List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

The hazing scandal at Northwestern University has widened to include a volleyball player who has become the first female athlete to sue the university over allegations she was retaliated against for reporting mistreatment and a new lawsuit by former Northwestern quarterback Lloyd Yates

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has paid tribute to “trailblazer” Trevor Francis following his death at the age of 69. Bellingham, who spent his formative years at Birmingham where Francis also made his name as a teenager, thanked him for the guidance he had provided. In a post on his official Twitter account, the 20-year-old said: “A very sad day for @BCFC and all of football. Beyond legendary, a trailblazer, a great and an icon of the game. “The only thing that could exceed his quality and accolades on the pitch was his class off it. Thank you for all the guidance and the benchmarks you set. Rest in peace, King Trevor!” Bellingham was one of a series of current and former players to pay their respects to Francis after a spokesman for the family confirmed on Monday the former Birmingham, Nottingham Forest and England striker had died following a heart attack. He became Britain’s first £1million player when he joined Forest in 1979 and he went on to score the club’s winner in the European Cup final later that year. John McGovern, who lifted the trophy as Forest captain, said in a video interview tweeted by the club: “I’d be describing him as a footballer, absolute top class, but as a person he would probably be up there as well. Football has lost a true great of the game Former Nottingham Forest team-mate Martin O'Neill. “My condolences certainly go out to his family because this is one of the game’s nice guys.” Another former team-mate at Forest, Martin O’Neill, said on social media: “Really devastated to hear the tragic news that Trevor Francis has passed away. A phenomenal player, superb team-mate and a great friend. Football has lost a true great of the game.” Francis earned 52 England caps and later led Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager. A post on England’s official Twitter account said: “We are deeply saddened by the news that Trevor Francis has passed away aged 69. “He won 52 caps and scored 12 goals – including two at the 1982 @FIFAWorldCup for the #ThreeLions between 1977 and 1986. “All of our thoughts are with his family, friends and former clubs.” Former Forest and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton tweeted: “I’m absolutely devastated to hear about my old team-mate Trevor Francis. Such a wonderful gentleman a friend and a terrible loss.” Francis former club’s Birmingham, Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Rangers, QPR and Manchester City offered their condolences, with the Genoa club writing simply: “Rest in peace, Trevor #Francis.” Former England striker turned TV presenter Gary Lineker wrote: “Deeply saddened to hear that Trevor Francis has died. “A wonderful footballer and lovely man. Was a pleasure to work alongside him both on the pitch and on the telly. RIP Trevor.” Former England team-mate Peter Reid said: “Great fella, played against him, England team-mate. He signed me for QPR from Everton. RIP Trev.” Chris Waddle, who was a member of Francis’ Owls side that reached the League Cup and FA Cup finals of 1993, tweeted: “So sorry to hear the sad news that Trevor Francis has passed away, he was a lovely man and such great player and thank you so much for bringing me to SWFC..RIP legend.” Mark Bright, another member of that Wednesday side, added: “RIP, Trevor Francis. Trev signed me when he was player/manager at SWFC. “The club experienced some great times in the early 90’s, both Trev his wife Helen were very kind in helping me to settle in at the club. I greatly appreciated it then & now. Love to sons Matthew & James.” Chris Kamara, the former Brentford and Swindon midfielder who later became a media colleague of Francis’, also offered his condolences. He wrote: “Oh no, just heard Trevor Francis has passed away. What a player he was & what a gentleman. Got to know him well when Trevor was doing his co-commentary’s for Sky, a job he loved. “RIP Trevor the first million pound player who always looked a million dollars.” Another media colleague, Hayley McQueen, daughter of former Leeds and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen, said: “Gutted about the passing of Trevor Francis, he was never the same after the passing of his beloved wife Helen six years ago. “One of the loveliest couples you could meet who took me under their wing whilst working on a World Cup way back, dinners, lunches & even meet-ups back in London.” Francis broke into the Birmingham team at the age of just 16 and his fame went beyond the game. Former heavyweight world boxing champion Frank Bruno tweeted: “Trevor Francis RIP. Sad news about the sudden death of Trevor, he played in an era when I watched Match of the day avidly, another legend gone too soon. We met a few times, especially when I did events in and around the midlands.” Journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan wrote: “RIP Trevor Francis, 69. Britain’s first £1m footballer who had 52 caps for England and won back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest. “Then became a superb TV pundit and was by all accounts a lovely man. Sad news. RIP.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football remembers Trevor Francis – Monday’s sporting social James Anderson could play until he’s 50, says Saqib Mahmood PSG give Kylian Mbappe permission to talk to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal

Duke has extended coach Mike Elko’s contract through 2029 after he led the Blue Devils to nine wins and was named Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year in his first season

Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy says it will probably take “at least half a season” for the team to know what it has in new starting quarterback Jordan Love

VIDEO: Kimberley Martin and Ryan Clark roasted Stephen A. Smith.

