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  • NFL on ESPN Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl

    NFL on ESPN Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl

     

     

    NFL on ESPN Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl – One of the most highly anticipated sporting showdowns of the year is live on ESPN this Monday February 10 when the defending NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs meet the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

     

    The Kansas City Chiefs will aim to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, while the Philadelphia Eagles – including Australian superstar Jordan Mailata – will seek revenge for their agonizing last minute Super Bowl defeat to the Chiefs in 2023.

     

    ESPN viewers will once again experience unrivalled access to the showpiece event, with the team covering every angle of Super Bowl LIX.

     

    Super Bowl LIX will be called exclusively for Australian and New Zealand audiences by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick.

     

    ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage begins at 9am AEDT Monday with NFL Blitz before Super Bowl LIX follows LIVE at 10.30am AEDT.

     

    ESPN host Phil Murphy and NFL experts Sam Acho and Mike Tannenbaum will bring viewers special access including the best analysts, in-depth features and live reports with live coverage from inside the Ceasars SuperDome for Super Bowl LIX.

     

    Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles

    The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to create NFL history by winning a third straight NFL championship.

     

    They have reached the Super Bowl in an incredible five of the past six seasons, taking home the Lombardi Trophy three times during that stretch.

     

    Kansas City went 15-2 during the regular season – although 11 of the Chiefs’ wins came by one score.

     

    Riding their luck became the theme, but during the post-season the Chiefs have shifted up a gear. They eliminated Houston 23-14 and Buffalo 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game to secure another Super Bowl appearance.

     

    The Chiefs’ superstars shine on the biggest stage and there are none bigger than Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

     

    The Philadelphia Eagles will be making their fifth Super Bowl appearance and second in three years.

     

    Philadelphia is seeking revenge having fallen to the Chiefs 38-35 at Super Bowl LVII in 2023. A field goal with eight seconds remaining was all that separated the two sides.

     

    The Eagles’ offensive is firing. The 55 points scored in the NFC Championship win over Washington was the most in a Conference championship game since 1970.

     

    Philadelphia’s 39 rushing touchdowns this season is the second most in NFL history.

     

    Saquon Barkley has 2447 rushing yards heading into the Super Bowl, the second highest total in a season in NFL history – behind only Broncos Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis’.

     

    Jordan Mailata will once again fly the flag for Australia on Super Bowl day. The 165kg left tackle has had another impressive season and the NFL continues to shower him with accolades. All that remains is a Super Bowl ring.

     

    The Super Bowl LIX Half-Time show will see rapper Kendrick Lamar hit the stage.

    Lamar is fresh off a year of critical acclaim, including two of the year’s biggest hits ‘Not Like Us’ and ‘Like That’.

     

    The rapper has amassed 17 Grammy Awards and in 2018 won a Pulitzer Prize for his album ‘Damn’.

     

    Super Bowl Half-Time is known for its special guest appearances and while no names have been officially announced, Taylor Swift will be in the building, cheering on Chiefs’ star Travis Kelce.

     

    ESPN will provide extensive digital coverage across ESPN.com.au and the ESPN App, plus live scores, in-game highlights and reaction.

     

    ESPN Australia will be on ground in New Orleans, showcasing the colour and spectacle of the Super Bowl.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Croke Park NFL game: Dublin regular-season game will be ‘great celebration’ – Goodell

    Croke Park NFL game: Dublin regular-season game will be ‘great celebration’ – Goodell

     

     

    Pittsburgh Steelers’ Cam Heyward attempts to stop a pass from Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow in the NFL game in December

    Pittsburgh Steelers played in a pre-season game at Croke Park in 1997, but this year’s game will be the first regular-season NFL contest to be played in Ireland

     

    NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says Dublin’s hosting of a regular-season NFL contest involving the Pittsburgh Steelers later this year will be a “great celebration”.

     

    The widely-anticipated news of the Croke Park contest was confirmed on Friday in advance of Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.

     

    The Steelers’ legendary owner Dan Rooney, who died in 2017, had lifelong connections with Ireland and was US Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 and 2012.

     

    “We’re really excited. It’s a great market for us,” said the NFL commissioner.

     

    “Obviously there’s a great connection in the United States with Ireland. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a specific connection also through their [Rooney] family.”

     

    Goodell added that the NFL receives “a tremendous amount of media coverage [in Ireland], but we spend a lot of time on a year-round basis promoting the game and getting kids playing, whether it’s flag football or tackle football”.

