Vote for Muskegon-area Athlete of Week for April 22-27

All MLive player polls are non-scientific and designed to promote discussion and put players in the spotlight. Winners receive no prize and the results have no bearing on postseason honors.

MUSKEGON – The third week of the MLive Muskegon Chronicle spring sports Athlete of the Week fan poll is upon us. Let's cut to the chase.

Muskegon-area coaches: WE NEED YOUR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS. (Pretty please?)

A few coaches have come through in the first few weeks, but not nearly enough. You may make Athlete of the Week nominations by emailing Scott DeCamp at sdecamp1@mlive.com by noon on Sundays.

Yes, this is a poll. More importantly, it's a chance to get your student-athletes some recognition by highlighting their performances.

Capsules for 11 nominees are listed below, based primarily on their performances spanning April 22-27.

This week's poll will remain open until noon Friday. You may vote as many times as you wish.

Oakridge softball player Kayla Fessenden won Muskegon's Athlete of the Week poll for April 8-13.

Mona Shores soccer player Bri Wade won the fan poll for April 15-20.

Here are the most recent Athlete of the Week nominees, listed alphabetically. The poll is at the bottom of this story.

JENNA CORE

School: Spring Lake

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: Core just missed hitting for the cycle in a 12-2, six-inning victory over Coopersville in Game 2 of a doubleheader Tuesday. She homered, tripled and doubled. In the first game, an 8-0 Lakers victory, Core had two hits and scored two runs. Then, on Thursday, in completing the three-game sweep of Coopersville in a 17-0, three-inning win, she homered and drove in four runs. Spring Lake has now won 83 straight conference games. The Lakers are ranked sixth in Division 2 and bring a 13-2 record into this week.

***

ALICIA HALL

School: North Muskegon

Sport: Tennis

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: The Norse's No. 1 singles standout picked up where she left off last season, when she advanced to the round of 16 at No. 1 singles at the Division 4 state finals. Last week, Hall picked up straight-set wins over Fruitport Monday (6-4, 6-4), vs. Fremont Wednesday (6-1, 6-0) and against Mona Shores Thursday (6-0, 6-0). Then, on Saturday, she notched two more wins: One by default vs. Western Michigan Christian, then another vs. Grand Haven (6-2, 6-3). She now has an 11-3 record on the season. As a team, North Muskegon is 9-2 in duals.

***

MAKAYLA HOGAN

School: Ravenna

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: Hogan did the job in the pitcher's circle and at the plate last week. In a 19-8 win over North Muskegon, completed Friday after it was previously suspended, she picking up the win and helped her own cause by finishing 3-for-4 with a double. In the first game of that doubleheader against the Norse, a couple weeks ago, she recorded the pitching win and went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run in an 18-9 victory. On Tuesday, in a 10-0 win over Montague in a conference split, Hogan allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out four in the shutout.

***

CHASE KNOWLTON

School: Mona Shores

Sport: Golf

Class: Freshman

Week in review: Knowlton was one of only two players who broke 80 in windy conditions at the 15-team Ludington Invitational on Friday. He shot 79 to finish in second place individually, one shot behind medalist John Slivka of Manistee Catholic Central. As a team, Mona Shores claimed first and second place with its 'A' and 'B' teams.

***

RAEGAN LOCKHART

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Track and field

Class: Senior

Week in review: In a quad meet against Jenison, Kenowa Hills and Muskegon, Lockhart took first place in the 1600 with a personal record (5:51.98), she anchored the winning 4x800 relay team (10:44.83), and she also ran on the first-place 4x100 relay team (52.92). Additionally, Lockhart took second in the 800 with a PR (2:31.80).

***

KENDALL MATHIS

School: Newaygo

Sport: Track and field

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: Mathis medaled in two events at the 16-team Kent City Invitational on Friday. She took first place in high jump with a personal-best effort of 5-foot-1, then she finished seventh in long jump with a leap of 13-foot-11. Her PR in long jump this season is 14-7 at the GVSU Laker Challenge on March 22. Mathis also competes in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.

***

DAELYNN MCKINNON

School: Hesperia

Sport: Softball

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: McKinnon's week was highlighted by her effort in Hesperia's sweep of Morley-Stanwood. In a 14-2, six-inning win in Game 1, she went 3-for-3 with an RBI. In a 21-0, three-inning victory in Game 2, McKinnon finished 4-for-4 with a three-run home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

***

EVAN MOSKWA

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Lacrosse

Class: Junior

Week in review: Moskwa continued his strong junior season with a couple more big games last week. In a 10-5 win over Byron Center Thursday, he tallied three goals and one assist, plus he won 15 of 17 face-offs and gathered 16 groundballs. In a 9-8 victory over Zeeland Tuesday, Moskwa had two goals and two assists, plus he won 16 of 20 face-offs and collected 11 groundballs.

***

MAKAYLA THOMPSON

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: The left-hander was dominant in the pitcher's circle and at the plate in R-P's 5-0 victory over West Ottawa in the Rocket Invitational on Saturday. The Kent State signee fired a shutout with 15 strikeouts, and she had three hits at the plate with three RBIs. The Rockets went 3-0 in their tournament. On Tuesday, in an OK Black Conference split with Mona Shores, Thompson led Reeths-Puffer to the 9-1 Game 1 win by striking out 14.

***

RILEY TRYGSTAD

School: Mona Shores

Sport: Tennis

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: Trygstad has moved around in different flights to help her team. On Saturday at No. 3 singles, she won matches against opponents from West Ottawa, 7-5, 7-6 (6); Caledonia, 6-3, 6-2; and Grand Rapids Northview, 2-6, 6-3, 10-4, to take first place in her flight against really solid competition. Normally, Trygstad plays No. 1 doubles with senior Makyla Lieb.

***

KOLEMAN WALL

School: Oakridge

Sport: Baseball

Class: Senior

Week in review: For the second time in three weeks, Wall is a nominee for Athlete of the Week. You cannot ignore his production. In a 4-0 win over Shelby Tuesday, he struck out 20 and combined on a no-hitter with Austin Fairchild, who recorded the final out. Wall went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored in the game, and he also had two RBIs in a 7-3 Game 1 win that day. On Saturday vs. Sault Ste. Marie, Wall homered twice in a 9-0 Game 1 win, and in a 6-0 Game 2 victory he picked up the pitching win and helped his own cause with two hits.

***

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Fantasy Soccer Podcast: April 27 DraftKings EPL Preview

This article is part of our Fantasy Soccer Podcast series.

Andrew Laird and Jordan Cooper preview Saturday's five-game Premier League slate on DraftKings, including whether or not paying up for Gylfi Sigurdsson is required in cash games.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, and if you like what you hear, please rate and review it!

Intro and outro music: Above and Beyond by Silent Partner

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including â€" but not limited to â€" games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Cooper plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: blenderhd, DraftKings: blenderhd. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.

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A different kind of performance review: Cortland coach ranks character traits

Cortland, N.Y. â€" Plenty of coaches pore over spreadsheets to keep track of stats, season trends and grade-point averages. But Cortland men’s soccer coach Steven Axtell utilizes Microsoft Excel for something else: a thoughtful approach to feedback that goes far beyond the traditional performance review.

Axtell, who enters his eighth season this fall, has led the Dragons to the Division III NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons. He credits the team’s success in part to a feedback system that offers starters and role players alike detailed data on where they’re doing well â€" and where they’re not.

On a recent afternoon in his office, Axtell opened a spreadsheet on his MacBook. At the top, he had typed each players’ name. On the left side, he listed about 20 character traits the program values. They include work ethic, confidence, respect, trust, commitment, desire to win and desire to improve.

At the end of each semester, each player gets the blank spreadsheet to fill out. Players rank teammates by assigning either a “0” to signify “no” â€" that player didn’t demonstrate the character trait â€" or “1” to signify “yes,” that player demonstrated that character trait. There’s no in between. Then, players submit the spreadsheet, and Axtell compiles each player’s scores on a team sheet, which he presents in a meeting.

Players think of the feedback approach as novel, friendly and streamlined. It influences how they interact with and think about one another. Confronted with the data, they can see exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are. Because it’s anonymous, they receive honest feedback, not skewed or sheltered.

“I’m a firm believer that the world needs better males,” Axtell said. “That’s the base of all this. You need males focused on giving positive character traits. Empathy is a big one.”

