Latest news with #rivalry
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Luke Humphries battles back to dethrone Luke Littler in Premier League final
There have been seminal moments in time on darts' journey: the highs and the lows. But there have always been breakthrough moments that have opened the door for a bigger future and as Luke Humphries lifted the Premier League Darts trophy aloft here inside a sold-out O2, it was not unreasonable to assume where this game heads next. In the 1980s, it was Eric Bristow's pomp and circumstance while dominating in the slightly more low-key venues of Stoke's Jollees Cabaret Club and the Lakeside. Then it was Phil Taylor who dominated the PDC's formative years and, yes, while he had the odd rival along the way, it is a fair argument that the 16-time world champion single-handedly broke down barriers for the sport. But any good sport thrives on elite rivalries. Federer versus Nadal. Frazier versus Ali. Darts' newest boom has undoubtedly been supercharged by the arrival of Luke Littler but it takes two players to make a great rivalry and goodness, Littler and Humphries underlined how they are the dominant pair in this sport by some distance. In the end, it was Humphries, who became only the fourth man in history after Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson to win darts' triple crown of the world title, the World Matchplay and the Premier League, who would claim the £275,000 cheque and the title here. But what makes this rivalry special is that it is so unpredictable. This was their 23rd meeting – it is 13-10 in Littler's favour – and in barely 18 months they have contested two world finals and won one each, and now met in the last two Premier League finals, with Littler winning last year and Humphries here. Neither were quite at their brilliant best in the semi-finals, Littler defeating Gerwyn Price before Humphries knocked out Nathan Aspinall, but it almost felt like an inevitability that the two Lukes would meet in the final here. Littler, who plays with such an assurance that you could almost imagine him playing Taylor in the smoke-filled Circus Tavern in the 90s, started magnificently. He went into a 3-0 lead but just as they do every time they meet, Humphries responded to level the scores before the pair went tit-for-tat for 15 engrossing minutes. Whoever blinked first would be struck a fatal blow given the quality this duo possess and here, it was Littler who did that. Humphries made no mistake to win 11-8. 'That one means the world to me – it's the one I was missing,' Humphries, who has had Taylor in his corner in recent weeks offering him advice. If I don't win another title that's fine because I've won the three hardest ones to win. He wasn't at his best tonight and nor was I, but I managed to get one over on him. 'I'll get these wins in early before he trounces everyone.' Humphries, despite all of the hype that engulfs Littler, brings the best out of his rival and that can only be good for the game moving forwards. They will do this on many more occasions in the years to come – and who knows how much the venues and the interest can grow with this pair driving it. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'I'm fine. I had a little moment when I lost there, but I'm fine,' Littler said afterwards. It has on occasions felt like a matter of when, not if, Littler usurps Humphries at the top of the rankings and becomes the world No 1. That wait may have to go on for a while yet, but this rivalry will keep delivering for years to come. Darts' powerbrokers have struck gold not only with Littler, but with this epic pairing. These two will keep meeting in finals and keep sharing titles. The rest of the game has a long way to go to catch up: we can all sit back and enjoy it.
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Should the Notre Dame-USC rivalry continue? Marcus Freeman makes his stance clear
Marcus Freeman wants the Notre Dame-USC rivalry extended. With the future of one of college football's most glamorous rivalries in doubt, Notre Dame's head coach weighed in on a series that began with Knute Rockne but might end with Lincoln Riley. This season's meeting in South Bend — the 93rd game in a series the Irish lead 50-37-5 — could be the final one in the series unless both schools agree on an extension. Advertisement 'Where I feel about USC is very clear, would love to play 'em every single year,' Freeman said Thursday. 'Don't matter when we play 'em, I would love to continue the rivalry as long as I'm the head coach here. I think rivalries are great for college football. I think they're great for sports.' Sports Illustrated reported earlier this month that the schools see the future of the series differently, with Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua pushing for an extension to the annual series between programs that have combined for 22 national championships, 15 Heisman Trophy winners and the most NFL Draft picks. USC reportedly doesn't want to enter into a long-term agreement with Notre Dame after its difficult debut season in the Big Ten amid uncertainty about the future of the College Football Playoff model. The Trojans finished 4-5 in the conference, tied for ninth in the league with Rutgers and Washington. Freeman looked back at the rivalries he has played in, including the Michigan-Ohio State series that rates among the sport's most-watched games annually. Before he was a starting linebacker for the Buckeyes, Freeman was an All-American at Wayne High school in Huber Heights, Ohio. 