WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump welcomed Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House on Monday to congratulate them for winning the World Series last season.

Trump complimented "the very talented people" who beat the New York Yankees in five games, while also refusing to introduce some Democratic senators at the ceremony because "I just don't particularly like them, so I won't introduce [them]." The event came during a manic Monday for U.S. stocks after Trump doubled down on his tariffs.

Trump singled out several Dodgers for their achievements last season, praising Ohtani for becoming baseball's first 50 home run-50 stolen base player, Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and NL Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman.

Trump praised Betts for his play -- and took a dig at the Boston Red Sox for trading him to the Dodgers -- and they shook hands at the ceremony.

Betts, the star outfielder at the time for the 2018 champion Boston Red Sox, did not make that team's trip to the White House the next year during Trump's first term. Betts was on the Dodgers when they won the World Series in 2020 and attended the celebration the following year under President Joe Biden.

The 32-year-old Betts is the lone Black player on the Dodgers who returned from last season's World Series team.

"Nobody else in this clubhouse has to go through a decision like this except me," Betts said over the weekend of his decision. "That's what makes it tough. But it is what it is. I'm not trying to make this political by any means at all. All it is is just me being with my team to celebrate something. It's a privilege to get an invitation like this. I just want to be there with them."

Manager Dave Roberts had called the invitation a huge honor that each World Series champion gets to experience. Roberts said deciding to go to the White House was not a formal conversation he and players had.

The trip came almost a month after a Department of Defense webpage describing Brooklyn Dodgers great and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson's military service was restored after it had come down.

That development came after pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were taken down -- which the Pentagon said was a mistake -- amid the department's effort to remove content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers "DEI."

Neither Robinson nor any other previous Dodgers greats were mentioned at the ceremony.

Trump did talk briefly about former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, whom the former New Yorker called a friend. Trump also poked fun at the late Yankees owner's notorious short-leash with his managers after he congratulated Roberts.

"I think he would have lasted even with George Steinbrenner," Trump said. "You lose two games and you're fired."

Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and pitcher Clayton Kershaw gave brief remarks at the White House. Kershaw presented Trump with a Dodgers jersey and No. 47 on the back.

Trump may have tipped his hand that he expected the Dodgers -- who were 9-2 going into Monday night's game at Washington -- to repeat as World Series champs.

"After seeing how successful you've begun the season, I can tell you that you can plan on being back here, I hope you can be back here, next year," Trump said.

The NHL's reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers became the first team to visit Trump in his second term when they were honored during a ceremony in the East Room in early February.

The White House also said recently the NFL's Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles accepted their invitation for April 28.

A week has passed since torpedo bats burst onto the scene as the talk of the 2025 MLB season, and the hitting innovation is still buzzing through the industry.

We asked our MLB reporters to talk to players and coaches to see if they think the bowling pin-shaped bat trend is here to stay, how much it really helps hitters -- and if they believe it should be allowed in the majors.

Here's what those around baseball had to say about the trend taking the sport by storm.

When did you first hear about torpedo bats?

Andrew Benintendi, OF, Chicago White Sox: I had never heard of it. I've used the same bat for nine years so I think I'll stick with that. It's pretty interesting. It makes sense. If it works for a guy, good for him. If it doesn't, stick with what you got.

Robert Van Scoyoc, hitting coach, Los Angeles Dodgers: I've heard about bat fitting. We do bat fitting and all that. I just haven't heard about this specifically. When I first heard about [torpedo bats specifically] was when everyone else kind of knew about it.

Ryan O'Hearn, first baseman, Baltimore Orioles: (Orioles assistant GM and former NASA engineer) Sig Mejdal deserves credit. Sig has been on the torpedo bat for a long time. He's been trying to get guys to experiment with it, use it. He'll send them out, send us everybody. He sent some in the offseason. He sent me the traditional torpedo bat and then he sent me a special model that, based off of my batted ball data, would fit better. He's been all over it. I think I first heard about it in maybe the end of '23 from Sig. And then he made them available. I took BP with it. I was unsure because it does feel a little different. Not in a bad way, just different. I feel like I was hitting balls and kind of feeling the vibrations on the end, which I didn't really like.

Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs: This offseason. It's just caught on. People have used it before. It's not that new.

Adam Ottavino, veteran reliever: I noticed last year that there were some guys with different shaped bats. I think [Francisco] Lindor had one. And, honestly, I didn't think too much of it because there's always been a lot of tinkering with bat models since I've been in the big leagues. There's so many bat models. Even like custom handles like big knobs. Some hockey puck knobs. And there's like those triangular knobs. So I didn't really think too much of it. I didn't maybe understand what they were going for.

Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels: I heard about it in spring training this year. Chuckie Robinson had a bat. We kind of weren't serious about it, you know? He pulled it out and we were like, "Uh, that's kind of strange." But the science behind it makes total sense. I didn't really think about that from that standpoint at all until the science came up for it and said why it would benefit certain people's swings.

[Robinson] never used it ... I don't know if he had it the year prior, but for some reason he had one. And we were just like, "That's a weird-looking bat." I didn't think anything of it until come Opening Day, you see all these guys swinging it in the regular season.

Martin Maldonado, C, San Diego Padres: I don't know anything about it other than what I read on Twitter.

Have you used a torpedo bat before and if not, are you planning to try it now? If so, how did it feel?

Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers: It felt good. The swing felt good. But after the Dylan Lee at-bat (in which Muncy struck out in the sixth inning last Wednesday), I felt like the bat was causing me to be a little bit off-plane, a little bit in and out of the zone. My swings felt really, really good tonight but just a little bit off. So the last at-bat I decided just to go back to my regular bat.

Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs: I've used it in batting practice. I wasn't a big fan. The weight felt a little heavier. The ball feedback wasn't as good. But we'll see.

Swanson: It's not the perfect product. There are so many nuances involved. I've committed to using it enough to get a good sample size. There is definitely validity in everything, but it just has its media craze right now.

Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations, Chicago Cubs: I talked to [Swanson] a lot this winter about it. He was very open-minded. It's a process. That's why we wanted to have guys use them in spring training. The more the veteran guys do it, hopefully that has a carry-over effect.

Michael A. Taylor, OF, Chicago White Sox: I would love to try one. I'm sure everyone is trying to order one right now. It's interesting. I'm not too educated on the science behind it, but it seems pretty straightforward. I tried the axe bat then the puck bat so the torpedo bat is the latest thing. I want to try it.

Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins: I haven't tried it. Not going to try it either. I've been doing perfectly fine with my bats. No point in trying to switch it up now. People blowing up the Yankees about all the homers they hit. Same guys that hit homers are the same guys that hit homers last year. It's not that big of a deal.

O'Hearn: I've used a torpedo bat for one major league at-bat. I struck out. And then I threw it in the trash. Didn't even make contact. I'm weird, man. I just remember guys laughing at me, being like, you're done with it already?

Salvador Perez, catcher, Kansas City Royals: No, but it's interesting. I'm going to talk to Davy (Royals VP of major league team operations Jeff Davenport) about that. Are we going to put in some orders for that bat? I talked to Gary Sanchez yesterday. He used the bat yesterday. The first time that I saw that bat, I grabbed it. Big barrel. I think if it helps, why not? Why not just try it out and see what happens?"

Mark Canha, outfielder, Kansas City Royals: It wasn't anything I was aware of during spring until that half of the first week. I'm using kind of a modified one right now. It's torpedo-esque. It's not as drastic. I didn't even know what I was ordering. Pete Alonso told me to get that model. It's great. And usually he knows a lot. He's really likes stuff like that. So I kind of just trusted him, and it's been working. I like it. But I do like that there's more barrel, a little lower than I'm used to swinging. It feels a little different. It's not as ringy when I get it closer to the label, which I like.

Schanuel: I mostly miss [the ball] on the inner side of the barrel, so if I miss the barrel, I get jammed the most. If I were to get a torpedo bat ... I think it would help me out a lot, especially my bat path and seeing the ball deep. I'd be more than willing to try it yet.

Nicky Lopez, 2B, Los Angeles Angels: I gave it a little bit of a test run in spring training because that's what everyone was kind of doing. But it takes a little bit of getting used to.

Your whole career you've been using a bat that you know, and you know where the sweet spot is, and it's one kind of length. You have the specifications of it and you kind of feel where that barrel is, and now when you move that barrel down a little bit, you have to refine where that sweet spot is. It takes a little bit to get used to. I used it a little bit in BP and I'm going to continue to use it and just see where it's at.

Nico Hoerner, 2B, Chicago Cubs: I've used it since mid-spring training. Every AB I've taken this year has been with some version of the reverse taper barrel (which is what the Cubs call the torpedo bat). Still in the process of figuring that out, but I like it. It's not something I'm thinking of when I go to the plate. A misconception I've heard is guys are not changing what they do to fit the bat. It's kind of the opposite.

What do you make of the way the topic has blown up across the sport?

Ottavino: I mean, listen, first of all, it's the Yankees and they scored a million runs in the first few games and it's cool to hate the Yankees and it's cool to look for the boogeyman and that's what some people are going to do and can't really stop that. But there's also a lot of misinformation and noneducation on it too.

I was in Boston this spring and there were a bunch of guys using those types of bats over there too. So, they're all over the place. It's not unique to this organization. Maybe it originated in [the Yankees clubhouse], but I mean, there's no secrets in baseball. Everybody's going to be using what they think's going to give them the best result. So I don't really make too much of people complaining about it, honestly.