“It ties into male privilege and college campus culture,” he added. “We’re trying to get ahead of the curve with that. Would your teachers give you different scores from your teachers? We go further and extrapolate to everyone in your dorm, even. Would the males in your dorm give you different numbers from the females in your dorm? If they would, that’s a problem because they’re all human.”

Steve Axtell, who enters his eighth season this fall, has led the Dragons to the Division III NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons.

About three years ago, Axtell created the feedback system, which can be applied to any organization. He hadn’t seen it used anywhere and says it was his idea. At recruiting events, he’d hear coaches talk about character development, but tangible evidence was scarce. He wanted to create something that would allow him to see how his players thought of one another.

Because there are more 20 than players rostered, the sample size is large enough to give players enough scale, enough reason to believe the information. While he hasn’t cut players solely on bad scores, he says a weak evaluation has contributed to why he didn’t keep a player on the roster.

Axtell’s approach recognizes that all players are on the same level. Starters and role players, seniors and first-year players â€" they’re provided the same vote. How many goals a player scored doesn’t dictate how many votes he will get.

“In athletics, you have a tendency to get a really negative manifestation of male groups,” Axtell said. “People tend to make excuses for athletes so much. Sometimes, guys will get here and rely too much on their identity as an athlete than as an academic. That’s troubling. Even the ones that are going professional, you want to be an intelligent human. You want to have a desire to improve and be committed.”

The spreadsheet helps players gain a sense of areas they’re contributing positively, and areas they are not. Several players said they may use their scores during job interviews after graduation. The specific feedback from teammates provides an indication of the type of teammate and person they are â€" and the type of person they can become. They also said they learn how to think about personalities, the consequences of their actions, and how to hear negative feedback.

Players think of the feedback approach as novel, friendly and streamlined. It influences how they interact with and think about one another.

Every semester, Axtell opens his office door. Players can stop in and chat with him about their score. Axtell also leads a team discussion in which they discuss the trends and what factors made them evaluate teammates the way they did. Understanding why teammates evaluated them as either trustworthy or not helps them design a game plan for how to improve.

“The shock value gets you,” said junior midfielder Jake Keller, who transferred from Syracuse and led Cortland in scoring last season. “There’s nothing up in the air. You know truly what you need to improve. You can’t fly under the radar.”

Captain Nevin Nambiar said the feedback from peers could mean more than from people in higher positions, such as coaches. Teammates are the ones players see off the field, where non-soccer decisions are made. Recently, he’s tried to improve the ways in which he shows he’s caring, based on feedback he’d received over the spreadsheet.

“We’re going to be fathers,” Nambiar said. “We have to be good men, and that might mean a wake-up call from your teammates.”

At Cortland, the next tweaks and character improvements are not a thing of the future, to be diagnosed at the year’s end or graduation. At Cortland, they already are happening.

Meet the CNY runner who has finished the Boston Marathon 50 times

Tully's Tom Homeyer, 70, has run somewhere around 150,000 miles â€" and counting.

Read More

A different kind of performance review: Cortland coach ranks character traits

Cortland, N.Y. â€" Plenty of coaches pore over spreadsheets to keep track of stats, season trends and grade-point averages. But Cortland men’s soccer coach Steven Axtell utilizes Microsoft Excel for something else: a thoughtful approach to feedback that goes far beyond the traditional performance review.

Axtell, who enters his eighth season this fall, has led the Dragons to the Division III NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons. He credits the team’s success in part to a feedback system that offers starters and role players alike detailed data on where they’re doing well â€" and where they’re not.

On a recent afternoon in his office, Axtell opened a spreadsheet on his MacBook. At the top, he had typed each players’ name. On the left side, he listed about 20 character traits the program values. They include work ethic, confidence, respect, trust, commitment, desire to win and desire to improve.

At the end of each semester, each player gets the blank spreadsheet to fill out. Players rank teammates by assigning either a “0” to signify “no” â€" that player didn’t demonstrate the character trait â€" or “1” to signify “yes,” that player demonstrated that character trait. There’s no in between. Then, players submit the spreadsheet, and Axtell compiles each player’s scores on a team sheet, which he presents in a meeting.

Players think of the feedback approach as novel, friendly and streamlined. It influences how they interact with and think about one another. Confronted with the data, they can see exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are. Because it’s anonymous, they receive honest feedback, not skewed or sheltered.

“I’m a firm believer that the world needs better males,” Axtell said. “That’s the base of all this. You need males focused on giving positive character traits. Empathy is a big one.”

“It ties into male privilege and college campus culture,” he added. “We’re trying to get ahead of the curve with that. Would your teachers give you different scores from your teachers? We go further and extrapolate to everyone in your dorm, even. Would the males in your dorm give you different numbers from the females in your dorm? If they would, that’s a problem because they’re all human.”

Steve Axtell, who enters his eighth season this fall, has led the Dragons to the Division III NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons.

About three years ago, Axtell created the feedback system, which can be applied to any organization. He hadn’t seen it used anywhere and says it was his idea. At recruiting events, he’d hear coaches talk about character development, but tangible evidence was scarce. He wanted to create something that would allow him to see how his players thought of one another.

Because there are more 20 than players rostered, the sample size is large enough to give players enough scale, enough reason to believe the information. While he hasn’t cut players solely on bad scores, he says a weak evaluation has contributed to why he didn’t keep a player on the roster.

Axtell’s approach recognizes that all players are on the same level. Starters and role players, seniors and first-year players â€" they’re provided the same vote. How many goals a player scored doesn’t dictate how many votes he will get.

“In athletics, you have a tendency to get a really negative manifestation of male groups,” Axtell said. “People tend to make excuses for athletes so much. Sometimes, guys will get here and rely too much on their identity as an athlete than as an academic. That’s troubling. Even the ones that are going professional, you want to be an intelligent human. You want to have a desire to improve and be committed.”

The spreadsheet helps players gain a sense of areas they’re contributing positively, and areas they are not. Several players said they may use their scores during job interviews after graduation. The specific feedback from teammates provides an indication of the type of teammate and person they are â€" and the type of person they can become. They also said they learn how to think about personalities, the consequences of their actions, and how to hear negative feedback.

Players think of the feedback approach as novel, friendly and streamlined. It influences how they interact with and think about one another.

Every semester, Axtell opens his office door. Players can stop in and chat with him about their score. Axtell also leads a team discussion in which they discuss the trends and what factors made them evaluate teammates the way they did. Understanding why teammates evaluated them as either trustworthy or not helps them design a game plan for how to improve.

“The shock value gets you,” said junior midfielder Jake Keller, who transferred from Syracuse and led Cortland in scoring last season. “There’s nothing up in the air. You know truly what you need to improve. You can’t fly under the radar.”

Captain Nevin Nambiar said the feedback from peers could mean more than from people in higher positions, such as coaches. Teammates are the ones players see off the field, where non-soccer decisions are made. Recently, he’s tried to improve the ways in which he shows he’s caring, based on feedback he’d received over the spreadsheet.

“We’re going to be fathers,” Nambiar said. “We have to be good men, and that might mean a wake-up call from your teammates.”

At Cortland, the next tweaks and character improvements are not a thing of the future, to be diagnosed at the year’s end or graduation. At Cortland, they already are happening.

Meet the CNY runner who has finished the Boston Marathon 50 times

Tully's Tom Homeyer, 70, has run somewhere around 150,000 miles â€" and counting.

Read More

Vote for Muskegon-area Athlete of Week for April 22-27

All MLive player polls are non-scientific and designed to promote discussion and put players in the spotlight. Winners receive no prize and the results have no bearing on postseason honors.

MUSKEGON – The third week of the MLive Muskegon Chronicle spring sports Athlete of the Week fan poll is upon us. Let's cut to the chase.

Muskegon-area coaches: WE NEED YOUR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS. (Pretty please?)

A few coaches have come through in the first few weeks, but not nearly enough. You may make Athlete of the Week nominations by emailing Scott DeCamp at sdecamp1@mlive.com by noon on Sundays.

Yes, this is a poll. More importantly, it's a chance to get your student-athletes some recognition by highlighting their performances.

Capsules for 11 nominees are listed below, based primarily on their performances spanning April 22-27.

This week's poll will remain open until noon Friday. You may vote as many times as you wish.

Oakridge softball player Kayla Fessenden won Muskegon's Athlete of the Week poll for April 8-13.

