Browsing: confident

Oct 23, 2025, 08:24 PM ET

MILWAUKEE — Pat Murphy says he couldn’t have imagined going directly from coaching in the college ranks to managing in the major leagues.

But the Milwaukee Brewers skipper — who previously worked as a head coach at Arizona State and Notre Dame — is confident Tony Vitello can make a successful transition from coaching the University of Tennessee to managing the San Francisco Giants.

“I’m excited for this guy,” Murphy said. “I hear great things. I’ve met him before, but I’m not close associates with him. I’ve heard great things about him. They have a great team and a great organization, so I think it’s going to work, and I don’t think that can happen a lot. I know I wouldn’t have been ready.”

Murphy’s success has lent credence to the notion that a college coach could thrive as a major league manager.

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After coaching over two decades at Notre Dame and Arizona State, Murphy has led the Brewers to consecutive NL Central titles since taking over as the manager. He was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2024.

But his situation was very different from the circumstances surrounding Vitello’s hire.

Vitello, who led Tennessee to a 2024 College World Series title, has no pro experience. He is going directly from college to the majors.

Murphy ended his college coaching career in 2009 when he left Arizona State amid an NCAA investigation. He started working in the San Diego Padres’ organization the following year, had a stint as their interim manager in 2015, and then spent eight seasons as Milwaukee’s bench coach.

“What I know for sure is that I couldn’t have made the jump successfully,” Murphy said. “Because it’s two different games. I say it’s like harness racing and thoroughbred racing. What facilitates that thing is if you have a president or other group of people around you that are going to help you facilitate that and the differences.”

Murphy believes the 47-year-old Vitello has that in Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

“It’s one of those things that if you have everything in place helping you through it, I think the best parts of him can come out, the needed parts, building the connections, the impact on players, the parts that he’s not used to,” Murphy said. “There will be people around him to fill him in. Buster Posey is not dumb. He knows what he’s doing. He knew the scrutiny, and he knew the importance of this hire. And I think it’ll go well for them.”

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England fast bowler Mark Wood says he is “quietly confident” of being fit for the first Test of the Ashes series in Australia.

Wood has not played since a Champions Trophy defeat by Afghanistan in February and had an operation on a left knee injury in March.

The Champions Trophy and tour of India that preceded it was the 35-year-old’s return from an elbow injury that had kept him out of action since August 2024.

“It was a frustrating summer,” Wood told the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast., external “I didn’t get to play any cricket and my knee, at times when you think that you’re just about ready to play, it was not just quite there.

“I got knocked back a couple of times, but in the tent [training camp] it’s been going well. I’ve had the speed gun out and the pace is getting up there.”

The first match of the Ashes starts on 21 November in Perth, with England aiming to win their first Test series in Australia since 2010-2011.

“Hopefully, I’m in form, bowling well in the practice games and in the nets, and can put my hand up for that game [Ashes opener],” added Wood, whose last Test outing was against Sri Lanka 14 months ago.

“The rehab hasn’t just been a straight curve, it’s been a bit up and down, but I’m in a good position now where i’m hoping to kick on for that game.

“I never want to give an answer where I say, ‘Yes, I’m pumped, I’m ready’. I’m in a confident place at the minute and feeling a lot more positive, so I’m quietly confident.”

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PITTSBURGH — Matthew Schaefer jumped onto the darkened ice at PPG Paints Arena and, along with New York Islanders teammate Maxim Shabanov, took the traditional solo lap every player makes before his NHL debut.

It’s the only time the 18-year-old Schaefer looked like a rookie all night during New York’s 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

Confident and poised from the opening faceoff, the top pick in the June draft wasted little time showcasing why the Islanders coveted him after the balls bounced their way during the draft lottery.

Schaefer needed all of 12 minutes to collect the first point of his career, making a deft pass from the half wall to Jonathan Drouin in the slot. Drouin’s knuckler fluttered by Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry to pull New York even.

“I thought it was a great first game for us,” Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer said after collecting the first point of his career in his NHL debut. “I just wish we got the win.” Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images

“Our team is so easy to make plays with, everyone is in the right spot,” Schaefer said with a shrug. “I found [Drouin] there, and it was an easy pass to him and of course he puts it in the back of the net.”

Islanders coach Patrick Roy didn’t hesitate to go to Schaefer, who played more than seven minutes in the opening period alone. Schaefer finished with 17:15 of ice time in all, including some with the New York net empty late as the Islanders tried to tie it.

“I thought he was really good,” Roy said of Schaefer. “He was good at the end. Throwing pucks at the net. I thought that he seemed very comfortable, very confident out there. So I’m very pleased with him.”

