Latest news with #DreamTeam
BBC News
10 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Mahomes to leave Olympic flag football to 'the younger guys'
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has ruled out playing flag football at the Los Angeles 2028 team owners agreed last week to allow NFL players to participate in flag football's Olympic 29, had previously said he "definitely wants to" play but this week the NFL's two-time Most Valuable Player said he will leave representing the United States to "the younger guys".The three-time Super Bowl winner would turn 33 shortly after the LA Games take place in July during the Chiefs' off-season organised team activities (OTAs), Mahomes said: "I'll probably leave that to the younger guys. I'll be a little older by the time that comes around."It's awesome. Honestly, just to be able to showcase the NFL to the whole world through flag football." Last week's vote opened up the possibility of there being another 'Dream Team', like the US men's basketball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics were the first to feature NBA players and Team USA's gold-medal winners are still regarded as one of the best teams six qualifying nations for flag football at LA 2028 will feature 10 players per nation may select one player per NFL team so, in theory, Team USA could be made up of 10 NFL players from 10 different teams.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Noussair Mazraoui and Dream Team's other stat leaders now 2024/25 season is complete
THE 2024/25 Dream Team season is officially done and dusted! Time to celebrate the players who topped the most important stats after 37 ultra competitive Gameweeks. 8 CLEAN SHEETS 21 - Virgil van Dijk 19 - David Raya 18 - Trent Alexander-Arnold 18 - Williams Saliba 17 - Marc Guehi 17 - Daniel Munoz 17 - Ibrahima Konate Fitting that Liverpool's talismanic captain tops this metric as he was a man mountain at the back all season. Clean sheets require a team effort but it's telling that Van Dijk registered the most among individuals as it speaks to his importance to the Reds - he is rarely afforded the luxury of a rest. Liverpool and Arsenal assets are to be expected here but it's a credit to Crystal Palace's defensive efforts that Guehi and Munoz make the cut given the Eagles finished 12th in the Premier League table. 8 SAVES 159 - Mark Flekken 155 - Emi Martinez 132 - Matz Sels 130 - Jordan Pickford 127 - Dean Henderson 127 - Andre Onana 126 - David Raya 126 - Aaron Ramsdale Brentford's goalkeeper was a very busy man this season. Given all these statistics take into account all competitions, it's rather alarming the Bees were so porous domestically but they made up for that with an incisive attack. Runner-up Martinez also finished second for total points among players in his position, with Raya claiming top spot. Sels was magnificent for Nottingham Forest, a key contributor to the club's transformation from relegation battlers to European qualifiers. TACKLES 177 - Noussair Mazraoui 152 - Daniel Munoz 141 - Idrissa Gana Gueye 129 - Moises Caicedo 128 - Joao Gomes 126 - Casemiro 125 - Bruno Fernandes Manchester United's campaign might have been even bleaker had their Moroccan defender not put out a huge number of fires. Mazraoui's unrivalled tackle count was a key reason he finished as the sixth-best performer in his position in terms of total points. In fact, three Red Devils make the top seven; evidence of the fact Ruben Amorim's side were forced to do a lot more defending than they would have liked. Munoz was a beast this season, in defence and attack. BIG CHANCES CREATED 33 - Mohamed Salah 28 - Cole Palmer 27 - Bruno Fernandes 27 - Bukayo Saka 25 - Declan Rice 23 - Morgan Rogers 21 - Kevin De Bruyne Not the last time Liverpool's Egyptian hero will top one of these stats. Salah has always scored shed-loads of goals but his immense creative output was a huge factor in him amassing 503 points by the time the fat lady belted out her final note. Palmer's form dropped off after Christmas but his performances throughout the first half of the campaign should not be forgotten. Chelsea's talisman leapfrogged Fernandes and Saka at the death with a clutch showing in the Conference League final. 8 SHOTS ON TARGET 86 - Erling Haaland 77 - Mohamed Salah 57 - Cole Palmer 55 - Alexander Isak 53 - Alejandro Garnacho 51 - Matheus Cunha 51 - Ollie Watkins Manchester City's No9 had to settle for just the 31 goals in all competitions this term. Despite his team's under-performance and a spell on the sidelines, Haaland remained a persistent threat - he will be desperate to reclaim the Golden Boot in 2025/26. Garnacho is a somewhat surprising inclusion and the fact he only managed to convert ten of his shots on target into goals suggests he could do with some shooting practice. Compare that to Isak, who scored 27 goals from 55 shots on target - a keeper's nightmare. 