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On Friday, the Brazil international finally put pen to paper on a lucrative new contract that will keep him at Camp Nou until 2021. Barca snatches points at the death Then, on Saturday, he reached another notable milestone in an already glittering career as Barca secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Valencia. The Samba superstar was unable to get his name on the score sheet at the Mestalla, as fellow MSN members Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez did the damage for Luis Enrique’s side, but he will be delighted to have reached a century of La Liga appearances....

Behind both, Qatar. Bet on PSG to win the Champions League The Cezanne propelled Qatar into an exclusive club and it has done it again with Neymar; the prestige of dominating the market, of capturing what is out of reach for anyone else. The $250m for “The Card Players” and the €222m for Neymar represent the kind of money that is a drop in the ocean for Qatar. It is seeking to transform itself to a cultural and sporting hotspot in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 - by which time the ruling Al-Thani family expect to have a sustainable and balanced economy....

The South American nation were last crowned world champions in 2002, when Ronaldo scored both goals in a 2-0 final win over Germany. Selecao hopes are high ahead of this year’s tournament in Russia, with Brazil losing just once during qualifying to finish top of the CONMEBOL section. However, much will depend on the health of Neymar, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward battling to be fit after undergoing surgery on a broken metatarsal at the end of February....

Man Utd boost Hummels’ suspicion after Mkhitaryan award The Spanish National Court also ordered that Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the man he replaced in the role – Sandro Rosell – will be sent to trial. The alleged “business corruption and fraud” offences relate to Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona from Brazil-based side Santos in 2013. All parties involved deny any wrongdoing. Brazilian investment group DIS alleged it received less money than the 40 per cent it was entitled to from the disputed transfer fee and filed a lawsuit, which has resulted in a trial that will now go ahead after all appeal options were exhausted....

The feat was pointed out by a NFL Reddit user by the name of /u/GatorBait18, who compiled a list of the players who have achieved this feat. The group includes legendary players Lawrence Taylor, Gale Sayers and running back Jim Brown. Nelson’s place on the list is quite impressive, as it can be difficult for offensive linemen to play at a remarkable level on a consistent basis year after year....

OVER time. For the second straight week, the OVER dominated, with 10 of 16 games soaring above their totals. For the season, the OVER has hit at a 54.6 percent clip (119-99-6). Since the beginning of October, the OVER is 87-68-6 (56.5 percent). The lowest posted total in any Week 16 game at the LVH SuperBook as of Monday was 41 (Browns-Jets). A few years ago, there’s no way a late-season game in a cold-weather setting pitting these teams would have a total this high, but that’s where we are....

What a disastrous few days for OVER players. In Week 15 of the NFL season, 13-of-16 games stayed UNDER the total — and this with relatively mild weather for mid-December in the outdoor games. The eagle-eyed handicapper who spotted the trend asked for a take on the matter. So here goes: For starters, through 14 weeks, the OVER was a 50-50 proposition — 104-103-2. A 3-13 week is an outlier....

Amari Cooper is widely recognized as the cream of the WR crop, and he didn’t disappoint during Saturday’s receiver, running back and quarterback on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. MORE: QB 40 times | Top prospects at each position | Mock Draft | Character concerns? Cooper, whose game speed isn’t a concern, ran an impressive 4.42 40-yard dash. Sammie Coates of Auburn, who’s slightly bigger than his Alabama rival, posted a similar 4....

However, even with 330 players invited, 15 percent of players drafted each year on average will have not been in attendance at the NFL Scouting Combine. This year, the NFL opted not to invite eligible prospects who had previously been convicted of violent crimes, which excludes a handful of top players, most notably Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly. This list of 2017 Combine “snubs” does not include those players, but rather players who were overlooked as draft-worthy prospects....

Events such as the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and bench press are always the focus of the Combine, but the early afternoon before the start of those events gives scouts the first chance to take its official measurements of each athlete. Who is the tallest tight end? Who is the heaviest running back? Which quarterback has the smallest hands? These are all important questions that are finalized as athletes prepare to show off their skills to scouts....

But there’s no doubt Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack were the best of them all. Donald, arguably the best current player in the NFL from any position, is a five-time first-team All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Mack, originally a Raider before his blockbuster preseason trade to Chicago two years ago, is a three-time first-team All-Pro and one-time Defensive Player of the Year....

Fournette has a rare combination of size, speed and explosiveness and would work well in any backfield. But here are the five NFL teams that make the most sense to land his services, based on what his pure running style would bring them. MORE: Mock Draft | Big Board NFL Draft 2017: Leonard Fournette’s 5 best fits Cleveland Browns Cleveland is sitting on both the No. 1 and No. 12 picks....

This year, the NFL confirmed that a record-115 college football underclassmen have been granted eligibility for the 2020 NFL Draft: 99 of whom were granted special eligibility (as they hadn’t yet completed their college degree) and 16 who, despite having eligibility remaining, have already fulfilled their degree requirements. Five are eligible for the draft without the need for special eligibility. That continues, for the fourth straight year, the trend of at least 100 underclassmen declaring early (106 declared in 2018, 103 in 2017 and 107 in 2016)....

All seven rounds and 255 picks of the 2020 NFL Draft, scheduled to begin with the first round on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET and run through Saturday, April 25, will broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Which means those broadcasts of the 2020 NFL Draft will be available to live stream on the NFL and ESPN’s digital platforms. MORE 2020 NFL DRAFT:SN’s draft hub | Top 100 players | 7-round mock...

As a GM, I loved the actual draft. But I hated the excessive build-up. I’ve always said the NFL’s pre-draft period is the biggest waste of time and money in the sport. April is the worst, the time when the draft process really becomes overkill. Prospects are over-analyzed via video study. They go through physical re-checks and in-person visits to meet with GMs, coaches and player personnel directors (who they just saw at the Combine and Pro Day)....

Much has changed with the stock of future pro players since the beginning of the college football season. Values will continue to fluctuate with the Senior Bowl down and satellite NFL Scouting Combine workouts around the corner. Based on current evaluations and related buzz around them from teams, here’s the latest look at the top overall NFL draft prospects for 2021 plus how all the players stack up against each other by position:...

You might need to set boundaries about lending your parents money, coming over to your house without asking, or even how often they spend time with your children. “I wanted to talk to you both about coming by the house. If you’re going to come over, I need you to call or text me at least an hour ahead of time. That way, I can let you know if we’re free or not....

The Richard Childress Racing driver bumped rookie Kyle Larson out of the way on the final lap to finish 11th in the Quicken Loans 500 and one point ahead of Jeff Gordon for the final spot in the championship round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. “I wasn’t proud of the move I had to make, but I’m pretty sure if the roles were reversed, (Larson) would have done the same thing,” Newman said as he sat on the Phoenix International Raceway pit wall....

Earlier there were rumours running wild that Chris Jericho will replace Steve Austin as the new host for the show. But Jericho mentioned last week that he was not involved in any talks about working ‘Tough Enough’. 0 votes