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Schaefer, who had around 30 friends and family in attendance, admitted there were some jitters during his first couple of shifts, but he didn’t exactly genuflect in the direction of Penguins icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The club’s big three are entering their 20th season playing alongside each other, a run that began before Schaefer was born.

Although Schaefer isn’t entering the league with the same external expectations that followed Crosby two decades ago — when Crosby himself arrived in the league at 18 as the top pick in the draft — Schaefer understands how important his arrival and development are for a team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in more than 40 years.

Yes, it’s cool that he made the club out of training camp barely a month after turning 18. He’s not here to sell tickets and generate interest, but to help the Islanders take a step forward in the competitive Metropolitan Division sooner rather than later.

Near breathless as he talked after becoming the second-youngest NHL defenseman to make his debut in 70 years, Schaefer wasn’t as interested in trying to put the moment in perspective as he was regretting the result.

The Islanders controlled the game for extended stretches and threw 38 shots at Jarry. Save for a couple of costly breakdowns in front of their own net — which allowed Malkin and Crosby to work their magic — the Islanders played with speed and purpose, which they hope offers a blueprint for what’s to come, the new kid included.

“I thought we brought it tonight,” Schaefer said. “Wish we could have got the win. Hate losing. Now we know and we’re going to learn from it and focus on our next game. But I thought it was a great first game for us. I just wish we got the win.”

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Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series means the New York Yankees have gone 16 years since winning the World Series, which is quite the drought for a franchise with 27 championship rings.

But manager Aaron Boone believes the next breakthrough is still ahead.

“I’m confident we’ll break through,” he told reporters (5:35 mark). “I have been every year. And I believe in so many of the people in that room. That hasn’t changed. The fire hasn’t changed. It’s hard to win a World Series.”

Boone’s longevity is notable at this point, as the 2025 campaign was eighth as the Yankees manager. It is a span that includes seven playoff appearances and a spot in last year’s World Series, but he is yet to lead the team to a championship.

That raises natural questions about his future given the championship-or-bust nature of the Yankees as a franchise, but he believes he will still be there in 2026.

“No, I’m under contract,” he said when asked if he had reason to think he won’t return next season (6:10 mark). “So, no, I don’t expect anything.”

The Yankees surely had no plans of losing in the American League Division Series, especially after winning 94 games during the regular season. That was the same amount of wins they had in 2024 when they reached the World Series but fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But the future is still bright, especially since their starting rotation next season could feature Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Cam Schlittler, among valuable depth options.

That will be difficult to beat if a lineup with Aaron Judge leading the way puts up enough runs.

It’s likely of little solace to Yankees fans following another postseason loss Wednesday, but there is a reason Boone is still confident.

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters Thursday that he’s playing “as confident as I’ve ever been” right now, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

“(I’m seeing the game right now) just the way I want to see it. Just the experience paying off on top of the film study and my preparation. And then just the clear communication when a play is being not only called for but what that play is being designed for and how we feel like we can attack this or attack that.

“I think it’s just a result of me knowing all of that and putting it all together. I’m feeling good out there.” “I’m for sure (playing) as confident as I’ve ever been. Every year I’ve felt like I’ve gotten better and making strides in every part of my game. I know sometimes the numbers and things don’t always show that, but I think right now that they are.”

Prescott’s remarks dropped four days after he turned in a fantastic game against a Green Bay Packers team that had allowed just 41 points over their first three weeks. Prescott’s Cowboys nearly scored that much on their own en route to a 40-all tie. The 10-year veteran looked great even with No. 1 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb out due to a high ankle sprain, completing 31-of-40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score.

For the season, Prescott has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 1,119 yards (279.8 per game), six touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 22 yards and a score.

Dallas is off to a very good offensive start (fifth in points, six in yards per play). The issue, as expected after the team traded superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers last August, is the defense. For the year, the Cowboys have allowed the second-most points per game and second-most yards per play.

Overall, that’s led to an uneven 1-2-1 start, but Prescott’s play, confidence and the general high quality of the offense will at least keep Dallas in games.

The Cowboys now have a chance to move to .500 on Sunday when they visit the winless New York Jets.

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Draper was modelling next summer’s collection for one of his sponsors last week and has been working out regularly at the National Tennis Centre in London this week.

The work is primarily physical at the moment, and when pre-season training begins in earnest later this month, the initial on-court drills are likely to be low in intensity.

The British number one first felt discomfort in his upper left serving arm during the clay court season in the spring, and following a scan after Wimbledon, did not hit any serves for a month.

But the period of rest proved insufficient. He won his first-round match at the US Open, but withdrew before the second, and the opportunity to make his debut at the season ending ATP Finals was gone.