Schanuel: I think it'll help out, especially to boost offensive performances. I think it's good for MLB itself. Fans would like to see it. Everyone loves homers. Everyone loves when guys get on base. I think it'll help out a lot. I mean it's just exciting talking about it.

Mark Leiter, reliever, New York Yankees: I wouldn't say I'm surprised just because I think there's a level of it's something to talk about in a big market. I mean, just the fact that it's within the rules and stuff, I just think it's more surprising that it took this long for somebody to do this. Just because you know about customizing golf clubs and stuff like that. Like, it makes a lot of sense.

Buxton: Everyone is blowing up the Yankees about all the homers they hit. Same guys you see hit homers, are the same guys that hit homers last year. It's not that big of a deal. It's like when the sweeper came around. We were like, "What's a sweeper?" We had never heard of sweepers. And now we've never heard of torpedo bats and now they pop.

Shaw: The Yankees hitting a bunch of home runs made it blow up. Aaron Judge not using the torpedo bat is funny to me. It blew up with the Yankees, but he doesn't swing it. You can clearly see both sides. They might work, but the old bats work too. The difference might be very small.

Do you think it should be allowed in the sport to use torpedo bats?

Canha: Yes. I do feel like we need all the help we can get. These guys are throwing so hard now. But it's not a cheat code. We'll see how it plays out over a little bigger sample size.

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers: I do not look down on anybody. If it's legal, you can do whatever you want. I swung the same bat for 16 years. I will not be changing to a torpedo bat. I've swung the same length, ounces, everything. If it works for the guys, go for it. I know some of our guys are getting them, so, we'll see. I will not be swinging them.

Jake Cronenworth, 2B, San Diego Padres: [Torpedo bats] give everyone something to talk about. If any team hit 15 home runs, you'd be like, "What bats are they using? Are they legal?" And they are.

Are torpedo bats a trend based on this week's buzz or something that is here to stay?

Lopez: I think so, yeah. I really do. I think this can be a good thing for a lot of hitters.

Van Scoyoc: I'm sure some guys will try it out. Someone gets hot, then you'll probably see more guys going to it. I think it's good. In pitching they have Trackman. In hitting we do, too. But we don't capture the bat, which is essentially our same equipment. That's why I think hitting is behind -- because they just get more information that's useful a lot faster.

O'Hearn: It's kind of like the axe handle or puck knob. I think just because the Yankees went bananas for two games, it's going to blow up. And I honestly felt bad for Sig when it went crazy because I was like, I don't know if he was the first one on it, but I feel like he's sitting around somewhere, like, 'I wish the Orioles would've done this.'

Freeman: I promise you I have not read a thing about it. I only know there's a torpedo bat and it looks kind of like the barrel's shorter or lower down. That's all I've got. Nor will I read into it. That's just me. I'm not the right guy to ask those kind of questions. I swing the same bat every day.

Muncy: Baseball is not a one-size-fits-all sport, going from socks to batting gloves to shoes to pants. It's not a one size fits all for anyone in this game. So, everyone swings different. Everyone likes their bat different. There's some guys I think it could be a real benefit for, and there's some guys it might be a detriment. I still don't know where I'm at on that scale.

Hoerner: I think [it's a trend]. There was the axe handle. A lot of guys with the Red Sox had success with that. Then in 2021, there was the big puck knob trend. You still see some of those. This is a little different when you're changing where you impact the ball with. The jury is still out. I don't look at that Yankees series and think it would have been a totally different series without the bats. It's about marginal differences over the course of 600 ABs. That really matters.

Hoyer: This isn't the kind of thing, one team did it and everyone copied. There were a number of teams on this. There is a lot of attention because of the size of the market and [the Yankees] scored 20. Guys were hitting in the cage with them last year. Pete [Crow-Armstrong] used it in a game last year in September (he flew out). It's new, but it's not like it started game two last weekend and everyone copied it quickly.

Forwards

Zoe Aldcroft, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, Hannah Botterman, Georgia Brock, Abi Burton, May Campbell, Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Maddie Feaunati, Rosie Galligan, Lilli Ives Campion, Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, Marlie Packer, Simi Pam, Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward.

Backs

Holly Aitchison, Jess Breach, Abby Dow, Zoe Harrison, Tatyana Heard, Natasha Hunt, Megan Jones, Ellie Kildunne, Claudia MacDonald, Lucy Packer, Helena Rowland, Emily Scarratt, Jade Shekells, Emma Sing, Mia Venner, Ella Wyrwas.