Mona Shores soccer player Bri Wade won the fan poll for April 15-20.

Here are the most recent Athlete of the Week nominees, listed alphabetically. The poll is at the bottom of this story.

JENNA CORE

School: Spring Lake

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: Core just missed hitting for the cycle in a 12-2, six-inning victory over Coopersville in Game 2 of a doubleheader Tuesday. She homered, tripled and doubled. In the first game, an 8-0 Lakers victory, Core had two hits and scored two runs. Then, on Thursday, in completing the three-game sweep of Coopersville in a 17-0, three-inning win, she homered and drove in four runs. Spring Lake has now won 83 straight conference games. The Lakers are ranked sixth in Division 2 and bring a 13-2 record into this week.

***

ALICIA HALL

School: North Muskegon

Sport: Tennis

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: The Norse's No. 1 singles standout picked up where she left off last season, when she advanced to the round of 16 at No. 1 singles at the Division 4 state finals. Last week, Hall picked up straight-set wins over Fruitport Monday (6-4, 6-4), vs. Fremont Wednesday (6-1, 6-0) and against Mona Shores Thursday (6-0, 6-0). Then, on Saturday, she notched two more wins: One by default vs. Western Michigan Christian, then another vs. Grand Haven (6-2, 6-3). She now has an 11-3 record on the season. As a team, North Muskegon is 9-2 in duals.

***

MAKAYLA HOGAN

School: Ravenna

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: Hogan did the job in the pitcher's circle and at the plate last week. In a 19-8 win over North Muskegon, completed Friday after it was previously suspended, she picking up the win and helped her own cause by finishing 3-for-4 with a double. In the first game of that doubleheader against the Norse, a couple weeks ago, she recorded the pitching win and went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run in an 18-9 victory. On Tuesday, in a 10-0 win over Montague in a conference split, Hogan allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out four in the shutout.

***

CHASE KNOWLTON

School: Mona Shores

Sport: Golf

Class: Freshman

Week in review: Knowlton was one of only two players who broke 80 in windy conditions at the 15-team Ludington Invitational on Friday. He shot 79 to finish in second place individually, one shot behind medalist John Slivka of Manistee Catholic Central. As a team, Mona Shores claimed first and second place with its 'A' and 'B' teams.

***

RAEGAN LOCKHART

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Track and field

Class: Senior

Week in review: In a quad meet against Jenison, Kenowa Hills and Muskegon, Lockhart took first place in the 1600 with a personal record (5:51.98), she anchored the winning 4x800 relay team (10:44.83), and she also ran on the first-place 4x100 relay team (52.92). Additionally, Lockhart took second in the 800 with a PR (2:31.80).

***

KENDALL MATHIS

School: Newaygo

Sport: Track and field

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: Mathis medaled in two events at the 16-team Kent City Invitational on Friday. She took first place in high jump with a personal-best effort of 5-foot-1, then she finished seventh in long jump with a leap of 13-foot-11. Her PR in long jump this season is 14-7 at the GVSU Laker Challenge on March 22. Mathis also competes in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.

***

DAELYNN MCKINNON

School: Hesperia

Sport: Softball

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: McKinnon's week was highlighted by her effort in Hesperia's sweep of Morley-Stanwood. In a 14-2, six-inning win in Game 1, she went 3-for-3 with an RBI. In a 21-0, three-inning victory in Game 2, McKinnon finished 4-for-4 with a three-run home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

***

EVAN MOSKWA

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Lacrosse

Class: Junior

Week in review: Moskwa continued his strong junior season with a couple more big games last week. In a 10-5 win over Byron Center Thursday, he tallied three goals and one assist, plus he won 15 of 17 face-offs and gathered 16 groundballs. In a 9-8 victory over Zeeland Tuesday, Moskwa had two goals and two assists, plus he won 16 of 20 face-offs and collected 11 groundballs.

***

MAKAYLA THOMPSON

School: Reeths-Puffer

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Week in review: The left-hander was dominant in the pitcher's circle and at the plate in R-P's 5-0 victory over West Ottawa in the Rocket Invitational on Saturday. The Kent State signee fired a shutout with 15 strikeouts, and she had three hits at the plate with three RBIs. The Rockets went 3-0 in their tournament. On Tuesday, in an OK Black Conference split with Mona Shores, Thompson led Reeths-Puffer to the 9-1 Game 1 win by striking out 14.

***

RILEY TRYGSTAD

School: Mona Shores

Sport: Tennis

Class: Sophomore

Week in review: Trygstad has moved around in different flights to help her team. On Saturday at No. 3 singles, she won matches against opponents from West Ottawa, 7-5, 7-6 (6); Caledonia, 6-3, 6-2; and Grand Rapids Northview, 2-6, 6-3, 10-4, to take first place in her flight against really solid competition. Normally, Trygstad plays No. 1 doubles with senior Makyla Lieb.

***

KOLEMAN WALL

School: Oakridge

Sport: Baseball

Class: Senior

Week in review: For the second time in three weeks, Wall is a nominee for Athlete of the Week. You cannot ignore his production. In a 4-0 win over Shelby Tuesday, he struck out 20 and combined on a no-hitter with Austin Fairchild, who recorded the final out. Wall went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored in the game, and he also had two RBIs in a 7-3 Game 1 win that day. On Saturday vs. Sault Ste. Marie, Wall homered twice in a 9-0 Game 1 win, and in a 6-0 Game 2 victory he picked up the pitching win and helped his own cause with two hits.

***

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The Quest for Perfection Is Ruining Sports

James Harden of the Houston Rockets and referee Josh Tiven during Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Of all the destructive illusions that the last decade of sports' technological revolution has provided us, the most pervasive is that some sort of objective truth about games, and even individual plays, can now be discerned. Whether it's baseball's Statcast providing the exact exit velocity of every swing, the NFL's thousands of cameras following every movement, or even soccer's Video Assistant Referee system (VAR), cutting-edge technology in sports is constantly being harnessed in search of One Definitive Answer, the Platonic ideal of a fair and just game, in which we can always decipher, conclusively, what happened.

This is impossible, of course, as anyone who has ever followed the NFL's constantly shifting — and oddly existential — definition of something as basic as what counts as a catch. Sports will never give you the closure you want, and striving for it leads only to madness. The introduction of instant replay into sports has proven a Pandora's box, unleashing all sorts of demons, not least of which are the endless "reviews," a kind euphemism for "sitting around while nothing is happening." It's not a stretch to connect this obsession with a broader trend in sports. They have become more like finance, with hedge-fund managers leveraging math and technology to squeeze out every iota of efficiency and eliminate waste and human error, in order to control for unpredictability. But unpredictability is w hy we watch sports in the first place.

This sense that technological best practices can somehow bend the inherently chaotic nature of sports to your will, to make them behave, has reached its logical endgame with the current "controversy" going on in Warriors-Rockets NBA Western Conference semifinals. The goal of instant replay was to make sure that no vital series would ever be decided by an official. The result appears to be that series will not be decided by the players and the fates, but by detailed memos and committee meetings.

ESPN's Zach Lowe and Rachel Nichols on Monday broke the news that the Rockets, after their Game Seven loss to the Warriors last season in the Western Conference Finals, put together a memo for the league office that argued referee mistakes cost the team the series. "Referees likely changed the eventual NBA champion," the memo, which was never actually sent (because the Rockets instead presented it to the league in person), claims. "There can be no worse result for the NBA." Using their, well, let's call it "proprietary interpretation software" — because that totally sounds like something that would exist in sports in 2019 — the Rockets claimed that bad calls, non-calls, and missed calls cost the Rockets 18.6 points in a Game Seven they lost by nine points. The Rockets went through, play by play, and made sure the league knew that, according to them, if the game had been called right, they would have won.

