Barcelona and Bayern Munich advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Spanish champions disposing of Arsenal, and the German champions coming from two goals down to beat Juventus.

The two favourites for the Champions League title have made it through to the quarterfinals after an exciting night of football in Spain and Germany.

Barcelona remains favourites to become the first team ever to retain the Champions League trophy after disposing of Arsenal at the Nou Camp. It was a bold, brave and brash performance from Arsene Wenger’s men, but at the end of the day, they just weren’t good enough over the two legs.

It’s the sixth season in a row that Arsenal has gone out of the competition in the Round of 16. It was a decade ago that Barcelona followed that particular route out of the contest.

Samsung Lions is in a pinch as the investigation over its pitchers gambling charges drags on.

Last year, South Korean authorities charged starter Yun Sung-hwan, reliever An Ji-man and pitcher Lim Chang-ong with illegal overseas gambling, prompting their baseball club to leave the three players’ names off the roster for the Korean Series—the championship final for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

Lim, who was summoned in late November 2015, admitted during an interrogation that lasted for 13 hours that he gambled in Macau. The 39-year-old player has since been released by the Lions and was fined for his gambling charges.

Yun and An’s cases, on the other hand, remain in limbo after local police admitted that they were nowhere near close to wrapping up their investigations and pinning specific charges to the two players.

Samsung Lions is in a pinch as the investigation over its pitchers gambling charges drags on.

Last year, South Korean authorities charged starter Yun Sung-hwan, reliever An Ji-man and pitcher Lim Chang-ong with illegal overseas gambling, prompting their baseball club to leave the three players’ names off the roster for the Korean Series—the championship final for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

Lim, who was summoned in late November 2015, admitted during an interrogation that lasted for 13 hours that he gambled in Macau. The 39-year-old player has since been released by the Lions and was fined for his gambling charges.

Yun and An’s cases, on the other hand, remain in limbo after local police admitted that they were nowhere near close to wrapping up their investigations and pinning specific charges to the two players.

Wolfsburg striker and avid poker fan, Max Kruse, has been fined €25,000 by his club after it became common knowledge that he left €75,000 in the back of a cab after a good day at the World Series of Poker Europe tables in Berlin.

It was the 2014 World Series of Poker (WSOP) that the press learned of Max Kruse’s penchant for poker. The German star was playing for Borussia Monchengladbach at the time. He came close to winning a bracelet in Event #36: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, finishing third for $36,494.

Kruse signed a four-year deal to join Wolfsburg in 2015. To celebrate he competed in the €2,200 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Eureka High Roller in Hamburg bubbling the final table for a €3,930 payout. He had the bug. That summer he returned to the WSOP and finished 26th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) Championships for $23,500.

It was a no-brainer that Kruse would compete at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) festival when it set up camp in Berlin. He didn’t cash in any of the tournaments, but he did have a great day at the cash game tables the day after scoring a hat trick in a 4-2 win over Hoffenheim.

Wolfsburg striker and avid poker fan, Max Kruse, has been fined €25,000 by his club after it became common knowledge that he left €75,000 in the back of a cab after a good day at the World Series of Poker Europe tables in Berlin.

It was the 2014 World Series of Poker (WSOP) that the press learned of Max Kruse’s penchant for poker. The German star was playing for Borussia Monchengladbach at the time. He came close to winning a bracelet in Event #36: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, finishing third for $36,494.

Kruse signed a four-year deal to join Wolfsburg in 2015. To celebrate he competed in the €2,200 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Eureka High Roller in Hamburg bubbling the final table for a €3,930 payout. He had the bug. That summer he returned to the WSOP and finished 26th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) Championships for $23,500.

It was a no-brainer that Kruse would compete at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) festival when it set up camp in Berlin. He didn’t cash in any of the tournaments, but he did have a great day at the cash game tables the day after scoring a hat trick in a 4-2 win over Hoffenheim.

Manchester City and Atletico Madrid have booked their passage into the Champions League quarter-finals after an evening that didn’t produce a single goal in 210 minutes of football.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini would have wanted two things leading into their Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg tie against Dynamo Kiev – a clean sheet and an injury free night. He only got the clean sheet.