8 BONUS POINTS 52 - Ryan Gravenberch 51 - Pedro Porro 51 - Youri Tielemans 51 - Aaron Wan-Bissaka 50 - Bruno Fernandes 47 - Jeremy Doku 46 - Eberechi Eze A keenly-contested battle that went down to the wire was ultimately won by Liverpool's midfield engine. Gravenberch made more interceptions than any other player this season and his dirty work allowed the likes of Salah and Luis Diaz to flourish in the final third. Huge credit to Porro and Wan-Bissaka as the only defenders to mix it at the top of a metric dominated by midfielders. 8 ASSISTS 23 - Mohamed Salah 20 - Bruno Fernandes 17 - Bukayo Saka 16 - Morgan Rogers 15 - Jacob Murphy 15 - Ollie Watkins Strong correlation with big chances created here, as one would expect. An impressive return from Newcastle's long-serving winger, who has barely made a ripple in previous Dream Team seasons. Murphy ended up playing a greater role in the Magpies' successful campaign than Anthony Gordon - who would have predicted that before Gameweek 1? 8 GOALS 34 - Mohamed Salah 31 - Erling Haaland 27 - Alexander Isak 20 - Chris Wood 20 - Bryan Mbeumo 19 - Bruno Fernandes 19 - Yoane Wissa There are many ways to skin a cat in Dream Team but goals remain the primary currency. Salah slowed down in the last two months but 34 goals (plus 23 assists) is a phenomenal return. The 32-year-old became the first player in Premier League history to win the Golden Boot, Playmaker Award and Player of the Season. Lashings of credit for Wood who hit 20 league goals having scored 22 across his previous three top flight campaigns - a huge improvement that helped propel Forest to dizzy heights. Lastly, deserved praise for Brentford's attacking duo who combined for 39 league goals. What could Mbeumo and/or Wissa achieve with additional European fixtures to fill out their schedule?
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Daniel Munoz, Bryan Mbeumo and other winners of Dream Team's end-of-season awards for 2024/25!
ROLL out the red carpet and pop the champagne, it's time for Dream Team's end-of-season awards! We've got eight gongs to dish out in total so let's crack on. 9 BEST NEWCOMER Our first award goes to the most impactful new addition and so only players who graced Dream Team for the first time this season are eligible. A mention for Noussair Mazraoui who, despite Manchester United's woes, will finish the campaign as the sixth-best defender. The Morocco international got through a mountain of defensive work, making 177 tackles in all competitions - the highest tally among all players. For a while it seemed as if Marco Asensio would claim this award as he scored eight goals in the space of seven games soon after agreeing a loan move to Aston Villa in January. Unfortunately, the Spaniard's points dried up in the last two months of the season. And so our winner is Omar Marmoush! Man City's expensive January acquisition frustrated Dream Team bosses in the FA Cup final but he's otherwise impressed with eight goals and three assists at a rate of one goal involvement every 141.4 minutes since his transfer from Frankfurt. The Egyptian forward finishes the season with an average of 6.3 points-per-game and there's a feeling he could rack up big numbers in 2025/26. WINNER: OMAR MARMOUSH 9 SURPRISE PACKAGE Several players made our shortlist for this one with Jacob Murphy, Brennan Johnson and Chris Wood all having performed well above expectations. It would be fitting to give the award to a Nottingham Forest representative given their transformation from relegation battlers to Champions League hopefuls but there can only be one winner in the grand scheme of things. Daniel Munoz was the only defender who earned 300+ points this term, beating the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Josko Gvardiol, Pedro Porro and Virgil van Dijk to top the rankings in his position. This is an extraordinary achievement given Crystal Palace did not have European commitments to bolster their schedule. The Colombian wing-back was a beast in defence (17 clean sheets, 152 tackles) and a huge threat in attack (six goals, eight assists). It will be very interesting to see how he goes next season. 9 BEST VALUE-FOR-MONEY Munoz could have easily scooped this award too but we've decided to recognise the efforts of Morgan Rogers to share the love around. Having been a bit-part player in 2023/24, the ex-Middlesbrough midfielder established himself as one of Unai Emery's most trusted assets from the get-go this season. Rogers started the season at just £2.5m and was available even cheaper than that after a relatively slow start but he quickly became a fantastic enabler. Once he started converting his talent into points, he essentially became a must-have player as his bargain price allowed for heavy investment into the likes of Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah. When all was said and done, Rogers racked up 318 points via 14 goals and 16 assists to finish as Dream Team's fourth-best midfielder. He certainly won't start at £2.5m next season! WINNER: MORGAN ROGERS 9 MOST OVERLOOKED