Eagles' Saquon Barkley announced as Madden NFL 26 cover athlete

Eagles' Saquon Barkley announced as Madden NFL 26 cover athlete

Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley was announced Monday as EA Sports' cover athlete for Madden NFL 26. Barkley'ssensational backward hurdleover a defender from Week 9 of last year's Super Bowl-winning season is depicted on the standard cover. The deluxe edition features a tight shot of Barkley in his game-day gear. Barkley last seasonset an NFL single-season rushing record, postseason included, topping the mark of 2,476 yards set by Terrell Davis. He ended perhaps the greatest debut season of any free agent in Philadelphia sports history with 2,504 yards rushing and 18 rushing touchdowns. "Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true," Barkley said in an EA Sports news release. "I'm grateful to my teammates, coaches, and Eagles fans for their support, and I can't wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26." Barkley is the first Eagles player on the cover since Donovan McNabb was on Madden 06. ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

June 02, 2025

Eagles' Saquon Barkley announced as Madden NFL 26 cover athlete

Eagles' Saquon Barkley announced as Madden NFL 26 cover athlete Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley was announced Monda...

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'Madden 26' cover: Saquon Barkley hurdling a defender announced as cover ahead of August release date

'Madden 26' cover: Saquon Barkley hurdling a defender announced as cover ahead of August release date

Saquon Barkley did a lot of things right during his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, but one image will outlive will define the year long after he's retired from the game. That would be Barkley'sincredible backward hurdle, which he pulled off in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. That hurdle is the inspiration behind the "Madden 26" cover. Barkley was announced as the game's cover athlete Monday, and will be pictured on the cover in his iconic hurdle pose. @Saquonhurdled his way onto the cover of#Madden26Coming 8.14.25. Pre-Order Today.🔗:https://t.co/zm14BbUaJfpic.twitter.com/YyAjxKcCCi — Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL)June 2, 2025 EA Sports' vice president of franchise strategy and marketing Evan Dexter confirmed the backward hurdle was the momentthe company wanted to capturefor the box art, according to PhiladelphiaEagles.com. "Saquon's reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as 'something out of a video game.' Now, it's a display of the athleticism and creativity of one of football's most electrifying athletes." In a statement, Barkley said he was grateful to be the Madden cover athlete. He said he looked forward to making more highlights next season. Barkley also tweeted about the honor, calling it a "dream come true." He shared a quick clip of the photo shoot EA Sports used to capture the cover image. Hurdling onto the@EAMaddenNFLcover 🙏🏾Dream come true! Fly Eagles Fly 🦅https://t.co/zUTwOWHE1Upic.twitter.com/X1xQWIEpk6 — Saquon Barkley (@saquon)June 2, 2025 This story will be updated.

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

June 02, 2025

'Madden 26' cover: Saquon Barkley hurdling a defender announced as cover ahead of August release date

'Madden 26' cover: Saquon Barkley hurdling a defender announced as cover ahead of August release date Saquon Barkley did a lot of th...

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Tennessee vs Texas softball live score: Updates, highlights, TV channel for WCWS semifinal

Tennessee vs Texas softball live score: Updates, highlights, TV channel for WCWS semifinal