'I think back to high school when we played this team called the Centerville Elks where we were trying to go after this guy named A.J. Hawk because it was a rivalry,' Freeman said. 'Kirk Herbstreit went there. It was a huge rival. 'You got the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry — those contests are extremely important I think for all sports. And USC-Notre Dame is one that fits right into that category. I think it's great for college football and it's important for us. I'm very clear on wanting to continue that.' The Notre Dame-USC series has been played annually since it began in 1926, with exceptions for the COVID-19 pandemic (Notre Dame's 2020 trip to Los Angeles was canceled) and World War II (the teams didn't play for three seasons from 1943-45). Beyond that, the series has endured conference realignment and program upheaval, producing iconic moments because of it. Advertisement While it's less clear who needs the rivalry more in the expanding College Football Playoff era, it's obvious to Freeman that Notre Dame is reliant on the USC series for schedule-building purposes. As the sport moves more toward seasons being defined by making the CFP or missing it, Notre Dame's schedule becomes even more paramount, especially as the SEC ponders a move to a nine-game schedule and perhaps even a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten. If that agreement happens — several SEC coaches, including Brian Kelly, talked it up this week — it could put the Notre Dame-USC series in more peril while also leaving Notre Dame with some difficulty in scheduling other SEC or Big Ten schools due to a lack of availability. 'As far as scheduling, we know that we have to continue to have a challenging schedule to stay independent, and I know Pete Bevacqua and (deputy athletic director) Ron Powlus do a great job of making sure that we stay competitive enough but also not making decisions that are detrimental to our football program, too,' Freeman said. 'So we have to continue to have a competitive schedule that we're not going into the season and say, 'Hey, if you lose one game, you're out of the Playoff.' That's not the same as the SEC and the Big Ten and really any of the other conferences. 'We've got to continuously have a challenging schedule that is truly coast-to-coast.'
The Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I will get back in the ring' – Chris Eubank Sr, 58, reveals what would see him make shock boxing return
CHRIS EUBANK SR has tried to talk his son out of a rematch with Conor Benn by threatening to return to the ring himself. Eubank Jr, 35, is on course to run back last month's incredible Tottenham tussle in a rematch SunSport understands is being eyed for September 27. 3 3 3 Senior, who made an eleventh-hour decision to attend the controversial catchweight clash, has begged his namesake to sail off into the sunset while he still has all his faculties. And he hopes the threat of him lacing up the gloves at the ripe old age of 58 will scare his son stiff and prompt him to walk away from the sport. During the latest episode of his Call Chris Eubank podcast, he said: 'What suits Junior, in my view? He doesn't need to do anything else. "He'll never better than [that] performance. There's two of us now, there's nothing we can't do. 'If you don't get back into the ring Jr, then neither will I. "But if you get back in the ring, I will get back in the ring in some exhibition match. "I'm going to pressure you. You want to fight again? OK, then I will fight too. Cause I'm with you.' Senior, a former world champion at middle and super-middleweight, called time on his legendary career in 1998 following losses to Carl Thompson and Joe Calzaghe. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Eubank Jr vs Benn: SunSport's verdict THIRTY-FIVE YEARS of the Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr rivalry was settled with 36 minutes of violence. Yet with all the tremendous heart shown by both boxers, there wasn't much technique, skill or finesse on display here. After tons of trash talking, egg throwing and mind games that have been played out to the world over the last three years, SunSport's Wally Downes Jr gives his verdict on what should be the final chapter in one of British boxing's biggest beefs. Read here to find out why the 12-round slugfest should not be repeated - and why the rivalry should now be put to bed. But he hasn't been tempted to come out of retirement for one last payday like former heavyweight champs Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson And other than Junior, who was hospitalised with severe dehydration after his decision win over Benn, fighting again, there's nothing that could tempt 'Simply the Best' to make the lonely walk to the ring again. How Eubank Sr's stunning return helped secure son's victory | Split Decision | Knockout Analysis In an exclusive interview with Sunsport, the Brit boxing icon said: 'I wouldn't sell my peace of mind for the world. "No, I'm not taking aim again as I already hit the bullseye. "If I take aim again, I know I'm not going to be able to hit the bullseye. "You only can do that in your 20s. I've aimed, fired and I'm grateful for my score. "All the gold in Buckingham Palace could not make this king go back in there and put it on the line."