This award goes to the player who, no matter how hard they tried, simply couldn't convince Dream Team managers they were worthy of a place in a competitive XI. For whatever reason, several players went overlooked by the vast majority of gaffers for months on end despite their undeniably impressive returns. Youri Tielemans spent most of the season among the highest ranked midfielders (thanks to his sizeable bonus point count) but his ownership remained modest throughout - perhaps because the aforementioned Rogers covered Villa's fixtures nicely. Elsewhere, only six players averaged more points-per-game than Jarrod Bowen (7.7) but most Dream Team bosses flat out refused to entertain the idea of recruiting anyone associated with West Ham. Our winner, however, is none other than Matheus Cunha. Granted, the Brazilian's disciplinary troubles were a concern but even when he was available and at his swaggering best, approximately 97% of gaffers were happy to go without him. Only Salah and Haaland averaged more points-per-game than Cunha in 2024/25 - an incredible statistic. One suspects he will appear in many, many more teams when he joins Manchester United. 9 DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH This award recognises a standout individual who thrived in Dream Team despite the broader failings of their team. The aforementioned Cunha and Bowen were among the nominees, as were several Tottenham players before victory in the Europa League final changed the entire complexion of their season. But Bruno Fernandes is clearly the most deserving winner. The Portuguese playmaker amassed 443 points (only Salah earned more) via 19 goals and 20 assists while representing a team that ultimately finished 15th in the league and no trophies to show for their extracurricular activities. Where would the Red Devils be without him? WINNER: BRUNO FERNANDES 9 THE BREXIT AWARD To qualify for the Brexit award, players must have nothing to do with Europe. In other words, only those who did not participate in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League are eligible. Once again, Munoz is in the conversation but three players earned even more points than Palace's wing-back without European fixtures: Eberechi Eze, Bryan Mbeumo and Alexander Isak. Newcastle's star striker notched the most points (340) of the lot having scored 27 goals but given the spirit of the award is about defying schedule disadvantages, we believe Brentford's talisman is most worthy. Whereas Isak and Eze benefited from domestic cup successes, Mbeumo was limited to just three Carabao Cup outings and one FA Cup appearance. The Cameroon international was phenomenal in the Premier League all season long. Depending what Palmer does in the Conference League final, Mbeumo will either finish second or third among Dream Team midfielders - an outstanding effort. 9 BIGGEST FLOP Generally, we prefer to celebrate the most successful players but it would be remiss to ignore the darker side of Dream Team altogether. Emile Smith Rowe was initially among the most popular midfielders in the game following his transfer from Arsenal to Fulham but the 24-year-old delivered just 135 points overall, fewer than Bilal El Khannouss, Lewis Cook and Adama Traore. During his heyday, Raheem Sterling once finished as Dream Team's top performer for the season but he scored just one goal for Arsenal in 2024/25 and has become a punchline among the Emirates faithful. Elsewhere, Darwin Nunez conspired to average just 3.6 points-per-game while representing the best team in the country. However, the most disappointing element in Dream Team this season was the severe drop-off of Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side recovered to finish third in the league but as a collective they provided far fewer points than gaffers have come to expect. Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol were worthy of their popularity but it says a lot that Phil Foden was City's third-highest points scorer as most would agree the England international was under par this season. The FA Cup finalists conceded 71 goals in all competitions, severely damaging the viability of their defensive assets. In fact, Gvardiol was the only City defender in the top 30, a far cry from previous seasons. WINNER: MAN CITY'S DEFENCE (EXCLUDING GVARDIOL) 9 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP) We finish with the most prestigious award and the most clearcut winner. Mohamed Salah was already a Dream Team legend but this season he reached an otherworldly level. When Liverpool's hero equalised against Brighton in Gameweek 37, he made it 57 goal involvements for the campaign in all competitions! This obscene tally was the primary reason he ended as a quintuple centurion, with 503 points to his name to be exact - Bruno Fernandes was the only other player to achieve 400+ points. Simply put, Salah was in a league of his own. 9 Who knows what starting price the Egyptian superstar deserves in 2025/26...
