Just weeks

The Carolina Panthers have found their new head coach. The team announced on Thursday that Frank Reich has been hired as the sixth head coach in franchise history. The hiring of Reich comes just over two months after he was fired by the Colts as their head coach following a 3-5-1 start to the season. However, before being let go by Indy, Reich had a lot of success with the Colts, leading them to the playoffs twice during his four-and-a-half seasons with the team. The former Colts coach was one of two finalists along with with Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones . Wilks took over in October after the Panthers fired Matt Rhule following a 1-4 start to the season. During 12 games with the Panthers, not only did Wilks lead them to a 6-6 record, but he led them back into contention for the NFC South title. As for Reich, he originally interviewed for Carolina's head coaching job in mid-January before returning for a … [Read more...] about Panthers hire Frank Reich as head coach just months after he was fired by the Colts

Queensberry Promotions As far as skilled boxers who possess an equal level of danger and knockout threat, there are very few on the planet as well-rounded and dynamic as Artur Beterbiev. Conversely, it would be difficult to find a champion this accomplished who flies so far under the radar in terms of crossover appeal. That reality is expected to change for Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs), the unified light heavyweight champion, should he finish 2023 by conquering the type of challenges that could be in front of him -- namely unbeaten WBA champion Dmitry Bivol -- in an attempt to become not just the undisputed champion at 175 pounds but recognition as, quite possibly, the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Beterbiev, who returns Saturday at London's Wembley Arena to defend his trio of titles against mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs), is the only world champion in boxing with a 100% knockout rate. The native of Russia, who fights out of his adopted home of … [Read more...] about Why Artur Beterbiev could achieve much more than just undisputed champion status in 2023

Getty Images The year is 2029. Graham Potter's vibrant Chelsea side are once more sweeping all ahead of them, swashbuckling in attack but with the defensive instincts that only come through years together on the training ground. Yet another Champions League is seemingly within reach for this side, who, for what feels like a generation, have grown together into a footballing force. That, perhaps, is the end vision underpinning Chelsea's radical new approach to the management of contracts at Stamford Bridge. In an era of dwindling patience and fast fixes, the Todd Boehly-led consortium that took control last summer are building a squad for the long term, whether they like it or not. Golazo Starting XI Newsletter Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. I agree to receive the "Golazo Starting XI Newsletter" and marketing … [Read more...] about How Chelsea’s new spin on long-term contracts aligns with Todd Boehly’s approach as Dodgers minority owner

Getty Images It may yet be the most telling mistake Manchester City have made in recent seasons. The moments that cost them a English league three-peat -- as sizeable a mark of greatness as any in this country -- might have come before a ball was kicked when they sold first Gabriel Jesus and then Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal . Not even the Gunners' own sales of Ashley Cole, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie compare as an act of self-sabotage; Arsenal did not forge contenders with those sales nor did they have much of a title challenge to handicap. They had a stadium to finance. Pep Guardiola had no such concerns in sending two squad players to north London. It was the move the players wanted and the Premier League champions wanted to do right by them. City did not see this Arsenal emerging, the one they will face first in Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie, a mere warmup act to the title showdown that their meeting on February 15 may yet be. If they had, then the … [Read more...] about Manchester City vs. Arsenal: Oleksandr Zinchenko is making his former club pay for their generosity

USATSI A Big Ten battle on Thursday night features the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-7) traveling to take on the Michigan State Spartans (13-7). The Hawkeyes look to get back on track after having their four-game win streak halted. On Saturday, Iowa fell to Ohio State 93-77. Meanwhile, Michigan State has dropped three of its past four matchups. On Jan. 22, Indiana beat the Spartans 82-69. Tipoff from the Bresil Center in East Lansing is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Michigan State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Iowa picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 12 of the season 45-26 on all-top rated college basketball picks , returning more … [Read more...] about Michigan State vs. Iowa prediction, odds: 2023 college basketball picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model

