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  • Michael Johnson explains biggest problem facing Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson & Co that he is about to solve

    Michael Johnson explains biggest problem facing Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson & Co that he is about to solve

     

     

    Michael Johnson is determined to end the huge pay disparities between athletics and other sports.

    American sprint great Michael Johnson has weighed in on one major concern that track and field stars are facing which he is in the process of changing.

    American sprint legend Michael Johnson has never hidden his dislike for the low amounts of money track and field stars take home.

     

    Despite having some of the most popular athletes in the world, when it comes to earnings, track and field stars are nowhere to be seen on the list of highest paid athletes in the world.

     

    As per figures of 2024 Salary/Winnings earned by 100th Highest-Paid Player released by Spotico, they are grim statistics for track and field stars as even the top earner did not match the 100th best paid tennis player, who took home $1.2 million in 2024.

     

    It is the sad reality about track and field which does not have, say, $1 million competitions that an athlete can take home from one event, like many other sports.

     

    ‘I don’t make my money on the track’- Gabby Thomas on why she opts for multiple jobs beyond running

    ‘I don’t make my money on the track’- Gabby Thomas on why she opts for multiple jobs beyond running

    Currently, the highest paying major competition is the World Championship, where gold medalists were taking home $70,000 each in 2023, although there are lucrative city marathons that pay north of $100,000 per win.

     

    However, Johnson is determined to change this and believes he is on the right track through his Grand Slam Track.

     

    : Stay updated with the Latest Athletics News in Kenya from Pulse Sports.

     

    “Any guesses how much the 100th highest paid track & field athlete makes? This does NOT include endorsements so shoe contracts don’t count? Hint: Track & Field #1 doesn’t equal tennis #100. But I’m about to change that,” Johnson posted on X, while explaining the pay disparities between track and field and other sports.

     

    Johnson is the figure behind Grand Slam Track, whose first leg will take place in Kingston, Jamaica from April 4-6, before it moves to Miami, Philadelphia and concludes in Los Angeles.

     

    At Grand Slam Track, the winner of each race will pocket $100,000 per leg with the possibility of taking home a total of $400,000 from the entire event if an athlete wins his or her discipline in all four legs.

     

    In 2024, top track and field stars like Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson did not even make $400,000 in earnings from athletics competitions with their lucrative endorsement deals boosting their coffers, a sad situation that Johnson is now confronting.

     

     

  • Wisconsin basketball Montana NCAA Tournament game preview prediction

    Wisconsin basketball Montana NCAA Tournament game preview prediction

     

    The Wisconsin Badgers will meet the Montana Grizzlies on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

     

    Wisconsin, the East Region’s No. 3 seed, is heavily favored to triumph. No. 14-seed Montana is ranked 58th in the 68-team March Madness field. Rating metrics agree with that placement, as the Grizzlies sit at just No. 161 in KenPom and No. 174 in ESPN’s BPI — far below even the lowest-ranked teams in the Big Ten Conference.

     

    The significant discrepancy in team profiles between Wisconsin and Montana makes it so that anything other than a decisive Badger victory would be a significant surprise.

     

    While Wisconsin fans may be already looking ahead to a potential second-round matchup against No. 6 BYU or No. 11 VCU, Thursday’s opener still requires a full preview and prediction. With tipoff fast approaching, here is what to expect when the Badgers and Grizzlies take the court in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

     

    Wisconsin vs. Montana Betting Odds

    Odds courtesy of BetMGM

     

    Point Spread: Wisconsin minus-17 1/2, Montana plus-17 1/2

     

    Money Line: Wisconsin minus-2500, Montana plus-1050

     

     

    Wisconsin: No. 13 overall (No. 13 offense, No. 27 defense)

    Montana: No. 161 overall (No. 99 offense, No. 251 defense)

    ESPN BPI:

     

    Wisconsin: No. 18 overall (16.0) — No. 3 in the Big Ten

    Montana: No. 174 overall (-1.2) — No. 3 in the Big Sky

    2024-25 Averages:

     

    Wisconsin: 79.7 points per game (45.2% shooting, 34.9% from 3), 70.4 points allowed per game (41.4% shooting allowed, 33% from 3)

