I Dig Sports
Golobic & Matt Wood Racing Enjoy Stellar Chili Bowl
TULSA, Okla. Shane Golobic not only finished third in Saturday nights 39th annual Chili Bowl Nationals, but he prepared three cars that finished in the top five.
The Matt Wood Racing stable earned the third, fourth and fifth-place finishes with Golobic preparing his No. 17w midget as well as the cars wheeled by Ryan Bernal (fourth) and Landon Brooks (fifth).
What a week. I cant say enough about these guys, Golobic said after the race. It was a true honor working with them all week. Everybody stepped up their game. It is a really cool little team that we have built. We are just a bunch of winged guys from California and to put three in the top five is super cool.
Golobic and Bernal each finished second on the preliminary nights, while Brooks went to victory lane on his qualifying night. Racing his teammates on Saturday was an interesting occurrence for Golobic.
It is super weird racing against cars that you are crew chiefing. You are pulling for them, but you want to beat them, he said. You kind of know what their car has got and what mine has got. It is definitely a weird feeling that you dont get that often, but I wouldnt trade it for anything.
Its a really cool little team. All five of our drivers, we all get along really well. We are just good buddies. Its a really fun week and to have really good results just caps it off.
Third is Golobics best finish at the Chili Bowl.
Third is my best here. I want to be a couple better, he said. I feel like our cars are really good when we come here. We might need to race midgets more often just to knock the rust off a little bit. Our cars are really good. Maybe someday we can move up a couple of spots. I need to get a prelim win so I dont have to start deep in the feature.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Only a year ago at this time, Kevin Magnussen was preparing to compete in the 2024 Formula 1 season. This month, the son of sports car legend Jan Magnussen begins a season in sports cars something he says he so genuinely looks forward to.
Magnussen will co-drive the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8 competing in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in next weeks Rolex 24 his third start in the historic twice-around-the-clock race and first since 2022. He will compete fulltime in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as well and racing stateside in three IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events at Daytona, Sebring and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
He fondly remembers coming to the IMSA races as a kid with his father, a four-time sports car champion who won nearly 50 races the experiences stocking a lifelong love of the sports car kind.
Magnussen, who spent a decade competing in F-1, said he is looking forward to the career transition and eager to improve on a pair of fifth-place finishes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener at Daytona and his car was fastest in Fridays two-hour afternoon practice.
In 10 previous career IMSA starts, he has a victory from pole position at Detroits Belle Isle course in 2021.
I came here so much as a kid and grew up at these races in a way and always knew I wanted to be a part of that, said Magnussen, 32, who said this opportunity was absolutely where he wanted to transition. As a young boy you look up to your dad and want to do what he is doing. I guess for many drivers, Formula 1 is like the pinnacle which it is for me as well, but I certainly have an extra passion for sports car racing because I grew up with it.
Its more pure. sports car racing in general, I think people love what they do more than they do in Formula One because its so competitive [in F1] it can be kind of cold in a way. I arrived here and see everyone smiling and looking forward to the race and everything. Its a different vibe, different environment.
AC Milan senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confirmed the Serie A club are exploring a move for "great player" Kyle Walker.
Walker is looking to leave Manchester City this January and sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson that Milan are the frontrunners for the defender's signature.
The England right-back has been left out of City's last two squads by manager Pep Guardiola and the Premier League side are focusing on reinforcements in this window.
Ibrahimovic, a legendary striker for Milan who took an executive role for the club's owners, RedBird capital, in 2023 spoke glowingly of the 34-year-old before Milan's league defeat to Juventus on Saturday.
"Everyone knows that Walker is a great player, for Man City, Tottenham, and England," he said, as reported by Calciomercato.
"There is a lot of interest. He doesn't go against our strategy and vision, he is a leader and dominates the dressing room, so let's see what we can do."
Milan's new boss Sérgio Conceição has stressed the need for signings and Ibrahimovic added: "We talk to Conceição every day, we know what is needed and we work on it.
"The more I talk, the more the players cost. New names come out every day, the agents play their game."
Milan will likely have to choose between Walker and international teammate Marcus Rashford, who they are also interested in, due to Serie A rules on foreign players.
The club are eighth in Serie A, 19 points behind league leaders Napoli.
Manchester United endured a miserable 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday after visiting winger Yankuba Minteh scored one goal and created another, with the hosts not helped by a howler from goalkeeper André Onana.
Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter were also on the scoresheet in the second half for Brighton, who also had a goal from Joao Pedro ruled out by VAR for a foul in the build-up.
Bruno Fernandes netted a penalty for United to level the score at 1-1 at half-time but, after Brighton took the lead for the second time, Onana spilled a routine gather from a low cross into the box, allowing Rutter to tap home the loose ball.
Brighton climb to ninth place with 34 points, four points off the top four. United are 13th on 26 also from 22 games.
Brighton have won in six of their last seven league games with United and on their last three visits to Old Trafford.