There are many, many reasons to take issue with the Rockets' accounting, not least because it takes plays that the league classified as "potential infractions" in their officiating report and interprets them in the best possible light for the Rockets. (On non-calls they felt went against them, they just went ahead and gave themselves 1.1 points, their average half-court points-per-possession number.) But more to the point: In case you've forgotten, Game Seven of the 2018 Western Conference Finals was the one where the Rockets, one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in recent NBA history, went 7-for-44 from three-point range. Seven-for-44! At one point, the Rockets missed 27 consecutive three-point shots, which is difficult to do even if you are trying. The Rockets clanged and clanged and clanged for three hours. Their response was not to say, "we should shoot better"; their response was "the referees should be more perfect." As Deadspin's Tom Ley put it:

Ley is referring to Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who is as close to a Billy Beane Moneyball figure as the NBA has had over the last decade. Famously called "Nerd Elvis" by Bill Simmons, Morey has long been the sort of figure genuflected to at the MIT Sloan Analytics Conference, the annual analytical NBA Aspen gaggle where concepts and strategies that have changed the sport have often been hatched. He is the vanguard … though, like with Beane, he's a vanguard whose ideas have been co-opted by the rest of the league, who have used them to win championships that he so far has been deprived of. Morey is an intelligent man, a legitimate innovator, but it is worth noting that, when you get down to brass tacks and his theories and concepts hit the hardwood, he sounds suspiciously like every fan who ha s ever thrown back a six-pack and screamed at the television that the refs are screwing him over. The only difference is that Morey has armed himself with math. The memo actually ends with an explicit accusation, saying that veteran officials "exhibit the most bias against our players." For all his smarts, Morey is, at the end of the day, yelling "fake news."

This is happening in the middle of another fiercely contested Warriors-Rockets series — Game Two is tonight, and don't worry, they're already fighting over the refs in that game too — and one that featured an opener that, in many ways, was less a basketball game than a referendum on officiating itself. The Warriors claim James Harden is constantly flopping and drawing imaginary fouls; Golden State coach Steve Kerr actually opened his press conference the other night by pretending to flop and call a foul on a reporter. Meanwhile, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni claimed the Rockets should have had 20 more free throws, and Chris Paul was actually ejected in the final moments for arguing his own non-call. Houston's whole strategy revolves around getting foul calls; the Warriors are notoriously one of the m ost cunning teams in NBA history. Lobbying the refs is as important to their chances of winning as boxing out.

So: The Warriors think they're getting screwed, and the Rockets think they're getting screwed. This makes them like every other sports team since the beginning of time. The difference now is that they both truly, profoundly believe — and have their own statistical, analytical arguments, boosted by exhaustive research and empirical evidence — that the truth is on their side, and that they can prove it. They are trying to solve sports. But you can't solve sports. Sometimes a referee is going to make a good call, and sometimes he is going to make a bad call. The only thing you can count on is that if it goes against your team, you'll be convinced the call was the wrong one. The Rockets are trying to back this up with data. But their data is theirs, interpreted how they wish, in a way that makes them l ook like the victims. Is that what all this innovation has been about? Twisting data to benefit your side? Technology was supposed to get us all closer to that objective truth, but all it's doing is backing up one's personal, subjective interpretation. We all see what we want to see. Technology doesn't widen the perspective on truth. It just makes it easier to make up your own.

Will Leitch's Games column runs weekly. Email him at will.leitch@nymag.com.

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European Soccer Weekend Review - April 30

ENGLAND: David de Gea under scrutiny after mistakes at Man United

MANCHESTER, England — It's awards season in English soccer, typically a time to hail David de Gea's contribution at Manchester United.

Not this year.

There was no chance of the Spain international making it into the Premier League's team of the year for the sixth time in seven seasons when it was announced last week.

He can also forget about being named Manchester United's player of the year for the fifth time in six seasons, despite there being a dearth of alternatives.

Indeed, De Gea probably wants this season to be over already.

A hat trick of mistakes in three of United's biggest games of the season over the last two weeks have crowned arguably the worst year of the 28-year-old Spaniard's career.

No longer is he being talked about as the best goalkeeper in the world. In fact, there's an argument to say he shouldn't be the No. 1 'keeper at United for its final two games of the season.

Not that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is listening to the critics.

"I don't have any worries about him," the United manager said after De Gea's latest error, when he spilled a long-range shot to allow Chelsea to equalize in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It was a mistake that could have huge ramifications, too, ending United's realistic chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Naturally, De Gea retained the backing of his teammates.

"He's been the best player at the club for seven, eight years consistently," United striker Romelu Lukaku said. "I don't think we should discredit him and say all of a sudden he's a bad goalkeeper."

De Gea has been peerless in the Premier League for some time. Many will point to his display in United's 1-0 win at Tottenham in January, when he was in the right place at the right time and made 11 saves — the most he's ever made in a single Premier League game.

Yet, it is the mistakes that will more likely be remembered in a season when his halo slipped.

His year to forget started at the World Cup in Russia, when De Gea allowed a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo to ricochet off his hand and bobble over the goal line. He later bemoaned the lack of support from the Spanish public "in a difficult moment in my life" and said "I haven't killed anyone."

Even before the World Cup, he had let a shot from Switzerland defender Stephan Lichtsteiner creep under his arms, leading to a goal in a warm-up game.

The Spanish jeers returned two weeks ago when he allowed a tame shot from Lionel Messi go underneath his body and into the net in a Champions League match at the Camp Nou. The mistake was shown on the stadium's big screen just before De Gea came out for the second half, and Barcelona fans bowed to him, mockingly, and chanted his name as he took his position in goal for the restart.

A week later, he failed to keep out a shot that went straight at him from Leroy Sane, conceding a goal that clinched Manchester City's 2-0 win in the derby. Then came the mistake against Chelsea.

Earlier this season, he fumbled a header from Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi into his own net in a 2-2 draw in the Premier League.

A few theories have been put forward for his dip in form, ranging from a simple lack of confidence to issues with his concentration amid negotiations with United over a new deal. He only has one year left on his contract and continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.

United has a perfectly adequate replacement in Sergio Romero. The Argentina goalkeeper rarely fails to impress when he stands in for De Gea in cup competitions and must be the most highly-qualified understudy in English soccer.

Is it time for a change ahead of United's final two games, against Huddersfield and Cardiff? It is another big call for Solskjaer, at a time when his position at Old Trafford is starting to be questioned.

De Gea has already answered his critics in England. After some errors — particularly aerially — in the first half of his debut season at United in 2011-12, he was dropped by Alex Ferguson and accused by some pundits of being too slight for the rough and tumble of the Premier League.

He was back in the team within a few weeks and has hardly looked back.

Can De Gea bounce back again?

-- By Steve Douglas, AP

GERMANY: Dortmund on verge of giving up, but Bayern then held to draw

BERLIN — Just as Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre gave up on his team's title hopes, the Bundesliga race took another twist when Bayern Munich was held to a draw at Nuremberg.

With three rounds remaining, Bayern leads by two points as it looks for a record-extending seventh consecutive league title.

Favre was desolate after watching his team lose the Ruhr derby to Schalke 4-2 after having two players sent off.

"It's ridiculous. The biggest scandal in soccer in years," Favre said of the handball penalty decision that allowed Daniel Caligiuri to equalize after Dortmund's good start. "We want the players to cut their arms off. It will be the objective of every opponent to shoot the ball against the arm. You have no balance without arms. You need your arms. It's a huge scandal for soccer."

Asked if the loss meant the end of Dortmund's title hopes, Favre replied: "Yes, of course."

The turbulent game was overshadowed somewhat by some Schalke fans who displayed a banner in support of the man who carried out a bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus in April 2017, while Jadon Sancho was also struck in the head by an object thrown from the visiting fans' section.

Favre said Sancho was not in position when Julian Weigl was adjudged to have stopped Breel Embolo's shot with his arm.

"It was too much today, too much," Favre said.

Dortmund's fourth loss of the season meant Bayern could stretch its lead to four points with a win at relegation-threatened Nuremberg the next day, but the defending champions were fortunate to emerge with a 1-1 draw after Tim Leibold missed a penalty in injury time for the host team.

"We were lucky to get a point," said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, who lamented his team's lack of "killer instinct."

Bayern could even have snatched a win after Leibold's penalty miss if Kingsley Coman had made more of a one-on-one with Nuremberg goalkeeper Christian Mathenia.

"But we wouldn't have deserved that today," Bayern defender Mats Hummels said. "That wasn't the level we expect of ourselves."

Bayern coach Niko Kovac remained pragmatic, referring to his team's superior goal difference over Dortmund.

"The bill is relatively easy (to work out), you don't need to have studied applied math. We need to get seven points if Dortmund wins everything in the last three games," Kovac said.

Bayern next hosts last-place Hannover on Saturday, then faces a tough game at third-place Leipzig before ending the season at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. The team also has a German Cup final against Leipzig in Berlin on May 25, but the league will be decided by then.

