeless, classical music.”
Somehow, these three disparate artists—with two decades between each of them—hit it off. Keane was an avid fan of Lost in Space growing up in the 1960s, and when he told John how much he loved the music, John was completely embarrassed. “But it’s wonderful, John!” Keane said. “It held the promise of wonder and excitement and fun and quirky and scary and dangerous, and it was all in this one score. And John— the roots of your entire career are in that score.” Keane asked if he could play some of the old music. John said, “No, please don’t!” “No, I really gotta play it for you,” Keane insisted. “So I did.” The unlikely trio sat around a table in Keane’s office “and we just talked,” said Bryant. “John talked about how [the letter] made him feel, Glen how it makes him feel, and we all centered on the same thing, which is why I wrote it in the first place: the beauty of finding what it is that you love to do, and then finding the beauty of knowing that you will not be able to do that forever. Once they saw the nature of the piece, there was really nothing else to discuss.”
(Oxford University Press )
Keane illustrated the five-minute film with graphite on paper, depicting the arc of Bryant’s letter— from young Kobe tossing rolled-up tube socks, to NBA glory, to retiring at 37. John was equally inspired by Bryant’s childlike enthusiasm and Keane’s artisanal process. “The drawings have great fluidity and, in the best sense of the word, great simplicity,” John said. “They really are gorgeous, not only to look at, but rhythmically they’re fabulous.” Keane always animated while listening to music, and for this story it was selections from Empire of the Sun. John used that score as a reference point, but initially he wrote something that was too big, “and he went back and he rewrote it for something that was more understated,” said Keane, “in a similar way that Kobe’s delivery, his narration, is very personal, uninflected, not trying to sell anything. More like revealing. Kobe’s got a very quiet voice, and that also had a big impact in how we animated.”
John took a short break from The Last Jedi and spent two weeks in March 2017 to write and record this short piece—a gift for Bryant. When the towering baller arrived at the Sony scoring stage, John said: “I hope that you like what I’ve written.” Bryant just looked at John and said, “I feel pretty confident that it’s going to be just fine.” When Bryant heard John’s piece for the very first time, emanating from a symphony orchestra, “Oh my God,” he said. “I almost lost my mind. As soon as his hands went up and then the music started, I almost yelled out loud— but I had to remember that the red light was on and we’re recording… It was the most unreal experience I could ever have.” Bryant looked over “and just put his head on my shoulder,” said Keane, “like, ‘I can’t believe it.’ It was so beautiful. Then when it was done, John turned to us and said, ‘I promise it’s going to get better.’”
It was one of the simplest, yet most inspired pieces John wrote during this decade: a brief journey taken by a humble, hummable tune that bottled a young boy’s guileless dreams and aspiration for greatness and glory. His hymnal theme begins as a gentle woodwind duet, which is passed to strings and then accelerates into soaring triumph to accompany Bryant’s heyday. Then it grows small again, a lonely keyboard wandering a broken chord as Bryant’s voiceover admits that his body can only play for so long. John’s knack for noble flying music closes the loop, with heraldic horns and rolling timpani connecting Bryant’s story to his music for American heroism— concluding with a bittersweet reprise of the theme on piano and an uplifting coda as the credits roll. Like the letter itself, the score is part valentine, part elegy—and John put his heart into it. He premiered it at the Hollywood Bowl in September, and Bryant surprised the audience by joining John onstage to narrate. The short film won an Oscar in March 2018—and then very shortly afterward, it became a poignant eulogy for Bryant when he died, age 41, in a helicopter crash on a foggy Sunday morning in Calabasas that also killed his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. John’s wistful, symphonic poem suddenly took on a new shade. “It is elegiac, but it isn’t weepy,” John said of the film when he first scored it, never imagining the sudden tragic fate of his young friend.
It strikes its own manner of saluting the man and the game and the accomplishments with a lot of modesty, I think. It’s very touching, and in the end that may be its highest achievement, that it’s able to praise this man the way it does, without a lot of false vanity or hubris that could easily have spilled into it. That’s my take on it in any case.
