‘It can be brutal’: Gian van Veen learns to fly with the stars after dartitis

Dutch rising star has gone from not knowing ‘how to grip the dart’ to a dark horse for the PDC world championshipIt’s the deciding leg of the European Championship final. Gian van Veen, the 23-year-old from the Netherlands chasing his first major title, has just missed two match darts to win 11-9. Luke Humphries, world No 1 at the time, starts the final leg with a 140.“Oh, you’ve blown it here,” Van Veen replies when asked to describe his internal monologue during that moment in October. “Luke Humphries is not going to crumble under this pressure

‘Dadgummit, let’s freaking go’: 44-year-old grandfather Rivers could start for Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have not ruled out starting Philip Rivers at quarterback after luring the grandfather out of retirement amid an injury crisis.The Colts lost starter Daniel Jones for the season after he tore his achilles on Sunday, while their first-round pick in 2023, Anthony Richardson, is out with a broken orbital bone he suffered in October. With backup Riley Leonard dealing with a knee injury, the Colts turned to the 44-year-old Rivers, who retired at the end of the 2020 season. Rivers, who has been a high school coach since his retirement and recently welcomed his first grandchild, played for the Colts in his final season after a long stint with the Chargers.Colts head coach Shane Steichen is close friends with Rivers and approached him about returning to the NFL

NHL warns top players will not show up for Winter Olympics if venue is unsafe

The NHL says it is “disappointing” that the main ice hockey venue for the Winter Olympics will not be ready until the new year – and warned that its top players will not show up unless the ice is shown to be safe.The men’s and women’s tournaments are expected to be among the highlights of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games with the NHL stars showing up for the first time since 2014.However, the buildup continues to be marred by construction delays and questions over why the rink at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan is smaller and wider than in the NHL, as well as concerns over the quality of the ice. And while the International Olympic Committee insisted on Tuesday that everything would be ready on time, the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, made it clear he was not entirely happy.“The fact that the building at this point still isn’t completed is – and I won’t use any other adjectives – disappointing,” Bettman said

Mets all-time home run leader Pete Alonso reportedly agrees $155m deal with Orioles

For the second day in a row, the New York Mets have seen a beloved star agree to terms with another team.Pete Alonso, the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs, has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $155m contract with the Baltimore Orioles. The news comes a day after the Mets’ long-term closer, Edwin Díaz, reached a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.The 31-year-old slugger had been unable to find a long-term deal last season and returned to the Mets on a shorter contract, which he opted out of after this year’s World Series. While the Mets were interested in re-signing him they reportedly never made an offer once other teams were willing to offer longer, more valuable deals to the the first baseman

Etzebeth accepts 12-week ban but claims eye-gouge ‘was never intentional’

Eben Etzebeth, the Springboks lock serving a 12-week ban for eye-gouging Alex Mann of Wales, has claimed it was “never intentional”, contradicting the verdict of an independent disciplinary committee announced last week.In an Instagram post on Wednesday the Sharks second row accepted guilt and apologised, saying “unfortunately mistakes happen”. The 34-year-old double Rugby World Cup winner also appeared to distance himself from the act by drawing attention to “other factors”. Along with three videos accompanying the post, Etzebeth claimed two Welsh players involved in the fracas, along with Mann, changed “the dynamic of the entire picture”.Etzebeth will be sidelined until April after an 18-week ban, for what was deemed a mid-range offence, was reduced to 12 weeks due to mitigating factors including his previous good disciplinary record

Nick Sirianni slams ‘ridiculous’ calls to bench Jalen Hurts amid Eagles’ skid

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni moved quickly on Wednesday to shut down the rising speculation around Jalen Hurts’ job security, calling talk of a potential quarterback change “ridiculous” despite his team’s three-game losing streak and their franchise star’s sudden dip in form.Hurts committed five turnovers – four interceptions and a lost fumble – in Monday night’s 22-19 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, punctuating one of the ugliest outings of his career. The final mistake, an interception near the goalline in overtime, sealed another deflating loss for an Eagles side that has averaged just 16 points across the past five games. The 8-5 Eagles have not won since 10 November.Hurts’ performance tied several unwanted marks: the most giveaways by an Eagles player since tracking began in 1978 and the first four-interception game by a Philadelphia quarterback since Michael Vick in 2012