"You can see that there were crazy results in the last weeks and there probably will be in the last three rounds, too," Kovac said.

Dortmund has two tough away games, at Werder Bremen and the season-finale at Borussia Moenchengladbach, with a visit from Fortuna Duesseldorf in between.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim "Aki" Watzke - in contrast to Favre - said his team was not going to give up without a fight.

"We'll only give up when it's no longer mathematically possible," Watzke told Kicker magazine. "That's our duty to the fans."

-- By Ciaran Fahey, AP

ITALY: Ronaldo nets 600th club goal as goalscoring race heats up

MILAN — Cristiano Ronaldo's unrelenting hunger for goals is plain to see.

The Juventus forward netted his 600th club goal on Saturday and celebrated with typical joy. But his desire to score was far more evident in the first half against Inter Milan when he fired over the bar and showed anguish and frustration.

That appeared to spur Ronaldo to the equalizer after the break as Juventus came back to draw with bitter rival Inter 1-1 in Serie A.

"Ronaldo is lethal, I have him, and I'm happy," Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "It's important to have a player like him. After he missed a chance he got very angry, then he played a different game."

Ronaldo already plays a different game to most. And after alreading clinching a record-extending eighth successive Serie A title, Ronaldo could become the first player to win the top goalscorer award and the Serie A title in his first season in Italy.

The 34-year-old Ronaldo has 20 league goals for Juventus, three less than league leader and Sampdoria forward Fabio Quagliarella.

He could also become the first player to win the top goalscorer award in three of Europe's top five leagues, having claimed the prize in Spain (three times) and England.

There are four rounds remaining.

Ronaldo has been playing and scoring regularly, even while being accused of raping a woman in 2009 in the United States — something the Portugal star denies.

The strike against Inter Milan was his 27th for Juventus in all competitions. Ronaldo scored 450 for Real Madrid, 118 for Manchester United and five for Sporting Lisbon.

"With him you always start in front, we are lucky to have him with us," Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini said. "He will help Juventus win more."

Earlier in the season, Ronaldo became the first player to net 400 goals across Europe's top five leagues.

CONTE CRAZINESS

Roma fans are starting to believe the reports that Antonio Conte could become the club's next coach.

With Claudio Ranieri in a caretaker role following Eusebio Di Francesco's firing, speculation is rampant that Roma is in talks with Conte about taking over the team for next season.

When Conte, the former Juventus, Italy, and Chelsea coach, was spotted at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci Airport on Sunday, Roma fans stopped him for selfies and spread the word on social media — even though it appeared Conte was merely traveling to his home in Turin.

While the Roman-born Ranieri has said he would like to remain with Roma, even he acknowledged the club would do well to hire Conte.

"I would love to see him on the Roma bench, but I don't know anything: I would be the last to know," Ranieri said with a smile following Roma's 3-0 win over Cagliari on Saturday. "I would be super happy if Conte came in. I would go and collect him from the airport."

Retired Roma captain Francesco Totti, who has a position in Roma's management, called Conte "one of the best coaches in Europe."

"Wherever he's gone he's won. Any squad would do something crazy to get him," Totti said, adding that there are also reports that Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are interested in Conte. "There are a lot of squads chasing him."

ATALANTA STADIUM

Fresh off qualifying for the Italian Cup final, Atalanta has announced plans for a complete overhaul of its Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium.

Work on the 40 million euro ($45 million) project will begin following Atalanta's game against Udinese on Monday, meaning the team will play its final two home matches of the season in Reggio Emilia at Mapei Stadium, Sassuolo's ground.

The three-phase project should be completed in time for the 2021-22 season, at which time the stadium will be renamed Gewiss Arena.

Atalanta beat Fiorentina on Thursday to advance to the May 15 Cup final against Lazio.

-- By Daniella Matar and Andrew Dampf, AP

SPAIN: Zidane has had enough, wishes Madrid's season was over

MADRID — Real Madrid just can't wait for the season to end.

Even the usually mild-mannered Zinedine Zidane lost his patience after his team's latest setback, a 1-0 loss to relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Sunday.

"We will play these last three games and then this is finally over," the Madrid coach said after seeing his team get outplayed and outhustled by then last-place Rayo.

The result practically ended the team's chances of catching Atletico Madrid for second place. If Madrid can't erase the nine-point difference over the final matches, it will finish out the top two in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1973-74.

A day before the disappointing performance against Rayo, Madrid fans had to endure seeing Barcelona clinch its second straight league title, and eighth in 11 seasons.

And in a few days, fans will watch Barcelona — along with Liverpool, Tottenham and Ajax — compete in the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League, the tournament Madrid won the last three years.

Zidane was uncharacteristically upset after the setback against Rayo, the team's fourth in six matches.

"I'll always defend my players, but not today," Zidane said. "We can't play like that, and I'm responsible as well. We didn't do anything. We have to apologize."

Madrid was coming off a scoreless draw at Getafe and previously had drawn with Leganes and lost to Valencia, all in away matches. Zidane has a perfect record at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with four victories, but has yet to win away.

"At least against Getafe we showed some good things, we created some chances," Zidane said. "But we didn't do anything today. Nothing from Minute 1 to Minute 90."

When Zidane took over from Santiago Solari eight matches ago, with the team in tatters, he said the main goal was to rebuild for next season, but also to regain confidence after one of its most disappointing campaigns in years. Madrid was off to a good start under Zidane, with three wins in four matches, but risks finishing the season on another low.

Madrid was 12 points behind Barcelona and two points behind Atletico when Zidane arrived. Now it is 18 points from the Catalan club and nine below its city rival.

Instead of just focusing on which players to keep and how to improve the squad for next season, Zidane will also have to make sure the team plays good enough to please the club's demanding fans in the final matches.

Madrid will host relegation-threatened Villarreal next weekend, then visits midtable Real Sociedad before closing out the season at home again against Real Betis.

With little at stake through the end, Zidane said Madrid needs to play for pride.

"We can't finish like this, with this image," the Frenchman said. "We have to show some respect for the game and for the club. We will have to play better."

-- By Tales Azzoni, AP

FRANCE: Tuchel feeling the pressure as PSG's season ends poorly

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel faces a lot of questions ahead of next season, having fallen short of his predecessors at the club during a complicated first campaign in charge.

Unai Emery was fired to make way for Tuchel, even though Emery had clinched a domestic treble. In 2016, Laurent Blanc was fired and replaced by Emery, despite Blanc also securing the three domestic trophies.

Under Tuchel, PSG is going backward.

Although PSG won the league title with five games to go, it failed to retain its cup titles. PSG lost the French Cup final on Saturday in a dramatic penalty shootout against Rennes, having led 2-0 midway through the first half.

In January, PSG was beaten at home by Guingamp in the League Cup quarterfinals despite leading in that game, too.

"It's difficult to say that we're not fragile mentally ... we're always missing that little something extra," Tuchel said after the Rennes defeat. "It gives the impression we're a bit fragile, not only in attack but in defense."

He added: "We're not clinical enough, not attentive enough to details."

Tuchel's accurate assessment comes too late, for PSG's season has been marred by such shortcomings since the players returned from the midseason winter break.

PSG blew a 2-0 lead secured away from home against Manchester United in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, losing at home 3-1 in March and going out to an injury-time penalty.

NOT ADVANCING

Blanc led PSG as far as the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Emery only got to the last 16 and Tuchel has not done better than that.

Some would argue he has done worse, considering PSG went out to a United lineup riddled with injuries, rather than to a Messi-inspired Barcelona in 2017 and eventual champion Real Madrid in 2018 as Emery did.

There have been alarming dips of concentration in the league, too.

Although PSG won the league at a canter, it could have sealed it with eight games to spare. Instead, PSG had a dismal three-game spell in which it lost twice, drew once, and conceded 10 goals — including a 5-1 hammering by Lille.

PSG's jittery defense has allowed 13 goals in the past five games.

"It's not an easy situation," said Tuchel, who needs time to work out where he made mistakes.

"It's too early to say," he said. "I need to think for a few days."

LISTEN TO NEYMAR

Neymar thinks he has an idea where things are going wrong.

The Brazil star said after the loss to Rennes that PSG's younger players need to fall into line more.