Another weekend in Europe's top soccer leagues brought plenty for us to talk about. (When doesn't it?) Sunday's Manchester derby promised a lot but delivered little, while Real Madrid lost ground in LaLiga's title race with a stunning home defeat to Valencia -- Los Che's first away win of the 2024-25 season. (Don't stress too much, Madrid fans: Barcelona drew with Real Betis this weekend.) Oh, and Liverpool's slow crawl to the Premier League title continued with a 3-2 loss at Fulham and Paris Saint-Germain confirmed their Ligue 1 crown with victory over Angers.

Elsewhere, we have talking points galore around Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and more. Here are some musings and reactions to the most memorable moments of the weekend.

Manchester derby shows us where these teams are, and it's not great

It was a stinker of a game for the neutral. Sunday's Manchester derby finished 0-0: United managed a single shot on target, while City cobbled together an xG of just 0.35. There was little urgency (especially from City) and even less intensity.

United's priority seemed to be getting their positioning and movement correct, probably to better metabolize Ruben Amorim's tactical scheme. (As we told you, the rest of the season would be one big exercise in learning.) City seemed to rely on putting their most skillful and creative players out there and waiting for them to do something -- the net result was that Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne ended up slowing things to a crawl when in possession. The only dynamism came from Omar Marmoush because Phil Foden, the only other attacking player with legs at this stage of his career, was once again anonymous.

This was pretty evident in a first half that saw City put together just four shots for a combined xG of a paltry 0.14. His first change came at the hour mark, when he mercifully replaced Foden with Jérémy Doku. His other two came 15 minutes from time -- Jack Grealish for Gundogan, Rico Lewis for Nico O'Reilly -- and had zero impact as City didn't have a single shot after they came on. We know Pep Guardiola isn't big on substitutions (he rarely uses his full complement), but this felt odd.

Settling for a point at Old Trafford, where seven of the 16 previous visitors have taken all three, doesn't seem very Pep-like ... or very smart. Newcastle United are two points back, with two games in hand. If they win just one of the two (and they might win both), City are out of the Champions League places.

It also felt odd that late in the game, with United in the ascendancy, Savinho and Nico Gonzalez -- who at least would have brought some energy -- remained rooted to the bench. Erling Haaland's injury weighs heavy -- of course it does -- but this is Guardiola we're talking about. The bar is necessarily higher with him, because he has already earned his spot among the greatest ever. You expect him to put together a lineup that works in a game like this. And if it doesn't, you expect him to find the necessary changes in the course of the match if not to win, at least to compete.

As for United, the headline stat is that unless they win all seven of their remaining games -- and they almost certainly won't -- they'll finish with their lowest points total since 1990. But at least there's a Europa League to play for: They travel to Lyon on Thursday for their quarterfinal first leg. And more importantly, at least with Amorim it feels like they're building toward something, however far away -- and, likely with different personnel -- it might be.

Real Madrid pay hefty price for individual errors vs. Valencia

The fact that Valencia hadn't won away all season and in fact had not won at the Bernabeu in 17 years tells you all you need to know. It's not as if Real Madrid necessarily looked past them, focusing instead on the Champions League clash with Arsenal on Tuesday -- rather, it's more a case of everything that could go wrong going wrong in this game.

Vinícius missed an early penalty, Real Madrid carved out a host of chances -- their expected goals was 3.47 -- and Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had one of those days that he'll tell his grandchildren about. Their opponents had two shots on target and scored two goals, injuries in both cases exploiting two areas where Real Madrid are weakest: defending on set pieces and defending in transition. (It was made worse by the fact that the winner, in the fifth minute of injury time, arrived just as they were streaming forward to try and score the winner.)

You wouldn't say third-choice keeper, 19-year-old Fran González -- in goal due to the fitness of Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin -- was at fault for either goal, but you wonder whether one of the world's best, like Courtois, might have done better.

Will this have a knock-on effect away to Arsenal? Marginally, perhaps. Had they wrapped this game up early, maybe Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham would have come off to spare them some minutes. Maybe Luka Modric and Vinicius -- both of whom lasted until 13 minutes to the end -- would have too.

But that's Real Madrid's reality right now. It's a long season and they're competing on multiple fronts. It's not a coincidence that of the Champions League quarterfinalists, Arsenal, Inter and Barcelona all dropped points too. What makes things a little worse for Madrid is that relative to the others, this is an injury-hit and not particularly well-constructed squad, with a distinct lack of cover in certain areas. But it's been like that all season long. They're still alive for the Treble. And they're Real Madrid. Few will have much sympathy.

Liverpool defeat shows motivation is a thing, even for the champions-elect

There are only so many times you can go to the well, mentally and physically. Liverpool's last three outings -- Paris Saint-Germain at home in the Champions League, the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, the Merseyside derby -- were all big games, with plenty of pressure and media attention. Fulham away with a chance to go 14 points clear of Arsenal? Not so much.

