Find out which of the many injured closers to prioritize

Former Australia opener David Warner delivered a sharp one-line response to a fan who suggested that he should quit the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and return to the Indian Premier League (IPL)

The Los Angeles Rams shocked the football world when they took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the Rams stunned just about everyone on Thursday night, though, the decision was the culmination of multiple months of work on Simpson, according to head coach Sean McVay. In an interview with FS1's "The Herd," McVay told Colin Cowherd that the Rams didn't come to a sudden decision to select Simpson with the 13th overall pick as they still have the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford, on their roster. "There wasnt that a-ha moment, it was a combination of the work," McVay said. "You like the body of work, and you say Hey, this guys got the potential to develop one day into what we would deem a possible starting quarterback. Well welcome Ty into the building with open arms, but what I did think what was important for me to make sure that there was clarity on was, let's not get it twisted. We're trying to win right now, and we've got decisions for the short and long term." Simpson only started at Alabama for one season, giving him less experience than most other quarterbacks taken in the first round in recent years. However, Simpson had an impressive year in his lone season as Alabama's starter. He finished the season with 3,567 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had four consecutive wins over AP Top 25 teams, leading the Crimson Tide to their first Xollege Football Playoff appearance under head coach Kalen DeBoer. As a result, Simpson was widely viewed as the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, trailing only Fernando Mendoza. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang gave the Rams a B grade for the pick of Simpson, calling it a "gutsy" pick. "There is no denying that he is a good fit in Sean McVays offense he was listed as such in my best NFL team fits for each of this years QBs but this is easily the gutsiest pick of the first round thus far," Rang wrote. "This is obviously a move made for the long term. But I can't help but wonder if the Rams, presumably Super Bowl contenders in 2026, will later wish theyd selected a player likelier to make an immediate impact." Even though Rang and some others liked the selection of Simpson due to the positional value, there was still a massive elephant in the room with the pick. But McVay also made it clear that the team prioritized keeping Stafford in the loop when they were making the selection of Simpson. McVay said that communication was extremely important and called Stafford "a total stud" throughout the whole process. "If you can't have a little comfort in the conflict, but it's all rooted in I trust that person. I know what they're saying is the truth ... you can work through those things," McVay said. "I think one of the biggest breakthroughs of our relationship was having to go through some of the tough conversations we had last season." Stafford didn't show any signs of aging last season, throwing for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions as he led the Rams to the NFC Championship Game. He and the Rams are also reportedly discussing an extension to keep him under contract for a little longer. Still, Stafford turned 38 in February, and McVay admitted that the quarterback's commitment is likely on a year-to-year basis at this point. Still, even if Simpson is the heir apparent to Stafford, he'll have to work his way up the depth chart to become their backup quarterback first. As the team is in the midst of organized team activities (OTAs), McVay has iterated that Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett for the top backup job.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has signed the franchise tag, according tomultiple reportsWednesday.After signing the tender, Pickens, who broke out in 2025 during his first season with the Cowboys, will be guaranteed $27.3 million this season, according to ESPNs Todd Archer.The signing of the tender guarantees Pickens $27.3 million for this season. It gives him injury protection as well. Yes, theoretically, it opens up the possibility of a trade, but Stephen Jones said the Cowboys have no intention of dealing him. https://t.co/GKNO79aa7R Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 29, 2026This story is being updated.

The Lakers and Magic have the chance to close things out on Wednesday night, while there's another crucial Game 5 in the East

Zinc Football Academy's historic campaign in the AIFF U-18 Elite League 2025-26 concluded with a 0-3 loss in the final against defending champions Punjab FC in Mahilpur, Punjab.