If you were educating an alien and informed them that the Champions League was the greatest club competition in the world, he would have thought you were a Joe Hart short of a football team. The game was littered with petty fouls, stoppages and two Man City injuries that may impede the clubs progress in this competition.

Man City captain and talisman Vincent Kompany limped out of the action as early as the fifth minute after what appeared to be a calf muscle injury. 18-minutes later and City’s other centre-back Nicolas Otamendi also headed down the tunnel. Fortunately, for the blue half of Manchester they had Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis on the bench and were facing a Dynamo Kiev side who had picked up the wrong script.

Manchester City and Atletico Madrid have booked their passage into the Champions League quarter-finals after an evening that didn’t produce a single goal in 210 minutes of football.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini would have wanted two things leading into their Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg tie against Dynamo Kiev – a clean sheet and an injury free night. He only got the clean sheet.

If you were educating an alien and informed them that the Champions League was the greatest club competition in the world, he would have thought you were a Joe Hart short of a football team. The game was littered with petty fouls, stoppages and two Man City injuries that may impede the clubs progress in this competition.

Man City captain and talisman Vincent Kompany limped out of the action as early as the fifth minute after what appeared to be a calf muscle injury. 18-minutes later and City’s other centre-back Nicolas Otamendi also headed down the tunnel. Fortunately, for the blue half of Manchester they had Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis on the bench and were facing a Dynamo Kiev side who had picked up the wrong script.

Leicester City move five points clear of their nearest rivals Spurs as Rafa Benitez’s first game in charge of Newcastle ends in defeat.

“You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

It was a cheeky chorus from loved up Leicester fans as Rafa Benitez’s bid to save Newcastle United from relegation started with a defeat at the hands of the league leaders.

The difference between teams that win league titles, and those that fall through the trapdoor, is one wins lousy games, and the other doesn’t. Leicester find a second gear when they play against the big boys. After this performance it’s clear that they also no how to avoid slipping on a banana skin or two.

Leicester City move five points clear of their nearest rivals Spurs as Rafa Benitez’s first game in charge of Newcastle ends in defeat.

“You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

It was a cheeky chorus from loved up Leicester fans as Rafa Benitez’s bid to save Newcastle United from relegation started with a defeat at the hands of the league leaders.

The difference between teams that win league titles, and those that fall through the trapdoor, is one wins lousy games, and the other doesn’t. Leicester find a second gear when they play against the big boys. After this performance it’s clear that they also no how to avoid slipping on a banana skin or two.

Is eSports real sports? It’s a debate that will not die any time soon.

And one university is set to add more fuel to the already heated debated of whether professional gamers should be considered as athletes.

German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that a new study conducted by researchers at the German Sports University found that many eSports players are not fit to face the physical demands of playing in professional tournaments.

GSU Professor Ingo Frobose, who have been studying eSports players for the past five years, discovered professional video game players are exposed to a level of strain that was not present in other sports, even among table tennis players, who require a high level of hand-eye coordination. The professor observed that eSports players’ hands fly on the keyboard or mouse at a maximum of 400 movements per minute which is four times higher than an average computer user.

Is eSports real sports? It’s a debate that will not die any time soon.

And one university is set to add more fuel to the already heated debated of whether professional gamers should be considered as athletes.

German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that a new study conducted by researchers at the German Sports University found that many eSports players are not fit to face the physical demands of playing in professional tournaments.

GSU Professor Ingo Frobose, who have been studying eSports players for the past five years, discovered professional video game players are exposed to a level of strain that was not present in other sports, even among table tennis players, who require a high level of hand-eye coordination. The professor observed that eSports players’ hands fly on the keyboard or mouse at a maximum of 400 movements per minute which is four times higher than an average computer user.

There are lots of ways to write about March Madness. I could give you tournament picks for your bracket. I could breakdown the entirety of the first weekend. Or I could tell you a long sweeping narrative that updates you on all the best teams, best players and things to look out for while highlighting the current NCAAB futures odds for the top teams.