â€He’s top 10 and he played half of the year. Just to say how good he is…†Mouratoglou added.

“His only problem for the moment is the injuries: he has been through several injuries already in the past.

“I always thought he was going to be a top player, but for every player that is supposed to become a top player, there are things to solve.

“For him, it’s to find a way to be injury free as much as possible because that’s what made him lose a little bit of time otherwise he would be higher [in the rankings], I think.”

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Tony Khan isnâ€t backing down as WWE continues stacking premium live events against AEW programming. With Title Tuesday set to air on October 7, 2025—directly opposite WWEâ€s NXT Invasion special—fans are gearing up for another round of the Tuesday Night War. But according to Khan, AEW is thriving like never before.

Speaking on Going Ringside, Khan was asked if WWEâ€s frequent counterprogramming has been frustrating from a business perspective. His response? AEW isnâ€t just surviving—itâ€s dominating.

“Well, weâ€re having a great year. Weâ€ve been able to stick and move and make it work really well for us. Thereâ€s always going to be tough competition. And in this sport, itâ€s very tough competition—a kind of competition that makes you work really hard 52 weeks a year.â€

Khan pointed to real numbers backing AEWâ€s momentum, especially when it comes to cable ratings and streaming.

“Not only have we added HBO Max and put new viewers on streaming, weâ€ve got more people watching the shows on cable than we did last year. For Dynamite and Collision, the audience has gone up.â€

He even addressed the critics who doubted AEWâ€s simulcast strategy would work.

“If you look where we ended up in Q4 of 2024, each quarter weâ€ve been going up—building our audience on TBS and TNT—while thereâ€s also people watching on HBO Max. Itâ€s kind of the opposite of what the analysts had predicted when we started simulcasting.â€

For Khan, 2025 isnâ€t just business as usual—itâ€s record-breaking.

“So, weâ€re still seeing great returns, great audiences on cable, and Iâ€m really excited about it because I think that 2025 right now—this year—has been maybe the best year of AEW ever.â€

And when it comes to pay-per-views, Khan made it clear AEWâ€s latest offerings are setting a new standard.

“The pay-per-views—you mentioned pay-per-views—weâ€re doing our best pay-per-views weâ€ve ever done. If you say, you know, from the past six years, what are the top 10 AEW pay-per-views? I think thereâ€s a good chance five out of the 10, six out of the 10 would be from this year.â€

With Title Tuesday bringing AEW home to Dailyâ€s Place in Jacksonville and NXT Invasion rolling out big matchups on the CW Network, fans are about to face a tough decision. But if Tony Khanâ€s words are any indication, AEW is more than ready to steal the night.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

Do you think AEW will outshine WWEâ€s NXT Invasion on October 7? Which show will you be watching live? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

September 30, 2025 10:04 am

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Bryan Danielson isnâ€t ruling out a return to the ring but says heâ€s “infinitely more confident†in his retirement now than he was in 2016.

Danielson announced his retirement for the first time on the February 8, 2016 episode of WWE Raw. He was cleared to return a little over two years later. His full-time in-ring career came to an end in October 2024 after he lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley. During a recent interview with Australia’s Nine Network, Danielson discussed the differences between his retirement now and before.

“I feel infinitely more content, honestly,” Danielson said.

“My life has changed and it’s different when it’s your own decision as opposed to when you’re not allowed to do this thing that you love anymore.”

Danielson says he still have discomfort in his neck, especially when traveling, but overall is not unhappy.

“I would mostly frame it that even though I’m in physical discomfort, I’m pretty happy.”

He continued to say that if he does ever return to the ring, he won’t wrestle at the scale he did before.

“My body physically can’t do some of those things anymore. If I’m going to do it, it can’t be at the scale that I did it before.”

“If I tried to do some of the things I did in my last year with AEW right now, I don’t think I’d be able to go back and hold my kids. Anything that I would do moving forward has to be with that in mind, because that is now my number one priority.“

“Stay healthy, be at home and play with my kids and coach my son’s tee-ball team.”

Danielson also discusses considering retirement after his match agianst Swerve Strickland in Wembley Stadium, AEW’s upcoming shows in Australia and more. The full interview is available here.

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Sep 25, 2025, 11:24 PM ET

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have yet to secure star forward Kirill Kaprizov beyond this season with a long-term contract.

Owner Craig Leipold is trying to remain patient and stay in his lane, fully confident in leaving the process to general manager Bill Guerin and his assistants.

“Billy’s the guy. He’s the one that does the negotiating, no matter who it is, and that’s his responsibility and his role,” Leipold said on Thursday night. “We’ve got a great relationship.”