It's not an excuse for Liverpool's horrendous first half (slapstick defending and just two shots, one of them Alexis Mac Allister's wondergoal), but rather another sign that this team is physically and psychologically exhausted. From 3-1 down at the break, they summoned Luis Díaz from the bench and their pride internally and created enough chances to potentially avoid defeat and possibly even win at the end. But it's clearly not where they want to be, as Arne Slot himself outlined.

In the short term, it doesn't matter. As we've written many times, this league title is a tremendous achievement for the club and the players and, especially, for Slot. The way he has managed -- both tactics and mentality -- ought to be studied. But it's also a sign that work needs to be done over the summer, because this team is tailing off badly. (It's three defeats in their last four, if you're keeping track.)

Don't be surprised if it's a busy summer and this title-winning team gets broken up.

Paris Saint-Germain winning the title isn't remarkable, but how they did it certainly is

Saturday's 1-0 victory over Angers made official what was probably inevitable: PSG winning Ligue 1. When your wage bill is almost as high as the next four highest combined, you have to severely underachieve to not win the league. But that doesn't mean the way this team has been transformed isn't remarkable.

When the won title two years ago under Christoph Galtier, their front three were Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. All three are gone. So too is playmaker Marco Verratti, defensive specialist Danilo, leftback Juan Bernat and, of course, Sergio Ramos at the back. The five holdovers from that starting XI are Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz.

The team got younger, more dynamic and more financially sustainable, as the wage bill was cut in half. But more importantly, the ethos went from individual to collective, from star power to system. That's down to Luis Enrique. Few coaches are as demanding and as laser-focused in forcing their vision of football on a side.

Dogmatic? Sure, and that's not always a good thing and, of course, there have been bumps along the way. But he held up his part of the bargain. He helped the club make a 180 degree turn from a bling-and-marketing vehicle into a real team. That's a credit to him, to his staff and to his players.

Quick hits

10. Nico Kovac prioritizes Champions League, but Borussia Dortmund still on a roll: It feels like a weird thing to say given how much this club has been criticised, but Kovac is getting it right. Saturday's 4-1 away win over Freiburg marks two straight weekends with victories against direct opponents for European spots, after their win over Mainz a week ago. The back three, marshalled by Emre Can, looks about as solid as anything they've put together all year (which admittedly, isn't saying much) and on Saturday he got a boost from the January arrivals, Carney Chukwuemeka and Daniel Svensson. I said when he was appointed that Champions League football should be the goal and for a while, it looked as if there was no chance. But they're five points back with six games to go and, at a minimum, it's still something to aim for.

9. What if Arsenal had played after Liverpool? You can't help but ask yourself that. What if, instead of kicking off the Premier League weekend on a Saturday lunchtime against an opponent with nothing to play for (despite David Moyes arguing that Everton are "not mathematically safe"), they had taken the pitch knowing they could pull within nine points with seven games to go? Might Mikel Arteta have played more starters from the beginning and might that have been enough to beat Everton? We'll never know, and it doesn't really matter. Preserving the likes of Jurriën Timber, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and others with a huge Champions League clash against Real Madrid coming up was more important. As it happened, a side packed with understudies took the lead against a listless Everton in the first half, conceded a dubious penalty when their opponent finally showed up after the break and then missed a couple late chances. Yeah it could have gone the other way, but you can tell that the B-team is several notches below the real thing. And even then, they were focused on Madrid.

8. Betis lockdown holds Barcelona to a point, but don't second-guess Hansi Flick: Hindsight is always 20/20. Knowing that Barcelona would have gone a whopping six points clear with a win over Betis, some may argue that Hansi Flick should have started Raphinha (and possibly Fermín López) rather than, presumably, giving them a breather ahead of the midweek Champions League quarterfinal clash with Borussia Dortmund. That's flawed thinking for three reasons. First off, if this is the team he had in mind, there's no reason to deviate: after all, it's not as if it would have been OK for Barca to drop points had Real Madrid won. Second, if anything, Barcelona lost steam in the second half after Raphinha came on. Third, and most important, it's good to remember the other guy is trying to win too and on the day, Barca ran into a standout performance by Betis and Ernesto Pellegrini, who sacrificed his usual open attacking ethos for lockdown mode. They're four points clear with eight games to go and firmly in control. For now, at least.

7. Juventus may only be slightly better with Igor Tudor as manager, but at least they're watchable: I heard a pundit on Italian TV say that under Thiago Motta Juventus were trying to do "a thousand things at once" whereas with Tudor, they stick to one simple thing everyone understands. That about sums them up. There's a back three to protect Michele Di Gregorio. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah offer width. Nico Gonzalez and Kenan Yildiz support the big central striker, Dusan Vlahovic. The ball goes back-to-front quickly. Sometimes it's not about a fancy scheme or philosophy, but a basic scheme executed well. They weren't great against Roma -- though Manuel Locatelli's goal was -- but they weren't disheveled either, they grew in confidence and they got a very solid away point that keeps them on track for the Champions League. It's exactly what Tudor was brought in to deliver.