So I’m doing the third thing and making this as long winded as possible.

Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to devour a big chunk of college basketball. This is March Madness we’re talking about here, and reading a 2,000-word column on everything you (basically) need to know is time well spent. You know it and I know it.

(Writer’s Note – The odds reflect the current NCAAB Championship Odds provided by Oddshark.com that are available. They are subject to change)

There are lots of ways to write about March Madness. I could give you tournament picks for your bracket. I could breakdown the entirety of the first weekend. Or I could tell you a long sweeping narrative that updates you on all the best teams, best players and things to look out for while highlighting the current NCAAB futures odds for the top teams.

So I’m doing the third thing and making this as long winded as possible.

Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to devour a big chunk of college basketball. This is March Madness we’re talking about here, and reading a 2,000-word column on everything you (basically) need to know is time well spent. You know it and I know it.

(Writer’s Note – The odds reflect the current NCAAB Championship Odds provided by Oddshark.com that are available. They are subject to change)

March Madness is a huge business and it doesn’t take much to find free-to-enter contests that you can sign up and join. Now, the obvious ones are always available, including the March madness challenges being offered by the likes of CBS, ESPN, and Yahoo. But there are other ways to get into the hysteria to the tournament without having to put up some money in the process.  Let’s start with the three sports websites.

Of the three, Yahoo’s the only one that has guaranteed a monetary prize to the best overall bracket. Co-sponsored with Lexus, Yahoo is hosting Tourney Pick’em for two consecutive year. The winner of the Yahoo ”Best Bracket” contest gets $50,000, which will be determined by a completely convoluted and incredibly complicated formula that tacks on different points depending of the correct picks made in any round. I’m not going to begin to try to understand how it works, but for those interested to sign up, you can do so provided you meet their requirements. Only US residents are allowed to play and even then, you’ll have to be 18 in most states and 19 in both Alabama and Nebraska to be allowed.

If you’re not into cash prizes and prefer something a little more in kind, CBS’ annual Free Bracket Challenge. It doesn’t guarantee a prize for a perfect bracket, but it does reward a participant who is among the top ten percent of eligible point scorers with a “with a grand prize” that includes four tickets to the 2017 Final Four and $6,000 to help cover the cost of attending next year’s tournament. The caveat here is that you don’t need to have the best bracket to win. Just get into the aforementioned “top 10%” and, well, pray that your number is called. CBS’ bracket challenge is available to those based in the US but unlike Yahoo and ESPN, it is also open to people from Puerto Rico and Canada (excluding Quebec).

Then we get to ESPN, together with Allstate as well as new sponsors Honda and Microsoft, is dangling a prize package valued at 19,950. The package includes a one trip for two to the 2016 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, airfare and accommodation and a $10,000 Amazon.com Gift Card. Total ARV: $19,950.00. It’s worth noting that the prize winner must be able to travel to Hawaii from November 19-24, 2016. Inability of the winner to travel on those dates will result in forfeiture of the grand prize. It’s a little more difficult field to gain entry to compare to CBS, but you have to admit that the package is a little more alluring than CBS’ offer. Entrants for the ESPN challenge must also be based in the US and must be 18 years and above to join.

March Madness is a huge business and it doesn’t take much to find free-to-enter contests that you can sign up and join. Now, the obvious ones are always available, including the March madness challenges being offered by the likes of CBS, ESPN, and Yahoo. But there are other ways to get into the hysteria to the tournament without having to put up some money in the process.  Let’s start with the three sports websites.

Of the three, Yahoo’s the only one that has guaranteed a monetary prize to the best overall bracket. Co-sponsored with Lexus, Yahoo is hosting Tourney Pick’em for two consecutive year. The winner of the Yahoo ”Best Bracket” contest gets $50,000, which will be determined by a completely convoluted and incredibly complicated formula that tacks on different points depending of the correct picks made in any round. I’m not going to begin to try to understand how it works, but for those interested to sign up, you can do so provided you meet their requirements. Only US residents are allowed to play and even then, you’ll have to be 18 in most states and 19 in both Alabama and Nebraska to be allowed.