"They must listen more than they talk. Sometimes a more experienced guy speaks, and they answer back," Neymar said in quotes translated and reported by French media. "The coach himself speaks, and they retort. This is not how a team goes far."

For Neymar, who played alongside Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at storied and highly traditional Barcelona, a brazen attitude from young players might seem hard to accept.

"We are more experienced, so they must respect us a bit more, listen a bit more," he was quoted as saying. "I had to do the same when I was starting out."

Neymar did not mention any of the young players by name, but he also had words of advice for Kylian Mbappe, who was sent off late in Saturday's game for a dangerous lunge at the knee of a Rennes player.

Although the 20-year-old Mbappe has thrilled fans with his attacking brilliance, and scored a league-leading 30 goals , Saturday's red card was already the third of his young career.

KEEP CALM

Neymar showed a lack of restraint of his own when he lashed out at a fan who was filming and verbally goading PSG's players as they walked up the stairs to collect their losers' medals.

Although he was provoked, the way Neymar responded was entirely avoidable. Other PSG players — including Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Verratti — were verbally abused by the same person and simply ignored him.

Mbappe will be suspended for Tuesday's tough game away to sixth-place Montpellier.

Neymar, meanwhile, may face another suspension, this time from the French Football Federation. He has already been suspended three games by UEFA for insulting the video review officials who awarded United's stoppage-time penalty for a handball.

While Tuchel needs to find answers, his stars need to keep their composure.

-- By Jerome Pugmire, AP

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Transfer Talk: PSG ready £90m bid for Man United keeper David De Gea

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but you can click here to review all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

TOP STORY: PSG to table mega de Gea Deal

Paris Saint-Germain look set to take advantage of David De Gea's contract uncertainty at Manchester United by offering him a deal worth £90m, according to the Daily Star.

De Gea has just over a year remaining on his Old Trafford contract, which is worth £200,000 a week, but PSG are offering to more than double the Spain international's wages to £450,000 a week despite his recent struggle for form.

The French champions are keen to sign a long-term replacement for Gianluigi Buffon, whose future at Parc des Princes looks uncertain.

De Gea's contract situation could force United to cash in this summer. With a fee of around £50m enough to tempt them to sell, PSG could now lure him to the French capital.

The news comes after sources told ESPN FC that United are seriously considering triggering Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak's €120m buy-out clause, throwing De Gea's future into further doubt.

LIVE BLOG

19.44 BST: FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) has ruled against Redmond, Washington based youth club Crossfire Premier in its bid to receive solidarity payments related to the 2014 transfer of DeAndre Yedlin from the Seattle Sounders to Tottenham Hotspur, according to documents acquired by ESPN FC.

19.02 BST: Catch up on the latest rumours as the FC TV guys run down our rater.

play

1:37

Are PSG zeroing in on David de Gea? Is Moise Keane on his way to Inter? Plus, the latest on Ivan Rakitic and Raphael Varane.

18.09 BST: Uriel Antuna is impressing on loan from Manchester City at LA Galaxy, having struggled with a spell at Groningen, and the Mexican is keen to return to England -- despite only having a year left on his contract.

"Right now I'm doing well," he told Marca Claro. "I'm playing, the next year we'll see the opportunities that can be given, if God wants [for him to return to City] why not? One of my goals is to return to Europe"

17.14 BST: Manchester City will stick with Benjamin Mendy despite his injury problems and "have opted not to pursue a new left-back this summer," according to Sky.

16.48 BST: West Ham defender Reece Oxford is on the brink of making his loan move to German club Augsburg into a permanent deal, Sky Sports reports. Oxford, 20, has been with Augsburg since January and a full-time move would see him valued at around £8m.

15.49 BST: The Mirror says Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who has been on loan at Championship side Reading this season, will leave in the summer "if Unai Emery doesn't offer him the opportunity to challenge No.1 Bernd Leno.

15.15 BST: Everton midfielder Tom Davies has signed a new contract at Goodison Park, committing him to the club until June 2023. The England under-21 international said: "I am made up to sign a new deal. I feel the club have faith in me, and they've shown that by giving me this contract. It is where I want to be."

14.43 BST: Juventus sporting direction Fabio Paratici was at Fiorentina-Sassuolo as he continues to cast an eye over Federico Chiesa, according to Tuttosport. It reports that the Fiorentina man remains his first choice attacker this summer.

13.56 BST: Premier League survival is assured for Southampton, and the Mail says manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is already planning for next season and will make a move for prolific Birmingham striker Che Adams.

13.31 BST: Paul Pogba will have to take a pay cut if he leaves Manchester United for Real Madrid in the summer, with sources telling ESPN FC that Madrid are not prepared to match his £290,000-a-week Old Trafford wages.

Sources at United have repeatedly said Pogba, 26, will not be sold at the end of the season, despite persistent speculation linking the midfielder with a move to the Bernabeu.

12.42 BST: Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona will bring Marc Cucurella back from Eibar. The left-back is on loan at Eibar, who will exercise their option to sign him for €2m, but Barca will take up their option to re-sign him for €4m. A decision will then be made on whether he stays or is sold for a bigger fee.

12.11 BST: Ivan Rakitic wants to stay at Barcelona amid reported interest from Manchester United and Inter Milan. "I don't want to be anywhere else. I hope the club, the president, the coach and the fans see this the same way I do," the Croatia international told reporters. "I hope they tell me that I'll stay here for another three years."

11.44 BST: If at first you don't succeed... Arsenal tried to sign Christopher Nkunku from Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January only to be told that the French champions wanted a permanent deal, and now the London Evening standard reports that they are poised to make a £17.2m bid for the midfielder.

11.17 BST: Manchester City defenders Nicolas Otamendi and Danilo could leave in the summer in search of more playing time, sources have told ESPN FC.

Otamendi, 31, signed a contract extension in January but has started fewer than half of City's Premier League and Champions League games this season, while Danilo has made 12 appearances.

10.53 BST: Norwich, promoted back to the Premier League on Saturday, have been linked with potential moves for Rotherham midfielder Semi Ajayi and Brentford defender Yoann Barbet.

10.23 BST: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to action for Liverpool against Huddersfield on Friday after more than a year out with injury, and the Mirror reports that the club will give him a 12-month contract extension in "a strong show of faith" to the England international.

10.00 BST: Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is happier since Zinedine Zidane's return as coach but still unsure where he will play next season, sources have told ESPN FC.

In March, ESPN FC reported that Varane, who has been linked with Manchester United, was considering whether to look for a new challenge -- but Marca claimed he had "parked" the idea of leaving.

However, sources told ESPN FC he had not made a decision about his future ahead of a meeting with Bernabeu chiefs.

09.40 BST: Corriere dello Sport suggests Inter Milan are ready to sign striker Moise Kean from Juventus.

Kean is an Inter supporter and his contract runs out at the end of next season, so director Beppe Marotta is looking to secure another major coup on a free transfer.

The forward's agent, Mino Raiola, has a positive relationship with Inter and represents their former players Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

08.52 BST: Manchester United's former Champions League winning captain Rio Ferdinand is in the frame to become the club's new sporting director, according to the Daily Mail.

United are reportedly looking for a director as they attempt to change their largely failing transfer policy.

08.00 BST: Napoli and Juventus are reported to be fighting it out to sign Kieran Trippier from Tottenham Hotspur, with Sky Sport Italia claiming the Azzurri have made an offer.

Both Napoli and Juve have already booked their berths in next season's Champions League and are now planning their squads for the new campaign. A bid of €20m is reported to have been tabled by Napoli for the England defender, valued closer to €35m by Spurs and is understood to be on Manchester United's list of targets.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps) Bernabeu switch, Premier League ditch for Ndombele?

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will attempt to persuade Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele to ditch a move to the Premier League and sign for him instead.

AS says the 22-year-old favours a move to either Tottenham or Manchester City, but Zidane believes he can convince him that going to the Bernabeu would be best for his career.

Following initial talks, Lyon have set an asking price of €100m but Madrid are confident that they can bring that down to something between €70-80m.

Lyon's Ligue 1 rivals PSG are also in the race for the player, with Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus monitoring Ndombele's situation.

Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas has said he would rather sell Ndombele to Juve, telling Tuttosport: "It's true, Juve are interested, but there's also PSG, Manchester United and City.

"To be honest, I'd like to see Ndombele at Juventus with [Miralem] Pjanic, a player who we launched at Lyon and whom I'm still very much attached to. We'll see what happens."

