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Deadspin | Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak have fond memories entering Zurich defense  Apr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images   Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.  Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.  “In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”  Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.  “We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”  Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.   “Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.  “Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”  Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.  Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.  Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.  “I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Ben #Griffin #Andrew #Novak #fond #memories #entering #Zurich #defense

Deadspin | Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak have fond memories entering Zurich defense
Deadspin | Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak have fond memories entering Zurich defense  Apr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images   Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.  Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.  “In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”  Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.  “We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”  Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.   “Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.  “Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”  Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.  Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.  Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.  “I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Ben #Griffin #Andrew #Novak #fond #memories #entering #Zurich #defenseApr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.

Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.

“In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”

Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.

“We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”


Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.

“Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.

“Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”

Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.

Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.

Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.

“I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Ben #Griffin #Andrew #Novak #fond #memories #entering #Zurich #defense

Apr 27, 2025; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak had the honor of experiencing a golf rarity at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

They each earned their first PGA Tour wins simultaneously in the team-based event.

Twelve months later, the pair reunites at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. this week with fond memories of last year’s one-stroke victory over Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.

“In golf, you really don’t get to do (win) much. Unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or Rory (McIlroy) or one of those lucky freaks, you don’t win that much,” Novak said at the pair’s Tuesday press conference. “I hadn’t won since before COVID on the Korn Ferry Tour. So just the fact that I got to go lift a trophy and be a winner for that week was pretty special, because I had done multiple years of not doing that.”

Novak, 31, and Griffin, 29, turned pro in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They credit their extensive friendship dating back to playing junior golf together as natives of the North Carolina Research Triangle with what makes their partnership work.

“We (have) just played a lot of golf together. We know each other’s games really well,” Griffin said of their chemistry. “It’s not like we’re just a random team that kind of comes about, and you kind of have expectations of the other guy and maybe there’s a little bit of added pressure because you want to hit perfect shots for your partner.”

Coming off their dual debut PGA win, Griffin found more success the rest of the season than Novak. He followed with his first solo tour win less than a month later at the Charles Schwab Challenge and also won the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 10th in the FedEx Cup rankings.

“Just built a lot of confidence,” Griffin said of how he carried over the momentum of his Zurich win. “… I knew I was starting to play some really good golf and just wanted to keep playing as many events as I possibly can. Just felt that confident in my game, and I just wanted (to) keep giving myself chances.

“Didn’t take long to win again, and a lot of it was kind of being freed up from finally winning on tour and having the job security and not really thinking about a whole lot except trying to compete against the best in the world and try to beat them.”

Novak hasn’t won again on tour in the 12 months since, but he carries better recent form into this week’s event. He’s coming off a T16 in last week’s RBC Heritage and has three top-20 finishes as well as a top-10 this season.

Griffin has made eight of 11 cuts this season but is still looking for his first top-10 finish and has just one top-20 in his first event of the season back in January.

Novak admitted he arrived at this week’s event with a different vibe after last year’s Zurich success.

“I do think walking into the clubhouse today and pulling in and registering, it does feel a little bit different. Just a little bit more confidence coming in here,” Novak said. “… It is a nice little different vibe. A little bit of extra confidence coming into this week. It’s still a golf tournament. We’re going to have to go out. We don’t win just because we show up. We’re going to have to play well. I think vibes are good.”

–Field Level Media

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Deadspin | NWSL awards expansion franchise to Columbus <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26279261.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26279261.jpg" alt="NWSL: Kansas City Current at Chicago Stars FC" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">May 24, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; The logo of the National Women’s Soccer League at SeatGeek Stadium before the game between the Chicago Stars and the Kansas City Current. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The NWSL awarded an expansion franchise to Columbus on Tuesday, making the Ohio capital home to the league’s 18th member starting in 2028.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>The team is owned by the Haslam Sports Group, the Columbus-based Nationwide insurance company and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>“As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, expanding to Columbus is a natural next step. This is a city with a rich soccer tradition, a proven track record of support at the highest level, and an ownership group making meaningful, long-term investments in women’s sports, said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re excited to bring the world’s most competitive women’s soccer league to Columbus and to see this community embrace the game in a new way.”</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Two new NWSL clubs debuted this season with Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC. Atlanta was awarded a franchise last November and will join the league along with Columbus in 2028.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-5"> <p>Haslam Sports Group also owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and MLS’ Columbus Crew and has a stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.</p> </section> <section id="section-6"> <p>“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” HSG managing partner Whitney Haslam Johnson said. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world. Sports are one of today’s greatest unifiers and are incredible for their communities. The NWSL will have a significant impact on Columbus within and beyond sports, now and for future generations.”</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>The Columbus squad will wait to choose an official team name, colors and crest in conjunction with the input from fans across Ohio. </p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>The team will play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the 20,000-seat home to the Crew. The U.S. Women’s National Team has hosted 13 matches there, compiling a 10-1-2 record including a win in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup final.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #NWSL #awards #expansion #franchise #Columbus

