NFL Draft 2025

The NFL draft takes place April 24-26 and will feature 257 picks. Each team has 10 minutes to make a selection in the first round, seven minutes in the second round and five minutes in rounds three through seven. Teams that don’t make their pick within the allotted time risk being jumped by the team behind them in the draft order.

Despite a deep rookie class at running back, it’s important to prioritize landing an impact player at the position early on. A top-tier RB is a necessary part of any fantasy team, and the pool of high-volume backs dries up quickly.

The 2025 QB and TE tiers have sifted into similar groups, with a small group of elite players at the top, a smattering of known commodities with question marks in the middle and a few discount values near the QB1/TE1 range. Targeting a few of those lower-round guys is the best way to increase your odds of landing one of the big-name options at the position.

The Eagles’ frontline defense has been one of the league’s best in recent seasons, but Shemar Stewart is a potential game-changer at the interior. He has impressive power and agility to go along with outstanding run-defense skills.

Athlete Retirement News

For many athletes, retiring from their sport can be a challenge. Athletes can struggle to find a new identity outside of their sport, and can even end up living on food stamps or going into debt in their early post-athletic careers. This is a significant problem that can be overcome with greater support and awareness from sports organisations, who can help their athletes plan for the future.

Athletes who are preparing for retirement need to think about more than their career, and also consider their family. A recent study by Dr Cavallerio interviewed female gymnasts who had retired from elite level competition and found that the experience of retirement was not just emotionally difficult for the athlete, but also the parents, partners and coaches.

Alex Morgan, one of the most successful women’s soccer players of her generation, recently announced her retirement from the game. In a video posted to social media, Morgan explained that it had been a difficult decision, but that it was time to move on to the next chapter in her life.

Financial advisers recommend that athletes consider buying term life insurance and permanent total disability insurance to protect their income, and set up a trust if they have more than $1 million in assets to avoid potential tax penalties. They should also make sure to pay off all debts before retiring, and invest in income-producing assets that can provide a steady stream of cash in retirement.

Fan Protest Stories

Whether helping bring down Jose Mourinho, marching against their club owners or pushing back against plans to commercialize football, fans have a long history of using their passion for sports as a tool for nonviolent protest. These fan protest stories remind us that fan activism isn’t a passing fad, but an integral part of the fight for social change.

Black fans, for example, used their passion for sports as a weapon in the Civil Rights Movement, boycotting professional sports teams that segregated seating and pressuring city leaders to integrate stadiums. They maintained their protests through the Black press, relying on writers like Jim Hall, Marcel Hopson and Marion Jackson to keep readers up to date on boycott information. They also employed other tactics, including pickets and directing their protests toward the owners of the franchises rather than the players themselves.

The timbre of protests differed, too. For example, while Star Wars has been a common pop culture reference for American protesters, for young people in countries where anime is incredibly popular (such as China), One Piece may hold more sway because of its universal appeal and its depiction of the struggle against an evil empire.

When writing about someone who participates in a protest, it’s important to focus on their personal characteristics, such as their hobbies and family, to help readers connect with them and promote positive attitudes toward underrepresented groups. This is especially true when reporting on sports-related protests, as the use of personal narrative can reinforce the message that all fans are equal and should be treated with respect.

Gender Equality in Sports

Gender equality in sports is essential to achieving a level playing field for everyone who wishes to participate and excel in sports. The prevailing stereotypes of men as superior athletes to women have alienated many girls and boys from participation and led to the glaring disparities that persist in the world of sports today, including: gender-based pay disparities (e.g., US Women’s soccer captain Megan Rapinoe earning forty times less than her male counterparts), lack of women in technical and senior management positions (management and training), gender gap in the professionalization of sport, limited media visibility for female athletes, and insufficient funding for women’s teams.