     

    “All of that is part of our efforts to make our game more popular there and this game is sort of the spark and gives that a greater interest,” he added.

     

     

    Steelers’ Cameron Heyward excited for Dublin NFL game

     

    Steelers players Larry Ogunjobi and Cameron Heyward both spoke of their excitement at the news.

     

    “I don’t know a lot about Ireland but Mr Rooney was ambassador to Ireland so it’s going to be cool to see that transpire and they have a lot of fans there,” said defensive lineman Heyward.

     

    Defensive tackle Ogunjobi added: “When I visited Mexico last year, I got to know just how important the fan base is and how important it is for us to show our face in their country and show them that we support them as much as they support us.”

     

    Heyward said the spectators can look forward to “lots of hits, a lot of sacks and a lot of turnovers and splash plays”.

     

    Pittsburgh played at Croke Park in 1997 in a pre-season game against Chicago Bears and there have been College Football games in Dublin.

     

    However, the arrival of a regular-season NFL contest at the 82,000 capacity venue will be a coup for the stadium’s owners, the Gaelic Athletic Association.

  • Texas QB Arch Manning finally admits that the biggest criticism he faced as a recruit was accurate

    Texas QB Arch Manning finally admits that the biggest criticism he faced as a recruit was accurate

     

    Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, a former five-star recruit who is entering his third season in Austin, was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

     

    While it seems obvious that a talented quarterback from the Manning family should be the No. 1 overall player in the nation, not everyone agreed that Arch was ranked properly.

     

    The critics pointed to the fact that Manning played against less-than-stellar competition while suiting up for Isidore Newman in New Orleans.

     

    “Manning is already overrated,” wrote recruiting insider Mike Farrell in early 2024. “I’ve said that many times. If his name were Arch Smith and you watched his high school film at that awful level of competition, you’d 3-star him. But alas, people fall for the last name and hype.”

     

    That was quite a take from Farrell that doesn’t look great in retrospect (Manning looked very much like a five-star when he saw the field for Texas during the 2024 season).

     

    While I’m sure Manning doesn’t agree with that assessment of his talent, he doesn’t dispute that he faced terrible competition in high school.

     

    A clip posted on social media this week showed Manning responding to various tweets/social media posts and during one clip, which compared Arch to NFL running back Derrick Henry, the Texas quarterback admitted that he didn’t face the best competition during his time at Isidore Newman.

     

    “I wish I was Derrick Henry, he’s a great looking athlete,” says Manning in the clip. “I also played against terrible competition in high school. Not terrible, but like, smaller competition in high school, so it’s not really saying much.”

     

    Manning paused to correct himself after saying “terrible”, but the Freudian slip speaks for itself.

     

    Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what kind of competition Arch played against in high school — he looks like a future early round NFL Draft pick.

     

    Great players rise to the level of the competition they’re facing. And that certainly appears to be true for Arch Manning.

     

     

  • Noah will get his behind rolled’ – Sprint legends dare NFL star Tyreek Hill to take up challenge against Noah Lyles

    Noah will get his behind rolled’ – Sprint legends dare NFL star Tyreek Hill to take up challenge against Noah Lyles

     

    The former sprinters have doubled down on their criticism of the Miami Dolphins wide receiver who has been trash talking Olympics champion Noah Lyles.

    American sprint legend Justin Gatlin and former Bahamas sprinter Rodney Green have maintained their onslaught on NFL star Tyreek Hill regarding his beef with Noah Lyles.

     

    Olympic champion Lyles stoked up the fires last weekend when he held up a banner reading ‘Tyreek could never’ just after storming to victory in the 60m dash at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

     

    That was a message directed at Miami Dolphins wide receiver Hill, who discredited Lyles’ gold medal win in 100m at the Paris Olympics, while challenging him to a 60m dash.

     

    Lyles initially dismissed him as an attention seeker but has since accepted the challenge although the NFL star is yet to make up his mind.

    ‘No excuse now’ – Noah Lyles challenges Tyreek Hill with bold ultimatum

    However, Gatlin, who won an Olympics gold and four world titles, feels Hill is playing with fire and is thrilled that Lyles fired back.

     

    “People are going to talk trash but he is not going to back down, the boy came across that line in that finals with a 6.52, strutted his stuff back down to the 60m finish line and then he looked around the crowd, grabbed the bib off his back and held it up,” Gatlin said on his Ready Set Go podcast which he co-hosts with Green.