    Montana: 76.9 points per game (50% shooting, 36% from 3), 72.9 points allowed per game (45.5% shooting allowed, 32.8% from 3)

    ESPN Matchup Predictor:

     

    Wisconsin 94.7% chance to win, Montana 5.3%

    Wisconsin Key Players

    G John Blackwell (15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists on 44.8% shooting)

    G Max Klesmit (9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists on 34.5% shooting)

    Wing John Tonje (19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists on 46.2% shooting)

    C Steven Crowl (9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists on 53.1% shooting)

    F Nolan Winter (9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists on 56.1% shooting)

     

    G Money Williams (13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists on 40.2% shooting)

    G Malik Moore (12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists on 45.7% shooting)

    G Joe Pridgen (11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 63.6% shooting)

    G Kai Johnson (11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists on 51.2% shooting)

    F Te’Jon Sawyer (9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 59% shooting)

    Wisconsin vs. Montana prediction, pick

    Wisconsin enters Thursday’s game with the advantage on each side of the court. Most notably, the Badgers’ 13-ranked offense (KenPom) will match up with the Grizzlies’ No. 251-ranked defense. After Wisconsin struggled mightily against Michigan on Sunday, it should find significant success scoring the basketball against Montana.

     

    Wisconsin received a poor draw with BYU/VCU waiting in the second round, Alabama in the Sweet 16 and Duke in the Elite Eight. However, its first-round matchup could not have fallen any better. Montana is one of the lowest-ranked No. 14 seeds in recent memory. Wisconsin shouldn’t have any trouble coasting to a win.

     

    Prediction: Wisconsin 87, Montana 62

     

    Wisconsin vs. Montana TV channel, start time, streaming:

    Wisconsin vs. Montana will start at 1:30 p.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. CT. It will be carried on TNT and streamed on the TNT app. The game can also be heard on Badger Radio Network.

     

     

  • Letsile Tebogo, Kishane Thompson and Marcell Jacobs set to face off in 100m at Diamond League Keqiao meeting

    Letsile Tebogo, Kishane Thompson and Marcell Jacobs set to face off in 100m at Diamond League Keqiao meeting

     

    The second Diamond League meeting of the season will see Olympic and world champions go for 100m glory in the men’s race.

     

     

    Some of the biggest names in sprinting are set to clash for what will be a highly anticipated 100m race at the 2025 Diamond League meeting in Shanghai/Keqiao on 3 May.

     

    Letsile Tebogo, Kishane Thompson, Christian Coleman and Marcell Jacobs will all go head to head in the People’s Republic of China at the second Diamond League event of the season.

     

    Tebogo made history at Paris 2024 when winning gold in the 200m, becoming Botswana’s first-ever Olympic champion.

     

    After five Diamond League victories last season, Tebogo is now shifting his focus to the 100m as the 21-year-old aims to add another major title to his name.

     

    Lining up alongside him will be Jamaica’s Thompson, who won silver in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Jamaican sprinter is quickly cementing his place among the fastest men on the planet and will be a major threat in Keqiao.

     

    Italy’s Jacobs meanwhile secured his place in Olympic history when he stunned the world at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first Italian to win Olympic gold in the men’s 100m.

     

    Also in the field is American Coleman, a former world champion who has won multiple Diamond League titles.

     

    The men’s 100m in Keqiao also features South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, and the People’s Republic of China’s Xie Zhenye.

  • Devin Booker’s 41 leads Phoenix Suns past Chicago Bulls for 2nd straight win

    Devin Booker’s 41 leads Phoenix Suns past Chicago Bulls for 2nd straight win

     

     

     

    The Phoenix Suns won two consecutive games for the first time since late January as they defeated the Chicago Bulls, 127-121, Wednesday before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at PHX Arena.

     

    The Suns last won two straight during a three-game win streak when beating Brooklyn, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers from Jan. 22 to Jan. 27.

     

    Devin Booker scored 13 of his game-high 41 points in the third quarter when Phoenix took its largest lead of the game, 87-66, with 4:44 left in the quarter.

