I Dig Sports
'To break America, rugby must learn to love its stars'
When it first opened its London office in 2019, Roc Nation Sports International had no intention of moving into rugby.
However, intrigued by the commotion around England's run in the tournament, a curious Yormark watched that year's Rugby World Cup final in the back of an executive car on the way north to meet Manchester City midfielder and Roc Nation client Kevin de Bruyne.
Yormark heard a victorious Kolisi speak about the relationship between South Africa and the Springboks. He read about Kolisi's township upbringing, when the future flanker's favourite toy was a brick. He was convinced. A few weeks later, Kolisi had signed with Roc Nation.
Roc Nation uses star power from other parts of their business to shine a light on such stories: Kolisi has hung out with NBA legend Kevin Durant, while Itoje has spent time with superstar producer DJ Khaled at his Miami home.
Convincing rugby's stars to promote themselves as aggressively as artists in other arenas, though, has proved a challenge.
It often falls to Paul Adesoye. Roc Nation's head of rugby has to overcome an ingrained culture that prioritises the dressing-room collective above individual empire building, even if the example of United States sevens player and social media superstar Ilona Maher has changed perspectives.
"Over here the guys are a little bit more reticent about doing it," said Adesoye. "To be honest, they are a bit nervous about the reaction of their team-mates and their clubs as well. But it is slowly changing.
"Danny Care has launched a vlog and done a podcast - granted he is towards the end of his career, but it is becoming more common in the sport.
"I think it will eventually go in the direction of how it has in the United States where you have current NBA players doing podcasts during the season, telling their story first-hand. It is a matter of time."
Whether it will be in time for rugby's big push west, though, is the question.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will drive the No. 82 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet in the ARCA 200 at Daytona on Feb. 15 at Daytona (Fla.) Intl Speedway.
The 49-year-old Sao Paolo, Brazil native will drive the No. 91 Wendys Chevrolet fielded under Trackhouse Racings Project91 banner in the 67th-annual Daytona 500 the next day.
The race in the ARCA Menards Series is part of Castroneves preparation for his first Daytona 500.
I am looking forward to ARCA racing, said Castroneves who will be in Daytona on Thursday at the ARCA test. I think getting as much seat time as possible will help in our preparation for the Daytona 500, plus I have watched ARCA races in the past on television and they look like a lot of fun.
Castroneves earned Indianapolis 500 victories in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021. Additionally, he has scored 21 other NTT Data IndyCar Series victories and six CART Champ Car World Series wins. He has four previous starts on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval, all in the International Race of Champions, with a best finish of sixth in 2004.
Pinnacle Racing Group fielded Chevrolets for Trackhouse Racing driver Connor Zilisch who won five races in the ARCA Menards Series races in 2024. The team also fielded an ARCA entry for Shane van Gisbergen at Daytona last year.
AlUla, Saudi Arabia After trouble with his electronic tablet during Tuesdays Stage Three, bike racer Daniel Sanders was given back 4 minutes, 54 seconds by Dakar Rally race organizers before setting off on Stage Four.
He continued his brilliant event in the first part of this years Marathon Stage as the Australian navigated the 415-kilometer volcanic rock garden spreading from Al Henakiyah to AlUla safely on Wednesday as others in the convoy found it tough going on their tires.
The 30-year-old, who holds a 13-minute 26-second lead over his nearest rival Spaniard Tosha Schareina, said, I know this area and it can be tricky, so youve just got to focus. It looks like Im opening the stage tomorrow, so the pressure is on to not lose too much time.
With younger brother Luciano in eighth overall, two-time bike winner Kevin Benavides has struggled to reach those heights again at the 47th edition as under Marathon Stage rules the riders were given just 90 minutes to work on their bikes after completing todays route.
The first part of this Marathon Stage was incredibly long, more than five hours of racing, Benavides said. There were lines everywhere, so I was really focused on the navigation and doing my own work.
The Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team rookies swapped positions in the Challenger class as American Corbin Leaverton leapfrogged Portuguese team-mate Gonçalo Guerreiro into second spot overall.
There were so many stones, Guerreiro said. Ive never seen something like this. We managed as best we could and still got one flat tyre. We have more than 400 kilometers and our car is in perfect condition.