Kyle Busch has a new crew chief. Jim Pohlman is out; Andy Street is in. No one should act surprised over the move. Yes, Pohlman joined the team after the 2025 season and lasted only 10 races. But Busch sits 27th in the Cup Series standings, and that wont cut it for a two-time series champion. Hes also finished better than teammate Austin Dillon five times and finished worse than him five times, but Dillon sits 24th in the standings. Busch told me and other reporters Saturday that he could see some light in the tunnel, that they made an adjustment at Kansas that worked. But Pohlman was possibly just a little too fiery to be Buschs crew chief. He aired some of his frustration on the secondary radio channel when talking to Buschs spotter earlier this month at Bristol. "Just same [expletive] every week." Pohlman said. FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick, a former Cup champion, said that type of attitude, where Pohlman questioned why Busch wasnt running better after an adjustment, is not the way a crew chief should talk about his driver. "He can be mad at me," Harvick said on the "Kevin Harvicks Happy Hour" podcast. "But talking like the way they talked on Channel 2 after Bristol that week, that was unacceptable. That is the wrong guy." Now Busch has Street, the RCR performance director who appeared to do a good job as the interim crew chief for the end of 2025 with Busch when Randall Burnett announced he would move to Trackhouse Racing in 2026. It was pretty clear there would be a change in the Burnett-Busch relationship after 2025 considering the struggles that have haunted Busch the last few years. Can Street help turn it around? Is it possible he could spark enough of a turnaround that Busch and RCR continue their relationship beyond 2026? Street won 11 OReilly races (10 with Austin Hill) and appeared as the best in-house candidate to be Buschs crew chief at the end of last season. But RCR brought in Pohlman, who used to work at the organization, and Street could continue in the performance director role at RCR, which is a key position in trying to build the program. So this isnt a change from a known to an unknown. It is a change from a known (or at least as much as you could know after 10 races) to a known (or at least as much as you could know after five races). It should bring stability. [POWER RANKINGS: New Cup Winner Carson Hocevar Joins List] This appears as one last gasp to see if the team can turn it around for Busch, who will likely decide in the next couple of months whether to start talking to other teams or commit to RCR. No one would expect him to want to stay if hes running 27th. Hopefully Pohlman gets another chance with a driver more compatible to his style. His winning an OReilly title with driver Justin Allgaier wasnt a fluke. He helped Allgaier win that championship in 2024. But that didnt mean much when working with Busch. If you are the crew chief for a two-time Cup champion and you fall out of the top 25 in points, youre going to get replaced. Especially when it seemed like an oil-and-water relationship. Thats what happened. It makes sense. Busch is not the 27th-best driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. If hes going to be able to show that at RCR for future seasons, the time is now to find that out. It wasnt going to be that way with Pohlman. So RCR made a change.

A former Atlanta Hawks finance executive was sentenced to more than three years in prison after he embezzled approximately $3.7 million from the team, according to The Associated Press.Lester T. Jones Jr., who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison on Wednesday. The 46-year-old was arrested last year after a team-backed audit determined that he had been stealing from the team.Jones first joined the Hawks in 2016, and took over as senior vice president for finance in 2021. In that role, he was responsible for the companys corporate credit card and ran the teams reimbursement program.The issue came to light after Jones reportedly sent a request to the teams accounting department trying to pay off a nearly $230,000 bill for a stay at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. While the Hawks were in the city around that time for the semifinals of the NBA Cup, there was no actual stay at the Wynn and the bill Jones was referencing didnt exist. That was part of a years-long operation to steal money from the team in which he changed financial reports, faked emails and diverted personal spending to the Hawks operations accounts.Jones, officials said, authorized multiple corporate cards for himself and built a lavish lifestyle for himself, including purchasing international trips, buying a Porsche, concert tickets and more. Jones was also reportedly in a romantic relationship with another team employee and used some of the money to buy her expensive gifts."Jones turned his dream job as a high-ranking executive for the Atlanta Hawks into an opportunity to steal the team's funds, purchasing luxury apparel, jewelry, watches, and trips for himself," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement."But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers' trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train's final destination is federal prison."The Hawks declined to comment to The Associated Press. The team is in the middle of their opening-round playoff series with the New York Knicks. They trail 3-2 in the series entering Game 6 on Thursday night.