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
The NBA All-Star fraternity forged by trash talk — and the antagonist holding them together
Tyrese Haliburton's phone rings with a familiar name across the screen. When he sees this person calling, he never knows if it's going to make his day or piss him off. He's fine with that. It's what he signed up for. He answers the call to hear the voice of his skills trainer, Drew Hanlen. The basketball guru tells Tyrese he is talking to another Tyrese, as Haliburton is about to play Tyrese Maxey's Philadelphia 76ers. Advertisement 'He'll tell me, 'Hey, Maxey said he's locking that s— down tomorrow.' And I'll be like, 'F— out of here. Last time we played, I did this, this and that!'' Haliburton told The Athletic. 'I'm not even thinking that he's purposely getting me to say that because he's with (Maxey).' If Hanlen is with a client who is on a scoring run, he'll call another client who is in a rut to tell them on speakerphone that they need to catch up. If two of his guys are about to square off, he puts them on a text chain together and starts talking trash. When the Boston Celtics and Sixers face each other, he puts two of his other most famous clients, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, in a group chat, telling Embiid he's never won a title and Tatum he's never won MVP. This is the game that Hanlen has been playing with his collection of star clients for the last decade. He loves to pit them against each other, harboring rivalries among one of the most talented groups of friends in the NBA. This may be put to the test in the NBA Finals, as two clients, Haliburton and Oklahoma City Thunder big Chet Holmgren, are one Pacers win away from squaring off. In a league the older generation has often lambasted for being too friendly, Hanlen's approach is an example of how competition is alive and well. It's just taken on a new form. 'A lot of us are really good dudes, and we don't necessarily go out of our way to talk s— to each other. Drew kind of forces it to happen,' Haliburton said. 'He'll be (with me) talking to Joel purposely on the phone before I play Philly and say, 'Joel, Tyrese said he is going to kill you tomorrow.' I never said that! But he'll just put that in Joel's ear.' These acts stoke competition between his clients, who are usually the ones with the ball in their hands most of the night. Iron sharpens iron, and Hanlen is the forge that heats things up. Advertisement 'Drew's kind of an a–hole. If you don't know him, he can rub you the wrong way,' said Bradley Beal, his longest-running client. 'I love it. Where we're from, it's how we are. 'He never allows complacency to settle in, and I think that's where the group texts come in.' 'That sounds about right,' Maxey added. 'Brad said it, not me.' Hanlen has become one of the NBA's most recognizable skills trainers, and his players have become some of the most recognizable faces in the NBA. Skills trainers typically work on players' games independently of the teams and predominantly during the offseason, though Hanlen also works with his clients between games. He's been a fixture during the playoffs and was there to greet Haliburton courtside Tuesday after his triple-double in the Pacers' Game 5 win over the New York Knicks. Hanlen, a St. Louis native, got his start training Beal when they were in high school. He took on NBA All-Star David Lee while playing at Belmont University, then a 13-year-old Tatum at Beal's request. Now, the client list for his company, Pure Sweat, boasts 31 All-Star appearances among Tatum (six), Embiid (seven), Maxey (one), Haliburton (two), Tyler Herro (one), Zach LaVine (two), Beal (three) and the newest addition this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo (nine). Hanlen also trains Holmgren, Trey Murphy III, RJ Barrett and Kelly Oubre Jr. He spends the NBA season traveling to the various clients scattered around the league, providing in-person training and daily film reviews. That means a lot of praise, but even more criticism. 'My job is to push them to basically the breaking point without breaking them, then build them back up,' Hanlen said. 'There's a lot of times where I'm sitting on the fence of crossing the line of what should be said, but I'm willing to take those risks because they know I'm doing it out of care and love and not just strictly to be an a–hole.' When Murphy finished his first summer working out with Hanlen, he came up with a thoughtful gift for his new trainer. The New Orleans Pelicans forward presented Hanlen with a game-used jersey and wrote him a heartfelt card saying how much he appreciated all the hard work. Hanlen scoffed, telling Murphy this violated his No. 1 rule: He doesn't hang jerseys unless the player scores 40 points in them. Advertisement 'He started laughing,' Hanlen said. 'And I was like, 'No, I'm being dead serious. This isn't going on the wall.'' Murphy should have been mad, but he respected the challenge. So when the Celtics came to town on Jan. 31, he wanted to make a statement that only Hanlen and his clients would understand. Hanlen would be watching with Tatum, his most famous client, on the other side. Time to get that 40-piece. Murphy pulled it off for the first time in the NBA. He also did it the next game for good measure. But when Tatum buried the game-winner in Murphy's face, Hanlen ended up with the last laugh. 'It was really dope because it was against JT, so I wish we would've won because I would've definitely had a lot more s— to say,' Murphy said. 