Chelsea after Atal if transfer ban is quashed

The Telegraph reports that Chelsea are in the race to sign highly-rated Nice full-back Youcef Atal but face competition from Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Atal became the first Algerian in 33 years to score a Ligue 1 hat trick in the 3-0 victory over Guingamp at the weekend, and that display prompted Nice manager Patrick Vieira to declare that the 22-year-old is not for sale.

But that resolve is set to be tested by Europe's elite, with the Algeria international believed to be keen to play in the Champions League next season.

According to the report, at least €40m will be required to secure the right-back, who is set to appear for his country at this summer's African Nations Cup.

Tap-ins

- Arsenal boss Unai Emery's transfer plans are in limbo, with the club trying to appoint a director of football and waiting to see if they will be playing Champions League football next season.

There are also doubts among Arsenal players about Emery's tactical credentials, according to the Telegraph.

- The Daily Mail says Manchester United and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head for young Reading goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke.

The 16-year-old got rave reviews when he faced United's youth team earlier in the season, and won the Golden Glove award at last year's Val De Marne tournament in France.

- Manchester City outcast Danilo is willing to take a pay cut in order to complete a move to Inter Milan this summer, Calciomercato says.

It claims talks between the two parties are well under way, but the Brazilian will need to take a cut to his £75,000-a-week Man City salary if he is to seal a deal with the Nerazzurri.

Read More

Fantasy Soccer Podcast: April 30 - May 1 DraftKings UCL Preview

This article is part of our Fantasy Soccer Podcast series.

Andrew Laird and Luis Pacheco preview this week's Champions League slate on DraftKings, a two-gamer that all but forces you to roster Lionel Messi in cash games.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, and if you like what you hear, please rate and review it!

Intro and outro music: Above and Beyond by Silent Partner

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including â€" but not limited to â€" games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.

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'Lovely' River Islands Fields Get Rave Reviews in State Cup

John Doyle's grin told the tale.Here it was, the grand opening of the lush soccer complex at River Islands in Lathrop on Saturday morning, and John and his wife, Kaarin, were watching a riveting NorCal Premier State Cup boys match play out right in front of them. The U-14 San Mateo County Earthquakes took a dramatic 3-2 win over Vallejo Futbol FC on a last-minute goal by Anthony Alatta in the quarterfinals."Great game!" Doyle declared.In a colorful swirl of competition on a beautiful April day, boys' and girls' soccer teams, U14-U19, competed in the christening of the $2 million River Islands soccer complex.State Cup coaches were thrilled with what they experienced. The six new Bermuda grass fields had a wow factor, especially for teams in the East Bay or Peninsula desperate for field space in their own communities."Great complex," declared 2005 Belmont United Napoli head coach Rich Williams after a 6-1 win over Fresno Heat FC in the knockout round. "Lovely grass fields, flat, big , just ideal conditions to play in. Today not too hot with the breeze. Beautiful. I wish I was 15 again and I was playing."The fields were freshly chalked, with brand new lights, new corner flags, and first-class goals.These last two years Doyle and his partner Fred Wilson have been methodically preparing the grounds for weekends like these. Doyle has enjoyed some incredible landmarks in his career: 1990 FIFA World Cup-Italy, 1996 MLS inaugural Game, 53 caps with the U.S. National Team, opening the Earthquakes Avaya Stadium. But this opening at River Islands holds a special place in his soccer soul.Indeed, these soccer fields, located next to the majestic San Joaquin Delta River, are Doyle's baby."Everything looks great, fabulous, perfect," Doyle beamed. "Our objective was to build something special so the kids could play soccer. It's for the families and the kids. It was a long process and we have a lot of things to add to it, but it's a great feeling to be right here, right now."M ore than 70 boys' and girls' teams participated in Saturday's quarterfinal knockout rounds. Sunday's second-day action is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.While the massive UC Davis site is also hosting State Cup action this weekend, River Islands seems like a revelation to coaches and players.

"I love it," San Mateo County Earthquakes coach Brian Mansell said. "Next to Davis these are the best fields right here. This is fantastic. I'd love to play here more."

Mansell also marvels at the River Islands community which includes soccer and baseball parks packaged with the schools, lakes, trails, attractive homes and much more.

"This is great, man. This is fantastic. I'm very impressed with the field," he said.

Woodland Arsenal U-14 girls team coach Fausto Morales also gives the fields high marks."It's a great complex and it seems like you guys are just starting too," Morales said.Dillin Ton, whose son Kyle is a center midfielder for U-14 Orchard Valley-Morgan Hill, appreciates just having a nice field in the area. "I like it. Much better location, especially for teams coming from the East Bay. It's more centralized. I love the grass and the parking lot is good."GREAT ACTION: Coach Williams also enjoyed what he saw from his team. Kyle Chan led Belmont with a hat trick, Eugenio Garcia scored twice, and Trevor Johnson rounded out the scoring with a rocket shot just across the goal line off the crossbar. Goalkeeper Kevin Martinez was also a hero against an offensive-minded Fresno squad with a clutch save to keep his team ahead, 3-1."Recently we've had difficulty scoring goals, but we've controlled the game with possession," Williams said. "Today we didn't control the game with possession so much which made it more of an end-to-end game. At halftime I said it was kind of like a basketball game from one end to the other, which I didn't like so much, but we finished our chances and put the game away with that fourth goal."DUE FOR A BIG FINISH: Alatta pounded home his big finish after Romeo Vasquez shot off the crossbar."It felt good because I hadn't scored in four games," he said.His thoughts on the field conditions? "Really good," he said.NOTE: State Cup division quarterfinal games are also taking place this weekend at the massive Davis Legacy Soccer Complex. Premier through Copper divisions are at River Islands. For scores and more information, visit https://norcalpremier.com/.

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RI Commerce, City of Pawtucket to Review 6 Proposals for Reuse of McCoy and Downtown Development

Friday, April 26, 2019

GoLocalProv News Team

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RI Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor

The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation along with the City of Pawtucket announced Friday that they have received six proposals responding to the RFP for the reuse of McCoy Stadium and Pawtucket Downtown Development.

"We are very pleased with the number and apparent quality of the proposals we've received. We look forward to working with Mayor Grebien and his team to review these proposals, narrow them down, and pursue next steps," said Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor.

All proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and the City of Pawtucket.

"The City appreciates the initiative and leadership role Commerce RI has taken with the Request for Proposal process. The number of responses continue to show that Pawtucket is a desirable location for development and that there is a clear interest for investors to come to the city. We look forward to working with Commerce to review and evaluate the six proposals," said Mayor Donald Grebien.

Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated based upon information contained in the respective submission packages and their responsiveness to the submission criteria. 

The Proposals

AJAX Advisors, LLC is proposing to bring professional sports to Pawtucket with independent professional soccer in a new stadium in Downtown Pawtucket and the conversion of McCoy into a light industrial use.

Brett Johnson, Fortuitous Partners is proposing to bring a professional sports team – a United Soccer League franchise – to downtown Pawtucket and envisions construction of a multi-sport stadium and ancillary and sport-related development. The proposal includes a renewed use for the existing McCoy baseball stadium site. A new recreational park is proposed with six new multipurpose fields that can be used for soccer, lacrosse, or football.

Frank Boulton is proposing to bring Atlantic League professional baseball to McCoy Stadium. 

Level Exchange is proposing the creation of a hub centered around the music industry in Pawtucket, seeing this as an opportunity to foster the growth of the multifaceted creative community. In addition to infrastructure to support the entertainment industry, this approach would include all other aspects needed to sustain such a live-work-play area.

Minor League Baseball for Pawtucket: Minor League Baseball for Pawtucket, a group of local Rhode Island business leaders and community members, want to explore with the City of Pawtucket and the State of Rhode Island the possibility of continuing the rich tradition of affiliated, Minor League Baseball in Pawtucket.  Preserving community involvement and providing, affordable, family entertainment in the State of Rhode Island are the groups' priorities.

Native Waters Investment, LLC: is proposing to construct a Family Entertainment Center and Riverfront Park in Pawtucket. The Family Entertainment Center and Riverfront Park will be located on approximately twenty-five acres of land in the I-95 corridor. Some features of the Entertainment Center could include an indoor mega coaster, children's play park, rock climbing wall, overhead zip-line course, bowling alleys, a 7D theater, a variety of restaurants and retail outlets and a riverboat hotel.