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. By the end of the day Monday, one SEC team with some shade of orange and the initials "UT" will be headed to the championship series of the2025 Women's College World Series. The question is whether it will beTennesseeorTexas. TheLady Volsand Longhorns will square off on June 2 from Devon Park in Oklahoma City in the WCWS semifinals, with the first pitch of two potential games set for noon ET. Texas, which is one of two undefeated teams in the event, needs just one win to advance while Tennessee, which already has a loss to its name in the double-elimination tournament, will need to beat the Longhorns in back-to-back games to keep its season alive. REQUIRED READING:WCWS schedule: Scores, start times, TV channels for Monday NCAA semifinal games It will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season, with the Lady Vols taking two of three from Texas in a mid-April series in Austin, Texas. With its championship dreams on the line, Tennessee is expected to start flame-throwerKarlyn Pickensin the pitching circle. If the Lady Vols manage to win the first game, a decisive second game is tentatively scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the first contest runs. Follow along here for the live score, updates, highlights, information on how to watch and more from Tennessee and Texas' softball semifinal game from the 2025 WCWS: REQUIRED READING:Karlyn Pickens' parents shed light on Tennessee's record-breaking pitcher, Smokey's journey This section will be updated throughout the game. Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F Tennessee — — — — — — — — Texas — — — — — — — — This section will be updated closer to first pitch Date: Monday, June 2 Time: Noon ET Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) First pitch for Tennessee and Texas' softball game in the 2025 Women's College World Series is set for noon ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Watch Tennessee vs Texas softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+ TV channel: ESPN Live stream: ESPN app |ESPN+ Monday's WCWS semifinal game between Tennessee and Texas will air on ESPN. Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Michele Smith (analyst) and Jessica Mendoza (analyst) will be on the call while Holly Rowe will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, andESPN+, ESPN's subscription streaming service. This section will be updated when odds become available Predictionfrom the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee 6, Texas 3 In explaining her pick,Tennessee beat writer Cora Hall says: The Lady Vols have proven they have what it takes to win games in Oklahoma City. With Pickens still relatively fresh this deep into the WCWS, Tennessee can steal a game from Texas, especially with how its offense is performing. Below is Tennessee's NCAA tournament schedule. For the Lady Vols' full 2025 schedule,click here. Knoxville Regional: Friday, May 16:No. 7 Tennessee 17, Miami (Ohio) 0 (5 innings) Saturday, May 17:No. 7 Tennessee 4, Ohio State 2 Sunday, May 18:No. 7 Tennessee 5, Ohio State 0 Knoxville Super Regional: Friday, May 23:Nebraska 5, No. 7 Tennessee 2 Saturday, May 24:No. 7 Tennessee 3, Nebraska 2 Sunday, May 25:No. 7 Tennessee 1, Nebraska 0 Women's College World Series: Thursday, May 29:No. 2 Oklahoma 4, No. 7 Tennessee 2 Friday, May 30:No. 7 Tennessee 11, No. 3 Florida (5 innings) Sunday, June 1:No. 7 Tennessee 5, No. 9 UCLA 4 (9 innings) Monday, June 2:No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Texas (noon ET) ANALYSIS:How Texas finally solved its Oklahoma mental hurdle' at the WCWS Below is Texas' NCAA tournament schedule. For the Longhorns' full 2025 schedule,click here. Austin Regional Friday, May 16:No. 6 Texas 10, Eastern Illinois 2 Saturday, May 17:No. 6 Texas, Michigan 4 Sunday, May 18:No. 6 Texas 9, UCF 0 Austin Super Regional Thursday, May 22:No. 11 Clemson 7, No. 6 Texas 4 Friday, May 23:No. 6 Texas 7, No. 11 Clemson 5 Saturday, May 24:No. 6 Texas 6,No. 11 Clemson 5 Women's College World Series Thursday, May 29:No. 6 Texas 3, No. 3 Florida 0 Saturday, May 31:No. 6 Texas 4, No. 2 Oklahoma 2 Monday, June 2:No. 6 Texas vs. No. 7 Tennessee (noon ET) Women's College World Series:May 29-June 5/6 WCWS finals:June 4-5/6 The Women's College World Series began May 29 and will run through either June 5 or June 6. The WCWS three-game championship series will begin on June 4 and end on June 5 or 6, depending on whether the series concludes in two or three games. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tennessee-Texas softball live score: Updates, highlights from WCWS semifinal

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

June 02, 2025

Tennessee vs Texas softball live score: Updates, highlights, TV channel for WCWS semifinal

Tennessee vs Texas softball live score: Updates, highlights, TV channel for WCWS semifinal USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from link...

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French Open: Unseeded Frenchwoman Boisson stuns Pegula and joins No. 2 Gauff in the quarterfinals

French Open: Unseeded Frenchwoman Boisson stuns Pegula and joins No. 2 Gauff in the quarterfinals

