Police report says former MLB pitcher Brian Matusz died at 37 of likely overdose

The former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz died at the age of 37 after an apparent drug overdose, according to police documents.The Orioles announced Matusz’s death last week. According to a report by the Phoenix Police Department obtained by the Baltimore Banner, Matusz’s body was found by his mother, Elizabeth, on 6 January after she went to check on him in his home. A lighter, straw and a small square of aluminum foil, often used for ingesting drugs, were near his body. The report says police are not treating the death as suspicious

Man charged with stalking Caitlin Clark disrupts court hearing

A man charged with stalking and harassing basketball star Caitlin Clark was rebuked after becoming disruptive during a court appearance on Tuesday.Michael Lewis, of Denton, Texas, was arrested on Monday at a hotel in Indianapolis, where Clark plays for the Indiana Fever, after allegedly sending threatening messages to the WNBA star, some of which were sexual in nature.The 55-year-old Lewis sat back in his chair when he entered Marion County Superior Court and said “guilty as charged”. He went on to interrupt the proceedings on several occasions, saying “I guess you got the wrong guy”. He also said “I need my medicines” when the court asked him if he had any mental health issues

Borthwick backs ‘world-class’ Itoje as England captain after stripping George

Maro Itoje will lead England into the Six Nations after Steve Borthwick made the radical decision to ditch Jamie George as captain and promote the second row before a campaign that promises to make or break the head coach’s tenure.Borthwick said George was “disappointed” to lose the captaincy after only 12 months in what he described as a challenging conversation with the hooker but explained the decision to appoint Itoje was made on the basis that he is a “world‑class player who has the respect of everybody”.The upshot is that England head into the Six Nations with a new captain for the second year in a row and ­Borthwick is tasked with guiding his side to four wins from five by the Rugby Football Union after a disappointing 2024 in which they lost five consecutive matches. Borthwick said there is no reason Itoje will not continue in the role until the 2027 World Cup but his own job will come under threat in the event of another lack­lustre campaign which begins with daunting fixtures against ­Ireland in Dublin before France visit Twickenham.Borthwick also has injury problems to contend with after confirming Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso has decided to undergo a shoulder operation and will miss the champion­ship along with Sam Underhill (ankle)

Alex de Minaur brings main character energy in Australian Open straight-sets win

On the stage of the Australian Open this year, Alex de Minaur is giving irresistible main character energy. Just one round in he has survived the elimination of would-be co-stars, is romantically intertwined, and in his first real scene delivered his lines with aplomb.The Australian No 8 seed produced a flashy opener in the first set against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, before the plot threw up just enough intrigue to entertain a full Rod Laver Arena. Of course, the local hero prevailed 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in 142 minutes.But even he admits his mind wasn’t always on his match

Australian Open avatars helping tennis reach new audience

The proposition is compelling: near-live, commentated coverage of the Australian Open, free to anyone across the world via YouTube, enhanced via a stream of comments from a like-minded online community.Put like that, it’s no surprise a project called AO Animated has taken off at this year’s grand slam tournament at Melbourne Park. The catch? The players, ball and court are all computer-generated.That hasn’t dissuaded hundreds of thousands of viewers from tuning into this vision of the Australian Open, featuring video game-like avatars but using real-world data in an emerging category of sports broadcasting helping tennis reach new fans.The loophole allows the Australian Open to show a version of live events at the tournament on its own channels, despite having sold lucrative exclusive broadcast rights to partners across the globe

Boulter seals British history at Australian Open with six players into round two

Six British players have won their first-round matches at the Australian Open for the first time in history after Katie Boulter held her nerve in the tense final stages of a difficult contest against Rebecca Marino of Canada to a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win.“It’s awesome to have some positivity coming out around British tennis,” said Boulter. “It’s been coming for a long time. It’s just the beginning. I really think these girls and guys have been working so hard, and everyone deserves a bit of credit