Browsing: Speaks

Nottingham Forest are without a win since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo with Australian manager Ange Postecoglou.

Amid reports that owner Evangelos Marinakis is considering making a second managerial change of the season just seven games into Postecoglou’s tenure, the Forest boss has spoken out on his future.

This weekend, the team host Chelsea in the early kick-off at the City Ground, live on TNT Sports.

Failure to win for an eighth successive match could spell the end for Postecoglou, just months on from his Europa League triumph and subsequent sacking by Tottenham Hotspur.

“Just look at the last five or six team sheets of last season to see what I prioritised [the Europa League], and who was on the bench. And the last game against Brighton, the players were out partying for two days, which I sanctioned because I felt they deserved to. So yes we finished 17th. But if people think that’s a reflection of me and my coaching then again, I think they are looking at it through the prism of I just don’t fit.”

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Former WWE LFG talent and occasional NXT live event wrestler BJ Ray has issued a statement regarding his release from the company last week.

Ray, perhaps best known for instigating an argument with coach Bubba Ray Dudley on LFG, posted about his time with WWE, calling it “…arguably was one of the greatest rookie runs of all time.”

WWE made several cuts from its ID program and NXT last Friday, one of which was Ray, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Ray wrote:

“WHAT A JOURNEY

Well obviously I had to have pissed somebody off lmao! I would like to take this moment to address you guys as Brayden Jesse Ray. First and foremost, I have to give the glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ, who had given me this opportunity. Secondly, I would like to thank Hunter, Shawn, & Matt Bloom (as well as all the

@WWE coaches & staff) that were involved with this entire process. The WWE Performance Center is truly a unique place filled with many gifted individuals and unlimited support. As soon as I stepped out of my uber at my WWE tryout, the SexyBJRay effect was in full play. I had a strategy upon filming WWE: NEXT GEN, to start building one of the most over exaggerated versions of myself, to give the wrestling industry a HEEL like theyâ€ve never seen before. And quite frankly, it arguably was one of the greatest rookie runs of all time. In a matter of months, whether hate or love, I won the WWE fans over and they were extremely invested. Without ever having a debut match on live

@WWENXT tv, I have become one of the most recognized names in the brand and industry. From getting swarmed at WWE World in Las Vegas to taking pictures with fans in every airport I walk into, I have been able to build a movement with my hard work and dedication. The hours behind the scenes, editing social media content, training, and reflecting on my character work, I feel it has all payed off. There have been many challenges along the way, but I can only control what I can only control. Obviously this release is a big bummer (especially when you have no idea what you could have done different), but the only option in my opinion is an attitude of gratitude. All I can do is keep pushing, & put it in Godâ€s hands. Iâ€m healing strong and will continue to rehab my shoulder until Iâ€m 100%. And the biggest SHOUTOUT & THANKS to my fans who made it all worthwhile. And now, Brayden Jesse Ray is back on sabbatical and SexyBJRay has a few words. As my good friend @TheNotoriousMMA once said, “Iâ€d like to take this chance to apologize to absolutely nobodyâ€. What youâ€ve seen was just the trailer… get ready for the whole movie

and p.s. “Ayo you got Snapchat?!â€

WHAT A JOURNEY ðŸŒ

Well obviously I had to have pissed somebody off lmao!

I would like to take this moment to address you guys as Brayden Jesse Ray. First and foremost, I have to give the glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ, who had given me this opportunity. Secondly, I… pic.twitter.com/xjYnXrd6JO

— ð•¯ð–Žð–•$ð–ð–Žð– (@sexybjray) October 16, 2025

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In the modern NHL, a playerâ€s career is often defined as much by perception as performance. Egor Zamulaâ€s case may be the perfect storm of both—regarded by some as a talented, technically sound defenseman, but whose overall fit in Philadelphia remains perpetually unresolved.

This week, Zamulaâ€s agent, Shumi Babayev, voiced public frustration over his clientâ€s lack of opportunity. Translated from Russian, Babayevâ€s comments painted a picture of a player being held back rather than outperformed.

“Iâ€m looking forward to Yegor being given the chance to blossom and play at his level, the way heâ€s capable of playing. He canâ€t fully realize his potential because heâ€s not given the opportunity; heâ€s forced into a box,†Babayev said. “We always look forward to that opportunity… Heâ€s quite a good power play player and a good puck handler. Itâ€s tough when heâ€s limited tactically. Weâ€ll see. Heâ€s a team player, so he always does what his coach tells him to do. The main thing is for him to play at a good level.â€

The comments are hardly inflammatory—measured, even—but they reflect a frustration that has quietly simmered for years: Zamula, in his campâ€s view, has been boxed in by deployment and circumstance, never truly allowed to be what he could be.