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कितने दिनों में पूरी होगी ‘पेद्दी’ की शूटिंग? पोस्ट के जरिए मेकर्स ने दी जानकारी; जानें कब रिलीज होगी फिल्म?राम चरण अभिनीत ‘पेद्दी’ 2026 की सबसे बहुप्रतीक्षित फिल्मों में से एक बन गई है।Ram charan, peddi, ram charan peddi, peddi shooting, how many days to take complete peddi, peddi movie, peddi update, janhvi kapoor, janhvi kapoor in peddi, peddi release date, peddi cast, peddi song, peddi director, Entertainment News in Hindi, South Cinema News in Hindi, South Cinema Hindi News, पेद्दी, राम चरण, पेद्दी की शूटिंग, राम चरण की शूटिंग

Prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is raring to go against Iraq on ​Tuesday in his country’s first World Cup match in 28 ‌years and his teammates will be seeking to ​feed his remarkable scoring habit, Norway coach ⁠Stale Solbakken said on Monday.

Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in ‌Europe, looks to be back in top form after being given a bit of rest ‌by Manchester City at the end of the ‌English ⁠Premier League season and by Norway in the ⁠run-up to the World Cup, Solbakken said.

“Hopefully he will have a very big impact,” he told reporters. “Hopefully we can continue to give ​him chances and if ‌you give Erling chances, he has a tendency to score.”

Solbakken – a former midfielder who played 58 times for Norway – paid tribute to captain Martin Odegaard who ‌racked up the most goal assists in the ​European qualifiers, despite being out for a lengthy spell with an injury.

That absence helped ⁠Norway develop, the coach said: “The players around him have grown because of that. So they have got more confidence ‌themselves.”

There was less positive news about striker Jorgen Strand Larsen who has a fever, Solbakken said.

ALSO READ | Knicks over kicks as New York’s NBA triumph celebrations overshadow FIFA World Cup buzz

Norway kicks off its World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots’ stadium in the suburbs of Boston against an Iraq side that qualified for the tournament after a ‌21-match marathon and the extra stress and strain of travel disruption ​caused by the U.S. and Israeli war with neighbouring Iran.

Solbakken highlighted Iraq’s organised, compact formation ⁠and their danger from crosses.

“And obviously, the coach is very, ⁠very used to this kind of game in terms of his success with Australia,” he ‌said, referring to Graham Arnold who led the Socceroos to the round of 16 in 2022 where ​they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Lets #give #ball #Haaland #Norway #coach">FIFA World Cup 2026: Let’s give the ball to Haaland, Norway coach says  Prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is raring to go against Iraq on ​Tuesday in his country’s first World Cup match in 28 ‌years and his teammates will be seeking to ​feed his remarkable scoring habit, Norway coach ⁠Stale Solbakken said on Monday.Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in ‌Europe, looks to be back in top form after being given a bit of rest ‌by Manchester City at the end of the ‌English ⁠Premier League season and by Norway in the ⁠run-up to the World Cup, Solbakken said.“Hopefully he will have a very big impact,” he told reporters. “Hopefully we can continue to give ​him chances and if ‌you give Erling chances, he has a tendency to score.”Solbakken – a former midfielder who played 58 times for Norway – paid tribute to captain Martin Odegaard who ‌racked up the most goal assists in the ​European qualifiers, despite being out for a lengthy spell with an injury.That absence helped ⁠Norway develop, the coach said: “The players around him have grown because of that. So they have got more confidence ‌themselves.”There was less positive news about striker Jorgen Strand Larsen who has a fever, Solbakken said.ALSO READ | Knicks over kicks as New York’s NBA triumph celebrations overshadow FIFA World Cup buzzNorway kicks off its World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots’ stadium in the suburbs of Boston against an Iraq side that qualified for the tournament after a ‌21-match marathon and the extra stress and strain of travel disruption ​caused by the U.S. and Israeli war with neighbouring Iran.Solbakken highlighted Iraq’s organised, compact formation ⁠and their danger from crosses.“And obviously, the coach is very, ⁠very used to this kind of game in terms of his success with Australia,” he ‌said, referring to Graham Arnold who led the Socceroos to the round of 16 in 2022 where ​they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.Published on Jun 16, 2026  #FIFA #World #Cup #Lets #give #ball #Haaland #Norway #coach

Knicks over kicks as New York’s NBA triumph celebrations overshadow FIFA World Cup buzz

Norway kicks off its World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots’ stadium in the suburbs of Boston against an Iraq side that qualified for the tournament after a ‌21-match marathon and the extra stress and strain of travel disruption ​caused by the U.S. and Israeli war with neighbouring Iran.