     

    “He could have let it die, he could be like; ‘Oh you know it’s a little trash talk here and there whatever, like that but he said; ‘look bro, you want this? Here it is, come and get it.’ You know what I am saying? You don’t respond. That lets me know right now you aren’t about that life.”

     

    Green then weighed in, explaining why Hill has no chance against Lyles, while adding that he would need more than eight weeks of training.

     

    “Tyreek is in town, Tyreek is right here in Orlando so if he wants all the smoke he could pull right up to the Adidas track on Monday and be like; ‘Yo, Noah what’s up and get his behind rolled. It is not that difficult big dawg but I get it, you know, you’re going to hear all the banter and he is not going to do too much,” Green said.

     

    “But after him watching Noah these last two meets, he’s going to be like; ‘Man I probably need about eight weeks to train and you’re going to need more than eight weeks,” Green went on.

     

    Surprised by Green’s verdict, Gatlin said: “You are in that man’s head already, talking about eight weeks to train.”

     

    Green affirmed his statement, saying Hill should be watching and doing something about it if he is serious about racing Lyles.

     

    “If he wasn’t watching, he watched today. Somebody sent that video to him today,” added Green.

     

    It remains to be seen if Hill will take up the challenge as the logistics of such a race would be less tedious given both stars are based in Orlando, Florida.

  • ‘I was looking forward to getting back’- Julien Alfred makes surprising revelation despite memorable off season

    ‘I was looking forward to getting back’- Julien Alfred makes surprising revelation despite memorable off season

     

    Julien Alfred makes surprising revelation despite memorable off season Image source:

    Despite having an amazing holiday, Julien Alfred was eager to move on and return to her routine, embracing the next phase of her journey.

    Julien Alfred has expressed her excitement to be back in training despite having one of the best holidays compared to other athletes.

     

    The reigning Olympic 100m champion received an outstanding welcome back to Saint Lucia following her exploits at the Paris Olympic Games.

     

    She became the first Saint Lucian athlete to win an Olympic medal, winning the 100m title in a national record time of 10.72 seconds. In the race, Sha’Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson finished second and third respectively.

     

    ‘I’m willing to be that sacrificial lamb’ – When Sha’Carri Richardson called out track legends for failing the next generation

    ‘I’m willing to be that sacrificial lamb’ – When Sha’Carri Richardson called out track legends for failing the next generation

    Julien Alfred then went on to settle for second place in the 200m, settling for silver behind American Gabby Thomas. Brittany Brown rounded up the podium.

     

    In Saint Lucia, she was honoured greatly and even appointed as the tourism ambassador, a role she wears with so much pride. She also went on vacation and had a lot of time to spend with her family after being away for a long time.

     

    However, she revealed that amid all those great things happening, she wanted to go back to training, unlike other athletes who suck at it.

     

    ‘It’s kind of my happy place’ – Kishane Thompson reveals his unexpected passion

    ‘It’s kind of my happy place’ – Kishane Thompson reveals his unexpected passion

    Julien revealed that she had not had the time to reflect on her 2024 season since she was busy and going back to training would give her ample time to rate her season.

     

    “No, actually, I was looking forward to getting back to training because I finally had a chance to sit and relax and just think of what I had done during the season,” Julien Alfred said in a pre-race press conference.

     

    “I had a good vacation and I was really looking forward to getting back and just seeing what I did during the year.”

     

    Julien Alfred has already uniquely opened her 2025 season, competing in the 300m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix against her training mate Dina Asher-Smith.

     

    For the long season, her main target would be to get a medal for herself at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan as she looks to dethrone Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson.

     

    Julien Alfred will also skip her title defence at the World Indoor Championships, noting that she is doing this season differently.

  • Four-time Olympic medallist predicts fierce rivalry between Jamaican twin sisters Tia & Tina Clayton

    Four-time Olympic medallist predicts fierce rivalry between Jamaican twin sisters Tia & Tina Clayton

     

    Tia Clayton (L) and Tina Clayton of team Jamaica pose after the women’s 4x100m relay final at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. Image source: Imago

    The retired Trinidadian sprinter has predicted an intense rivalry between Tia and Tina Clayton as Tia emerges from her sister’s shadow.

    The Clayton twins, Tina and Tia have started making waves in the world of sprinting with retired Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon predicting intense rivalry between them.

