Sports
Tottenham are asking not to be called Tottenham
Eagle-eyed viewers of Sky Sports’ coverage of Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win against Manchester United last Sunday will have noticed a change.
When head coach Ange Postecoglou was interviewed before kick-off and asked about the lift of having players back from injury, he was described as “Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach”. When the Tottenham starting XI was displayed down the left-hand side of the screen, it said “Spurs” at the top. And when the graphics showed the team in their positions, starting with a cutout of Postecoglou, arms crossed, the word across his chest was “Spurs”.
Nothing too surprising about that, you might think. Tottenham Hotspur is the name of the club. Spurs is their common nickname.
But if you saw the Sky Sports coverage of Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat at Everton on January 19, it looked subtly different. During Postecoglou’s pre-match interview, he was described as “Tottenham Head Coach”. The team graphic just had the word “Tottenham” at the top. And the cutout image of arms-crossed Postecoglou again had “Tottenham” written across his chest. When Sky Sports showed the current Premier League table, it was “Tottenham”. And the form table, in which they were 18th out of 20, “Tottenham” again.
Sky Sports’ form guide graphic on January 19 (Sky Sports)
So what changed? What happened to the word ‘Tottenham’ over the last few weeks?
The answer lies in an email that was circulated to Premier League broadcasters on February 10, that has been seen by The Athletic. Titled “Tottenham Hotspur Naming Update”, the email makes clear how the club wants to be referenced.
“Tottenham Hotspur have provided clarification regarding the club’s name. They have requested that the club are primarily known as Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs being the preferred short version. The club have requested that they are not referred to as Tottenham.”
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This guidance has gone out to Premier League broadcasters all around the world. The changes that Sky Sports made to their graphics have also been made by other networks that show Tottenham matches. The Premier League website is in line too. It is always “Tottenham Hotspur” or “Spurs” there, never “Tottenham”.
The club’s explanation for this is simple: Tottenham is the name of the area, but not the name of the club. It is long-standing club policy not to refer to themselves as ‘Tottenham’. There is nothing new about this, it has been the club’s position going back to 2011.
Sky Sports’ league table graphic on February 16 (Sky Sports)
What specifically changed is that in November last year, the club unveiled a “remastered brand identity”, which was “rolled out across all the Club’s physical and digital touchpoints”. This came with a “Brand Playbook”, which explains in comprehensive detail what the new brand identity means. Towards the end of a section titled “Tone of voice” (“Defiant, Authentic, Rallying, Energetic”), there is a paragraph that makes very clear how the club wants to be described.
“In a world full of Uniteds, Citys and Rovers, there is only one Hotspur, Tottenham Hotspur. When referring to the team or the brand, please use ‘Tottenham Hotspur’, ‘Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’ or ‘THFC’. Never refer to our Club as ‘Tottenham’, ‘Tottenham Hotspur FC’ or ‘TH’.”
This month’s fresh guidance to broadcasters is an apparent attempt to underline this, and to make sure that ‘Spurs’ rather than ‘Tottenham’ becomes the common shorthand when ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ does not fit.
On the one hand, there certainly is an argument to be made that ‘Tottenham’ is just the name of the local area, and not the name of the club itself. There are plenty of Premier League clubs for whom no one would just use the first geographical part of the name.
You would get some strange looks turning up at Villa Park saying you were looking forward to watching ‘Aston’ play. Very few would refer to the side who play at Molineux simply as ‘Wolverhampton’, or at the City Ground as ‘Nottingham’. And that is before we confront the thorny issue of places, including Manchester or Sheffield or Bristol, where two clubs share the same regional descriptor.
Tottenham fans have long referred to their team as… Tottenham (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
But on the other hand, there are clubs where the first part of the name does the job. Everyone knows who Newcastle or Leeds or Leicester are. And for many Spurs fans, the name ‘Tottenham’ is perfectly serviceable in telling the world who they support. It has always been commonplace in the Spurs community in a way that ‘Aston’ never has been at Villa Park.