The teams were led out by bagpipes in memory of club great Denis Law, who passed away this week, with a wreath laid at the centre-circle by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Brighton led inside five minutes as Mitoma beat the offside trap on the left from Carlos Baleba's long ball and his pass across goal provided a simple finish for the unmarked Minteh.
United won a penalty midway through the first half when Brighton attempted to play the ball out of defence, but goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen's pass was poor and the ball fell to Joshua Zirkzee in the box.
Baleba put his arm on the shoulder of the striker, who went to ground and referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot, with Fernandes having no problem slotting home to level the score.
Brighton thought they were in front again seven minutes into the second period when United failed to clear a low free-kick into the box and Pedro finished but a VAR check ruled Jan Paul van Hecke had kicked the foot of Diogo Dalot in the melee.
However, the visitors did get a second on the hour when Mitoma stretched at the back post ahead of United defender Noussair Mazraoui to turn in Minteh's inviting cross.
Brighton then netted a third thanks to Onana's horrendous error to make the game safe and leave United to dwell on their 10th league defeat of the league campaign.
Shan Masood defends spin-it-to-win-it strategy: 'We will do what we need to take 20 wickets'
On those counts, the decision has been an unmitigated success. Ever since losing the first Test to England in October on a flat deck, Pakistan volte-faced on the kind of surfaces they wanted to prepare. Particular attention has been focused on the measures they have taken to ensure spin remains the most potent - arguably only - threat.
Masood pointed out the wins were not an inevitability, but a consequence of Pakistan playing the better cricket across all departments in each game. "If you're looking individually at the batters, it doesn't make for good reading. But our batters batted better than West Indies, and better than England's batters in October. If you just look at hundreds and fifties and judge them by raw numbers, then it'll be misleading. Just like we'll have to be flexible with our playing style, viewers will also need to be flexible in their thinking. Look at India's blueprint and their averages at home and you'll get the point. If conditions are flat, getting 20 wickets is hard. We've sacrificed individual milestones for team results."
Masood's comments indicate that Pakistan have no plans yet to change what has been a successful strategy for them. While this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has proven an unhappy one - they will finish second from bottom in the standings - they have, on paper, a much softer draw in the next two-year cycle. It sees them play three two-Test series at home against South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and three series away from home against West Indies, England and Bangladesh. Masood made it clear they had eyes on a final berth in 2027, and that, should it happen, the route lay through "winning all our games at home".
"If you're looking individually at the batters, it doesn't make for good reading. But our batters batted better than West Indies, and better than England's batters in October... Just like we'll have to be flexible with our playing style, viewers will also need to be flexible in their thinking."
Shan Masood
He also dismissed any concerns over dissatisfaction of his fellow batters regarding these playing conditions, and allayed fears over the redundancy of Pakistan's Test fast bowling. "We can't pit our bowlers and batters against each other," he said. "The hardest thing to do here was batting and fast bowling. West Indies didn't score 141 in either of their innings, and yet we had one partnership [Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan] do it. The mistake is we should maybe have tried to string a few partnerships around that big one. Performances aren't just about scoring centuries; in some conditions, 10-20 extra runs can make all the difference.
"If someone has to sacrifice there, like fast bowlers or batters, then so be it. There will be oppositions where we feel we can prepare seam-friendly pitches. Then fast bowlers will get the opportunity to get wickets like the spinners got here. We need to work on how we can progress as a team. A WTC is a two-year cycle, so fast bowlers will come into it. We have away series in England and the West Indies with the Dukes ball. When a subcontinent team comes here, we may prepare seam-friendly wickets. Over the bigger picture, no one's role is being diminished."
Pakistan do not play another Test for nine months, and have just two scheduled over the next 14 months. For Masood, this was the biggest concern, and a situation he deemed unacceptable.
"I've complained about this issue and raised it several times; a nation like Pakistan cannot just play 4-5 Tests a year. This is something we as a nation need to push for. A ten-month gap, and then if you come and play in these conditions, it can be completely different. Our first-class season will also likely only just have begun at that time. These ten months are important, and I hope we get international and domestic cricket, and the Test players we have, hopefully we can look after them in the next ten months so they're ready for the series against South Africa in October."
Ten months is a long time in cricket and, as Masood knows only too well, especially in Pakistan cricket. But in a nation where captains can live or die by the results their team produces, it is little surprise Masood makes no apology for a strategy which, for now, has been giving his team those wins, regardless of the optics that accompany them.
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000
Raeeq Daniels' four helps South Africa square Youth ODI series
South Africa Under-19 164 for 5 (Rowles 33, Ahmed 2-24) beat England Under-19 161 (Dawkins 59, Moores 59, Daniels 4-25)
South Africa Men U19s levelled their series against England Men U19s with a five-wicket win in the second Youth ODI in Cape Town.
Ben Dawkins and Joe Moores both posted half-centuries, but were the only Young Lions batters to reach double figures.