     

    Kevin Durant scored 26 points after a 14-point night in Monday’s win over Toronto. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White paced the Bulls (29-40) with 24 points each.

     

    The Suns (33-37) now have the same record as Dallas (33-37) in battling for the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference, but Phoenix won the season series, 3-1.

     

    So, Phoenix has the head-to-head tiebreaker over short-handed Dallas, which lost to Indiana Wednesday.

     

    The Suns continue their five-game homestand Friday against Cleveland (56-12). The Cavs have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but have lost their last three games.

     

    Suns go up as many as 21 points, maintain lead entering 4th

    The Phoenix Suns extended their lead in the third quarter in taking a 99-84 advantage going into the fourth.

     

    Kevin Durant has a game-high 26 points while Devin Booker has 21 points.

     

    Phoenix led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter.

     

    The Suns are looking to win two games in a row for the first time since late January. The Suns took the first game of the series last month, 121-117, in Chicago. They are looking to have a more impressive victory over the Bulls in the rematch.

     

    Suns withstand Chicago run, up double digits at half

    The Phoenix Suns withstood a Chicago run to take their largest lead of 15 points as they are ahead, 63-51, at the break.

     

    The Bulls pulled within three points midway through the third quarter, but Phoenix answered with a 19-7 run to take a 57-42 advantage with 2:05 left in the first half.

     

    Durant has scored 17 points in the first half to go along with four assists. Nick Richards had contributed 14 points while Devin Booker chipped in eight.

     

    Nikola Vucevic leads the Bulls with 11 points.

     

    The Suns have scored 17 points off nine Chicago turnovers and have only committed four. The Bulls haven’t scored any points off Phoenix turnovers.

     

    Phoenix is just a half game behind Dallas for the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference as Indiana beat the Mavs on Wednesday.

     

     

    The Phoenix Suns appear to be building off their largest margin of victory as they take a 31-22 lead over the Chicago Bulls after one.

     

    The Suns have scored 12 points off six Chicago turnovers and only have two turnovers. The Bulls haven’t scored any points off the Phoenix turnovers.

     

    Kevin Durant has 11 points after scoring just 14 in Monday’s win over Toronto.

     

    The Suns led by as many as 11 points.

     

    Budenholzer sticking with starting two-way player

    Suns coach Mike Budenholzer started two-way player Collin Gillespie in place of an injured Bradley Beal in the second half of Sunday’s road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

     

    Beal strained his left hamstring in the first half Sunday, didn’t play Monday in the second of a back-to-back against Toronto and is out for Wednesday’s game versus Chicago.

     

    Gillespie made his first career start Monday in place of Beal and is starting again Wednesday.

     

     

     

    “Defensively, felt like we need to find ways as a team to be better,” said Budenholzer as the Suns are 26th in the NBA in defensive rating. “Again, we’re always talking about different combinations, different ways to use guys. He’s pesky, he gets up in, he picks up full court, get on the boards.”

     

    Gillespie is starting with Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant and Nick Richards while the Bulls are starting Tre Jones, Coby White, Matas Buzelis, Kevin Huerter and Nikola Vucevic.

     

    Budenholzer also likes Tyus Jones, who has started 57 games this season, with the second unit and playing off Devin Booker.

     

     

    Phoenix Suns guards Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen and big Mason Plumlee are ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

     

    Beal remains out with a left hamstring strain and is scheduled for a re-evaluation Monday. Allen will miss a fifth straight game with a left foot strain. Plumlee is listed out with a left quad strain.

     

    Chicago’s Lonzo Ball is out with a wrist injury, while Josh Giddey (ankle) is available after being listed as questionable.

  • Play it cool’ – How one meeting with Nike helped Bolt seal $10m deal with rival

    Play it cool’ – How one meeting with Nike helped Bolt seal $10m deal with rival

    At the peak of his athletic career, Usain Bolt was a man in demand when it came to sponsorships.

    After all, who wouldn’t want a piece of the fastest man on the planet?

    But there’s only one deal that would be his most recognisable.

    That would be his contract with sportswear giant Puma, who he wore during his most iconic moments on the track.

    Bolt and Puma’s partnership began in 2002, long before he set any of his world records.