Owner Mike Brown and other Cincinnati Bengals executives are staying quiet in the state of contract negotiations with Joe Burrow

Trevor Francis, British football’s first million-pound player, has died at the age of 69. The ex-Birmingham and England striker, who scored Nottingham Forest’s winner in their 1979 European Cup final triumph, earned 52 England caps and later guided Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager. Plymouth-born Francis burst onto the scene as a teenager with Birmingham, making his first-team debut at 16 in 1970. “He died in Spain this morning from a heart attack,” said a spokesperson. Forest shattered the British transfer record when they paid £1.15m for him in 1979, although manager Brian Clough famously claimed the fee was £999,999 to take pressure off the player. He started his career at Birmingham, playing 328 times and scoring 133 goals. In 1971, at just 16 years old, he became the youngest ever player to score four times in Football League history in the Blues’ 4-0 win over Bolton. At international level, he played for England 52 times between 1976 and 1986, scoring 12 goals, and played at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He earned his record move to Forest in 1979 and headed the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malmo to win the European Cup just a few months later. Francis missed the European Cup win over Hamburg a year later through injury and joined Manchester City in 1981. Spells at Sampdoria, where he won the Coppa Italia, Atalanta, Rangers and QPR – where he was player-manager – followed. He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1990 before he replaced Ron Atkinson as manager. Under Francis, the Owls finished third in the old First Division in his first season in charge before finishing seventh in the newly created Premier League while also being runners-up to Arsenal in the 1993 FA Cup and League Cup finals. He left in 1995 and returned to Birmingham the following year, reaching the play-offs three times and also the 2001 League Cup final where they lost to Liverpool. Francis left St Andrew’s in October 2001 and joined Crystal Palace soon after, leaving the Eagles in 2003 in what was his last job. Francis spent half a year in Spain and the rest in Solihull. He suffered a heart attack 11 years ago and had kept himself fit with daily power walks. He had an annual health check through the League Managers’ Association and, according to his spokesman, was “enjoying life very much having eventually got over the death of his wife”. Helen passed away in 2017 after a battle with cancer. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Today at the World Cup: Ary Borges hat-trick has Brazil up and running James Anderson could play until he’s 50, says Saqib Mahmood We’re massively up for it – Zak Crawley says England hungry to end on Oval high

Baseball’s best team for much of this season has seen a historic start give way to a July swoon that’s loosened its stranglehold on the top record in the American League

The NL-leading Atlanta Braves traded for a pair of relievers, acquiring right-hander Pierce Johnson from Colorado and lefty Taylor Hearn from Texas

Denny Hamlin became just the 15 driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win 50 races

Men’s college basketball traditional powers Kansas and North Carolina will play each other in regular-season games in 2024 and 2025