It does lead you to question why ‘Spurs’ might be preferable to ‘Tottenham’ as the shortened name of the club. ‘Spurs’ certainly is distinct “in a world full of Uniteds, Citys and Rovers”, although maybe less so in the global marketplace, given San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. Still, it is memorable and punchy and looks good emblazoned on merchandise.
‘Hotspur’ is certainly unique and indispensable heritage. The name comes from when a new football club was established in the area in 1882, and two brothers, Hamilton and Lindsay Casey, were searching for a brand identity of their own. They named their club after Henry Percy, the box-office medieval knight who tried to overthrow Henry IV and was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. His nickname was ‘Hotspur’, hence the name of the club, and hence the club’s logo too. This is history worth clinging to.
But Tottenham is inseparable from Tottenham Hotspur too. It was on Tottenham Marshes where the Casey brothers started playing 143 years ago, Tottenham where the old White Hart Lane ground was opened in 1899, closing in 2017, and then Tottenham where the futuristic new stadium was opened in 2019. Other than their brief spell at Wembley while the new stadium was built, Tottenham Hotspur have always played in this very specific corner of north-east London. This is the club’s home, and their community, for whom they do so much good work.
For many fans, there is no distinction between the club and the area itself. They are synonymous. And they will continue to be ‘Tottenham’ regardless of what the guidance says.
(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Sports
Legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg slams notion of overseas Super Bowl: ‘Convention of Americana’
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It’s no secret one of the NFL’s top priorities is continuing to build its brand globally.
But with the addition of more international games in different countries, including the NFL season reportedly kicking off on a Wednesday with a game in Melbourne, Australia in 2026 (it will technically be Thursday for Australians), the question must be asked: Will the Super Bowl end up overseas?
Legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg can’t see it happening despite all the international momentum.
A wide view of play in the first half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. (Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images)
“The Super Bowl has become a convention of Americana,” Steinberg told Fox News Digital during a recent phone call. “So, it’s not just an entertainment event – it’s a cultural event. Big business, big politics, big entertainment and big sports, along with fans, all coalesce in the city. To take that overseas, I think would be difficult.”
The NFL’s first regular-season game in its history was 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers traveled to Mexico City to play. But two years later, the league launched its “International Series,” a game between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London, England that kickstarted the push to continue bringing NFL games to overseas fans.
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Of course, every league wants to expand its reach, and the NFL has done a tremendous job of scheduling more games by the year, while also interacting in different ways with those fans, whether it’s through the NFL Draft or other activations.
In 2026, there will be a record nine international regular-season games played, spanning across four different continents and seven different locations.
Leigh Steinberg attends the 39th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party at Storek on Feb. 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
Other than Melbourne and London, where there will be three games, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid and Mexico City will all be host sites for the NFL in 2026.
But while fans continue to consume these games, some marking it on their calendars to travel to watch their favorite teams, do the teams themselves like it?
“They have mixed feelings,” Steinberg said. “They actually like the travel aspect of it, seeing different cultures and other things. But it takes a physical toll. I mean, to fly from [the West Coast] to London is 12 hours. Then, to fly back, it’s 14 hours. When you start moving east in Europe, it gets longer than that. So, it takes a physical toll.
“I think that if you ask the coaches, they don’t love international games, because it takes them out of the routine and schedule.”
Steinberg believes there needs to be more research done on the effects that jetlag and travel have on the human body, and whether it’s impacting the quality of play as well.
There’s no stopping the global push by the league, but will there come a point where it’s too much, especially for players and coaches to handle during a grueling season?
STEINBERG’S COMEBACK
While talking all things football, Steinberg also discussed life and how his fight through adversity led to him writing “The Comeback: A Playbook for Turning Life’s Setbacks into Victories.”
Leigh Steinberg speaks onstage during the 39th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party at Storek on Feb. 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
Steinberg had built an empire by representing the best athletes in the world, but he also dealt with alcoholism and financial struggles, ultimately bringing him to rock bottom. But he rebuilt himself through those hard times, and with this book, he’s hoping to help others do the same.
Also sharing stories of athletes dealing with similar adversities, Steinberg believes all readers should come away with this lesson learned.