    However, Bolt was at risk of being dropped by Puma in 2004 as Jochen Zeitz, who was CEO of the brand at the time, explained in an interview with NBC he was concerned with the Jamaican’s work ethic.

    “We said, ‘Well, he’s a young guy, but he doesn’t really want to train as hard as he should,’” Zeitz said.

    “He has all the potential but he does get injured. If he doesn’t practice, he’s never going to be great.”

    Puma ultimately elected to persist with Bolt and it was a decision that paid off handsomely, as he went on to win eight Olympic gold medals and set the world record in the 100metre and 200metre events.

    Thanks to Bolt’s exploits on the track, he inked a new deal with Puma in 2013 that was estimated to net him an eye-watering $10million (£7.7m) per year.

    The figure reportedly dropped to $4m (£3m) once he retired to act as an ambassador for the brand.

    Based on those numbers, Bolt will have earned around $78m (£60m) given he retired in 2017.

    Bolt’s best moments on the track came with him wearing Puma gearHowever, Bolt’s staggering contract may never have happened had it not been for him meeting with one of Puma’s biggest rivals.

    Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green, Bolt addressed the rumours he was set to sign with Nike during his peak years.

    Although the Jamaican denied he came close to signing on the dotted line with the American brand, they still had a big role to play in securing his eight-figure pay day.

    “We had a meeting with Nike,” Bolt said.

    “That’s the only time we had a meeting with Nike. Puma matched the contract. They got me paid. Nike got me paid, bro.

    “Zeitz was the Puma CEO at the time. He flew us to Kenya that year. We sat and discussed.

    The Jamaican explained how a meeting with Nike helped land him a $10m contractCredit: Ready Set Go podcast“When he told me the figure, I had to play it cool, bro. They got me paid, I must say.

    “It was the second contract. We’re having no conversations, we are getting paid.”

    Bolt added his $10m deal came ‘before I got hot’, underlining his business prowess.

    Well, it’s either that or Puma had tremendous foresight to know what Bolt would go on to produce out on the track.

  • Hamilton must listen to the advice Stewart gave Schumacher when he joined Ferrari

    Hamilton must listen to the advice Stewart gave Schumacher when he joined Ferrari

     

    Ferrari have signed their fair share of Formula 1 world champions over the years but none have arrived to as much fanfare and with as many trophies to their name as Lewis Hamilton.

     

    Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are the only two seven-time world champions in the history of F1 but were signed by Ferrari at very different points in their career.

     

    Schumacher was the most exciting driver on the grid when he was signed from Benetton for the 1996 season and had just won back-to-back championships.

     

    He brought legendary designer Rory Byrne and technical chief Ross Brawn with him and together they built a dynasty that saw Schumacher win five titles on the bounce at the beginning of the 2000s.

     

    Hamilton has embraced Ferrari’s culture immediately but has joined the Scuderia with the majority of his racing career already behind him.

     

    Ferrari have been impressed with Hamilton behind the scenes but immediate success on the track is much harder to discover.

     

    Legendary F1 driver Jackie Stewart may have the answer for Hamilton if he looks back on how Schumacher’s arrival in Maranello was approached nearly 30 years ago.

     

    Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher of Germany celebrates on the Podium after winning the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson /Allsport

    Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher of Germany celebrates on the Podium after winning the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson /Allsport

     

    Lewis Hamilton must embrace Jackie Stewart’s advice for Michael Schumacher about racing for Ferrari

    Schumacher’s move to Ferrari was confirmed in 1995 and speaking to Australian broadcaster Channel 9, Stewart was asked to give the German some advice.

     

    Stewart, who had three world championships to his name and had seen plenty of champions come and go from Ferrari in his time, explained: “The latest two-time world champion Michael Schumacher is going to Ferrari next year.

     

    “He’s a brave man. Why? The last time Ferrari won a world championship was 1979,16 years ago.

     

    “We’ve had 250 Grand Prix since then, before him it was another tough man called Niki Lauda, a real tough man and it was he who kicked Ferrari into place to make sure they would do what he wanted to win two world championships.