It was a frustrating day in the Ultimate class as Frenchman Sébastien Loeb did not even start due to a damaged roll cage which means he goes another year without an elusive Dakar title while car debutant Australian Toby Price was undone after a string of strong results when he had to wait more than two hours for his service truck to arrive.
Swede Mattias Ekström got through unscathed to lie 21 minutes, 40 seconds off Ultimate leader Henk Lategan with Brazilian Lucas Moraes up to fifth overall, and American Mitch Guthrie Jr. up to sixth as five-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah dropped down to seventh 35 minutes, 53 seconds back from Lategan overall.
We stopped twice today, Al-Attiyah said. Once for a puncture and the second time for a broken rear arm. We waited for Cristina (Dacia teammate Gutiérrez) and then we fixed it. The car is OK for tomorrow.
In the SSV class, Chilean Francisco Chaleco López finished second on the day for fourth overall.
All the rocks and also the navigation made this a complicated stage, López said. Aside from the tough terrain, the landscape in AlUla is always very beautiful.
Thursdays Stage Five to Hail is a classic mix of sandy and rocky tracks on a timed special stage of 428km as the rally heads towards its rest day.
The Emotional Rollercoaster of Antron Browns Title
With any form of motorsports, tensions are high within title-chasing teams.
While drivers and crew members may not talk about it out loud, all they can think of is whats at stake.
During the NHRA Finals at Californias In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, tension reached an all-time high in Top Fuel as title contenders Justin Ashley and Antron Brown had to wait to face each other in the first round due to a more than two-hour delay for a plane crash near the top end of the race track.
An added element prior to their battle is their close-knit bond. Someone was going to miss out on a championship, however, both drivers were actively rooting for one another.
It was some high emotions on that deal because Ive been with Justin for so many years and watching him grow and becoming a young man and also becoming into the driver that he is, Brown said. Hes a championship driver.
Brown won the battle and was greeted by Ashleys father, Mike Ashley, at the top end of the race track with one motivational sentence AB, you better win this damn championship, Brown recalled.
The chase was only beginning for Brown as hed endure high stakes races the rest of the afternoon from knocking out title contender Shawn Langdon one round later to holding off Brittany Force in the semifinals to clinch his fourth Top Fuel title.
After we got past Shawn and we got to that semifinal round and we beat Brittany, that was lights out, Brown recalled. So for us, man, it was really like a deal that was unexpected.
While always a threat, Brown was perhaps overlooked for the title as he was fifth in the standings when the Countdown to the Championship began.
Nonetheless, Brown and his AB Motorsports team reeled off two straight wins to kick off the Countdown and put themselves into a title-winning position before knocking out Doug Kalitta in the finals in Pomona to put an exclamation mark on their season.
The team may have put itself into position in Pomona with consistency in the Countdown. However, it ultimately, came down to one race.
It came from the work that you did the whole year, but that one race was everything, Brown said.
It was great for TV, it was great to write about, but it wasnt great for the racers that were involved, because Ill tell you what, it took five years off my life, Brown laughed.
But, besides that, it was truly a blessing and its a tribute to how strong of a team that we have and I believe in every one of our people on our race team, each and every day and we never faltered.
So thats why I went into that race day locked in, head down and they gave me the car and they gave me the vehicle what it took to get to get the job done. My hats off to them and without them, I wouldnt be here today.
Historic Trans-Am Series Taking Racing To Heritage Invitational
CONCORD, N.C. The highly anticipated opening of the Ten Tenths Motor Club will include the circuits first-ever sanctioned race when the Historic Trans-Am Series hosts its season-opening event during the Heritage Invitational April 3-5.
Historic Trans-Am racing celebrates the golden era of American motorsport, featuring the legendary muscle cars not reproductions that ruled the tracks from the late 1960s to early 1970s.
These meticulously restored machines, driven by passionate racers, will bring a mix of speed and nostalgia to the short course at the all-new Ten Tenths Motor Club for two days of racing before going on display as part of the third annual Heritage Invitational concours.
The Heritage Invitational was created to celebrate car culture and community, Greg Walter, President and General Manager, Charlotte Motor Speedway said. With the expansion to three days this year, were thrilled to bring a new element to the weekend through on-track events.