Solbakken highlighted Iraq’s organised, compact formation ⁠and their danger from crosses.

“And obviously, the coach is very, ⁠very used to this kind of game in terms of his success with Australia,” he ‌said, referring to Graham Arnold who led the Socceroos to the round of 16 in 2022 where ​they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Lets #give #ball #Haaland #Norway #coach">FIFA World Cup 2026: Let’s give the ball to Haaland, Norway coach says

Prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is raring to go against Iraq on ​Tuesday in his country’s first World Cup match in 28 ‌years and his teammates will be seeking to ​feed his remarkable scoring habit, Norway coach ⁠Stale Solbakken said on Monday.

Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in ‌Europe, looks to be back in top form after being given a bit of rest ‌by Manchester City at the end of the ‌English ⁠Premier League season and by Norway in the ⁠run-up to the World Cup, Solbakken said.

“Hopefully he will have a very big impact,” he told reporters. “Hopefully we can continue to give ​him chances and if ‌you give Erling chances, he has a tendency to score.”

Solbakken – a former midfielder who played 58 times for Norway – paid tribute to captain Martin Odegaard who ‌racked up the most goal assists in the ​European qualifiers, despite being out for a lengthy spell with an injury.

That absence helped ⁠Norway develop, the coach said: “The players around him have grown because of that. So they have got more confidence ‌themselves.”

There was less positive news about striker Jorgen Strand Larsen who has a fever, Solbakken said.

ALSO READ | Knicks over kicks as New York’s NBA triumph celebrations overshadow FIFA World Cup buzz

Norway kicks off its World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots’ stadium in the suburbs of Boston against an Iraq side that qualified for the tournament after a ‌21-match marathon and the extra stress and strain of travel disruption ​caused by the U.S. and Israeli war with neighbouring Iran.

Solbakken highlighted Iraq’s organised, compact formation ⁠and their danger from crosses.

“And obviously, the coach is very, ⁠very used to this kind of game in terms of his success with Australia,” he ‌said, referring to Graham Arnold who led the Socceroos to the round of 16 in 2022 where ​they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Lets #give #ball #Haaland #Norway #coach
Deadspin | Landon Donovan blasts airline after World Cup travel fiasco  Dec 7, 2024; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy former player Landon Donovan looks on before the 2024 MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images   United States men’s national team legend and Fox World Cup analyst Landon Donovan is in an online spat with United Airlines after travel difficulties influenced him and his broadcast partner Ian Darke to complete the last 250 miles of their journey from Houston to Northern New Jersey in an Uber.  According to their posts on X (formerly Twitter), Donovan and Darke were among those booked for flight 404 from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Sunday evening.  Severe weather diverted the flight to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., landing at 1:10 a.m. ET, according to data from the website FlightAware.  The wait to reboard proved long enough that Darke, Donovan and their statistician eventually hired a car to complete the trip instead, with Darke posting the clip of their arrival in New Jersey to his X account shortly before 9 a.m. ET Monday morning.  Flight 404 eventually took off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. ET and landed exactly two hours later. That was 11 hours and 11 minutes later than initially scheduled.  Darke posted on X that passengers on their flight would “think twice about using that airline again.” Donovan shared Darke’s post with additional comments.  “I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” he wrote. “No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from (United).”  When United’s account replied apologizing for the travel difficulties and asking for Donovan to send a direct message with his confirmation number, Donovan responded in a quote post.   “There will be no private DMs,” Donovan wrote. “People want transparency and accountability so we’re going do this right here in public. You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused.”  Darke and Donovan called Mexico-South Africa to open the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday and Germany-Curacao in Houston on Sunday. They will call Tuesday’s match between France and Senegal from East Rutherford, N.J.  An email to United Airlines’ general media relations address was not immediately returned.  Donovan is the joint all-time leading goal scorer in USMNT history and the author of the team’s most iconic World Cup moment, a stoppage-time winner against Algeria in the 2010 tournament that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout phase.  He began broadcasting before his retirement as an analyst for ESPN’s 2014 World Cup coverage after he was surprisingly left off of manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States roster. This is his second World Cup working with Fox after he was also a color analyst during the 2022 tournament.  Darke was famously on the call for Donovan’s 2010 match-winner for ESPN. More known in England for his work on Sky and TNT, Darke is in his second major tournament for Fox after calling games at the 2024 European Championships.  –Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Landon #Donovan #blasts #airline #World #Cup #travel #fiascoDec 7, 2024; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy former player Landon Donovan looks on before the 2024 MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

United States men’s national team legend and Fox World Cup analyst Landon Donovan is in an online spat with United Airlines after travel difficulties influenced him and his broadcast partner Ian Darke to complete the last 250 miles of their journey from Houston to Northern New Jersey in an Uber.

