A little over a decade ago, John Delaney, the infamous then president of the Football Association of Ireland, approached Sepp Blatter and outlined his proposal to expand the Euros from 16 teams to 24. A little later, having thought about it, Blatter came back and told him he thought it was an excellent scheme, saying: “You should be honoured the president of Fifa said it was very good.” Blatter, notoriously, was a man who had 50 ideas a day, 51 of them bad.

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And yet Uefa, not just following Delaney, went ahead with the expansion. This is the way of modern football. Everything must be bigger: more games means more money, and more competing nations mea…

Nice were considered the best-run club in France in the 2016-17 season, when they challenged for the Ligue 1 title under manager Lucien Favre, president Jean-Pierre Rivère and transfer specialist Julien Fournier. They were top of the table at Christmas, lost just four games all season – fewer than PSG – and gathered an impressive 78 points on their way to finishing third.

Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of the Ineos chemical company who says he is in the running to buy Manchester United, bought Nice in 2019. Despite his vast wealth, and input from Favre, Rivère and Fournier in recent seasons, Nice have been unable to replicate the success they enjoyed before Ratcliffe’s arrival.

In the six years before Ratcliffe bo…

Early on Thursday, the National Women’s Soccer League announced a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with its players’ association. Ratified almost two years ahead of schedule, it’s a landmark deal underscoring the league’s commitment to innovation and player empowerment. Key elements of the agreement include increased salary minimums and a growing salary cap, expanded healthcare options and a groundbreaking shift to a fully free agency model, making the NWSL the first US professional league to abolish the draft.

The timing of this agreement is strategic. With the CBA now extending to 2030 (the former CBA was set to expire in 2026), NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that the goal of this preemptive return to the negotiatin…

When you have as many picks in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft as the Detroit Lions did — six in all — it’s easy to wager them like house money. Reach on a second-round running back at No. 12? Sure. Take a linebacker who wasn’t predicted in the first round of any of the 38,000 mock drafts? Sign me up. How about a QB who won’t see the field until he’s 26 when you already have Jared Goff? Hendon Hooker c’mon down. I know a lot of experts hate what Lions GM Brad Holmes has done, but I don’t. If you have half a dozen shots at it, take a few wild hacks to try to hit a home run or two. What’re they going to take six defensive linemen and cornerbacks? Detroit spent liberally and still filled needs. It may be a mixed bag, but there’s still a lot to unpack In th…

Not great, my friend! Not great at all. A sampling: As of this writing, Woods has played 16 of his opening-round holes, and sits at four over par. That puts him ahead of just two players—Rod Pampling and Kevin Streelman—on the leader board. But even that depressing fact doesn’t quite capture how miserable Tiger’s round has been: It gets worse: Tiger Woods hasn’t won a major since 2008. Everyone dies. Video via TBL …

Claude Giroux had to have sudden surgery on his right index finger yesterday in Ottawa. The GM of the Flyers said it's going to take him five to six weeks to recover, though Giroux told the Philadelphia Daily News he should be good to go much sooner. So what happened? Giroux described the injury as "just a freak thing." He said he was out playing golf with teammate Jason Akeson when his club shattered in his hands. He said the club broke because he struck the ground just behind the ball, and his hand was cut because he continued to follow through. There was blood everywhere. No bones were broken, but Giroux did say he damaged his extensor tendons. Even a six-week timetable for his return would mean he'd be back in the lineup in time for the Flyers' final preseas…

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don’t get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get out of the top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you are looking for. 1) Mike Moustakas, 3B, Grade A-: I put him ahead of Hosmer right now since he’s played pro ball and performed well. 2) Eric Hosmer, 1B, Grade A-: Nothing wrong with Hosmer, I think he’ll be excellent. 3) Kila Ka’aihue, 1B, Grade B: A tough grade, but I think his breakthrough this year was mostly for real. Could rank anywhere from 3 to 8 depending on how you value pitching vs. hitting. 4) Daniel Cortes, RHP, Grade B: A solid all-around pitching prospect. 5) Carlos Rosa, RHP, Grade B: A solid all-around pitching prospect. 6) Daniel Duffy,…

Y’all ever heard of James Butler? A former professional boxer from Harlem, Butler is most known for losing a fight against Brooklyn native Richard Grant at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on November 29, 2001. Grant, after winning by unanimous decision, went to shake Butler’s hand. Butler, instead, sucker-punched him and knocked him out, later arrested for assault. Thankfully, last night’s parting shot from Patrick Beverley on Chris Paul didn’t replicate that infamous incident, but there was a similar level of corniness displayed on the way out from each sore loser. There’s also a chance some better defense could’ve avoided this, but we’ll get to that in a second. Let’s run it. First off: 41, CP3? That’s the second most ever in NBA playoff history for anyone …

data-mm-id=”_xemlwenxf”>The District of Columbia has suddenly turned into Title Town. The Capitals and Mystics secured the biggest prizes in the NHL and WNBA, respectively. Last night, the Nationals captured the National League pennant, meaning they are four wins from the biggest bauble in baseball. With so much playoff heartache in recent years, the Nats bandwagon has been a dangerous ride. But something feels different this year. Guys like this are hopping in with both feet and enjoying the ride, unafraid of being hurt. “How long you been a Nats fan for?”“Since today!” pic.twitter.com/i8qPHah0C6— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) October 16, 2019But not everyone loves when a city catches a collective fever. The National Review's (not to be confused with The Nationals Revie…

data-mm-id=”_8hbtehi37″>Welcome to the final edition of this article. I hope you're here because you're in the championship and are looking for any possible edge to gain over your opponent. If you aren't but want to end the season with a W, I tip my cap to you. Thanks for reading, and I hope these suggestions helped your teams more than mine, given I am in the consolation bracket in two of three leagues. Anyway. Without further ado, here are the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 16 of the NFL season, and for some of you, championship weekend. (All stats via standard ESPN PPR leagues)1. Breshad Perriman, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Available in 90 Percent of ESPN Leagues)Tampa Bay Buccaneers vDetroit Lions / Leon Halip/Getty ImagesRemember this guy? The for…