The Historic Trans Am Series is the perfect way to highlight automotive history and speed while showcasing our innovative new circuit.
Racers will take to the innovative 13-turn, 1.1-mile short course for the first time during practice sessions on April 3. Final practice, qualifying and two feature races one racing clockwise around the circuit and the second counterclockwise will take place on April 4.
On April 5, the iconic machines will be staged for viewing in conjunction with the Heritage Invitational concours.
The NHL will play outdoor games in Florida for the first time next season, hosting matchups in Miami and Tampa.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told ESPN that next season's Winter Classic will feature the Florida Panthers against the New York Rangers on Jan. 2 at LoanDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. Bettman also said next season's Stadium Series game will be played between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins on Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"We've done 42 games all over North America. We haven't had one in Florida, and our teams have been there for three decades," Bettman said. "This is a golden age of hockey in Florida when you look at fan engagement, when you look at big events like All-Star [Games], when look at Stanley Cups between the Lightning and the Panthers and when you look at the growth of hockey at all levels of the game."
This will be the first time the Panthers participate in an outdoor game and the Lightning's second appearance (2022 Stadium Series vs. Predators in Nashville). With the Columbus Blue Jackets playing in this year's Stadium Series game, it leaves the Utah Hockey Club as the only NHL team that has neither played nor is scheduled to play in an outdoor game.
Going to Florida will be the league's latest chapter in hosting an outdoor game in a nontraditional hockey market.
The NHL held an outdoor game at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1991, but unconventional venues became more frequent with the introduction of the Stadium Series in 2014, with Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles; Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California; the Cotton Bowl in Dallas; and Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State hosting games.
NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer said LoanDepot Park is like T-Mobile Park, home of MLB's Seattle Mariners, where the NHL held its 2024 Winter Classic. Mayer said both stadiums have a roof that can cover the playing surface that helps with building ice under controlled conditions. The idea will be to open the roof before the game for a dramatic entrance.
Mayer said Tampa and Raymond James Stadium, an outdoor venue with no roof in an area with high humidity, provides a different challenge. The NHL is working with a Dallas-based company to create what is essentially a mini-warehouse where they will build the ice under controlled conditions.
"Then at the appropriate time, which could be hours before the game, we'll dismantle that structure and underneath we'll reveal, 'Voila, here is our rink. Let's play some hockey,'" Mayer said. "That's how we're going to have to do it at Raymond James. The actual weather itself, unlike Dallas and Los Angeles, will not allow us to build ice because of the humidity and the temperatures during the day."
Regarding alternate venues in both South Florida and Tampa, Bettman said Hard Rock Stadium wasn't an option because of the Orange Bowl, which will be played around the same time as the Winter Classic. He said Tropicana Field, which was the Lightning's first home back when it was the ThunderDome, wasn't considered before it was damaged by Hurricane Milton because it was an indoor structure.
Keith Wachtel, the president of NHL Business, said the league examines several items when it comes to what teams can host an outdoor game. He said the league takes details such as potential venues, how a team is performing in the standings and how much support they could receive from fans in a market.
Wachtel said hosting the games six weeks apart means that Florida is "going to be the center of the hockey universe."
Markets such as South Florida and Tampa Bay were part of the NHL's expansion into the Sun Belt in the early 1990s. The Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1996 while the Lightning won their first Cup in 2004. The past decade, however, has seen both franchises take a more commanding role in the sport, with the Lightning winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and the Panthers claiming their first title last season.
Both cities have also hosted the NHL All-Star Game during this Florida hockey surge. Tampa hosted the game for the second time in 2018, and South Florida welcomed its second All-Star Game in 2023.
Mayer said as All-Star Weekend in Tampa was ending, the league saw a billboard from the Tampa Bay Sports Commission that read, "Next time, let's go outside the box," with a rendering of an outdoor game at Raymond James Stadium.
"That was their plea to us as we left town to come back," Mayer said. "We've been focused on this for many, many years. The engineering of this took time. Then the building of this to where we could do two games in Florida? It just all came together so perfectly."
NHL postpones Kings' home game due to wildfires
LOS ANGELES -- The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings' home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires still burning across the greater Los Angeles area.