'We lost that game, so it wasn't as cool, but it was still pretty cool going against one of his protégés, one of the guys that he's worked with forever. I was about to send him both jerseys, but I was like, you don't deserve those jerseys at all.' It was a learning moment for Murphy. He is part of a group of players — some past their prime, some still in it, some just entering it — who have been putting jerseys on that wall for years. The standard isn't just getting better, but being one of the best. 'He sees something in me he thinks he can harness and do all this stuff with, and he works with a bunch of guys that are super high-level players,' Murphy said. 'Obviously, it makes me feel a lot better. It's like, all right, he sees me being in this group one day, if not sooner than later.' Hanlen estimates taking about 150 flights and spending 250 nights in hotels a year. If he's not with a client in person, he's FaceTiming them after games and sending them film edits the following morning. He doesn't watch TV or know what's going on in the news, because he defines obsession as the narrowing of things that bring you pleasure. He obsesses over basketball, and he makes sure his clients do, too. Advertisement 'I've kicked so many NBA All-Stars and players out of my gym at any given summer. If they do not love basketball, I can't stand being around them,' Hanlen said. 'If they are not coachable, I can't stand being around them. And if they are not as obsessed with me about putting in the work, then I can't stand being around them.' During the summer, Hanlen's clients all descend upon Los Angeles to take turns working with him. They have daily one-on-one training sessions, then go at each other in five-on-five runs often. When they meet again back in the NBA following a summer working together, the friendly rivalries get even more intense. 'People don't understand. Everybody says the league is too friendly. Many guys are friends in the NBA. And while that may be the case, a lot of times, dudes play harder when they play against their friend,' Murphy said. 'They know during the summertime, people are going to be talking s—. I don't want to hear anything during the summertime about how somebody cooked me, so I'm making sure I play my hardest, too, because you brag harder against your friends.' When playing for pride — especially with no technical fouls on the line — decorum is wasteful. If you've got trash to talk, the floor is yours. If you dunk on someone, stare them down. Laugh in their face. Just know you may be next. The competition isn't just for bragging rights. It's also to get ahead. Players can't stop growing in a league that has new stars emerging every year, so the workouts and runs are chances to gain an edge over the guy trying to beat someone else for an All-Star spot. Hanlen's mantra is 'Hate me now, thank me later.' He says he has never feared losing a client. The only thing he fears, he says, is not pushing them to be their best. 'All NBA players have egos. We all have an ego. None of us would be NBA players if we didn't have that,' Beal said. 'He checks your ego; he checks your hunger, your determination of how good you want to be as a player.' Advertisement While they can take his word for it, Hanlen deliberately keeps his players interacting with each other to organically foster accountability through competition. It even comes through in the way they reshape their games. Embiid is renowned for how quickly he learns new skills. Walk him through a new dribble combination into a tough shot, and he'll break it out in a scrimmage the next day. It sounds hard to believe from a player of his massive size, but Haliburton learned the hard way just how true it is. 'I think back to my first summer with Drew, and I was really struggling to pick up this (isolation) move we were working on. Then I got done with my workout, and Joel walked in and picked it up in 10 seconds,' Haliburton said. 'I was so pissed because I was like, 'How is this guy figuring it out before me?' That made me want to come to the gym the next day and stay a little longer to figure that s— out.' Players show up early to watch each other work, then stick around to see how they stack up. Hanlen gives scheduling priority based on who has been with him the longest — Beal and Tatum get first crack — so there's often a vet, an MVP candidate and a young buck there at the same time. Three different stages of their careers, all learning from each other. Hanlen adds rising stars to the roster over time, which keeps the veteran players motivated. When Holmgren first joined Pure Sweat after he was drafted as the No. 2 pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft, he was going right at Embiid in their first run of the summer. The rookie was burying stepbacks, blocking his shot and making the former MVP look washed up. 'I walk up to Joel and was like, 'Do you realize that every single person in this gym is going to have this story about how Chet Holmgren dominated Joel Embiid if you don't start actually trying and pick it up?'' Hanlen said. 'And he's like, 'I got you, bro.' The next game, Joel said, 'Don't help, don't help,' and scored 17 straight points.' When it was all over, as Holmgren asked if it's even possible to stop Embiid, the Sixers center spent the next 20 minutes teaching Holmgren how to guard him properly. 'He's probably (one of) the only (people) that can talk trash to guys like Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, and they go out there and respond in a positive way,' Maxey said. Hanlen builds trust by giving players goals that often seem unreachable when they first work with him. He convinces them to believe in the goal, then he starts to go rough on them, fortifying their belief that he's getting under their skin to help them get to their goal. 'If you ain't built for it, it hurts your feelings sometimes. Maybe you have to tell Drew (to) dial it down a little bit,' Beal said. 