     

    CATEGORY VOL. RANK

    Races 246 1st

    Championships 6 1st

    Race wins 84 1st

    Pole positions 78 1st

    Podiums 153 1st

    Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, 2013-2024

    “Before him, if you think of other really tough men, it was Juan Manuel Fangio, the great five-time world champion. He only won it once [with Ferrari], John Surtees did win a world championship for Ferrari.

     

    “But Alain Prost failed, as did Nigel Mansell fail in a Ferrari. Why, because they’re a very obstinate team, they want it their way.

     

    “They’ve had a number of great drivers like Mario Andretti and I counted names that have been put out of business driving for Ferrari.

     

    “And if a young driver like Jean Alesi went to Ferrari, they overcrowded them, they pushed them around, simply because they knew best.

     

    “Can Michael Schumacher do it? I think he probably can. The reason, he’s German, he’s very dogmatic, he knows exactly what he wants and he’s one of the people who might be able to bring Ferrari back to victory.

     

    “But to do that, he’s going to have to be very arrogant and very tough and he’s going to have to bring this team together like they haven’t been brought together for the last 16 years.”

     

    Michael Schumacher had one thing on his side at Ferrari that Lewis Hamilton can’t rely on

    There are certainly similarities to how Schumacher and Hamilton were signed by Ferrari.

     

    They were both the biggest names in the sport when the move happened and had developed a reputation beyond Formula 1.

     

    However, as Stewart explained, Schumacher had to make the team his own and bringing in Byrne and Brawn – plus the constant stream of drivers happy to be his number two – allowed him to dominate for years.

     

    Rubens Barrichello was the perfect teammate for Schumacher but Hamilton doesn’t have that luxury given Charles Leclerc’s world championship aspirations.

     

     

    Michael Schumacher’s Formula 1 record

    The likes of Jerome d’Ambrosio and Loic Serra have arrived from Mercedes with Hamilton but they weren’t specifically signed for him and closer allies such as Peter Bonnington were blocked from signing for Ferrari.

     

    Schumacher raced for four seasons for Ferrari before winning his first title, time that Hamilton probably doesn’t have.

     

    He’ll need to find a shortcut to success but making Ferrari his team as quickly as possible has to be the priority.

  • All Smiles for Sha’Carri Richardson’s BF Christian Coleman as He Sends a Firm Message After Track & Field Invitational

    All Smiles for Sha’Carri Richardson’s BF Christian Coleman as He Sends a Firm Message After Track & Field Invitational

     

    “Let’s do it again next year even bigger!🙏🏾🖤,” read Christian Coleman’s caption back in 2024 when he posted about the successful completion of the Christian Coleman Invitational.

    And bigger, has it not been? What started in 2020 with the participation of just a few schools and that too only from Georgia had a little less than 50 schools participating in the 2025 meet, which includes some schools from the neighboring states as well and has the two-time world champion Sha’Carri Richardson as chief guest. The Christian Coleman Invitational was hosted by the Westlake Lions Track and Field team on March 15, 2025. After the meet, Coleman came out penning down a message for the fans. And what did he say?

     

    Watch What’s Trending Now!

     

    Coleman took to his Instagram story today to reshare a combined post made by the hilightssportsmedia, Coach Watson, and Coach Cage. He captioned it, “Great turn out for the CC invitational. Truly motivational to receive so much love and be able to touch the youth in the sport that has given me so much.

    Already looking forward to next year.” Every year around a thousand students show up at the invitational to compete and to impress the three-time world champion. Motivated by such passion and his desire to promote the sport in the community, Coleman is already focused on next year.

     

    The post featured some insights from the invitation, like the picture of Westlake coaches, Watson and Cage along with the man of the moment Coleman himself, holding a jacket that read all of his big career accolades, “@_coleman2 Meet live from @westlaketfxc. @coachcage x @coachswatson held a great event stay tuned for more pics & videos from this great event.” Coleman was seen blessing someone with a signed shoe in one of the pictures, and in the last picture, there was an all-smiling Sha’Carri Richardson, flashing her big smile. “Even special guest @itsshacarri was in attendance for this great day of track & field,” the caption further read.