Many of these challenges can be addressed by taking a holistic approach, addressing all areas of the sports landscape. Bar-Anderson and colleagues highlight the key role of education as a tool for combating gender discrimination, while del Valle et al. examine the underlying structural drivers of gender inequality in school-based athletics and advocate for transformative pedagogical practices. In contrast, Ottogalli-Mazzacavallo et al. delve into the antiquated dichotomy between ‘vigorous’ pursuits reserved for boys and ‘aesthetic’ activities relegated to girls, arguing that this curricular paradigm undermines women’s sports participation.

A recent study uses Fuzzy-Hybrid TOPSIS and Latent Profile Analysis to analyse the Europeans’ Attitudes towards Gender Equality in Sports (ATGEQS). The results show that a substantial proportion of the public endorses the notion that equal opportunities for men and women in sport is a good thing. However, the political divide reveals an ideological split, with left-wing respondents favouring the idea more than right-wing ones. This suggests that gender equality in sports has a political dimension and is subject to rapid social change.

Sports Technology Trends to Watch For

With evolving fan expectations, a push for equity and sustainability, and new opportunities to innovate, sports technology is changing faster than ever. Sports trends to watch for include virtual and phygital sports, coaching technologies, innovations for female athletes, and smart stadium experiences.

Wearables are a major driver of this change, with advanced sports tech like fitness trackers and communication helmets becoming commonplace in many leagues and clubs. These devices allow players to monitor and adjust their workouts based on their goals, while also tracking important metrics such as heart rate, speed, movement, and energy use. For semi-professional football teams, for example, access to smart wearables and advanced video analysis tools such as Catapult Vector is game-changing. They can now train more effectively, mitigate injury risks, and develop strategies akin to elite teams.

Other transformative sports technology in the pipeline includes a shift towards smarter training and more personalized player development. AI-driven analytics tools are revolutionizing the way coaches and players prepare for games, practice, and scout talent. These tools help analyze game footage to identify patterns and predict future outcomes, boosting the accuracy of coaching and player development.

Unified sports technology platforms are reducing the time needed to flip between apps and focus on strategy, ensuring that no data slips through the cracks. For instance, intelligent video software can automatically create highlight reels for each player that align with their specific role and goal, allowing coaches to spend more time coaching rather than sifting through footage.

The UEFA Champions League Final

The UEFA Champions League is one of the most popular and most lucrative sports media events in the world. It is a tournament for the best teams in European professional soccer. It was originally known as the European Cup (up until 1992), and it is widely considered to be the world’s most prestigious club competition.

Initially, the competition was open only to the champion clubs of European national leagues (and in some cases, two runners-up from each association). Since its revamp in 1992, the tournament has been expanded to include more teams and a group stage.

In the group phase, teams are placed into one of four pots based on their UEFA coefficient, and they play against each other twice (home and away). The winner and runner-up of each group advances to the knockout stage, which is still run in a typical double-legged manner. The teams are ranked over the two legs, and the team with the most goals—or aggregate—advances to the next round.

The defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain, are the clear favorites to win this year’s Champions League. They boast a strong attacking unit and are well-balanced across all areas of the game. However, the big question mark is whether Ousmane Dembele can recover from an injury in time to be part of the squad. PSG should be able to succeed without him, but it will be a challenge. Here are the players who could make the difference in Saturday’s final.

The World Test Championship – South Africa Vs Australia Final

The World Test Championship was launched in 2019 to add context and excitement to cricket’s longest format. Spanning two-year cycles, the tournament determines the world’s best Test team based on points earned from a series of matches against each other.

The inaugural cycle ended with New Zealand and India each winning their respective WTC finals, but this summer it is South Africa who will be holding the mace when they take on Australia in a decisive final at Lord’s. The Proteas ripped the label of underdog from Australia’s callused grip in Saturday’s thrilling finale at the home of cricket, courtesy of Aiden Markram’s unbeaten century and Temba Bavuma’s vital support.

Amid the jubilation, it is important to remember that the WTC remains controversial, and the ICC has already considered a range of potential changes in response to criticisms of its structure. Whether through the point deductions for slow overs or the exclusion of non-Test playing nations such as Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, the competition has been accused of focusing on profits over the long term sustainability of the game.