6. Emi Buendia unlikely hero for Leverkusen, who have a lot of lessons to learn: If it's true that you learn more from your setbacks than your successes, then Xabi Alonso will have a freaking PhD this season while a year ago -- when he was hailed as the next big thing -- he actually picked up very little. Despite strengthening over the summer, his Bayer Leverkusen side have 14 fewer points than at the same stage last season, were humiliatingly knocked out before the quarterfinal stage in Europe, and were eliminated in the German Cup by third division Arminia Bielefeld. Some cynics might say he should have jumped for the Real Madrid or Liverpool jobs a year ago when he had the chance, but I think that's nonsense: he's a young coach and this turbulent campaign will likely make him better if he learns what went wrong (and, no, it's not just the injury to Florian Wirtz). And truth be told, plenty has gone wrong. The fallout from the DFB Pokal exit was palpable against Heidenheim when they put on a stinker -- just one shot on target and an xG of 0.27 before substitute Buendia's injury strike -- that could have easily seen them two goals down. They're still six points back in the league, but the season is ending with a whimper.

5. Pablo Barrios buzzer-beater keeps Atleti hopes alive, barely: It's a seven-point gap with eight games to go and, unlike Real Madrid and Barcelona, they don't have European football, so you can't write Atletico Madrid off after the 2-1 win at Sevilla. But obviously, it's a long shot, and not just because of the points, but because Atleti simply aren't playing well. The version of 4-4-2 that served them so well isn't quite as effective when guys are missing (Rodrigo De Paul) or just off form (Antoine Griezmann, Giuliano Simeone) and there's virtually no width. Bright spot? Barrios, who at 21 is still developing and has had ups and downs this season, but appears to have the tools to be a midfield leader here for years to come.

4. Southampton offer a much-needed pick-me-up for Spurs, but what's next? After four games without a win and some vicious abuse from his own fans following the defeat away to Chelsea on Thursday night, Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou needed some relief. It helps when you get to play Southampton, who are so poor this season their 3-1 defeat meant they set a Premier League mark in futility by getting relegated earlier than any other side in history. It was a perfect opponent heading into a big Europa League quarterfinal against Eintracht Frankfurt, though the paucity of the opposition tells you little about where Spurs actually are. At this stage, their remaining games are just a way of keeping fit and marking time in between Europa League games. And if they go out against Eintracht in 10 days' time, then it will be time to make some tough decisions: about the squad and, yes, about Postecoglou himself.

3. Simone Inzaghi's substitutions backfired, but Inter fans can't have it both ways: Is it frustrating to throw away a 2-0 half-time lead? Yes. Is it infuriating to see some of your best players -- Alessandro Bastoni at half-time, Fede Dimarco at the hour mark, Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Calhanoglou shortly thereafter -- come off the pitch only to see Parma claw it back to 2-2 and come back to nearly winning at the end? You bet. But Inzaghi built Inter's recent success on squad management and rotation. That's not going to go out the window from one game to the next, nor should it. With a massive clash against Bayern Munich coming up in midweek, Inzaghi chose to prioritise that and trust his bench players. On this occasion, it backfired badly -- and to be fair, the less I see of Joaquín Correa, the better -- but it's what got Inter where they are. And there's no guarantee not making the changes would have preserved the lead; though it is a guarantee that the starters would have come out the other end more tired and, possibly, risking injury.

2. Issue with Chelsea is squad construction, not rotation, as Enzo Maresca's calculate risk backfires: On the road, against a mid-table opponent (Brentford) with nothing to play for who hadn't won at home in four months, Maresca likely thought that he could get three points without Nico Jackson, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer in his starting lineup. Or, as he implied, if they aren't winning, he could bring the cavalry off the bench. He was wrong, and Chelsea were held to a scoreless draw in a game they could well have lost. But that's not about choosing to rotate: it's about the lack of viable alternatives in too many roles. We've said it before, and it still holds true. Christopher Nkunku is not a credible back-up for Jackson, there's no off-brand version of Palmer, there's no reserve left-back and you're short in midfield. Chelsea may have spent vast amounts to vacuum up talent, but they haven't built a squad and are still overly dependent on the same three or four players. Maresca made the right decision, albeit with the wrong people.