Itâ€s a fair grievance on one level. But in the ecosystem of a Flyers blue line that is simultaneously young, crowded, and evolving, itâ€s also fair to ask: What, exactly, has he done to demand more?

The Agentâ€s Argument: Untapped Skill Meets Limited Role

Babayevâ€s assessment of Zamula isnâ€t unfounded. At his best, Zamula is smooth, deliberate, and intelligent with the puck. He reads lanes well, has a natural sense of spacing, and can act as a reliable first-pass outlet under pressure. When given time and space—notably at the AHL level or in lower-leverage NHL minutes—heâ€s shown glimpses of that composure translating upward.

Heâ€s not necessarily reckless or unaware; his game is just understated. In a system like Philadelphiaâ€s, where head coach Rick Tocchetâ€s defensive structure prizes accountability, simplicity, and pace, that understated style can get lost in the noise.

Babayevâ€s claim that Zamula has been “forced into a box†might resonate with anyone whoâ€s watched him try to balance his puck-moving instincts with the team’s insistence on defensive structure. But itâ€s also a reflection of a broader truth: players who donâ€t assert their identity tend to get defined by others.

The Counterpoint: The Clock Has Been Ticking

The opposing argument—and one thatâ€s shared widely among fans and media alike—is that Zamula has indeed been given chances. Plenty of them. Heâ€s appeared in over 157 NHL games across six seasons (including 2025-26), often getting looks in the third pair or as a rotating seventh defenseman.

The issue isnâ€t that he hasnâ€t been on the ice—itâ€s that, when he has been, the results have been middling.

Arguably, Zamulaâ€s biggest flaw is pace. Not speed in the traditional sense, but tempo—the instinctive ability to anticipate how a play is unfolding and make a decision a half-second sooner than the opposition. At the NHL level, where time collapses faster than in any other hockey environment on earth, that missing half-second can turn into a turnover, a missed angle, or a scramble back toward your own net.

He has size at 6â€3â€, but little bite. He doesnâ€t leverage his reach to impose himself physically or disrupt plays with authority. Heâ€s not punishing in front of the net, and he doesnâ€t consistently win battles along the boards. Meanwhile, when heâ€s tried to lean into his offensive instincts, heâ€s lacked the creativity or dynamic skating that defines Philadelphiaâ€s higher-upside puck movers, like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale.

That leaves him in an awkward middle ground: not enough offense to be trusted on the power play, and not enough sandpaper or urgency to be trusted in the trenches.

To simply say he’s just a bad defenseman is a bit of a lazy overgeneralization, but there is truth to the fact that his particular toolkit hasnâ€t proven sharp enough to carve a defined niche in a defense corps that already has specialists in every other area.

The Organizational Context: Opportunity Is Earned, Not Inherited

Itâ€s worth remembering that this Flyers regime—from general manager Danny Brière to Tocchetâ€s bench—has been clear about its meritocratic ethos. Every roster spot is earned. Every night. Adam Ginning played his way onto the roster out of camp when few even had him on the radar. Emil Andrae, still on the bubble, keeps knocking on the NHL door through work ethic and growth.

In that context, Zamulaâ€s stagnation reads less like a lack of opportunity and more like a failure to seize it. Tocchet has made no secret of the fact that he wants defenders who dictate pace and take initiative. Zamula, for all his steadiness, remains reactive—and at this level, being reactive is a liability.

Babayev is right to note that Zamula “always does what his coach tells him to do.†The problem may be that, in doing so, heâ€s never quite done what only he can do. The Flyers arenâ€t short on systems players. What they need is difference-makers.

And the thing is, Zamula doesn’t need to all of a sudden turn into some flashy showman to make his mark. Sometimes, not drawing attention to oneself is a good thing. The focus should be on doing the little things right, building confidence in his identity as a player, and not overcompensating his play in order to prove the doubters wrong.

The Fan Perception Problem

Publicly, Zamula has become a lightning rod—one of those players whose every mistake is amplified, whose every shift becomes a referendum on whether he still belongs. Social mediaâ€s quick-draw impatience hasnâ€t done him any favors, and the eye test can be unkind to subtle defensemen.

But thereâ€s also a fatigue factor. Fans have seen him before. They know what he is—and more importantly, what he isnâ€t. For an organization selling a vision of progression, patience runs thin for players who feel like theyâ€re treading water.

That doesnâ€t mean the agentâ€s frustration is misplaced; it means the environment may simply no longer be conducive to redemption. A change of scenery might benefit everyone.

The Bottom Line: Talent, Timing, and the Unforgiving Nature of NHL Development

Egor Zamula isnâ€t done as a player. Heâ€s just at a crossroads. The Flyers have given him looks, but not trust. His agent sees a capable puck mover buried beneath tactical constraints; the organization likely sees a player whoâ€s been given rope and hasnâ€t yet built a bridge out of it.

