Champion Contenders Tiers

World champions South Africa lie in wait for Wales

World champions South Africa arrive in Cardiff to take on a Wales side facing the prospect of losing a 12th successive international.

Champion Verstappen 'hungry' for more title success in 2025

Max Verstappen says his fourth world title came after a "very challenging" season and he is "hungry" to bid for more success in 2025.

Northvolt, Europe’s Hope for a Battery Champion, Files for Bankruptcy

The company’s woes are symptomatic of a wider malaise among companies that make batteries for electric vehicles.

Business - The New York Times - 2 days ago

Ranking 134 College Football Teams, as a Shocking Contender Surges

Indiana is no longer just a fun story. The dream season is real, a columnist for The Athletic writes.

Sports - The New York Times - October 29

Five Teams Look Like N.B.A. Title Contenders This Season

The Celtics are strong candidates to repeat as championships, a columnist for The Athletic writes.

Sports - The New York Times - October 30

'They didn't think I was good enough': Previewing the sounds and big matchups ahead of Week 10

Our college football experts preview big matchups, conference title contenders and sound ahead of Week 10.

Sports - ESPN - October 31

Trick or treat: Which of the NFL's division leaders on Halloween are contenders vs. pretenders?

Making the call on clubs with sterling records

Sports - CBS Sports - October 31

South Asian Americans feel grief and lasting pride as they contend with Harris' loss

After feeling like they were on the precipice of history, many South Asian Americans say they’re heartbroken following Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the 2024 presidential race, but are ...

N.F.L. Week 10 Takeaways: Steelers Could Be Super Bowl Contenders

Under Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh’s offense is as good as it has been in years, a columnist for The Athletic writes.

Sports - The New York Times - November 10

NFL teams with the most deceiving records: 49ers primed to contend; Vikings in trouble?

Which clubs are better or worse than their record says?

Sports - CBS Sports - November 11

The Memo: Harris’s defeat jumbles picture for female Democratic contenders in 2028

Vice President Harris’s defeat in last week’s presidential election raises a thorny dilemma for Democrats as they look ahead to future election cycles, including the 2028 presidential race. Twice ...

Politics - The Hill - November 13

Is anyone going to beat the Lions in the NFC? It might be down to 2 viable contenders

The Lions look very good, and would be hard to beat at home in January.

Sports - Yahoo Sports - November 13

Trump’s administration and White House staffing picks and likely contenders – so far

A look at those who have been and could be offered key positions when Trump takes office. Donald Trump , the former US president set to return to the White House in January for a second term, has ...

World - The Guardian - November 15

Only 2 College Football Players Look Like True Heisman Contenders

The trophy race appears to be down to Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, a columnist for The Athletic writes.

Sports - The New York Times - November 13

Kentucky is a title contender! Duke is doomed? Judging five early-season overreactions

Two weeks into the 2024-25 season, we're seeing potential championship contenders, hot seat names and more -- or are we? Will these trends last?

Sports - ESPN - 6 days ago

Behind the Warriors' sudden rebirth — and why they look like legit title contenders again

Golden State's start to the season has served as an emphatic reminder of just how dangerous a fully operational version of the Warriors can really be.

Sports - Yahoo Sports - November 15

Georgia’s Football Team Was on the Brink. Now, It’s a Title Contender Again.

After slipping out of the College Football Playoff field last week, the Bulldogs are very much alive, a columnist for The Athletic writes.

Sports - The New York Times - November 17

NFL scores: Josh Allen's late TD run lifts Bills over Chiefs for Kansas City's first loss of the season

The Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen rivalry saw a legendary chapter written on Sunday.

Sports - Yahoo Sports - 6 days ago

Steelers beat Super Bowl contender by solving one of NFL's toughest problems

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson completed a season-low 48.4% of his passes for 207 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

The Warriors' hot start, trouble in Milwaukee and the biggest questions for NBA contenders

Our insiders answer one big question surrounding the league's top contenders, including what's at stake for high-profile teams.

Sports - ESPN - 4 days ago

Marc Rowan emerges as a top contender to be Trump’s Treasury secretary

Private equity billionaire is considering job and is set to meet president-elect on Wednesday

Business - Financial Times - 4 days ago

Animated contenders spotlight a ghost cat, snail hoarder, robots and a fowl villain

In another year of wildly varied animated features, Japan, Australia, Great Britain and the planet Cybertron send us their best.

Entertainment - Los Angeles Times - 4 days ago

FirstFT: Apollo’s Marc Rowan top contender for Treasury job

Also in today’s newsletter, SpaceX fails to catch Starship, as well as machine learning and robots

World - Financial Times - 4 days ago

A College Football Playoff Rankings Shakeup Helps an Unlikely Contender

Boise State’s dream season could result in a first-round bye.

Sports - The New York Times - 4 days ago

Private equity landlords' screening process discriminated against renters, lawsuits contend

Two large private equity-backed landlords discriminated against prospective tenants by relying on faulty screening systems, according to two lawsuits.

Why Perk, Myers believe Warriors are ‘legit' title contenders

ESPN analysts Kendrick Perkins and Bob Myers believe the Golden State Warriors are 2025 NBA Finals contenders.

Sports - Yahoo Sports - Yesterday

The $1bn World Series champion Dodgers have everything except complacency

Los Angeles have resources beyond the wildest dreams of most other MLB franchises. But they still had to scrap for their second title in five seasons. Hours after the last out of the 2024 Major ...

World - The Guardian - October 31

Squid Game champion returns as Netflix unveils season 2 trailer

The new season follows Gi-hun as he tries to expose the games' secrets, three years after his narrow escape.

Passan: How the World Series champion Dodgers validated their era of dominance

In an October filled with adversity, here's how L.A. weathered every storm to win a title nobody can deny.

Sports - ESPN - November 1

No one wanted them to win: Texas' first baseball champions

The surviving member of the state's inaugural championship team reflects on the legacy of the Bowie 49ers.