Despite the criticism, the WTC offers an intriguing and exciting concept, and on Wednesday night at Lord’s it will be finally put to the ultimate test. The result will decide which of the nine full ICC members is the world’s top Test team, and who will hold the mace in the fourth edition of the World Test Championship.

Formula 1 Standings

Formula 1 standings are the key indicators of success across a season of Grand Prix and Sprint races. The standings award points to the top ten finishers in each race with 25 awarded to the winner, while teams are also scored on their overall tally of drivers finishing within the top 10.

Each driver’s championship and team’s constructors title are decided based on their total number of championship points throughout the season. A maximum of 44 points can be earned at each race, with 25 being awarded for a win and eight on offer for a sprint round victory. Drivers are able to change teams during the year, however the points they earn in their previous team count towards their current tally.

In the 74 years since the first Constructors Championship was run, Ferrari lead the way with 16 titles, ahead of Williams and McLaren on nine each and Mercedes on eight. In addition, Red Bull have clinched four consecutive team titles.

Although it’s fairly common for the champion to be a race winner, there have been plenty of seasons where one driver has won the championship without winning a single race. For instance, Keke Rosberg took the title in 1982 and Mike Hawthorn claimed it in 1958 despite only scoring just a single victory.

Aside from deciding the world championship winners, Formula 1 standings are crucial for each team as they battle to earn the right to keep their garage space in the pit lane. This can be a huge advantage as it allows them to work with their engineers in close proximity, allowing for quicker communication and more accurate set-up of the car. In addition, the position of a team’s garage in the pit lane is determined by its finishing position in the previous season’s championship, with those at the front having garages closest to the entrance.

Athlete Endorsements

Athlete endorsements are a key component of sports marketing, and they offer brands an opportunity to build a stronger connection with consumers through their intrinsic trust and admiration. However, their impact can also be undermined by a decline in performance or involvement in controversies, making it critical for brands to select athletes that align with their message and ethos.

The best athlete endorsements create a deeper connection with audiences through their authentic and genuine message. Choosing athletes who resonate with the brand’s core values is essential, and creating a unified identity between personal and brand branding will promote an integrated and seamless endorsement that feels natural. In addition to ensuring that the athlete’s personality and values align with the brand’s, it is important to track the impact of the sponsorship through metrics such as conversion rates and sales uplift. Athlete-branded products should also be monitored through sentiment analysis to understand how the audience perceives the product, and whether or not this perception is consistent with the overall campaign messaging.

The most successful athlete endorsements leverage diverse digital platforms to reach and engage audiences. Social media campaigns, in particular, can help boost engagement by delivering personalized stories and behind-the-scenes content that make the brand feel more like a trusted recommendation than a traditional advertisement. However, it is crucial to know which platforms are most effective for the specific athlete and their audience, as these factors can vary significantly across industries. In addition, the most valuable endorsement deals often include equity stakes that give the athlete ownership of long-term growth, further enhancing their appeal to brand partners.

Esports Tournament News

Esports tournament news may not be as recognizable as that of golf or football, but the world of competitive gaming is growing and expanding. It is estimated that there are over 1 billion gamers and spectators around the globe, and as internet connectivity continues to grow, it won’t be long before esports breaks that magical $5 billion mark in value.

Many popular video games have esports leagues and tournaments dedicated to them. The most famous are the League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2’s International, and the fighting game-specific Evolution Championship Series (EVO).

While multiplayer gaming is something that many players are familiar with, esports takes it to an entirely different level. Many top players earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from tournament prize pools, and some teams have amassed fortunes worth millions of dollars. Some of the most prolific esports teams include Astralis, OG, Team Liquid, and FaZe Clan.

Esports tournaments can be watched online on streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube, on certain cable and broadcast networks, or even in person. Larger esports events are often broadcast live and feature pre- and post-game discussion as well as in-match commentary from professional play-by-play and color commentators.