🗞 Attacked by a Magpie

G’day Sports Fans,

A news reporter asked Michael Jordan if he thought the ’90s Bulls could beat LeBron’s Lakers.

MJ: Yes.

Reporter: By how much?

MJ: Two or three points.

Reporter: Why so close?

MJ: Most of us are almost 60 now.

📧 P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🧹 Housekeeping: It’s my Wife’s birthday, so no Sport Journal on Monday. Back at it on Wednesday.

🏉 The Rabbitohs are set to offer Wayne Bennett a three year deal amid reports the master coach has sounded out the Parratta Eels about a potential position should Brad Arthur be sacked.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Souths want Bennett back on a three-year contract from 2025, but that Bennett had interest in the Eels job if it became available.

The Eels are reluctant to rush a decision on Arthur’s future to enter a bidding war with Souths for Bennett after Jason Demetriou’s sacking on Tuesday. 

🏉 Match report: South Sydney suffered another setback, conceding 42 points to Penrith without reply, losing 42-12.

Despite an early lead after a Penrith player, Izak Tago, was sin-binned, South Sydney's defense faltered, allowing Penrith to dominate.

Referee Gee described South Sydney's discipline as "terrible," leading to Jai Arrow and Jacob Host receiving red cards, and pressure from Penrith.

• Wild Stat: Ben Hornby lost 42-12 to Penrith in both his NRL debut as a player and a coach. (@randomstatguy)

🇦🇺 Match report: Adelaide regained their winning form with a 30-point victory over Port Adelaide in the Showdown. The Power's poor accuracy, with just 2.14 after quarter-time, proved costly as the Crows dominated around the ground, securing a 12.6 (78) to 5.18 (48) win at Adelaide Oval.

Izak Rankine shone with three goals and two assists, while Jake Soligo's outstanding performance earned him the Showdown medal for his 27 touches, including 14 contested possessions, four clearances, and 10 tackles.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admitted he should not have played captain Connor Rozee, six days after a hamstring injury, despite medical advice after the skipper was hurt again. (match report)

📺 WATCH: Kicks at goal, gets swooped on by a magpie, and all hell breaks loose (Twitter)

⚽️ Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati will hope to become the latest Australian to have an impact in Serie A after securing promotion with Parma to Italy's top flight.

🏀 Derrick Walton Jr. - the 2023 NBL Championship Series MVP - has apprently signed a one-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Walton Jr., the six-foot point guard who won the 2023 title with the Sydney Kings, will join a Phoenix team that has retooled in a significant way going into the 2024-25 NBL season.

🥊 Aussie boxing superstar Jai Opetaia dispelled rumours surrounding a sparring session with Tyson Fury [that Opetaia had dropped Fury when they sparred and was forced out of the WBC heavyweight champion’s camp immediately] and vowed to win his cruiserweight world title back against Mairis Briedis.

“It’s just all the negative stuff that comes out of a spar when it was the top cruiserweight in the world helping the top heavyweight in the world.”

The Briedis rematch is finally on and will take place on the undercard of the eagerly anticipated heavyweight clash between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 19 with the vacant IBF title on the line once again.

💰 The NRL didn't take too kindly to Phil Gould's fiery comments, slapping him with a breach notice for calling the game "stupid." They hit him with a hefty $20,000 fine, with half of it hanging over his head for the next two years. Seems like Gould's words hit a nerve with the league's top brass.

Gould said in a Monday evening program: “Our game’s so stupid. You can lose the ball over the line and it costs you 20m and seven tackles. Why?

“I don’t know because it’s stupid. But I can just take a line drop out and it goes out on the full no consequence.

“It’s nothing at all – what sort of stupid game is this? Who sits and makes up these rules?”

🐴 The Clerks horse really fancied himself as a racehorse. Bit dangerous too…

⚽️ Tottenham are targeting Chelsea and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, along with 23-year-old Feyenoord and Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez this summer, while they also have eyes on Bournemouth's English defender Lloyd Kelly, 25. 

🥊 Boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance ostarine the day before and the day of his huge-upset win over Devin Haney, per a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter sent to all parties Wednesday.

The samples were collected prior to the fight, but the results weren't known until later.

Garcia has 10 days to request that his B-sample be tested. Garcia's A-sample also screened positive for 19-norandrosterone, but its presence is unconfirmed until further lab analysis.

'I've always been an advocate for clean fighting and this is an example of such. Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet he still thinks this is a joke. We put our lives on the line to entertain people for a living. You don't play boxing.” - Devin Haney

🏏 IPL: Sunrisers Hyderbad pulled off a nervy one-run win over Rajasthan Royals. Nitish Reddy (76 not out) and Travis Head (58) scored half centuries to help Sunrisers Hyderabad post 201/3 after opting to bat.

In reply, Riyan Parag (77) and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (67) stitched a 133-run stand after Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked two wickets in the first over. But Sunrisers bowlers made a strong comeback to snatch the win off the last ball.

⛷️ Last week Red Bull built a gigantic ski jump on a ski slope in Akureyri, Iceland. Ryōyū Kobayashi flew 291 meters and was in the air for over 10 seconds.

🍻 Liverpool legend, now presenter, Jamie Carragher was told off on CBS Sports after drinking eight pints at Dortmund

Carragher and Peter Schmeichel were deployed to conduct post-match interviews in the mixed zone but were warned several times over their noise level.