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The mystery of Pedro Pascal's Emmy category solved as HBO's ‘The Last of Us' submissions are revealed
The Last of Us HBO has just revealed its Emmy submission categories for The Last of Us, fresh off of its second season finale. The big news: Pedro Pascal will once again compete for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. More from GoldDerby 'Hacks' renewed for Season 5 ahead of Season 4 finale Iliza Shlesinger's comedy evolution: 'You don't want to be 42 telling the same jokes you told at 22' 'The Last of Us' composers Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming on their unique collaboration Now, anyone familiar with the most recent season's second episode knows how destructive a golf club can be and that Pascal could have run for Supporting Actor. The decision seems to be weighing his presence in the back half of the season, including a powerhouse performance in the penultimate episode, "The Price." Also confirmed was the obvious placement of Bella Ramsey in Lead Actress, truer than ever this season. Isabela Merced (who plays Dina), Young Mazino (Jesse), and Gabriel Luna (Tommy) will compete in their respective supporting categories. With the guest actor and guest actress categories, The Last of Us could potentially claim both prizes — just like the show did in 2023 with Nick Offerman and Storm Reid, adding to the show's tally of eight awards in all. This year's lineup of potential nominees is stacked, featuring Kaitlyn Dever (submitted for her pivotal, bloody episode "Through the Valley'), Catherine O'Hara (for season premiere 'Future Days), Jeffrey Wright (for his monologue-heavy "Day One"), Tony Dalton (as Joel's dad in "The Price"), and Joe Pantoliano (as the tragic Eugene, also in "The Price"). HBO submitted cocreators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for writing separate episodes, with the former on "Through the Valley" and the latter on "The Price." Submissions in technical categories were heavily focused on the explosive "Through the Valley" and include: Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour Or More), "Day One" Outstanding Contemporary Costume, for "Through the Valley" Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series, "Through the Valley" Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling, "Through the Valley" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup, "Feel Her Love" Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score), "Future Days" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), "Through the Valley" Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) "Through the Valley" Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie All this comes with the caveat that these are HBO's official Emmy entries; anyone can submit on their own and still make the final ballot, which could apply to recognizable guest stars like Josh Peck, Danny Ramirez, Alanna Ubach, Rutina Wesley, and Hettienne Park. Best of GoldDerby 'The Pitt' star Supriya Ganesh on Mohan 'reworking' her trauma and when she'll realize Abbot is flirting with her Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' TV sound editors roundtable: 'Adolescence' and 'Secret Level' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Everything to know about HBO's ‘Harry Potter' TV series — including the cast and controversy
Years in the making, HBO's planned Harry Potter series adaptation is closer than ever to coming to the small screen. First revealed as a possibility in early 2021, the upcoming television show is expected to last for several years, with each season adapting one of the seven Harry Potter novels written by J.K. Rowling. More from GoldDerby 'Harry Potter' TV series casts its Harry, Hermione, and Ron Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' 'Have I said too much?' David Chase and Alex Gibney on revisiting 'The Sopranos' for 'Wise Guy' doc - and, yes, that finale 'The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters, and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years,' Warner Bros. Discovery said in a press release in 2023. 'Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic, and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.' In a statement released at the time, Rowling seemed pleased with the concept. 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series,' the author said. (When it was first announced, the series was going to be produced exclusively for Max. However, as part of a corporate strategic shift made public this year, the project will now debut as an HBO property.) Ahead, everything to know about the Harry Potter TV series, including its cast, potential release date, and why the controversy about Rowling continues to hang over the project. On May 27, 2025, HBO announced the three child stars of the series: Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger. HBO held a casting call in October 2024 to fill the parts, with thousands of kids auditioning. Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann are the show's primary casting directors. Bevan has worked on several hit projects, including Barbie, The Batman, Belfast, and Cruella. "After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron," showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director and executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement. "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there." On April 14, 2025, HBO confirmed the long-rumored casting choices for several members of the faculty staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, among other students, go to school. John Lithgow was cast as school headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the famed wizard and Harry's mentor. Richard Harris originally played the character in the Potter film franchise. After Harris died following Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the late Michael Gambon took over the part. Janet McTeer is set to star as Minerva McGonagall, the character originally played by the late Maggie Smith in the movies. Paapa Essiedu was hired to play Severus Snape, the complicated antagonist originally played by the late Alan Rickman. Nick Frost, meanwhile, was chosen to star as Rubeus Hagrid, the school's gamekeeper. The late Robbie Coltrane played the part in the movies. Lithgow, McTeer, Essiedu, and Frost will be series regulars on the show for the life of its run. For Season 1, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Luke Thallon was cast as key character Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, the school's caretaker. Respectively, those roles were played in the film franchise by Ian Hart and David Bradley. 'We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,' said Francesca Gardiner (Killing Eve, Succession), the Harry Potter series showrunner and executive producer, and Mark Mylod (Succession, The Last of Us), director of multiple episodes and executive producer. 'We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.' HBO has not yet set a date for the show. However, the expectation is that the series will premiere in 2026, potentially in the second half of the year, depending on when production starts. The series itself isn't necessarily controversial, although there has been a strong response to Essiedu playing Snape (more on that below). However, Rowling is a polarizing figure because of her frequent comments about gender views and transgender community. When the series was first announced in 2023 with Rowling listed as an executive producer, many online critics spoke out against the choice to include the author in the adaptation. Asked then about the author and her views on transgender rights, Bloys declined to discuss the issue. 'I don't have a comment on that today,' he said. 'No, I don't think this is the forum [to discuss that]. That's a very online conversation, obviously very nuanced and complicated and not something we're going to get into.' 'Our priority is what's on the screen,' Bloys added. 'Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That's our priority — what's on screen.' Rowling has been a lightning rod for controversy for years due to her comments. Film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson (who played Hermione), and Rupert Grint (who played Ron) have all distanced themselves from her views on the transgender community. This decision has drawn the ire of Rowling. More recently, after Rowling celebrated the United Kingdom's Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex and not gender, celebrities like Pedro Pascal, whose sister identifies as trans, and Nicola Coughlan, who has supported transgender rights, have blasted Rowling and the HBO adaptation. Commenting on an Instagram post critical of Rowling this month, Pascal wrote, 'Awful disgusting SH-T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.' 'Keep your new Harry Potter lads. Wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole,' Coughlan, who stars on Bridgerton, wrote on social media. The backlash to Rowling has also reached the new cast members of the HBO adaptation. In an interview published this month, Lithgow said he was surprised when people took offense to his participation in the show. 'I thought, 'Why is this a factor at all?' I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,' he told the U.K. The Sunday Times. 'I suppose at a certain point I'll meet her, and I'm curious to talk to her.' When asked in the same interview if the criticism had made him reconsider his choice to star on the show, Lithgow said no. Beyond Rowling, the series was also criticized for casting Essiedu, who is Black, as the character of Snape. The character is white in Rowling's books, and so some racist Potter fans took offense to the choice to race-swap the character for the series. However, the decision to cast a Black actor as Snape also drew concern from progressive fans of the franchise. 'I actually am not really bothered by this new Hollywood trend of race-swapping actors at all. A black Commissioner Gordon in Batman, Nick Fury in the MCU etc were all casting choices I fully supported. With Snape, however, I feel it is a different situation,' wrote a fan on Reddit. 'Snape being portrayed by a Black actor, I think, has potential for several of Snape's decisions and experiences to be now attributed to racial issues instead of simply who he is.' Best of GoldDerby 'The Pitt' star Supriya Ganesh on Mohan 'reworking' her trauma and when she'll realize Abbot is flirting with her Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' TV sound editors roundtable: 'Adolescence' and 'Secret Level' Click here to read the full article.