1. More self-inflicted Milan misery in 2-2 draw at Fiorentina: I guess if you're determined to see the glass as half-full, the good news is that Milan went two goals down inside of 10 minutes, forced some superb saves out of David De Gea and still managed to get a point away to a form opponent. If your glass is half-empty -- or if you simply live in the real world -- this was still a car crash of a performance. Milan manager Sérgio Conceição blamed the "unforced errors" and said they were "strange" -- so too was his decision to humiliate Yunus Musah by taking him off after 23 minutes (he was having a nightmare, but still). And yes, it was an open game that Milan could have won, but also one they could easily have lost, witness Dodô's late disallowed goal for a marginal offside. At least João Félix only got 10 minutes, so it's not all bad, I guess...

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Alex Ovechkin for setting an "outstanding record" as the NHL's top career goal scorer.

In a message after Ovechkin's 895th career goal broke a tie for the record with Wayne Gretzky in the Washington Capitals' game Sunday against the New York Islanders, Putin said the achievement was something Russians would celebrate.

"I congratulate you on your outstanding record. You have surpassed legendary masters in the number of goals scored in National Hockey League regular-season games," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin on Monday.

Breaking Gretzky's record "has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad," Putin added. "I wish you health, good fortune [and] fighting spirit to conquer new heights in life and in sports."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Putin and Ovechkin had not yet spoken by phone but that Putin's message of congratulations showed the president "highly values Ovechkin's sporting result."

Ovechkin has been a backer of Putin in the past and in 2017 set up a group called Putin Team on social media to show support for the Russian president, who was reelected the following year.

At the time, Ovechkin told The Associated Press and The Washington Post, "I just support my country," and said, "It's not about political stuff."

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev referred to that moment in his own statement of congratulations after Ovechkin broke the record Sunday.

He posted on social media that Ovechkin "remains a member of the Putin team and at the same time one of the main faces of world hockey, a favorite of millions and the NHL top scorer."

The Milwaukee Brewers will hold a public ceremony honoring the life of longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker before their Aug. 24 game with the San Francisco Giants.

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio had announced plans for this type of summer ceremony in January after Uecker died at the age of 90. The date wasn't revealed until Monday.

Emmy-winning broadcaster Bob Costas, a longtime friend and former colleague of Uecker's, will host the event. The ceremony will feature appearances by special guests as well as videos with rarely seen content from Uecker's life.

All ticketed fans will receive a lapel pin featuring the design of the Brewers' uniform patch honoring Uecker. Baseballs and bases featuring a Uecker celebration logo will be used during the game. A raffle will benefit three of Uecker's favorite charities: the Wounded Warrior Project, the ALS Association and the Medical College of Wisconsin Bob Uecker Chair for Cancer Research.

"As we continue to navigate the loss of Bob, we're truly grateful to the Brewers for hosting this Celebration of Life," son and family representative Bob Uecker Jr. said in a statement. "We look forward to coming together to honor his memory and share in the meaningful moments of the day."

Uecker broadcast Brewers games for 54 years and continued in that role last year even after he was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. The Hall of Famer earned the nickname "Mr. Baseball" and developed a national following because of the sense of humor he showed during chats with Johnny Carson, in appearances in Miller Lite beer commercials and in featured roles in the movie "Major League" and on television's "Mr. Belvedere."

"We continue to mourn Bob's passing, but we feel his presence every day at the ballpark, and in our lives," Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said in a statement. "August 24 will offer all of us an opportunity to come together to celebrate Bob's life and re-live the countless, unforgettable memories he created so effortlessly."

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran said his on-field woes during the 2021 and 2022 seasons fueled his mental health struggles to the point that he attempted suicide.

Duran, interviewed for the docuseries "The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox" that will premiere Tuesday on Netflix, said not meeting his own expectations -- as well as disappointing others -- pushed him to a very dark place.

"I was already hearing it from fans," Duran said in the docuseries. "And what they said to me, [it was like], 'I've told myself 10 times worse in the mirror.' That was a really tough time for me. I didn't even want to be here anymore."

"... I got to a point where I was sitting in my room, I had my rifle and I had a bullet and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked, but nothing happened. So, to this day, I think God just didn't let me take my own life because I seriously don't know why it didn't go off. I took it as a sign of, 'I might have to be here for a reason', so that's when I started to look myself in the mirror after the gun didn't go off. I was like, 'Do I want to be here or do I not want to be here?' That happened for a reason and obviously, you're here for a reason so let's be the way you want to be and play [the way] you want to play and live the way you want to live."

Duran, 28, entered the majors with the Red Sox as a rookie in 2021, hitting .215 with 10 RBIs in 33 games. The following season was only slightly better, with him hitting .221 with 17 RBIs in 58 games.

His career, however, started its upward trajectory in 2023 after being recalled from Triple-A early in the season. He hit .295 with 40 RBIs in 102 games, stealing 24 bases and scoring 46 runs. He became a first-time All-Star in 2024 and was MVP of that game, and he set career highs that season in home runs (21), runs (111), RBI (75) and stolen bases (34).