SportsLine's model reveals its Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic Game 5 picks

Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara hailed Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his fearless approach and said, "It's pure cinema" watching the 15-year-old prodigy bat.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke could reportedly be sidelined for the remainder of the Premier League season. The England international suffered a hamstring injury during the weekend victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, leaving Roberto De Zerbi with a mounting availability crisis in the middle of a relegation battle. Hamstring heartbreak for Solanke Doubt has been cast over Solankes involvement in Tottenham's crucial Premier League run-in because of the hamstring injury he suffered against Wolves. As per The Telegraph, early scans have suggested that the forward may have suffered a grade-two hamstring injury, which can take between three and eight weeks to recover from. That opens up the nightmare possibility of Solanke joining the list of Spurs players who will not play again this season, although the relegation-threatened club have not yet confirmed the extent of his injury. Injury list continues to grow Despite winning their first league game of 2026 against Wolves, Spurs remain in the relegation zone, two points behind West Ham United. Xavi Simons will miss the rest of the season and is expected to be out for a minimum of seven months after suffering an anteria cruciate ligament injury in the Wolves game and undergoing surgery, meaning he is unlikely to play again before December. Other than Simons and the doubts over Solanke, De Zerbi is already without Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Cristian Romero for the rest of the season. James Maddison is also still waiting for his first minutes after returning to training from a year out with two knee injuries, leaving the squad paper-thin for the battles ahead. De Zerbi faces selection nightmare De Zerbi will address Solankes fitness in his press conference on Friday and will no doubt be hoping the 28-year-old will be able to play an active part in the run-in. Tottenhams final four games are against Aston Villa on Sunday, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton. Losing another attacker for any of those matches would be a significant setback for De Zerbi. The game against Chelsea has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 19 because the Stamford Bridge clubs involvement in the FA Cup final on Saturday, May 16. World Cup dreams in jeopardy A season-ending injury now would also be a massive blow to Solankes hopes of going to the World Cup with England as Harry Kanes deputy. The striker was said to be in the running for a spot in Thomas Tuchel's squad, but a lengthy lay-off would force the German coach to look elsewhere.

Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA) continues its run atop the USA TODAY Sports/AVCA Super 25 rankings, holding the No. 1 spot for a third straight week. Meanwhile, a new team out of the Midwest region appears in the rankings. With May action set to hit the court, here is the full Super 25...1. Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach, CA)Region: West | Record: 30-2 | PR: 12. Loyola High School (Los Angeles, CA)Region: West | Record: 21-3 | PR: 33. Huntington Beach High School (CA)Region: West | Record: 21-4 | PR: 24. Redondo Union High School (Redondo Beach, CA)Region: West | Record: 26-2 | PR: 45. Saint Xavier High School (Louisville, KY)Region: Midwest | Record: 22-0 | PR: 56. Roncalli (Indianapolis, IN)Region: Midwest | Record: 17-1 | PR: 67. The Bishop's School (San Diego, CA)Region: West | Record: 31-3 | PR: 78. Corona Del Mar High School (CA)Region: West | Record: 25-5 | PR: 89. Perry High School (Gilbert, AZ)Region: West | Record: 31-2-2 | PR: 1010. Torrey Pines High School (CA)Region: West | Record: 26-7 | PR: 911. Santa Margarita High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)Region: West | Record: 28-10 | PR: 1112. Meadville High School (PA)Region: Northeast | Record: 7-0 | PR: 1213. Oak Park River Forest High School (Oak Park, IL)Region: Midwest | Record: 15-3-1 | PR: 1314. Punahou High School (Honolulu, HI)Region: West | Record: 18-3 | PR: 1415. North Allegheny High School (Wexford, PA)Region: Northeast | Record: 12-1 | PR: 1516. Cumberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, PA)Region: Northeast | Record: 8-0 | PR: 1617. Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Phoenix, AZ)Region: West | Record: 23-2 | PR: 1718. Newport Harbor High School (CA)Region: West | Record: 23-9 | PR: 1819. Glenbard West High School (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)Region: Midwest | Record: 16-1 | PR: 1920. O'Fallon High School (IL)Region: Midwest | Record: 17-1-1 | PR: 2021. Monroe Township High School (NJ)Region: Northeast | Record: 16-0 | PR: 2222. St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland, OH)Region: Midwest | Record: 16-2 | PR: NR23. Academy of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)Region: South | Record: 21-2 | PR: 2324. Centennial High School (Las Vegas, NV)Region: West | Record: 28-5 | PR: 2425. Lake Brantley High School (Altamonte Springs, FL)Region: South | Record: 23-3 | PR: 25This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Boys volleyball Super 25 rankings for Week 8