     

    First, it was Tina Clayton who was making waves with her splendid times but it seems like her sister Tia is slowly taking the spotlight from her.

     

    Tina made her international debut at the World under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021 where she claimed top honours in the women’s 100m and was also vital as Team Jamaica claimed the women’s 4x100m relay title.

     

    She managed to successfully defend her world title at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in 2022 and also anchored the Jamaican relay team to a gold medal yet again.

     

    Kishane Thompson: Meet the parents of the world’s fastest man of 2024

     

    However, her twin sister, Tia, who seemed to struggle in her junior years and never won an individual title in either the 100m or 200m has started coming up nicely and taking up spaces.

     

    To everyone’s surprise, Tia rounded up the podium at the 2024 Jamaican Olympic trials, finishing second behind Shericka Jackson. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rounded up the podium in the race.

     

    She proceeded to the Olympic Games where she was Jamaica’s sole representative in the women’s 100m final and managed to finish a distant seventh. At the trials, Tina was eliminated from the women’s 100m in the semifinal.

     

    Kishane Thompson, Tia Clayton open 2025 season with stunning performances in Jamaica

    Kishane Thompson, Tia Clayton open 2025 season with stunning performances in Jamaica

    Owing to the shift in performances, Boldon believes this season has set up a stage for the two to compete for the top spots with Tina looking to return to her winning ways and Tia hoping to continue her winning streak.

     

    “Here is what I think, Tina looks up and goes, ‘The hell, I was always the first one, I was always the more known one too and now my sister’s been in an Olympic final? I gotta respond to that,” Boldon said during an Instagram live session.

     

    The duo has already started the 2024 season with Tia Clayton emerging as the winner in all their races. They started with the 60m race at the Central Hurdles Relays and Field Events in Jamaica where Tia claimed the win as her sister faded to a fifth-place.

     

    They then proceeded to the Astana Indoor Meet where Tia Clayton once again stole the show as her sister finished third.

     

    They both train at the MVP Track Club under the guidance of Paul and Stephen Francis and with the much that lies ahead, fans should be on the look-out to see who carries Jamaica’s flag high.

  • Billy Napier Speaks on Spring Portal Aggressiveness

    Billy Napier Speaks on Spring Portal Aggressiveness

     

    The Florida Gators don’t always create the biggest buzz in the portal, but they still make what they feel like are the right additions

     

    Napier believes Florida is making the right additions as opposed to the biggest

    Napier believes Florida is making the right additions as opposed to the biggest / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

     

    After a winter portal where Florida Gators finished 61st in ON3’s class rankings, 14th out of 16 SEC teams and only signed five players, the Gators enter the spring expecting to add more.

     

    While head coach Billy Napier has clearly prioritized high school recruiting in his time at UF, Florida has found success in their moderate approach to the portal. In Napier’s recent press conference, he mentioned a conviction in their strategy.

     

    “We haven’t always signed the flashiest name out there, but I think we’ve been pretty spot on in terms of the production that we get,” said Napier, “I just walked by Caleb Banks in the hallway there. I’d say that one turned out OK. I think about Cam Jackson, Graham Mertz, Ricky Pearsall, O’Cyrus Torrence, Montrell Johnson, Chimere Dike, Elijhah Badger, Pup Howard, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Trikweze Bridges.”

     

    Though Florida’s portal class has never ranked over 6th in the SEC, only averaging around 10 commitments per year the past three cycles, their quality-over-quantity approach has worked out for the most part.

     

    Just last year, five of Florida’s top 10 graded players by PFF (min.200 snaps) were at one time transfers, with Crenshaw-Dickson and Badger both receiving grades in the top five in their first years with the team. Of the seven transfers from the 2024 cycle to play over 200 snaps for Florida, four finished inside the top 30 PFF graded players for their positions in the SEC, while Pupp Howard just missed being the fifth, finishing at 32nd amongst linebackers.

     

    After the few additions they added this winter, there will likely be a few more spots the Gators will address heading into a critical 2025 season.

     

    “We’ve got some room… there’s another cycle in the spring,” Napier said, “We have typically gotten through spring ball, assessed the roster…What do we need…try to go address some things.”

