Ben Burrows

England

Managing Editor, News at The Athletic

Senior Editor, News @TheAthleticFC

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Articles

NFL Draft 2025 Big Board: Rating five most collectible players

6 days ago | cllct.com | Ben Burrows

The 2025 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Green Bay. That means, it's time for mock drafts, big boards and countless projections about which prospects are headed where. At cllct, we're no different, and our 2025 Big Board is here. However, we're rating the players by their collectible potential. These five players have the best chance of becoming memorabilia mainstays:1. Shedeur Sanders, QB, ColoradoSanders has been a polarizing player for casual fans and hobbyists alike.
'I'll take it day by day'

6 days ago | nytimes.com | Ben Burrows |Thom Harris

Next summer's World Cup is on Lionel Messi's mind but he is yet to make a final decision over whether he will play in it or not. Messi will turn 38 during the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico and had previously said in Qatar in 2022 that that competition - where he led Argentina to victory - would be "his last".
Portuguese soccer team to honor Ayrton Senna with special one-off jersey

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Ben Burrows

A Portuguese soccer team will honor Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna with a special one-off jersey to mark 40 years since his first race win. The Brazilian earned a first victory of what would go on to be a glittering career at the Circuito do Estoril on April 21, 1985 and Estoril Praia, who play in the Primeira Liga - Portugal's top division - will wear a kit dedicated to it when they play Braga on Saturday.
Concacaf president voices opposition to 64-team World Cup proposal

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Ben Burrows |Colin Millar

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has spoken out against the proposal to expand the 2030 men's World Cup to 64 teams. CONMEBOL, South American soccer's ruling body, has called for the tournament - set to be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco with games in Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - to be increased from the 48 teams who will compete in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. That would see 128 matches played, double the amount at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Chelsea top spend on agent fees for 2024-25 Premier League season

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Ben Burrows |Chris Weatherspoon

Chelsea again topped the table for spending on agent fees as Premier League clubs spent more than £400million ($527m) over the last two transfer windows. The west London club spent £60.3m after signing the likes of Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to take their outlay in the three years under the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly ownership group to £179m.
PSA announces increased turnaround times for popular service levels

2 weeks ago | cllct.com | Ben Burrows

By Ben Burrows Trading card grading giant PSA announced increased turnaround times and a price bump for one of its most popular services Monday following high submission volume to start 2025. Effective Monday, estimated turnaround times for Value, Value Bulk and TCG Bulk will increase from 45 business days to 65 business days. Dual service authentication for both Value and Bulk services will increase to 75 business days from 55.
PSA pauses international grading submissions in wake of tariffs

3 weeks ago | sports.yahoo.com | Ben Burrows

Trading card grading giant PSA has temporarily paused submissions to its U.S.-based facilities from all international customers following a series of expanded tariffs announced Wednesday. The expanded pause comes roughly a month after PSA announced a halt on direct submissions from customers in Canada, China, Hong Kong and Mexico following tariffs in March.
Luke Shaw returns to Manchester United training; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire also join group

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mark Critchley |Ben Burrows

Luke Shaw has returned to Manchester United training after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The England international hasn't played since United's 4-0 win over Everton in December with a previous return to working with the group curtailed by a setback. The 29-year-old has been restricted to three appearances this season - all from the substitutes' bench - with his last start in any competition being England's European Championship final defeat by Spain in July.
World Athletics to introduce cheek swabbing tests for gender eligibility, Sebastian Coe says

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Ben Burrows

World Athletics is set to introduce cheek swabbing tests to establish whether an athlete should be eligible to compete in its female competitions, its president, Lord Sebastian Coe, said Tuesday.
Numbers don't lie: Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autograph is now king

1 month ago | sports.yahoo.com | Ben Burrows

For the first time in more than a decade, the Superfractor 1/1 is no longer baseball’s most important trading card. And Topps only has itself to blame. Since its introduction in 2005, the Superfractor — specifically the 1st Bowman Superfractor — has long sat atop baseball’s parallel hierarchy, with collectors coveting the reflective gold finish that can be spotted from across a card show floor. The hobby is ever-changing, however, so Topps set out to create something different for 2023.