The XFL has done what the NFL couldn't do: fix the kickoff play. The result is fewer collisions but more excitement, plus the first kickoff return TD in league history.

Wilder also said he is upset with assistant trainer Mark Breland for throwing in the towel to stop the fight and suggested that Breland will no longer be part of the team on fight night. He said he was displeased with the work of referee Kenny Bayless, who took a point from Fury in the fifth round, and went out of his way to congratulate Fury on his performance. Wilder was knocked down in the third round of the heavyweight title fight by a straight right hand and then again in the fifth with a left hook to the body.

Who said the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry is dead? Red Sox legend David Ortiz had some harsh remarks for Mike Fiers on Thursday, calling the former Astros pitcher a "snitch" for blowing the whistle on Houston's illegal sign-stealing operation after winning the 2017 World Series with the club. Not everyone agreed with Ortiz's take, though -- including former Yankees slugger and current ESPN analyst Mark Teixera, who sounded off on Big Papi during Monday's episode of "Get Up!"

The Astros and sign-stealing has, quite obviously, been the story of the offseason. The basic news of the scandal has, quite understandably, led the headlines, but the response to the news on the part of Astros players and officials has managed to perpetuate it. What I originally figured would last only a few weeks before dying down has not, by any stretch of the imagination, died down.

Those tricky 5-foot putts for par are often nerve-racking, whether there's money on the line with a friend or not. But a 94-footer with a brand new car at stake? That doesn't even compare.

Brandon Dill/AP Images A controversial Euro step by James Harden during Saturday night's Houston Rockets - Utah Jazz game has fans torn as to whether or not refs should have called it traveling. Harden appeared to take three steps en route to the basket, but the NBA's rules allow any player to take two steps after he gathers his dribble. Upon a closer look, the step many fans — and the Jazz broadcasters — misidentified as Harden's "first step" actually came before he gathered his dribble and thus did not count towards his two-step allocation.

Tyson Fury has plenty of respect for Deontay Wilder. Two days after Fury defeated Wilder in the seventh round, Fury sent well wishes to Wilder on Instagram. In a message, Fury said he has “love and respect” for Wilder.

It would also require Ryan Pace to make his boldest move in addition to a bunch of other things falling into place around the league. How likely this hypothetical (and to be clear: This is only a hypothetical) is to play out is one thing - more on that later - but here's how Brady could get the Bears a better quarterback without breaking their salary cap. Between the NFL's legal tampering window opening March 16 and the new league year beginning March 18, every free agent quarterback but Brady finds a new home.

Kevin Durant won two championships with the Warriors. KD recently admitted he knew at about the halfway mark of last season that he was going to leave the franchise. Warriors owner Joe Lacob -- who doesn't like to discuss the past very much -- probably never will understand why the four-time scoring champion chose a different path.

Longtime Patriots assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia announced in January he was retiring. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, the veteran line coach is on his way to Indianapolis as we speak. Unless he's just really into the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's, he'll probably watch a few offensive line workouts while he's there.