     

    In the Winter cycle, Florida seemed focused on a few positions of need. Most specifically: wide receiver, defensive back and interior defensive lineman. Over the course of the cycle, Florida showed interest in many players from all three positions, yet only came away with two commits: J. Michael Sturdivant and Micheal Caraway Jr. Despite bringing in multiple interior lineman for visits, such as Keeshawn Silver and Hero Kanu, Florida came away with nothing to pair with Caleb Banks. While adding to their defensive interior will likely be the top priority in the spring, Napier mentions defensive back as still another position of interest.

     

    “Pleased with that group (DB) as a whole… and think we could potentially add more players there,” Napier said. “We have a few scholarships left, so, on the defensive side of the ball, there’s a little bit of potential movement there.”

     

    While it is clear Florida still plans to make important additions to the roster, Napier and staff will remain patient and diligent with their targets.

     

    “I think that every cycle we’re going to sign players that we think fit and we don’t reach. We don’t take one that we don’t (like),” said Napier. “…one of the worst things you can do is overspend and bring a guy into your locker room to create issues. So, we’re looking for fits, positional needs, and it’s gotta work out.”

     

    While the Gators team is packed with young talent and most positions seem set, Florida seems likely to stay moderate in the spring portal, looking for the last one or two adds to complete their roster. Though it may feel like Florida’s chances of making a splash offseason move are gone, Don’t underestimate Napier’s ability to find the next Badger or Peasall sitting in the spring portal like he has done years before.

     

     

  • Lions’ Campbell, Goff come up empty in Coach of the Year and MVP races

    Lions’ Campbell, Goff come up empty in Coach of the Year and MVP races

     

    Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football

    Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with quarterback Jared Goff with just over two minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 at Ford Field. The Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-31.(Jake May | MLive.com)

    Despite coaching the Detroit Lions to heights the franchise hadn’t reached in more than 30 years — and some they had never experienced — head coach Dan Campbell once again left the NFL Honors show empty-handed.

     

    Campbell, a finalist for this season’s Coach of the Year award, came up short up, losing out to Minnesota Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell. Campbell placed second in voting.

     

    Also in the running were Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and Kansas Chiefs head coach Andy Reid — who will be coaching in Super Bowl 59 on Sunday.

     

    This year also marked the second straight year Campbell was a finalist but didn’t take home the award.

     

    While all the finalists led their teams to impressive seasons — some even major turnarounds — there’s a real argument that Campbell was snubbed.

     

    For starters, losing out to O’Connell, specifically can be considered a head scratcher, as two of the Vikings’ three losses this season were to the Detroit Lions, who went unblemished in the NFC North.

     

    The also Lions finished the regular season with a franchise-best 15-2 record while also becoming the NFL’s fourth-highest-scoring offense of all time, setting numerous franchise and single-season marks along the way.

     

    Defensively, the Lions were hit hard by injuries, with as many as 16 players landing on injured reserve.

     

    Notable losses included defensive end Aidan Hutchinson; linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin; defensive lineman Alim McNeill; and cornerback Carlton Davis III.

     

    Yet, despite those setbacks, the defense still managed to make key plays when it mattered — including producing the league’s interception leader in Kerby Joseph.

     

    Factoring everything in, Campbell leading Detroit to the NFC’s top seed and a second straight division title makes his case for Coach of the Year as strong as anyone’s.

     

     

    However, it was O’Connell, who guided the Vikings to a 14-3 record, that took home the award. He navigated Minnesota through significant early challenges, including losing rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy before the season and starting offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw to an ACL and MCL injury after just seven games.

     

    O’Connell also played a key role in the resurgence of quarterback Sam Darnold, who finished fifth in both passing yards (4,319) and passing touchdowns (35).

     

    While Campbell walked away victorious, his quarterback did not.

     

    Jared Goff, a finalist for this season’s MVP award, came up short as the honor went to Buffalo’s Josh Allen, marking the first time the Bills quarterback has won the award. Goff placed fifth in voting.

     

    Goff finished the season second in passing yards (4,629), first in completion percentage among quarterbacks who played all 17 games (72.4%), fourth in touchdowns (37), and second in passer rating among quarterbacks who played all 17 games (111.8).

     

    Despite his strong resume, a Week 10 performance against the Houston Texans— a game the Lions won on a game-winning field goal as time expired — was largely held against Goff throughout the season.

     

    In that game, Goff threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns but was also intercepted five times in what was arguably the worst performance of his career.

     

    After that game, however, Goff rebounded, throwing 21 touchdowns to just three interceptions over the final eight outings while completing roughly 73% of his passes.