According to their posts on X (formerly Twitter), Donovan and Darke were among those booked for flight 404 from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Sunday evening.

Severe weather diverted the flight to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., landing at 1:10 a.m. ET, according to data from the website FlightAware.

The wait to reboard proved long enough that Darke, Donovan and their statistician eventually hired a car to complete the trip instead, with Darke posting the clip of their arrival in New Jersey to his X account shortly before 9 a.m. ET Monday morning.

Flight 404 eventually took off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. ET and landed exactly two hours later. That was 11 hours and 11 minutes later than initially scheduled.

Darke posted on X that passengers on their flight would “think twice about using that airline again.” Donovan shared Darke’s post with additional comments.

“I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” he wrote. “No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from (United).”


When United’s account replied apologizing for the travel difficulties and asking for Donovan to send a direct message with his confirmation number, Donovan responded in a quote post.

“There will be no private DMs,” Donovan wrote. “People want transparency and accountability so we’re going do this right here in public. You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused.”

Darke and Donovan called Mexico-South Africa to open the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday and Germany-Curacao in Houston on Sunday. They will call Tuesday’s match between France and Senegal from East Rutherford, N.J.

An email to United Airlines’ general media relations address was not immediately returned.

Donovan is the joint all-time leading goal scorer in USMNT history and the author of the team’s most iconic World Cup moment, a stoppage-time winner against Algeria in the 2010 tournament that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout phase.

He began broadcasting before his retirement as an analyst for ESPN’s 2014 World Cup coverage after he was surprisingly left off of manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States roster. This is his second World Cup working with Fox after he was also a color analyst during the 2022 tournament.

Darke was famously on the call for Donovan’s 2010 match-winner for ESPN. More known in England for his work on Sky and TNT, Darke is in his second major tournament for Fox after calling games at the 2024 European Championships.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Landon #Donovan #blasts #airline #World #Cup #travel #fiasco">Deadspin | Landon Donovan blasts airline after World Cup travel fiasco  Dec 7, 2024; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy former player Landon Donovan looks on before the 2024 MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images   United States men’s national team legend and Fox World Cup analyst Landon Donovan is in an online spat with United Airlines after travel difficulties influenced him and his broadcast partner Ian Darke to complete the last 250 miles of their journey from Houston to Northern New Jersey in an Uber.  According to their posts on X (formerly Twitter), Donovan and Darke were among those booked for flight 404 from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Sunday evening.  Severe weather diverted the flight to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., landing at 1:10 a.m. ET, according to data from the website FlightAware.  The wait to reboard proved long enough that Darke, Donovan and their statistician eventually hired a car to complete the trip instead, with Darke posting the clip of their arrival in New Jersey to his X account shortly before 9 a.m. ET Monday morning.  Flight 404 eventually took off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. ET and landed exactly two hours later. That was 11 hours and 11 minutes later than initially scheduled.  Darke posted on X that passengers on their flight would “think twice about using that airline again.” Donovan shared Darke’s post with additional comments.  “I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” he wrote. “No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from (United).”  When United’s account replied apologizing for the travel difficulties and asking for Donovan to send a direct message with his confirmation number, Donovan responded in a quote post.   “There will be no private DMs,” Donovan wrote. “People want transparency and accountability so we’re going do this right here in public. You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused.”  Darke and Donovan called Mexico-South Africa to open the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday and Germany-Curacao in Houston on Sunday. They will call Tuesday’s match between France and Senegal from East Rutherford, N.J.  An email to United Airlines’ general media relations address was not immediately returned.  Donovan is the joint all-time leading goal scorer in USMNT history and the author of the team’s most iconic World Cup moment, a stoppage-time winner against Algeria in the 2010 tournament that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout phase.  He began broadcasting before his retirement as an analyst for ESPN’s 2014 World Cup coverage after he was surprisingly left off of manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States roster. This is his second World Cup working with Fox after he was also a color analyst during the 2022 tournament.  Darke was famously on the call for Donovan’s 2010 match-winner for ESPN. More known in England for his work on Sky and TNT, Darke is in his second major tournament for Fox after calling games at the 2024 European Championships.  –Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Landon #Donovan #blasts #airline #World #Cup #travel #fiasco

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