     

     

     

    Article continues below this ad

     

    The past 6 years have only seen growth in the CC Invitational. In 2022, the two-time Diamond League winner said in an Instagram post, “Looking forward to next year being even better!” posting a video of that year’s meet. Few schools participated in the meet that year. Turning to 2025, the field grew significantly, expanding to about 40 high school teams from Georgia alone, and like Westlake coach, Jason Cage said, “so it’s growing and it’s going nation wide.” The meet had additional teams from Florida and Alabama joining the competition.

     

    Step 1 of 8

    Quiz of the day

    Usain Bolt

    Christian Coleman

    Sha’Carri Richardson

    Jason C

     

     

    via Imago

    Coleman, along with his girlfriend, made sure the two thanked the fans who made the meet such a big spectacle. They signed autographs and clicked pictures, and one fan even got his Nike spikes signed. And, his partner had some sweet words for him!

     

     

     

    Article continues below this ad

     

    For Sha’Carri Richardson, Christian Coleman is the “Chosen one”

    trace-and-field

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    The man who the invitational is named after made sure to have a meet and greet with the fans. Accompanied by his girlfriend, the two can be seen signing autographs for the fans in the story shared by the Georgia native. He wrote in the story, “Keep inspiring the youth & the world 🌍 @itsshacarri 📈 I promise we right behind ya 🖤.” Sha’Carri definitely is a great inspiration to the youth, especially after the Nike ad, and she also didn’t miss out on praising her partner.

     

     

  • Alvaro Morata of Galatasaray News Morata admits to feeling regret over joining Milan: “Bad decisions in every aspect” By Oliver Fisher –

    Alvaro Morata of Galatasaray News Morata admits to feeling regret over joining Milan: “Bad decisions in every aspect” By Oliver Fisher –

    Alvaro Morata has once again spoken about his brief time at AC Milan, including regrets about joining the club and the circumstances that led to his exit. After Olivier Giroud’s exit following the expiry of his contract, the Milan management initially wanted to invest in Joshua Zirkzee before Manchester United offered a bigger package and won the race to sign him.

    As a result they turned to Morata, someone who has won virtually everything there is in European football, an experienced option who should have provided guarantees in terms of his leadership and winning mentality.

    He cost around €13m, which was his release clause at Atletico Madrid. However, the Spaniard scored just six goals in 25 games and in January he pushed for an exit, joining Galatasaray on an initial loan while the Rossoneri invested in Santiago Gimenez.

    Morata spoke during the ‘El Larguero’ segment on Cadena SER and explained why he thinks joining Milan was the right move, and how he ended up with the Turkish champions. Calciomercato.com relayed his comments. Do you regret joining Milan

    “I think last summer I should have thought more about whether or not to leave Atletico Madrid. When you don’t feel good at a certain point in your life, you make bad decisions in every aspect. Things can’t be changed now and today I’m very happy

    If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t have made that decision. Today I realise that I wasn’t able to see reality. We were champions of Europe and at Atletico there were more and more people who loved me and understood me.” Why did you choose Milan? “When you go through difficult times, you see things in a grey light even if you have people around you who love you and tell you that you are wrong.

    During the European Championships this thing bothered me, then the opportunity of Milan presented itself. “The coach [Paulo Fonseca] called me every day, I needed to feel loved and appreciated. Today, looking back, I realise that Simeone loved me too. My father and my agent told me thatI was wrong.”

    Could you end up in Saudi Arabia?

     

    “I can’t say anything, I don’t know what the future holds for me. Maybe I will have the opportunity to return to another big team that needs an experienced striker

    How does Galatasaray feel? “Compared to the rivalries between Real Madrid and Barcelona and Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce is larger and far more intense.

    It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Over 30,000 police officers were present in the stadium when a foreign referee arrived to oversee the derby. It was amazing. They must also want me to stay, even though I would like to stay here for a long time. They are incredibly kind and treat me nicely, which makes me very happy.

    I currently have a contract that runs through January of next year. Even if I’ve adjusted nicely, I still have a contract with Milan.

  • Marcus Morris Blasts Mavericks for Sending Luka Doncic to Lakers

    Marcus Morris Blasts Mavericks for Sending Luka Doncic to Lakers

     

    Former Sixers forward Marcus Morris has a strong opinion about the Lakers-Mavericks blockbuster deal.