'But for the most part, man, the competitive spirit in us takes everything that he says, and it's like, 'You know what, f— that. I'm going to do this. I'm going to be the best version I can. I'm going to prove you wrong.' I will say, not everybody can handle it. But the group of guys that he has, we all have that within each other.' Advertisement When Maxey was excited to reach the 20-points-per-game threshold, Hanlen pointed out Maxey ranked eighth among his clients in scoring. He challenged Maxey to get to the top 10 in the NBA in scoring and win games without Embiid, who has missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries. Maxey thought Hanlen was getting ahead of himself, saying there was too much talent in Philadelphia to score 26 points per game. Hanlen told him he didn't care. Maxey was capable of it; he just had to believe he could. Though the Sixers remained a disaster without Embiid on the floor over those past two seasons, Maxey hit that 26-points-per-game mark and arrived as a star in this league. 'People usually say (the game is) 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical, and you laugh at that when you're younger,' Maxey said. 'But now that you're getting older, it literally is. You have to know the game to be good at it.' Haliburton tells similar stories about how Hanlen's lofty goals changed the way he viewed himself. The trainer pushed Haliburton to pursue his own shot more, which paid dividends as Haliburton hit clutch shots to pull off multiple memorable comebacks in this playoff run. This season, their focus was on getting Haliburton's mind right after the Pacers star struggled with his mental health. He had a resurgent second half to the season and has made a superstar's leap in the playoffs. Watching him play now, he controls the game with a confidence he's never quite shown before. This time of year, however, is when Hanlen feels like he loses no matter what. During the regular season, it's fun to clown on his clients for losing to each other. The results mean something, but not everything. But once it's win or go home — especially if Holmgren and Haliburton face off in the finals — the tone changes. 'This is the most miserable time of the year for me, because I'm almost like a parent where you're only as happy as your saddest kid,' Hanlen said. 'It's hard when you have two guys that you really care about and that you're so close to that are competing, knowing that one guy's going to get to move on and be happy, and one guy's getting sent home.' Advertisement It's also the time when Hanlen and his clients remember that while the competition is always fierce when they face each other, it's always love at the end of the day. Last season, Haliburton and Tatum faced off in the Eastern Conference finals before Tatum went on to win the title, the first time one of Hanlen's protégés made it all the way to the finish line. Barring a late Knicks comeback from a 3-1 deficit on the Pacers, the streak will continue this season. For Beal, who first convinced Hanlen to take on Tatum more than a decade ago, this moment shows how far their group has come. 'It's almost like we're teammates, essentially,' Beal said. 'For the most part, man, we support one another, and that's something that's hard to find.' Tyrese Haliburton is unique in every single way as a playmaker. Because of that, so are his Indiana Pacers. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Andy Lyons, Michael Reaves, Joshua Gateley, Elsa / Getty Images)
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
John Terry aims another thinly-veiled dig at James Maddison after winning trophy at Spurs star's golf foundation event
John Terry has continued his new-found rivalry with James Maddison after winning a trophy at the Tottenham midfielder's golf foundation day. Terry, 44, has been involved in numerous good-natured ribbings with Maddison, 28, after Tottenham won their first trophy in 17 years by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao last Wednesday. After winning an award at the event, the ex-Chelsea centre-back took yet another cheeky dig at Maddison and his current employers. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, with over 800,000 views on X, formerly Twitter, Terry was presented with a gold cup by Maddison. The former Chelsea skipper then joked: 'I'm so happy with this. By the way, it's been a week and I've won the same amount of trophies as Spurs'. Maddison can be seen laughing and embracing Terry for his jibe at the Lilywhites, taking the comment in good faith. Maddison missed the final due to a knee injury, but was heavily involved in Tottenham's post-match celebrations as he arrived on the pitch to lift the trophy with his team-mates while wearing full kit. The 28-year-old rocking up in full kit despite not playing evoked memories of Terry doing the same when he was suspended for Chelsea 's Champions League triumph in 2012. Taking to Instagram after Wednesday's final, Maddison poked fun at himself and Terry as he posted a photo of himself and Brennan Johnson with the trophy alongside the caption: 'To kit. Full @johnterry.26 mode. Anything to say tonight John?' It did not take long for Terry to respond as he reminded Maddison that he won 17 career trophies at Chelsea, and mocked Spurs' performance in the final. 'I remember my first trophy, ah bless them,' Terry began. He added: 'Get the tequila out. Great season from you boys, you should all the proud! 16 (trophies) to go. After that performance I think you have a chance. You just have to live for 900 years.' Terry also posted a photo of his personal trophy cabinet at home, which includes five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League.