“It might explain why I might be slurring my words! I've had about eight pints in the Yellow Wall, I've got a new family, a new family of friends, we all look after each other. I gave them a few bob after half-time!" (watch on Twitter)

🏎️ In the big F1 Geek shake up: Leading engineer David Sanchez has joined Alpine as executive technical director a month after ending a short stint at McLaren.

Sanchez was allowed to leave because he did not feel stretched in his role at McLaren, as its remit was smaller than he expected when he agreed to join.

🏀 The owners of the 76ers and former minority owner Michael Rubin have purchased tickets for Thursday's Game 6 of Philadelphia's playoff series against the Knicks in an attempt to block New York fans from once again overrunning Wells Fargo Center.

Knicks fans were an overwhelming presence at Game 4 at Wells Fargo for New York's comeback victory, prompting Sixers star Joel Embiid to express his disappointment with Philadelphia fans.

TODAY 

05:00 - UEFA Europa League Semi-Final - Olympique de Marseille v Atalanta (Stan Sport)
05:00 - UEFA Europa League Semi-Final - Roma v Bayer Leverkusen (Stan Sport)
06:00 - PGA TOUR - Byron Nelson, Round 1 (Fox Sports)
10:00 - NHL Playoffs First Round - Toronto Maple Leafs v Boston Bruins (ESPN 2)
10:10 - MLB - Houston Astros v Cleveland Guardians (ESPN 2)
15:14 - Men's World Series - Men's Singapore Sevens, Day 1, Round 7 (Stan Sport)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Hurricanes v NSW Waratahs (Stan Sport)
18:00 - NRL - Manly Sea Eagles v Canberra Raiders (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Rebels v Blues (Stan Sport)
19:40 - AFL - Carlton Blues v Collingwood Magpies (Fox Footy or 7mate)
20:00 - NRL - Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters (Fox League or Channel 9)
00:00 - Indian Premier League - Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders (Fox Cricket)

SATURDAY
05:00 - Premier League - Luton Town v Everton (Optus Sport 1)
05:00 - Super League - Warrington Wolves v Hull FC (Fox Sports More)
05:00 - Super League - Leeds Rhinos v London Broncos (Fox Sports)
06:00 - PGA TOUR - Byron Nelson, Round 2 (Fox Sports)
11:30 - NBA Playoffs First Round - Dallas Mavericks v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN)
12:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Moana Pasifika v Highlanders (Stan Sport)
12:40 - NSW Cup - Canterbury Bulldogs NSW Cup v Western Suburbs Magpies (Fox League)
13:45 - AFL - Sydney Swans v GWS Giants (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
14:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Crusaders v Queensland Reds (Stan Sport)
15:00 - NRL - Canterbury Bulldogs v Wests Tigers (Fox League)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Sydney University Rugby v Warringah Rugby (Stan Sport)
15:05 - Shute Shield (Stan Sport)
16:15 - A-League Women Grand Final - Melbourne City Women v Sydney FC Women (10 Bold or Paramount+)
16:35 - AFL - St. Kilda Saints v North Melbourne Kangaroos (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Chiefs v Western Force (Stan Sport)
17:30 - NRL - Gold Coast Titans v Melbourne Storm (Fox League)
19:30 - AFL - Melbourne Demons v Geelong Cats (Fox Footy or 7mate)
19:35 - NRL - North Queensland Cowboys v Dolphins (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Brumbies v Fijian Drua (GEM or Stan Sport)
19:45 - A-League Men Elimination Final - Sydney FC v Macarthur FC Bulls (10 Bold or Paramount+)
20:10 - AFL - West Coast Eagles v Essendon Bombers (Fox Sports)
21:30 - Premier League - Arsenal v Bournemouth (Optus Sport 1)
00:00 - Premier League - Brentford v Fulham (Optus Sport 3)
00:00 - Premier League - Burnley v Newcastle United (Optus Sport 4)
00:00 - Indian Premier League - Royal Challengers Bangalore v Gujarat Titans (Fox Cricket)

SUNDAY 
02:30 - Premier League - Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Optus Sport 1)
02:30 - Spanish La Liga - Girona v Barcelona (Optus Sport 5)
03:00 - PGA TOUR - Byron Nelson, Round 3 (Fox Sports)
11:30 - NSW Cup - Newcastle Knights NSW Cup v Warriors NSW Cup (Fox League)
12:00 - UFC 301 Main Card - Alexandre Pantoja v Steve Erceg (Main Event)
13:00 - AFL - Richmond Tigers v Fremantle Dockers (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
13:52 - Men's Singapore Sevens, Day 3, Round 7 (Stan Sport)
14:00 - NRL - Newcastle Knights v Warriors (Fox League)
16:00 - AFL - Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
16:05 - NRL - Cronulla Sharks v St. George Illawarra Dragons (Fox League or Channel 9)
17:00 - A-League Men Elimination Final - Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City (10 Bold or Paramount+)
19:10 - AFL - Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast Suns (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
20:00 - Indian Premier League - Punjab Kings v Chennai Super Kings (Fox Cricket)
23:00 - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa (Optus Sport 2)
23:00 - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United (Optus Sport 5)