The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play Wednesday night at the Kings' downtown arena.
"Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community," the Kings said in a statement. "We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league's support in keeping our fans, staff, and players safe."
The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena on Thursday night.
"We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary..." NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement Wednesday.
Three major fires were burning in areas of the vast Los Angeles metroplex on Wednesday following two days of extraordinary winds. At least 70,000 people are under evacuation orders, and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed.
At least five people have been killed in the fires.
The Kings said tickets for their postponed game will be good for the rescheduled date, which hasn't been set yet.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Prospects who impressed, teams that shocked us (for better or worse) at the 2025 World Juniors
For the first time in history, the United States has successfully defended gold at the IIHF world junior championship.
Outstanding performances were the story of the tournament this year. For the first time in recent memory, there were no complaints of "too many blowouts" or "not enough parity." Every team in the tournament was capable of a competitive game, making for a very unpredictable round robin and medal round.
From surprise upsets to last-minute goals to overtime thrillers and a shootout that lasted far too long, Ottawa put on a fantastic tournament from top to bottom.
In addition to the team competition, this was also a showcase for top prospects (both drafted and those who will be selected in 2025 and 2026), with execs and scouts from all 32 NHL teams in attendance. Here's a look at players who stood out the most for each team, along with my take on each country's overall performance:
Jump to a team:
Canada | Czechia
Finland | Germany
Latvia | Slovakia
Sweden | Switzerland
United States
Van Dijk bristles at ref's decision in Spurs loss
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has questioned the referee's decision to not hand Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Bergvall a second yellow card before the 18-year-old scored the winning goal in the Carabao Cup semifinal between the sides.
Stuart Attwell, the official in charge of the game, had earlier booked Bergvall for a foul on Luis Díaz and played advantage after another late tackle from the Swede on Kostas Tsimikas.
As Liverpool's attack petered out, Attwell did not stop play to show a yellow card to Bergvall and moments later the teenager slotted past Alisson after fine work from Dominic Solanke while Tsimikas was off the pitch receiving treatment.
"It was quite obvious there was gonna be a second yellow," Van Dijk told Sky Sports after the game.
"It was pretty clear, and then a minute later he scores the winner. Listen, it is what it is. [The referee] made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. He thinks he didn't. It was quite obvious and everyone on the sideline knew it.
"There's a linesman there, there's a fourth official, there's VAR ... and he doesn't get a second yellow. I'm not saying this is the reason we lost, but it was a big moment in the game."
The Netherlands stalwart did add that Attwell's call wasn't the only reason Liverpool will head to Anfield to play the second leg facing a deficit.
"We played against an intense team with good attacking players who keep running and make it difficult," he said. "We created opportunities -- not really clear-cut chances in my opinion, but enough that we could have scored.
"At times we could have done better. That's part of football. At times we played through them nicely, but they were able to defend much better than when we were here a couple of weeks ago."
Arne Slot echoed Van Dijk's comments, saying: "The decision he [the referee] made had a lot of impact on the result tonight."
The second leg at Anfield is scheduled for Feb. 6. Liverpool play League Two team Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, while Spurs travel to National League side Tamworth.
Manchester United have agreed terms on a new contract for Amad Diallo, sources have told ESPN.
The 22-year-old winger has signed a long-term extension to secure his future at Old Trafford.
A club announcement is imminent and could come as early as Thursday. Amad has shot to prominence at Old Trafford this season becoming a key player for new head coach Ruben Amorim.
Amad has scored six goals in 28 appearances, including the equaliser in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
His contract was due to expire at the end of the season, although United held an option to extend his deal by 12 months.
The club decided against triggering the option and instead chose to negotiate a new long-term contract.
Amad endured a slow start to his career at United.
He arrived in a 37 million ($46m) deal from Atalanta in 2020 and was subsequently sent out on loan to Rangers and Sunderland. He excelled at the English club, scoring 14 goals in 42 games during the 2022-23 campaign.
He won both Sunderland's young player of the year award and the PFA Championship fans' player of the year award.
Amad has scored three goals in his last six appearances for United, a run which included a last-minute winner against Manchester City in December.
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