Kent opener Dawkins reached his fifty from 74 balls but lacked support until Moores joined him in a 41-run stand for the sixth wicket. The Lancashire left-hander expertly counter-attacked and his fourth six, an effortless pull off Daniels, helped him to a half-century from 58 balls.
It was not enough, however, as opener Rowles shared a 46-run second-wicket partnership with captain Bennie Hansen before Paul James and Bandile Mbatha added 30 each. Farhan Ahmed claimed 2 for 24.
The series is set to be decided in Stellenbosch on Wednesday before the two-match Youth Test series begins on January 26.
No personal vehicles for India players as CAB enforces BCCI's new policy
"In keeping with the BCCI's 10-point guidelines for players, the Cricket Association of Bengal has not arranged any separate means of conveyance [for individual players]," Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI. "Only a team bus has been arranged for the Indian team. There won't be any personal vehicles for the cricketers.
"We have to follow the guidelines, which clearly state that all players are expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions."
The entire squad travelling to and from training and matches together on the team bus was one of the points put forward by the BCCI this past week, after a review meeting to go over India's recent poor run in Test cricket. Among those present at the meeting were head coach Gautam Gambhir, the Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
The policy document said that going forward, a player will need a "pre-approved" nod from the head coach or head selector to travel separately from the rest of the squad to training or games, and all players would have to wait for the entire training session or game to be over before they left the ground. "This rule ensures commitment and fosters a strong work ethic within the team," the document said.
Pittsburgh Pirates CEO Travis Williams said the organization is committed to winning but declared to frustrated fans that owner Bob Nutting will not sell the team.
Williams addressed fans' frustration over Nutting's ownership Saturday during a Q&A session at the Pirates' annual offseason fan fest.
As Williams was responding to the first question, one fan in attendance shouted, "Sell the team," prompting some applause from the audience. At that point, several fans started chanting, "Sell the team!"
Greg Brown, the Pirates' longtime television play-by-play announcer, asked the fans to stop the chant and to "be respectful." Another fan then asked Williams, who was seated next to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, why Nutting was not in attendance.
"We know, at the end of the day, this is all passion that has turned into frustration relative to winning," Williams said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I think the points that you are making in terms of 'Where is Bob?' That's why he has us here, we're here to execute and make sure that we win."
Williams added that Nutting, who has owned the Pirates since 2018, was scheduled to attend the event and interact with fans at some point later Saturday.
"To answer your immediate question that you said earlier, Bob is not going to sell the team," Williams said. "He cares about Pittsburgh, he cares about winning, he cares about us putting a winning product on the field and we're working towards that every day."
Nutting has been widely criticized by fans and local media in recent years as the Pirates have toiled at or near the bottom of the National League Central standings.
The Pirates went 76-86 last season en route to their fourth last-place finish in the last six seasons. They have not finished with a winning record since 2018, have not reached the playoffs since 2015, and have just three postseason appearances since 1992.
"We know that there is frustration, frustration because we are not winning, with the expectations of winning," Williams said. "At the end of the day, that's not due to lack of commitment to want to win."
Spurred by the arrival of ace pitcher Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, the Pirates were 55-52 at the trade deadline last season before a 21-34 freefall through the final two months dropped Pittsburgh to last in the NL Central.
"We can just look at last year," Williams said. "It was a big positive going through the middle of the season, we were going into August two games above .500, but unfortunately we had a tough run in August and that tough run in August took us out of the hunt for the wild card. ... From myself to Ben, to Derek, to lots of other people that are here today and throughout the entire organization, but that's not for a lack of commitment or desire to win whatsoever.
"That's from the top all the way down to the bottom of the organization. We are absolutely committed to win, what we need to do is find a way to win."
Closer Tanner Scott and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a four-year, $72 million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday.
It's the latest offseason splash for the Dodgers, who also are signing prized Japanese pitching prospect Roki Sasaki, who announced the news on social media Friday.
Scott, 30, was 9-6 with 22 saves and a 1.75 ERA last season pitching for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres.
When Scott's deal is made official, the Dodgers' luxury-tax payroll for 2025 will exceed $375 million, which is approximately $70 million more than the next-highest team, Philadelphia.
The Yankees are the only other team with a competitive balance tax payroll projected to be over $300 million.
Djokovic sets up Alcaraz tie - then swerves interview
During his third-round win over Tomas Machac, Djokovic appeared exhausted at times and needed a medical timeout.
He looked fresher against Machac's compatriot, taking control of the opening two sets and stopping Lehecka from earning a break point for more than an hour and 40 minutes.
When Lehecka broke back at the start of the third, an agitated Djokovic shouted towards his team - which includes his former rival Andy Murray - before complaining about noise from the stands while he was trying to serve.
But the seventh seed used the crowd to his advantage in the tie-break, conducting them after hitting a sublime backhand pass and cupping his ear after a deft volley brought up two match points.
"When you are feeling adversity the last couple matches, I think I handled it well," Djokovic told Eurosport.
"Only people who have been there at the highest level understand what you have to deal with. There is a lot on the plate and you have to weather the storm when you are feeling challenged."
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