And it was late when it leaked on a Tuesday night. I think the players had a golf day with some of the staff at that time. I never played golf, so I wasn't there that day. But I remember another member of staff texting me. He says, 'Listen, you know, the players got a lot of messages on the phone that possibly so Alex Ferguson is retiring after the season. Do you know anything about it?'
The Dallas Cowboys have set a new direction for their defense for the fourth year in a row. They hired and recently introduced first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker. The insights into what Parker's defense will look like that came from the press conference have put the former rival Philadelphia Eagles coach back in the headlines as the face of a defense that desperately needs this reset.
Having people who know the club, who care for the club and understand what it takes to be a Manchester United player -- that's where the club needs to be. The club has lost its identity, it's lost that family feel, if you like. Whether it's Ole [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer] or Michael, this is an opportunity to bring that back, bring the spirit of Manchester United back to the football club.
The Falcons are winding down their eighth straight season without a playoff berth, moving Morris onto a hot seat. A report from early December pointed to Atlanta making another HC change, but the team has since won three straight games. The Falcons have beaten the Buccaneers, Cardinals and Rams, but they are still guaranteed to finish with a losing record.
The Atlanta Braves seem primed to add long-time Minnesota Twins coach Tommy Watkins to their coaching staff per multiple reports. Dan Hayes of the Athletic was first to report the news earlier this afternoon. As Aaron Gleeman of the Athletic noted, Watkins had been with the Twins for 27 years. Reporting on the Braves side indicated that Watkins' role with the Braves is not yet known, with the Athletic's David O'Brien suggesting it could be a 3rd base coach or major league coach role.
The Orioles will not retain bench coach Robinson Chirinos for the 2026 season, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Kostka writes that Chirinos technically remains under contract but is pursuing opportunities elsewhere. That's common practice when teams make managerial changes. Chirinos was hired just last offseason to replace Fredi González as Brandon Hyde's top lieutenant. That lasted all of six weeks into the regular season. Baltimore fired Hyde after starting the season with a 15-28 record.
We never quite figured out why third-string catcher Ali Sanchez was ever in Boston to begin with, and now we may never know. As a minor leaguer who is not currently on the 40-man roster, Sanchez exercised his right to become a free agent, as did pitcher Nick Burdi. Sanchez made four appearances for the Sox this year, with each one coming as a 9th inning defensive replacement. He made just two plate appearances, failing to get on base and striking out once.
Former manager Steven Gerrard was due to arrive in London on Wednesday night to hold talks with Rangers over the next couple of days about their head coach vacancy. (Sky Sports), external Rangers want to know if Gerrard can be convinced to return as team boss, while the 45-year-old would be keen on the job but would want to know there is money to strengthen the squad in January and would want the final say on all transfer activity. (Record), external
Everybody in the building, we're always on the same page when it comes to those sort of things. I have no doubt in Zak now. Both of those guys - T and Zak - when it comes down to just being in the room, their energy and everything is top notch so I love that from both of those guys.
Slumps are common for second-year quarterbacks in the NFL, but fortunately, so are leaps. And it continues to grow inevitable that we'll see more of the latter from Drake Maye in his second season with the Patriots. Maye did as much as he could with practically nothing as a rookie, but in Year Two, Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel have set their second-year quarterback up for a strong sophomore campaign.
Mike Vrabel conducted a masterful off-season, adding better players everywhere. He beefed up a low-ranking defense by adding playmakers at every level from the D-line and edge, to the linebacking corps and defensive backfield.
"We're happy. The real season hasn't started yet, but the preparation has been carried out with great attention, care for details, and maximum commitment. The atmosphere across the board is very positive; we're ready to start with a strong desire for redemption after a negative year for us."