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Owners' Error

Starting from nearly day one, the new ownership group of the Pawtucket Red Sox -- a collection of some of America's most wealthy businessmen -- saw their investment in the team as a "gift" to Rhode Islanders and that their vision of a mega-stadium in Providence was a windfall.

The ownership group's early strategy was to demand more than $140 million in subsidies and tax breaks and that led to strong public backlash.

The ownership group -- with a collective net worth of $6 to $8 billion, later blamed the late Jim Skeffington for the misstep, but the collection of owners all thought that for a small investment in the PawSox -- $2 million to $3 million per owner, reportedly, the windfall potential was tremendous -- and all financed by taxpayers.

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Raimondo's Flip Flop

As the Providence proposal took on water Governor Gina Raimondo reversed field and went from supporter to opponent on the financing structure.

Raimondo, who had once chided critics about complaining about the move from Pawtucket to Providence, flipped on the ownership group and ultimately opposed the Providence financing deal. The implications were two-fold.

First, it raised questions with owners about who to negotiate with and how to negotiate with Rhode Island's government in good faith. Second, it did tremendous damage to her already strained relationship with Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello. Her change left him the last official holding the political hot potato.

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Lucchino's Demands

After Jim Skeffington's death, former Boston Red Sox top executive Larry Lucchino took over the ownership effort to site a new stadium.

Lucchino, who had built stadiums in Baltimore and San Diego for major league franchises, had a formula. While his ownership group in Boston had failed to build a new Fenway Park in Boston due to public opposition, Lucchino put forth a series of demands and, more so than any factor, lead to the team's stadium efforts failure.

First, he would not wait until after the 2018 election. Second, he refused to have the owners take on the final financial backstop. Third, he refused to acknowledge that times had changed — that minor league baseball's popularity which peaked in the 1990s was long past.

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Public Support — No Millions for Billionaires

At the end of the day, Rhode Islanders, by an overwhelming majority did not want to invest taxpayer dollars in a public stadium.

According to two GoLocal polls conducted by Harvard's John Della Volpe which asked, "The Rhode Island General Assembly is in the process of negotiating a $40 million public financing deal with the Pawtucket Red Sox for a new stadium, hoping to bring a vote before the House and Senate this summer.  

In general, do you favor or oppose the use of public funds to help finance a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox?"

Net: Favor                   33%

Strongly favor             13%

Somewhat favor          21%

Net: Oppose                59%

Somewhat oppose      21%

Strongly oppose         38%

Don't know                   8%

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Lack of Functional Leadership

In the end, the dysfunctional relationship between Raimondo, Mattiello, and Ruggerio doomed a viable solution — maybe from the beginning.

Instead of a united front by the three top political leaders, the owners got greedy and tried to manipulate the division of the state's Democratic leaders.

Democrats Raimondo, Mattiello and Ruggerio are as aligned as Iraqi ethnic groups Kurds, Sunnis and Shias. Yes, they are all Democrats, but their trust and ability to co-govern often fails.

"Trust and reliability are the key ingredients in any public-private deal. Polls show about 60% of Rhode Islanders opposed the project which reflected in part a lack of trust in elected officials. The owners grew not to trust Rhode Island pols because of the way the process and negation unfolded at the State House," Gary Sasse of the Hassenfeld Institute tells GoLocalProv.

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LIVE Transfer Talk: PSG ready £90m bid for Man United keeper David De Gea

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but you can click here to review all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

TOP STORY: PSG to table mega de Gea Deal

Paris Saint-Germain look set to take advantage of David De Gea's contract uncertainty at Manchester United by offering him a deal worth £90m, according to the Daily Star.

De Gea has just over a year remaining on his Old Trafford contract, which is worth £200,000 a week, but PSG are offering to more than double the Spain international's wages to £450,000 a week despite his recent struggle for form.

The French champions are keen to sign a long-term replacement for Gianluigi Buffon, whose future at Parc des Princes looks uncertain.

De Gea's contract situation could force United to cash in this summer. With a fee of around £50m enough to tempt them to sell, PSG could now lure him to the French capital.

The news comes after sources told ESPN FC that United are seriously considering triggering Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak's €120 million buy-out clause, throwing De Gea's future into further doubt.

LIVE BLOG

10.53 BST: Norwich, promoted back to the Premier League on Saturday, have been linked with potential moves for Rotherham midfielder Semi Ajayi and Brentford defender Yoann Barbet.

10.23 BST: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to action for Liverpool against Huddersfield on Friday after more than a year out with injury, and the Mirror reports that the club will give him a 12-month contract extension in "a strong show of faith" to the England international.

10.00 BST: Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is happier since Zinedine Zidane's return as coach but still unsure where he will play next season, sources have told ESPN FC.

In March, ESPN FC reported that Varane, who has been linked with Manchester United, was considering whether to look for a new challenge -- but Marca claimed he had "parked" the idea of leaving.

However, sources told ESPN FC he had not made a decision about his future ahead of a meeting with Bernabeu chiefs.

09.40 BST: Corriere dello Sport suggests Inter Milan are ready to sign striker Moise Kean from Juventus.

Kean is an Inter supporter and his contract runs out at the end of next season, so director Beppe Marotta is looking to secure another major coup on a free transfer.

The forward's agent, Mino Raiola, has a positive relationship with Inter and represents their former players Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

08.52 BST: Manchester United's former Champions League winning captain Rio Ferdinand is in the frame to become the club's new sporting director, according to the Daily Mail.

United are reportedly looking for a director as they attempt to change their largely failing transfer policy.

08.00 BST: Napoli and Juventus are reported to be fighting it out to sign Kieran Trippier from Tottenham Hotspur, with Sky Sport Italia claiming the Azzurri have made an offer.

Both Napoli and Juve have already booked their berths in next season's Champions League and are now planning their squads for the new campaign. A bid of €20m is reported to have been tabled by Napoli for the England defender, valued closer to €35m by Spurs and is understood to be on Manchester United's list of targets.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps): Bernabeu switch, Premier League ditch for Ndombele?

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will attempt to persuade Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele to ditch a move to the Premier League and sign for him instead.

AS says the 22-year-old favours a move to either Tottenham or Manchester City, but Zidane believes he can convince him that going to the Bernabeu would be best for his career.

Following initial talks, Lyon have set an asking price of €100m but Madrid are confident that they can bring that down to something between €70-80m.

Lyon's Ligue 1 rivals PSG are also in the race for the player, with Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus monitoring Ndombele's situation.

Chelsea after Atal if transfer ban is quashed

The Telegraph reports that Chelsea are in the race to sign highly-rated Nice full-back Youcef Atal but face competition from Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Atal became the first Algerian in 33 years to score a Ligue 1 hat trick in the 3-0 victory over Guingamp at the weekend, and that display prompted Nice manager Patrick Vieira to declare that the 22-year-old is not for sale.

But that resolve is set to be tested by Europe's elite, with the Algeria international believed to be keen to play in the Champions League next season.

According to the report, at least €40m will be required to secure the right-back, who is set to appear for his country at this summer's African Nations Cup.

Tap-ins

- Arsenal boss Unai Emery's transfer plans are in limbo, with the club trying to appoint a director of football and waiting to see if they will be playing Champions League football next season.

There are also doubts among Arsenal players about Emery's tactical credentials, according to the Telegraph.

- The Daily Mail says Manchester United and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head for young Reading goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke.

The 16-year-old got rave reviews when he faced United's youth team earlier in the season, and won the Golden Glove award at last year's Val De Marne tournament in France.

- Manchester City outcast Danilo is willing to take a pay cut in order to complete a move to Inter Milan this summer, Calciomercato says.

It claims talks between the two parties are well under way, but the Brazilian will need to take a cut to his £75,000-a-week Man City salary if he is to seal a deal with the Nerazzurri.

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Fantasy Soccer Podcast: April 27 DraftKings EPL Preview

This article is part of our Fantasy Soccer Podcast series.

Andrew Laird and Jordan Cooper preview Saturday's five-game Premier League slate on DraftKings, including whether or not paying up for Gylfi Sigurdsson is required in cash games.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, and if you like what you hear, please rate and review it!

Intro and outro music: Above and Beyond by Silent Partner

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including â€" but not limited to â€" games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Cooper plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: blenderhd, DraftKings: blenderhd. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.

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