representation of these athletes. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not issued an immediate

Ben Stokes and England head coach Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand captain, have been in a close alliance since joining forces in 2022.

Trout still shows plenty of flickers of his all-time great prowess

MADISON When the NHL calls, you answer.Wisconsin forward Quinn Finley and Blake Montgomery decided to forgo their remaining college eligibility and sign pro contracts Wednesday, April 15. Finley, the Badgers second-leading scorer, had one year left; Montgomery had three.Outside of Logan Hensler, a 2025 first-round pick who suffered a season-ending leg injury in January, Finley and Montgomery were the highest draft picks on the UW roster this seasonFinley, who is from Suamico, signed a two-year entry level deal with the New York Islanders that begins next season, the organization announced Wednesday. He was a third-round pick by the organization in 2022.He said goodbye to the UW fans on social media. His post read in part:Ever since I was young, wearing the Wisconsin jersey was something I dreamed about, and these past three years have meant more to me than I can put into words. Coming to Madison was one of the best decisions Ive ever made.View this post on Instagram

The NFL has started onboarding potential replacement officials as the expiration of its CBA with the NFL Referees Association approaches.

Matildas players were left stunned by a baffling piece of refereeing that ruled out a goal as Australia defeated Kenya 2-0 in the FIFA series final in Nairobi.

None of Spurs' players want to play second-tier football. They will think they are elite players with international careers, image rights and sponsor deals to protect. Agents will be in overdrive.

The NFL's process of hiring replacement referees has reached another stage, according to a memo sent to teams. Several replacement officials have completed hiring steps including background checks and will soon progress to undergoing physical exams, per a memo sent to teams on Wednesday that was obtained by The Associated Press. Training sessions with NFL officiating supervisors would then begin as early as next month. The league has undertaken these steps because negotiations with the referees union have been unsuccessful, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press last month. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.The NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association is set to expire on May 31. NFL senior vice president of officiating Perry Fewell informed head coaches and general managers in the memo that teams will receive further information in the coming weeks about when replacement refs would be able to work offseason workout programs and minicamps, which begin in June.The league and the union have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The league remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the NFLRA but will be prepared in the event the NFLRA permits the current agreement to expire, Fewell said in the memo.The NFL has increased its offer to a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation over a six-year labor deal, but the NFLRA wants 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, the two AP sources said last month. NFLRA executive director Scott Green told the AP those numbers are not accurate. He said negotiations with the league are similar to 2012 when a stalemate resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

The NFL's process of hiring replacement referees has reached another stage, according to a memo sent to teams. Several replacement officials have completed hiring steps including background checks and will soon progress to undergoing physical exams, per a memo sent to teams on Wednesday that was obtained by The Associated Press. Training sessions with NFL officiating supervisors would then begin as early as next month. The league has undertaken these steps because negotiations with the referees union have been unsuccessful, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press last month. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.The NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association is set to expire on May 31. NFL senior vice president of officiating Perry Fewell informed head coaches and general managers in the memo that teams will receive further information in the coming weeks about when replacement refs would be able to work offseason workout programs and minicamps, which begin in June.The league and the union have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The league remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the NFLRA but will be prepared in the event the NFLRA permits the current agreement to expire, Fewell said in the memo.The NFL has increased its offer to a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation over a six-year labor deal, but the NFLRA wants 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, the two AP sources said last month. NFLRA executive director Scott Green told the AP those numbers are not accurate. He said negotiations with the league are similar to 2012 when a stalemate resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

BBC's Ione Wells explains where the 250ft structure would be built and why it's controversial.