     

    Nov 15, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles as LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (8) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center.

    Nov 15, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles as LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (8) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center.

    Months after trading away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks are still catching heat for their decision to cut ties with their young franchise player.

     

    Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Marcus Morris recently touched on the trade, speaking from a player’s standpoint on how he is uncomfortable with the way the post-trade narratives played out due to the whispers coming out of Dallas regarding the young star.

     

    “When I see Michael Finley take that beer out of his hand … As a player, I didn’t like how that looked,” Morris said on The Kevin O’Connor Show.

     

    Marcus Morris and Luka Donci

    Jan 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket past LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (8) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center.

    “We just won, we’re celebrating, I have a beer, there’s cameras, and you kind of take that away from me, it’s almost like you’re trying to hint at something, right? As a player at that stature, I didn’t agree with that. I didn’t agree with how they tried to paint that picture.”

     

    Morris referred to a popular clip that was taken of Doncic after the Mavericks won the Western Conference Finals. While it was a laughing point for NBA fans nearly one year ago, it ended up becoming a tactic to justify the trade. Morris suggested the viral clip is helping the Mavericks “paint the picture” that Doncic has a “drinking problem” since the trade went down.

     

    “He was injured—a lot of players get injured all of the time. A lot of players take a long time to come back. His production level is through the roof,” the NBA veteran continued.

     

    “How do you sum up, ‘Okay, it’s time to trade this guy.’ How did that come to your mind? Then, not only that you trade him—you trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers. A team that you have to see every year, four times a year, in the playoffs. What do you think is going to happen when he goes to the Lakers? He’s going to be Luka Doncic 2.0! He’s going to kill!”

     

    Although Morris bounced around the NBA during his time in uniform, he never crossed paths as teammates with Doncic. However, he still has ties to the young star, as Markieff Morris played in Dallas with Doncic and went to Los Angeles with him as a part of the blockbuster trade.

     

    Based on what Marcus Morris sees and knows, he’s clearly a big fan of Doncic, who has been an NBA star since he entered the NBA in 2018-2019.

  • Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori names the new position he wants to play in, Mikel Arteta must be intrigued

    Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori names the new position he wants to play in, Mikel Arteta must be intrigued

    Riccardo Calafiori has produced a few magic moments since joining Arsenal.

    The Italy international became a Gunner last summer after signing for the club from Bologna. He has had injury issues this campaign, but some of his performances have been great.

    Calafiori has mostly been used as a left-back by Mikel Arteta, but the 22-year-old is given the freedom to invert and go on adventurous runs forward.

    That has already paid dividends this season, but the ambitious Calafiori wants to learn more.

    Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori says he wants to play as a midfielder

    Calafiori has sparked a lot of debate over the last few months.

    The Italian’s defending is still not up to the mark at left-back, but his attacking runs make him such a difficult player to play against.

    Against PSV Eindhoven, Calafiori found himself in a striker’s position and scored a really good goal – even Ian Wright would’ve been proud of his movement and finish.

    That led to many fans urging Arteta to give Calafiori a chance as a striker, but the former Bologna man’s desire is to play in the middle of the park.

    The 22-year-old claimed in an interview on the Rivista Undici e Cronache magazine that he already plays two roles well – left-back and centre-back – but he now wants to learn how to become a midfielder at Arsenal.

    He said: “Thiago Motta and then Spalletti and Arteta changed me a lot, in terms of watching the game, of spaces to occupy, of everything.

    “But I also think that there are many defenders with better characteristics than mine, for this I work so much off the pitch and maybe this makes the difference. But there are many things I still can’t do. Among these is the desire to learn to play in as many roles as possible.

    “For now, I feel I can do two, I would also like to learn a third: the midfielder. It’s a role that has always fascinated me.”

    That would leave a big gap to fill in the middle of the park, and the Gunners will surely sign at least one new player in that role.

    The teenager starting in the middle of the park with Calafiori at left-back will cause opponents all sorts of problems because the two players can interchange positions whenever they want.

    Arteta should seriously consider this partnership next season.