Both can be true.

Zamulaâ€s skillset isnâ€t obsolete—itâ€s just unanchored in Philadelphiaâ€s current makeup. The Flyers have clearly defined defensive roles, and Zamula hasnâ€t staked a clear claim to any of them. If he finds that role elsewhere—perhaps in a system that allows more free-flowing puck play or pairs him with a more defensive partner—his game might flourish the way Babayev insists it can.

But in Philadelphia, where every minute is a competition and every roster spot a statement, the window is narrowing. And unless he forces the teamâ€s hand soon, the “what if†label might be the last one he wears in orange and black.

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Tom Cleverley has spoken candidly about the anxiety issues that affected his playing career.

Manchester United academy graduate Cleverley rose through the ranks into the first team at Old Trafford and ended up winning 13 senior caps for England in a career that also saw him win the Premier League title in 2012-13.

But the following season was especially difficult for Cleverley, who admits to shortcomings in his form but was negatively affected by deeply unjustified by widespread public scapegoating as he should have been approaching his playing peak.

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Now in his second managerial role at Plymouth Argyle, the 36-year-old gave his club’s in-house media a revealing and heartfelt interview on matters of mental health.

“Stress is poor form. Stress is receiving abuse. And then anxiety is when that is a chronic problem, when that’s a problem that doesn’t go away and that’s what [2013-14] became,” revealed Cleverley.

Tom Cleverley (R) with Man United teammates Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans in 2013 (Image credit: Getty Images)

“There was a petition to take me out of the England squad [and] that fed into it. Another thing that happened the following year… I got burgled at home and when my home then became not a place of escape it became very suffocating.”

Cleverley was indeed taken out of the England squad and found himself back on the loan market, spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Aston Villa. He joined Everton in 2015 and, after another initial loan, finished his career with six years at Watford.

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“[I dealt with it] very poorly in the beginning,” says Cleverley of his early experiences with anxiety.

“It was home from training, dark rooms, sort of Netflix and, yeah, not wanting to leave the house before the next day’s training. [It was] a very unhealthy way of coping – a really uneducated way to deal with it.”

Cleverley spent a difficult season on loan at Aston Villa

Cleverley eventually sought help and credits education about breathing exercises and maintaining healthy sleep patterns with improving his ability to deal with anxiety, however it presents itself.

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“As a footballer I was always someone who judged how life was going by those 90 minutes a week,” says the former Man United midfielder. “I think a lot of people in professional football are guilty of that.

“We have to understand that there are times as a footballer you need to be strong, you need to be durable, you need to grit your teeth.

“But there are also times that it’s absolutely okay that those qualities can take a back seat and you can talk to someone.”

The Argyle manager’s account was part of the club’s support of World Mental Health Day and Mind, the mental health charity.

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For Kiké Hernández, the regular season is little more than a six-month warm-up. Real baseball is played when the evening air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change.

And when summer turns to fall few players have stepped up bigger than Hernández, who had two hits, scored two runs and drove in another Wednesday, spurring a Dodger comeback that ended in an 8-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds and a sweep of their National League wild-card series.

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That sends the team on to the best-of-five Division Series with the Phillies, which begins Saturday in Philadelphia.

“October Kiké is something pretty special,†Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. “And the track record speaks for itself. He’s one of the best throughout the history of the postseason.â€

Itâ€s a reputation heâ€s earned.

A .236 career hitter in the regular season, Hernández has hit .286 in 88 postseason games. He slashed .203/.255/.366 in an injury-marred regular season this year, but two games into the playoffs heâ€s hitting .500, leads the Dodgers with three runs scored and ranks second to Mookie Betts with four hits. He also made a splendid over-the-shoulder catch while racing to the warning track in the first inning Wednesday.

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“Some guys are built for this moment. Heâ€s definitely one of them,†said third baseman Max Muncy, standing in the middle of the Dodgers†batting cage during the teamâ€s postgame celebration, his blue T-shirt soaked in champagne as a teammate poured beer over his head.

Hernández, wearing goggles but not a shirt, made a brief appearance at the victory party but departed to celebrate with family before the champagne and beer began to puddle on the plastic sheeting that covered the floor.

His teammates were all too happy to speak about him in his absence.

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“He’s a guy who is not shy from the from the moment,†infielder Miguel Rojas said. “I feel like the regular season for him is not enough.â€

Rojas said he learned that first hand after rejoining the Dodgers in 2023. Although the teamâ€s playoff run was brief, Hernández led the team with two RBIs and was second in hits and average.