Duran, who finished eighth in MVP voting, avoided arbitration this offseason, reaching a one-year deal for $3.85 million that includes a team option for 2026.

"Jarren's decision to share his story is an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball," Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. "By opening up, he's showing others who may be struggling that they're not alone and that asking for help isn't just OK, it's essential.

"Every member of this organization continues to stand with him. He has our deepest admiration, he's always had our full support and we're incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our team."

Duran was suspended two games last season for uttering an anti-gay slur at a fan. He apologized, telling fans that he was "sorry for my actions" and that "I'm gonna work on being better for them."

In the docuseries, Duran said he keeps a daily journal and gives himself little reminders to help him focus on his mental health.

"On [the tape on] my left wrist, I write, '[expletive] 'em,' because it's me telling my demons, 'You're not going to faze me'," Duran said in the docuseries. "And on my right wrist, I write, 'Still alive' because I'm still here and I'm still fighting."

There is no escaping the fact that age is catching up with Novak Djokovic.

With his 38th birthday fast approaching, the evidence shows the 24-time Grand Slam champion's powers are waning.

But as the men's clay-court season begins in Monte Carlo, Djokovic looks in a much better place than a fortnight ago.

Finishing runner-up in Miami to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik showed that the world number five is not ready to roll into retirement yet.

"There is no doubt that [motivation] has become more difficult throughout my career but the performances in Miami give me more inspiration to keep going," Djokovic said.

The Serb veteran knows his serve needs to be potent if he is going to challenge at the upcoming French Open and Wimbledon.

Unable to rely as much on physicality against his younger opponents, Djokovic wants the accuracy of his opening shot - an underrated part of his game - to help limit the baseline rallies.

We saw the effectiveness in Miami.

Based on precision rather than power, he landed 79% of first serves - including a career-high 87% in the semi-final against Grigor Dimitrov - and only faced seven break points in his opening five matches.

"Now I know what it's like to be John Isner," he joked after beating Dimitrov.

Djokovic has not won a major since the 2023 US Open and claimed only one title last season - albeit the Olympic gold he had long craved.

That came on the Roland Garros clay, where he aims to win a standalone 25th Grand Slam title in June.

His other priority is becoming only the third man to claim a 100th tour-level singles title.

He will, however, have to come through a strong field in Monte Carlo, with 17 of the top 20 players competing.

Britain's Jack Draper is one of them, with Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz among the favourites.

After what he called a "special day" in La Rochelle on Saturday, Munster's head of rugby operations Ian Costello said the province are targeting three more such occasions in the Investec Champions Cup this season.

The 25-24 win over Ronan O'Gara's side in the last-16 stage set up a quarter-final away to Bordeaux-Begles this Saturday and Costello wants to ensure that the win in La Rochelle is not viewed as a "cup final" for the group.

"The reality is now we want to have three more days like this," he said after the dramatic win in the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

"You take one game at a time, but there's no point in this being our cup final. It would nearly disrespect what the club have done.

"We've three matches left to have a crack at winning a trophy."

Costello praised the visiting Munster supporters who travelled to La Rochelle in huge numbers

"I went down to meet a few friends just to get out of the hotel for an hour and it was shivers down your neck stuff," he said.

"I hadn't seen anything like that for a long, long time.

"That set the tone. What it means to our supporters.

"There was talk of 2,000 [Munster fans] here, there were way more than 2,000."

With only seven days between visits to France, it is unlikely the Munster support will travel in such numbers to the Stade Chaban-Delmas this weekend, although Costello is sure some will try.

"There'll be kids' piggybanks raided," he joked.

"There'll be people here, that's the magic of it.

"There's people that would prefer not to go on summer holidays to get two weekends like this. That's what's special about the club."

Reddin worked for England's Rugby Football Union as a fitness expert between 1997 and 2006, with the pinnacle being the World Cup success in Australia.

Reddin was also part of Woodward's backroom team on the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2005.

After his spell working with Team GB, Reddin joined the FA in 2014 as head of performance services under then director of elite development Dan Ashworth.

Reddin's role initially focused on England's development teams but he was appointed head of team strategy and performance in 2016.

That role included responsibilities for performance medicine, analysis, physical performance, nutrition and people development.

Reddin worked with Gareth Southgate's senior England side, including at the 2018 World Cup when they reached the semi-final.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn said Reddin had played a "key role across all 28 of our England teams" when he left the organisation in 2019.

Reddin was subject to an FA investigation after a bullying allegation was made against him in 2017.

After a thorough process, the FA said it was "entirely satisfied the matters were appropriately investigated and concluded".