PARIS (AP) — Loïs Boisson had never even played at theFrench Openbefore, let alone in the biggest arena at Roland-Garros, and now the unseeded 21-year-old Frenchwoman is through to the quarterfinals. Boisson, a wild card entryranked 361st, threw her head back and roared after beating third-seeded American Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Monday's fourth-round play. Quite some victory, considering Pegula was the U.S. Open runner-up last year. Understandably, Boisson was nervous as she served for the match and saved three break points. After Pegula missed an easy-looking winner at the net, and then clutched her head in her hands, Boisson had her first match point, and the biggest point of her career so far. Pegula returned a strong serve to the back of the court, where Boisson unleashed a brilliant forehand winner down the line. She then raised her arms in the air, realising the enormity of her win. "I really don't know what to say, but 'Thank you to all of you'" Boisson told the crowd in her post-match interview. "Playing on this court with such an atmosphere was really incredible." Boisson made thenotoriously hard-to-please crowdlaugh when she added: "I'm really happy on here. I can stay a long time if you like." The crowd broke into chants of "Loïs, Loïs" and she waved back to them. She was in the news last month. British player Harriet Dartapologized to Boissonafter asking the chair umpire to tell her to put some deodorant on. Now she's the only French player — male or female — left at Roland-Garros. Asked what her ambitions were for the rest of the tournament — she plays sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday in the quarterfinals — she replied, "I hope to win, right?" That prompted more laughter from the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier, which included tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, who has been criticized in some quarters for thelack of women playing in the night session. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner was playing his fourth-round match later Monday in the night session against No. 17 Andrey Rublev, following 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic's match against Britain's Cameron Norrie. What else happened at the French Open on Monday? In other women's fourth-round play, second-seeded Coco Gauff,the 2023 U.S. Open champion, won 6-0, 7-5 against No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the 18-year-old Andreeva, who reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros last year for her best performance at a major, won 7-5, 6-3 against No. 17 Daria Kasatkina. She playfully threw her wristband at Andreeva when they came to the net and Andreeva joked she would keep it. No. 7 Madison Keys also advanced on Court Suzanne-Lenglen after beating Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American contest. There's another one coming up for Keys against Gauff. In remaining men's fourth-round play, No. 3 Alexander Zverev, last year's runner-up, was leading 6-4, 3-0 against Tallon Griekspoor when the unseeded Dutch player retired from the match. He later said it was due to an abdominal strain. Who is playing Tuesday at Roland-Garros? The quarterfinals are underway, with two men's matches and two women's matches, all on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka facesOlympic champion Qinwen Zhengfollowed by defending women's champ Iga Swiatek against No. 13 Elina Svitolina. The first men's contest sees eighth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti take on No. 15-seeded American Frances Tiafoe, before defending champion Carlos Alcaraz plays 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul. ___ More AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

June 02, 2025

French Open: Unseeded Frenchwoman Boisson stuns Pegula and joins No. 2 Gauff in the quarterfinals

French Open: Unseeded Frenchwoman Boisson stuns Pegula and joins No. 2 Gauff in the quarterfinals PARIS (AP) — Loïs Boisson had never even p...

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A move and a bang: Magnus Carlsen drops his first match against India's chess champion

A move and a bang: Magnus Carlsen drops his first match against India's chess champion

It was the fist slam heard 'round the chess world. Two of the titans of chess — one, the up-and-coming champion versus arguably the greatest player of all time — squared off over the weekend in a game that has drawn attention not just for its result but for the post-game reaction. Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked chess player in the world, lost for the first time in the classical (think long, complex games) format to Gukesh Dommaraju, the current world champion who at 19 years old is seen as among the game's brightest young stars. The game, which came as part of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, swung after Carlsen lost a knight, leading to a frantic endgame in which each player had only seconds left on their clocks. With Gukesh in a clearly winning position, Carlsen expressed his frustration in a manner relatable to most anyone who has ever played chess: With a fist to the table. Carlsen then offered a handshake of resignation before standing up and offering another relatable exasperation: "Oh my god," along with an apology. While the game probably wouldn't have made the same waves without Carlsen's reaction, the loss does offer a growing sense of Gukesh's rise. But it also offers some sense of just how dominant Carlsen remains at the age of 34. In an interview immediately after the match, Gukesh detailed his shock at winning the game, which at one point looked hopeless for him. "There wasn't much I could do," he said. "It was just clearly lost, so I was just trying to make moves which were tricky for him, and luckly he got into time scramble." "99 out of 100 times I would lose," Gukesh added. Others in the chess community offered a bit more support for Gukesh's performance. Gukesh alsoreportedly told Chess.comthat he could relate to Carlsen's reaction: "I've also banged a lot of tables in my career!" Carlsen retains his title as the top-ranked playerby the International Chess Federation(FIDE), which calculates ratings based on performances across sanctioned tournaments. Carlsen is also a five-time world chess champion, a title awarded for winning the game's most presitigious tournament (The Candidates Tournament) and besting the current world champion (or with the current champion beating the winner of the Candidates). Carlsen declined to defend the title in 2022, with China's Ding Liren taking the top spot only to be defeated by Gukesh in 2024. Then only 18, Gukeshbecame the youngest world champion in history. That has meant something of a natural rivarly between the two. Carlsen has previously praised the Indian phenom, noting recentlyin an appearance on the podcast The Joe Rogan Experiencethat Gukesh "works his a-- off all time time" but also is not as strong as some of the shorter time formats that have gained in popularity and prestige in recent years. Along with the embrace of shorter time formats, chess has boomed online, with a boom in coverage and content creators who analyze games in real time and provide plenty of commentary. And with Carlsen still by far the game's top star, a blunder and loss — and reaction — like the one to Gukesh has sparked its own compilations of reactions.

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

June 02, 2025

A move and a bang: Magnus Carlsen drops his first match against India's chess champion

A move and a bang: Magnus Carlsen drops his first match against India's chess champion It was the fist slam heard 'round the chess w...

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