     

     

  • Ipswich Town: McKenna on why he didn’t sign a striker in January

    Ipswich Town: McKenna on why he didn’t sign a striker in January

     

     

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna believes his squad has good depth following the closure of the January transfer window.

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna believes his squad has good depth following the closure of the January transfer window.

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has explained why the club weren’t able to make more signings in the January transfer window.

     

    The Blues brought in right-back Ben Godfrey, winger Jaden Philogene, attacker Julio Enciso and goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

     

    They were, however, unable to add to a striker unit that consists of just Liam Delap and George Hirst and have limited right-wing options following Wes Burns’ recent season-ending knee injury.

     

    “We worked really, really hard,” said McKenna. “It gets more difficult the higher you go up the pyramid because you’re only talking about a very, very small percentile of players who can come in and improve your squad or your team.

     

    “We feel like the four we’ve brought in make us stronger as a squad and can impact the team.

     

    “I think the squad’s in a stronger position than it was at the start of January. We’ve got pretty good depth across the positions and, most, importantly we’ve got a really motivated group who are all fighting for the cause. That’s a really powerful thing. I think the group’s in a good place.”

     

    Asked whether he feels he’s got enough depth up front and on the right wing, the Blues boss replied: “We feel we have. Of course we need the players to stay fit now.

     

    “On the right wing, losing both Wes and Chieo (Ogbene) to season-ending injuries is difficult. Losing Wes so late in the window meant he was really hard to replace in the space of a week because players who were going to move were pretty much lined up.

     

    “We know we can’t replace like-for-like in terms of Wes’ profile of a real penetrative straight-line sprinter who can attack the back line, attack the box, but also defend the box, defend as a wing-back and defend the back post.

     

    “So we have to use other qualities. Ben (Johnson) has played there and provides different qualities in the role, Omari (Hutchinson) can play there and brings completely different qualities and we feel like Jaden (Philogene) has experience there. That’s one reason why we wanted to bring him to the club. So we have players who can fill the position.

     

    “The centre forward position… Yeah, I made it known that, ideally, we would like to have three senior strikers in building, as I think pretty much every club would do.

     

    “But the market for that type of striker is really, really small, to bring in a striker who could improve us where we’re at with Liam (Delap). Even to bring in a striker that’s ahead of a fully fit George Hirst, with the understanding he has of his team mates, his work ethic and his profile, is really hard to find. George has been very valuable for us and in his one start in the Premier League he did an excellent job against Brentford. He’s now feeling really good and is fully fit.

     

    “So we didn’t want to bring in a body for a sake of a body. We only wanted to add if it was really strengthening the group. We weren’t able to find that in the striker position, so that’s left us with two strong strikers, two young strikers, but both who have really good qualities, plus other players who can play the position in different ways.

     

    “That’s what we’re going to be until the end of the season. Hopefully we’re going to have a good bill of health.”

  • Alabama OL says Tide more focused: ‘You can’t be late to workouts no more.’

    Alabama OL says Tide more focused: ‘You can’t be late to workouts no more.’

     

    Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer leads the Crimson Tide out the tunnel onto the field for season opener versus Western Kentucky.

    The 2024 football season was a period of transition for Alabama but under second year head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff the level of commitment is reportedly different early on in the offseason.

     

     

    The demeanor of the Tide has grown “more serious”, from workouts to regulations and all the players know it. The outlook is different. Alabama junior offensive lineman, Rod Montgomery made this apparent in a recent podcast interview on “The Bama Standard.”

     

    The Bama Standard: Exclusive Interview w/Alabama OL Roq Montgomery | 1999 Tide Comeback Story

    “The message right now from me and my teammates, just our entire staff, is we got a different outlook on everything,” Montgomery said. “It’s not like we ain’t never been serious about anything, because there’s things that we do, but we just got to get back to the old days, to when Bama does nothing but win, and win championships. That’s the main focus right now.”

     

    The 6-foot-3, 337 pound lineman then went into detail on the subtle changes the Alabama staff has brought this offseason and discussed how the Tide are more “dialed in”.

     

    “You can’t be late to workouts no more,” Montgomery said. “No more jewelry. No more necklaces. None of that. It’s not a fashion show. It’s football.”

     

    With a year under DeBoer’s belt in Tuscaloosa, things appear to be more momentous for the Tide in 2025.