Getty Images The NFC Championship game between the 49ers and Eagles will be an old-school slugfest with a new-school twist. The new school would be the 49ers' position-less football and Kyle Shanahan's motion offense, and the Eagles' RPO attack led by MVP finalist Jalen Hurts . Sure, there are superstar playmakers all over the field, but make no mistake, this game will still be one for the football purists, fought and won in the trenches. "I expect it to be a battle all the way through," 49ers linebacker Fred Warner told reporters on Wednesday . "Both the Cowboys and Eagles are physical and talented teams who are really fast and have a lot of talent. Just like it was a battle this past week [against Dallas], I'm expecting that, if not more, this week, them being in their home stadium, home crowd behind them. They're going to be juiced up, ready to go." Both teams come in highly rated up front. The Eagles have the No. 1 pass block and pass rush grades at Pro … [Read more...] about 2023 NFL playoffs: Breaking down 49ers-Eagles trench matchup for the ages ahead of NFC Championship game

USATSI The Dallas Mavericks (25-24) go on the road to take on the Phoenix Suns (25-24) in a Western Conference tilt on Thursday evening. The Suns are playing solid basketball right now, winning four straight games, and on Tuesday, Phoenix topped the Charlotte Hornets 128-97. Meanwhile, Dallas has lost five of its past six matchups, including on Jan. 24 when the Mavericks fell to the Washington Wizards 127-126. Devin Booker (groin) and Cameron Payne (foot) are out for Phoenix, while Christian Wood (thumb) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring) are out for Dallas. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Suns as a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Mavericks vs. Suns odds The over/under for total points is set at 221. Before making any Suns vs. Mavericks picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every … [Read more...] about Suns vs. Mavericks prediction, odds, line, spread: 2023 NBA picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model

247Sports It was a simpler time six years ago. The lone National Signing Day for the 2017 cycle was the first Wednesday in February, but that was before everything changed 10 months later with the introduction of the early signing period in December. Since that first early signing period during the 2017-18 recruiting cycle, we've witnessed a seismic shift in the timing of when top recruits announce their college choices and sign with their schools, a timeframe that has heavily shifted to December. Though the landscape has drastically changed, there remains a few uncommitted/unsigned players who have yet to make their decisions and will do so on Wednesday, Feb. 1. So there are still plenty of storylines to follow during the traditional National Signing Day which will take center stage next week, so let's break down some of the top ones to follow as the 2023 recruiting cycle quickly comes to a close. 1. Coach Prime's time In December 2021, Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter … [Read more...] about College football recruiting: Five key storylines to follow during National Signing Day 2023

Getty Images The Bills entered 2022 with Super Bowl expectations and ended the season in the divisional round of the playoffs thanks to Sunday's loss to the Bengals . Less than a week later, the team has begun tweaking its staff for 2023, dismissing safeties coach Jim Salgado on Thursday, according to ESPN . Salgado was one of head coach Sean McDermott's original hires back in 2017. He was reassigned to the role of safeties coach just this season. The former Hofstra product spent his first three years as a defensive assistant, then became the Bills' nickels coach from 2020-2021, overseeing the emergence of No. 3 cornerback Taron Johnson . Buffalo's defense finished No. 6 overall in 2022, but the pass defense ranked 15th. The safety position in particular was hampered by injuries. Both of the team's All-Pro starters, Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde , missed extended time; and replacement Damar Hamlin missed the end of the year after suffering cardiac arrest on the … [Read more...] about Bills fire safeties coach Jim Salgado in wake of playoff loss vs. Bengals, per report

Camden Pulkinen’s life has gotten rather more difficult since last August. “About tenfold more difficult,” he said. For the previous six years, when he lived and trained in Colorado Springs, Pulkinen had a five-minute drive to a rink where the elite figure skaters had almost unlimited ice time. He had finished high school online and then had taken in-person and online college courses at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs essentially on his own schedule. . When I spoke to him early last week, that life seemed a distant memory. Now he is up at the crack of dawn to get from Columbia University’s Manhattan campus to the Chelsea Piers Sky Rink, where he begins his daily training between 8 and 8:30, and the ice time available to him ends at 11:20. That trip involves 14 stops on the 7th Avenue subway and then a mile-long walk to the rink, and it takes between 50 and 55 minutes. When his training ends, Pulkinen does the trip in reverse to begin his day as a sophomore at the … [Read more...] about Living in two worlds, Camden Pulkinen eyes first US Championships medal