If you’re not into cash prizes and prefer something a little more in kind, CBS’ annual Free Bracket Challenge. It doesn’t guarantee a prize for a perfect bracket, but it does reward a participant who is among the top ten percent of eligible point scorers with a “with a grand prize” that includes four tickets to the 2017 Final Four and $6,000 to help cover the cost of attending next year’s tournament. The caveat here is that you don’t need to have the best bracket to win. Just get into the aforementioned “top 10%” and, well, pray that your number is called. CBS’ bracket challenge is available to those based in the US but unlike Yahoo and ESPN, it is also open to people from Puerto Rico and Canada (excluding Quebec).

Then we get to ESPN, together with Allstate as well as new sponsors Honda and Microsoft, is dangling a prize package valued at 19,950. The package includes a one trip for two to the 2016 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, airfare and accommodation and a $10,000 Amazon.com Gift Card. Total ARV: $19,950.00. It’s worth noting that the prize winner must be able to travel to Hawaii from November 19-24, 2016. Inability of the winner to travel on those dates will result in forfeiture of the grand prize. It’s a little more difficult field to gain entry to compare to CBS, but you have to admit that the package is a little more alluring than CBS’ offer. Entrants for the ESPN challenge must also be based in the US and must be 18 years and above to join.

There will be a new set of ribbons tied around the FA Cup after Watford end Arsenal’s incredible 13 match unbeaten run in the oldest club competition in the world.

The FA Cup quarter-final results are a stunning microcosm of the entire season with the biggest clubs in English football being made to look like a bunch of mugs by less fashionable teams.

It was also the end of one of the FA Cups incredible runs.

It was February 2013 when Colin Kazim-Richards of Blackburn Rovers scored a late goal to knock Arsenal out of the FA Cup. Since that strike, the Gunners went on a 13-match unbeaten run that has seen them win the grandest cup competition of all for two successive seasons.

Only four games to review in Week 30 of the Premier League as the FA Cup quarter-finals eat into the action; and Newcastle sack Steve McClaren and hire Rafa Benitez.

It was October that Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers, and I promised you six more managers would lose their heads by the end of the season. I have since predicted two of those to leave in the shape of Jose Mourinho, and Tim Sherwood – another of my predictions came true on Friday when Newcastle finally sacked Steve McClaren.

The former England manager only managed to win 7 of his 31 games in charge at St James Park. 24 points from 28 games is their most dismal performance in their Premier League history.

In 2008/09, Alan Shearer donned his cape and flew into Newcastle hoping to save his beloved team from relegation with eight games remaining. Former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez has ten games.

Only four games to review in Week 30 of the Premier League as the FA Cup quarter-finals eat into the action; and Newcastle sack Steve McClaren and hire Rafa Benitez.

It was October that Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers, and I promised you six more managers would lose their heads by the end of the season. I have since predicted two of those to leave in the shape of Jose Mourinho, and Tim Sherwood – another of my predictions came true on Friday when Newcastle finally sacked Steve McClaren.

The former England manager only managed to win 7 of his 31 games in charge at St James Park. 24 points from 28 games is their most dismal performance in their Premier League history.

In 2008/09, Alan Shearer donned his cape and flew into Newcastle hoping to save his beloved team from relegation with eight games remaining. Former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez has ten games.

The first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 is in the books and the favourites Borussia Dortmund thrash Spurs; Liverpool does likewise against a woeful Man Utd, and much more.

Earlier in the week, I heard a pundit talk about how fantastic it was that the Europa League had so many mouth-watering ties. He was, of course, referring to Liverpool v Man Utd and Borussia Dortmund v Spurs games. However, there was a slight catch. Only two of the four teams turned up to play.

Louis Van Gaal’s side traveled to Anfield knowing they had stuffed Liverpool twice in the Premier League this season. This tie was different gravy. The two teams have faced off over 200 times, but they have never played against each other in Europe.

Nobody with any football nous believed there would be anything but a Liverpool victory in this one, given United’s woeful performances of late, but the way United went down was, in the words of Robbie Fowler, “disgraceful”.