As eye-watering as the Al Hilal offer to Paris Saint-Germain for Kylian Mbappe may be, it is itself not a blind bid. The Saudi Pro League club have for weeks been sounding out what it would actually take to bring him over. The Al Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel has been talking about the star to anyone who will listen - including in negotiations for other targets. The Mbappe camp have let a few conditions be known, but they are still considering everything. The 24-year-old himself is said to still be almost single-minded about joining Real Madrid next summer and countenancing nothing else, but there may be a few complications before then. That is the case with the entire transfer market right now, and this is finally a situation that brings the two major factors driving - or, really, halting - it together. One is Saudi Arabian money, which has caused everyone to rethink their plans. The other is the striker market, which currently has a lot of interlinked interests. The feeling is that one big deal will release everything, but the two biggest are log-jammed. It only adds to the intrigue that they are log-jammed for totally opposite reasons. Tottenham Hotspur do not want to sell Harry Kane. PSG are now desperate to sell Mbappe. The potential chain reaction, according to those working on many of the deals, goes like this. If PSG do sell Mbappe, they will go even bigger for Kane. “Whatever they were going to offer the player before, they’d double it,” in the words of one involved figure. Such a bid would almost certainly meet the £100m valuation that Daniel Levy is understood to see as a minimum to even consider a sale, but would also force a response from Bayern Munich. The German club are extremely confident they can get the player and that he wants to come, although one source quipped that “they have no experience of dealing with Daniel”. While PSG are among the few parties that believe the Qatari project can themselves get a deal for Kane done, the general feeling is he will not go there and has little interest, but that he would instead see Manchester United as a first priority. They are currently negotiating for Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund and pressing on with that. If it did come to a situation where Spurs were willing to sell Kane and openly negotiating with rival clubs, however, United would have to consider acting. It is even believed that the Old Trafford hierarchy would be prepared to set aside separate funds for the England international, such is the value of the signing. The thinking within the market, meanwhile, is that nothing else happens until the Kane decision is made. After that, if PSG do not get him, they will press ahead for Randal Kolo Muani or Dusan Vlahovic. If Vlahovic goes, Juventus will finally make a concrete move for Romelu Lukaku, who himself has an offer from Al Hilal. Which brings us full circle. There may now be another layer with Mbappe. PSG have been sounding out most of Europe’s major clubs, with the response so far mixed. Manchester United are currently not interested this summer, and do not expect that to change. Barcelona and Chelsea have at least explored the possibility. The latter might appeal to Mbappe, especially due to a good relationship with Mauricio Pochettino, but it is understood that his first preference in the Premier League would actually be Arsenal. That is down to reasons like the romance of Thierry Henry's history there, as well as the idea of making history himself and delivering a first title in 20 years. As one figure close to the player’s camp said amid the flurry of activity on Friday, “if ever there was a window for that, it’s now”. Mikel Arteta is another who doesn’t have that kind of budget, though, as he now needs to make sales to bring in another midfielder and potentially a right-back. It is one of the ironies of Mbappe’s situation, and another sign of the direction the game is headed. The 24-year-old is so good, and his horizons as a footballer so vast, that he actually has very limited options. There are only about three or four clubs that could afford him. Lionel Messi found the same in 2021 and this summer. Long gone are the days when an upwardly mobile side in Serie A or La Liga might offer an exciting possibility, as was the case with even Ronaldo before the turn of the millennium. As it is, most major clubs are reluctant to move for other reasons beyond the budget. They think Mbappe only wants the traditional kingpins of European football: Real Madrid. Both the Spanish club and the player are currently willing to hold their nerve. That has increased pressure on PSG but numerous sources insist there is even more to it than just seeing such an asset go for free next summer, and to a club they have an increasingly tense relationship with. There is constant talk of a “loyalty bonus”, with Mbappe set to earn £35m if he is still at Parc des Princes on 31 July. This would of course bring further Financial Fair Play costs for PSG, and that for a player of immense value they will get no money for anyway. Spurs may similarly see their megastar walk away for nothing and have so far come at it from the opposite perspective, although there are murmurs that is changing. Monday brought reports that club owner Joe Lewis has told Levy to sell if Kane will not sign a new deal. The industry view has long been this by far makes the most sense, especially as the club will have to adjust for a future without the striker sooner rather than later. A new tactical approach under Ange Postecoglou even offers something different. For now, everyone is monitoring what everyone else does, without making a decisive move. That’s the nature of the market. A further aspect is that there are almost as many political complications within the Saudi Pro League as there are with the two main summer sagas. While Al Hilal are giddy at the prospect of signing Mbappe, that excitement is not shared within the wider division and not just for reasons of competition. Most of that is due to this idea that the player could do a year in the Saudi Pro League before decamping to the Bernabeu. It is not as neat a compromise for everyone as is being claimed - before you even get to the idea of such a footballer playing in a developing division for a season. One argument put forward is that for all the immediate focus Mbappe would bring, it could actually be damaging to the reputation of the competition if he were to just leave so quickly. The point of the wider project is to build for the long term and gradually create a luxurious but sustainable home for those outside the Premier League. The state does not want it to be somewhere where players are just parked. An immediate departure for Madrid could also create a precedent where the higher-profile players arriving this summer could demand clauses allowing them to leave if Champions League clubs come in. Most of all, though, an immediate Mbappe departure would leave a vacuum. The league would suddenly feel that bit more hollow again, with a move to Madrid instead confirming football’s supposed natural order. The offer still stands, though. For now, it’s only adding to the stand-still in the wider market. Read More World-record bid made for Kylian Mbappe as PSG exit looms PSG attempting to hijack Bayern Munich’s bid to sign Harry Kane Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe plan revealed after PSG declare intent to sell forward