“Internal introspection,” he said. “A realistic understanding of your own values and priorities, whether it’s short-term economic gain, long-term economic security, spiritual values, family. It’s to have clarity internally in terms of what really constitutes a fulfilling life. Then, coming up with a plan to get back to that.”
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Sports
Boys’ basketball player of the year: Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon
When you’re already an All-American in high school and several new players show up perhaps as talented as you, the challenge is developing chemistry and seeing who’s going to remain humble and unselfish for the good of the team.
Maxi Adams, Sierra Canyon’s 6-foot-8 senior, was the big man on campus until another All-American, Brandon McCoy, showed up this season, along with Brannon Martinsen, a former Trinity League player of the year. Not only did Adams welcome them, he adjusted his game and changed his role.
“Anything for the win,” he said. “Trust the coach’s game plan.”
Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon rises to deliver a dunk against Harvard-Westlake in Open Division championship game.
(Steve Galluzzo)
Adams continued to contribute as a scorer, rebounder and defender, and when the games got much more important in the playoffs, he asserted himself and delivered, such as a 26-point performance in the Southern Section Open Division final.
The North Carolina-bound Adams has been selected The Times’ boys basketball player of the year for the 2025-26 season.
Sierra Canyon went 30-1 and won the Southern Section Open Division championship and state Open Division title even though Adams was injured in the first quarter of the state final. He averaged 16 points and 7.2 rebounds with 10 double doubles.
“He’s a great player,” said Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo, whose team lost three times to Sierra Canyon.
Adams’ development of his skills and maturity over his four years of high school, first at Narbonne, then Gardena Serra and his final two seasons at Sierra Canyon, have been impressive. He went from being uncomfortable as a freshman to being versatile, confident and a leader as a senior.
His willingness to embrace the changes at Sierra Canyon this season were key.
“It wasn’t hard,” he said. “We played well together and spent a lot of time together. At the next level, you’re going to have to be able to play with great players. I just carry that forward.”
His older brother, Marcus, was a standout at Narbonne and played this past season at Arizona State after previously being at Cal State Northridge. For Maxi to handle things this season with his brother far away showed he’s ready to embark on his own journey in college basketball.
As for his mentality, Adams said, “We come to work every single time. We put in the time.”
Sports
No 12 High Point falls short of Sweet Sixteen bid after late run by four-seed Arkansas
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No. 12 High Point put everyone on notice for the second time in as many games this March Madness, but could not find the same success.
After advancing to the Round of 32 following an upset victory over No. 5 Wisconsin, the Panthers’ season ended after No. 4 Arkansas ran away from them late Saturday night.
High Point led by as many as five early in the game, and they were up 56-52 with 14:17 to go after going on a 12-2 run.
Both teams exchanged buckets for several minutes, with no one expanding their respective leads by more than three points for a little while.
High Point Panthers head coach Flynn Clayman and guard Rob Martin (3) react in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. (Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images)
With 7:04 to play, the Panthers took a 72-71 lead, to which the Razorbacks responded with a 10-2 run, putting them up by seven and giving them their largest lead of the night.
The game was then quickly tied at 83 after a wild run by High Point, but over the final 3:19, Arkansas outscored High Point, 11-5, to snatch the victory, despite a valiant effort from the Panthers.
High Point Panthers forward Terry Anderson (5) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Malique Ewin (12) and forward Billy Richmond III (24) in the second half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. (Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images)
VANDERBILT’S HAIL MARY SHOT MISSES BY NARROWEST OF MARGINS AS NEBRASKA ADVANCES TO SWEET 16 IN EPIC FASHION
Arkansas was favored by 11.5, and while they couldn’t cover, it was another Sweet 16 appearance for legendary head coach John Calipari.
Two Panthers, Rob Martin (30) and Cam’Ron Fletcher (25), combined for 55 points, but Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas trumped everyone by dropping 36.
Arkansas will face the winner of No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Utah State in the Sweet 16.
High Point Panthers head coach Flynn Clayman and forward Braden Hausen (15) react in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. (Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images)
High Point’s victory over Wisconsin on Thursday marked their first ever in March Madness after making the tournament last year for the first time.
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