Can the same be said about the dynamic between the NHL club and Kaprizov’s camp? That’s difficult to discern, with neither side divulging much about whether a new deal is still realistic before the regular season begins in two weeks. Leipold declined to discuss any specifics regarding Kaprizov, who has 386 points in 319 regular season games and 21 points in 25 playoff games.

Kaprizov said last week after the team’s first practice that he considers Minnesota his “second home” behind his native Russia and likes being in the Twin Cities area and playing for the Wild.

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“We have a lot of time. It’s just 2025, and it’s one more year I have,” he said then. “I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there.”

At his annual preseason media address last year, Leipold confidently said no other team could offer Kaprizov a longer or richer contract than the Wild. Guerin expressed confidence at the beginning of the offseason in the completion of a deal, but that didn’t happen during the summer and Kaprizov has been on the ice with the team for a week with no news about the 28-year-old left wing.

“As we all know, this is a sport that is more than one player,” Leipold said. “But obviously he’s a special player, and special players do special things. So we’d love to have a player of his caliber on our team.”

Which they do now, clearly but for how long?

One complicating factor in the Kaprizov situation for the Wild has been the rising salary cap and the other stars around the league who also are unsigned beyond this season.

“That’s a lot of new money in the system that, frankly, a year or two ago we certainly had no idea was going to be available,” Leipold said. “So, it does change things, but we have to change with it.”

Leipold spoke to reporters during the Wild’s first home preseason game, their first time taking the ice at Grand Casino Arena. The 25-year-old facility has given the capitol city’s quiet downtown a boost of economic and social activity since it opened for the NHL club as Xcel Energy Center. The utility company’s naming rights for the arena expired earlier this year.

The Wild have begun talks with city, county and state officials about public help for a renovation project they believe is necessary to compete for revenue streams with newer NHL arenas and other venues in Minnesota.

Across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have begun to assess options for replacing the 35-year-old Target Center. But Leipold said the two teams will not consider sharing an arena like the majority of American markets with both NBA and NHL franchises do.

“We are going to stay in St. Paul, and they are going to stay in Minneapolis. It’s pretty hard to negotiate from that point.” As for the Wild finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs, a feat they have only accomplished three times — and not in more than 10 years?

“I believe in it. I believe in hard work and preparation. I like our team. I hope we’re lucky enough not to have injuries. I think this could be a really special year,” Leipold said. “I’ve thought that before, but one of these years everything’s going to kind of come together in a nice package, and hopefully it’s this one.”

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By losing again Sunday and dropping their crucial three-game series to the lowly Washington Nationals, the Mets now find themselves in a tough spot with six games left to play in the regular season.

They are currently tied with the Cincinnati Reds, who completed a four-game sweep of Chicago Cubs on Sunday, for the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. But the Reds hold the tiebreaker over the Mets by winning the regular season series and would make the playoffs if the two teams finished with the same record.

Knowing what’s at stake in the coming week, Carlos Mendoza said the club needs to do everything it can during this final stretch.

“We got to keep going,” Mendoza said. “We got six more and a lot can happen. That’s where we’re at.”

The manager is still confident in his players, believing they are often “one hit away” and adding that anything “could happen.”

“You look at the talent there, we’re one hit away, making one play, making one pitch. We’re close,” Mendoza said. “We just haven’t be able to get that last hit like I said, to make that play when we need to, or to execute a pitch. It could happen.”

Sean Manaea added: “Just looking around at everyone in the room, I feel like the veteran guys have been in this situation before. Maybe not the exact situation, but we’ve been in some precarious situations before. The young guys have been stepping up. I think combination of that is good. I think if anyone can do it, it’s us.”

Acknowledging that where the team is in the standings is on them, Francisco Lindor said it’s their responsibility to figure out a way to win.

“It comes down to winning,” Lindor said. “We’ve put ourselves in this position, so we’ve got to find a way to get out of it. And that comes down to winning. We just got to win ballgames.”

Brandon Nimmo shared a similar message about the position the team is in, saying they need to “pick ourselves back up” and “put it all together.”

“It’s been happening right in front of our eyes, so yeah, I can definitely believe it,” Nimmo said. “We’re down to the last week of the season and our playoff hopes are in front of us. We’ve got to play winning baseball and put it all together.

“It’s come and gone during the season, so we just need to pick ourselves back up and win some games down the stretch here.”

The Mets are off Monday and then begin a three-game series with the Cubs on Tuesday and then finish the regular season in Miami against the Marlins over the weekend. Their odds to make the postseason are currently at 63.2 percent, with the Reds at 31.5 percent, per ESPN.

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