“I saw it on TV before. But when I got here I saw that it was real,†he said. “He always wanted the moment and he showed it tonight with a big double to tie the game.â€

That came with one out in the fourth, when his line drive to center field scored Muncy from first to tie the score, 2-2. Four pitches later he scored on Rojas†single, putting the Dodgers ahead to stay.

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But Hernández wasnâ€t finished. Two innings later he led off with a squibber up the third-base line that was going foul before it hit the bag for a single, starting a four-run rally that put the game away. The bottom third of the Dodger lineup — Hernández, Rojas and catcher Ben Rortvedt — combined to go six for 12 with five runs and two RBIs.

“Kiké is Kiké,†outfielder Teoscar Hernández said above the din of the celebration. “That’s the guy you get when October starts.â€

Before that? Not so much. But for Hernández, the postseason has become redemption time.

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“I know they brought me here for these types of moments,†he said before Wednesdayâ€s game.

“The beautiful thing about the postseason is that once we get to the postseason, everything starts at zero. You can have a bad year and you flip the script and you start over in the postseason. You have a good postseason, help the team win, and nobody ever remembers what you did in the regular season.â€

Hernández, 34, owes much of his fall heroics simply to the opportunity to play on the sportâ€s biggest stage. In a dozen big-league seasons, heâ€s made the playoffs 10 times, playing in 21 postseason series with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox and winning two World Series rings.

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“I’ve been blessed to be on the right team at the right time,†he said. “Being a good postseason player is kind of an individual thing, but not really. You’re on a team that doesn’t make the playoffs, you can’t be a postseason player.

“I just happen to be on a lot of really good teams, and I’ve been fortunate enough to get a lot of chances.â€

With his performance Wednesday, he assured himself at least three more chances in the division series with the Phillies. And Rojas expects him to take full advantage.

“He always wants the moment and he wants to be out there,†he said. “I’m learning from him every single day. He’s the most prepared guy that I’ve ever played with.â€

Especially in October.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that their 2-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins is that it won’t count against them in the standings, as it was the fifth pre-season game of their schedule.

The bad news is that they looked sluggish and uncrisp against a Penguins roster mostly comprised of minor league players. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s passes were sharper all game long and they enjoyed more quality scoring opportunities.

The Penguins scored on their first shot of the contest against goaltender John Gibson thanks to a blown defensive coverage on Ben Kindel, which was followed by a second period goal from Tommy Novak.

While Grand Rapids Griffins forward Dominik Shine halved Pittsburgh’s lead with 3:40 left in the contest, the Red Wings were unable to secure the equalizing goal with Gibson pulled for a sixth attacker and instead fell to 2-3 in pre-season play.

Gibson stopped 18 of 20 shots, while his Penguins counterpart Tristan Jarry made 21 saves.

Following the game, the frustration with how his team played was evident for head coach Todd McLellan.

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“I wasn’t really impressed with our team, to be quite honest,” McLellan said. “I thought we looked slow and sloppy. I don’t know which caused what.”

Among the roster regulars that the Red Wings skated included Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Moritz Seider, J.T. Compher, and Erik Gustafsson. Justin Holl and Jonatan Berggren also suited up for Detroit.

Without listing any names, McLellan made it clear that complacency among Detroit’s more veteran players isn’t an option, even if these games don’t count in the standings.

“Some of the older players have to get their games going quickly. Almost a week from today or tomorrow we’re playing against really, really good teams,” he said. “Some guys, in my opinion after watching them tonight, some have only played a couple of games and aren’t ready to play yet.”

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was in Los Angeles on Monday — but not for basketball.

He was there to help honor Bill Nye at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On Monday, Nye’s star was added to the iconic Los Angeles attraction, a tribute to his many years as a science educator in pop culture. Nye rose to fame for his role presenting the 1990s show “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which came off the air in syndication form at the end of the decade but lived on in classrooms around the country for many years after.

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One of the many students that Nye helped develop a passion for science? The now-Celtics star.

Brown spoke about Nye’s influence on his and other students’ interest in science at Monday’s ceremony.

“My love for science runs deep, and I have Bill to thank for that,” Brown said. “But not just for myself, [but] for a generation of students who grew up in the public school system possibly thinking that school was not for them.”

Nye’s shows were built on making science education captivating to young students, a feature Brown also touched on in his speech.

“When they rolled that TV out with the trolley,” Brown said, “we knew what time it was.”

Brown and Nye teaming up isn’t a new sight. In November, Brown expressed his interest on social media in meeting the legendary television show host. Less than a month later, the two connected in the tunnel after a Celtics-Washington Wizards game. A short while later, Nye was a part of the launch event in Boston for Brown’s “White Noise” sneakers in February.

The guard’s science-related ventures have long gone hand-in-hand with his basketball career. In 2019, he became a Media Lab Director’s Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other academic pursuits.

Brown and Celtics will tip off the 2025 regular season on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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