ORLANDO, Fla. – Rory McIlroy made it clear in Mexico that the floated Premier Golf League isn’t for him.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in making a few tweaks to the PGA Tour.

Speaking to the media after his Wednesday pro-am at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy was asked again about the “Premier League” and what structural changes he might like to make to the PGA Tour’s setup and schedule.

“Are we talking about football or golf?” he joked, in reference to the Premier League.

Then he turned a little more thoughtful and prefaced that he didn’t want to come across “as all sort of elitist.”

But McIlroy’s general point was that he’d like to see the PGA Tour increase the numbers of no-cut events with smaller fields. He specifically cited tournaments on the Asian swing, the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship, as examples.

Of course, an increase in events that cater to fewer players might cut into playing opportunities for Tour members of lesser stature, be it Korn Ferry graduates trying to establish themselves or guys playing out of categories further down the priority list looking to improve their standing.

This week’s elevated-status event at Bay Hill, for instance, offers a three-year exemption to its champion. While guaranteed status means a lot less to guys who are annual fixtures inside the world’s top 50, it means a lot to a guy playing on a sponsor’s exemption or fighting to retain his Tour card.

There’s also the point that nine of the world’s best players, for various reasons, opted to skip out on last month’s free-money, free-stuff trip to Mexico, demonstrating that elite, no-cut fields aren’t guaranteed to motivate the game’s top talents. Adam Scott admitted as much in his own news conference Wednesday.

Nonetheless, McIlroy’s comments point to a divide between the Tour’s haves and have-nots.

“Honestly, there's so many – I mean I get playing opportunities – there's so many tournaments and there might be an over-saturation in golf in a way,” McIlroy said.

“You look at the NFL and they play 18 games a year, 20 games a year max and people want it all the time. I know football's different than golf and all that, but I think being a golf fan these days can get quite exhausting following so many different tournaments, different tours, all that stuff.

“So maybe making it a little, sort of streamline it a bit might be a good way, a good place to start a conversation.”

Iker Casillas has said he is "absolutely calm" after his home was among those targeted in a series of raids on football clubs, directors, agents and players by Portuguese authorities investigating alleged tax evasion and money laundering.

Police officers and tax inspectors searched 76 locations across Portugal early on Wednesday -- including the offices of the country's biggest clubs Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting Club -- in an investigation they are calling "Operation Offside."

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In a statement, they said they are looking into "activities aimed at avoiding the payment of taxes owed to the Portuguese state" in transfers and other football-related business since 2015.

"This morning prosecutors came to my home in Porto, as they did to 76 sporting organisations, players and clubs, to ask me for documentation," Casillas posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

"I have put myself at their disposal. Transparency is one of my principles."

In a further statement, his campaign team said Casillas wants "transparency to reach every corner of football" and that he has "collaborated with [the authorities] at all times and provided all the documentation they have requested."

FC Porto also released a statement, which read: "FC Porto and its chairman of the board of directors confirm that they were the target of searches carried out by the Central Court of Criminal Investigation. As always, the club will cooperate."

Former Spain and Real Madrid goalkeeper Casillas -- who was in the Spanish capital when investigators arrived at his home in Porto -- has said he has "full confidence" in the Portuguese authorities.

The 38-year-old joined Porto from Madrid in the summer of 2015 and had maintained a role at the club as he continued his recovery from a heart attack suffered in training in May last year.

Casillas confirmed last month that he intends to stand for president of the Spanish football federation, the RFEF, against the incumbent Luis Rubiales when elections are held at a yet-to-be-determined date later this year.

A supporter was escorted out on a stretcher 17 minutes into Bayer Leverkusen's German Cup quarterfinal clash with Union Berlin on Wednesday, leading to an eerie silence inside the ground.

The match started with a raucous atmosphere as both sides battled for the right to make it through to the last four.

However, following the medical emergency, there was complete silence, even when Union Berlin took a 1-0 lead through Marcus Ingvartsen on 39 minutes.

Both teams tweeted their best wishes to the injured supporter shortly after the incident.

Stille in der BayArena, weil ein Fan notärztlich versorgt werden muss.

Wir sind mit den Gedanken bei dir! ??#B04FCU | #DFBPokal

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) March 4, 2020

17. | Ein medizinischer Notfall auf der Heimtribüne sorgt für Stille im Stadion. Beide Fanszenen warten den Notarzteonsatz ab.#B04FCU #fcunion #eisern

— 1. FC Union Berlin (@fcunion) March 4, 2020

On 41 minutes, the medics returned to rapturous applause from the supporters and, after receiving a signal confirming the injured person in question was OK, both sets of fans began to chant as normal.

It was later announced the supporter was conscious and on the way to a local hospital.

In other German Cup action, holders Bayern Munich cemented their semifinal place thanks to a 1-0 victory over Schalke on Tuesday.

Tim Howard is five months removed from playing his last game, but his ties to the sport of soccer are as strong as ever.

Last weekend, Howard returned to Goodison Park -- the famous home venue of his beloved Everton -- for the first time since leaving the club in 2016, and recently became an international ambassador for the Toffees.

The former U.S. goalkeeper is also going full speed ahead in his new role as the sporting director of USL Championship side Memphis 901, who open the 2020 campaign this weekend at home to Indy Eleven.

His long tenure with the U.S. men's national team and in MLS also leave him with no shortage of opinions about the rest of the domestic game be it the United States men's national team, Giovanni Reyna's breakthrough with Borussia Dortmund, or the progress MLS has made as it embarks on its 25th season.

(This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

ESPN: What are your thoughts on how the U.S. men's national team is doing at the moment?

Tim Howard: Not qualifying for the World Cup, that was massively disappointing, but you have to dust yourselves [off] -- no one will feel sorry for you -- get on with it, and then the next opportunity you get, you take advantage of it. That's what this next year-plus looks like. It's exciting that we can start again, put that process behind us and hopefully get ourselves in a good position.

ESPN: There's been a lot of comments about the style that the team is trying to play. What are your thoughts there?

TH: I think Gregg Berhalter is a very good manager. He's the right man to take this team to the World Cup. And so I think anytime you come in and change systems, there's going to be growing pains. You have to live with them and you have to keep fighting through them. Gregg is someone who is confident in his own coaching abilities and teaching abilities. I think that's what makes a great coach. But the proof is in the pudding. None of us ever have a crystal ball. But again, I think part of that process as you get into the really big moments when the light shines the brightest -- which we know is World Cup qualifying -- you have to go through those speed bumps along the way to kind of get what it is you're looking for.

ESPN: What do you make of Giovanni Reyna's ascension with Borussia Dortmund, breaking through like he has in recent weeks?

TH: He's got a hell of a pedigree. His mom, Danielle, was a hell of a player. She tore it up in college, and clearly his father [Claudio] is one of the greatest players to ever pull a U.S. shirt on, and as a captain. I think Gio has got some pretty big shoes to fill, but I don't think he cares about that. He's a phenomenal kid. He clearly loves his football. He's ubertalented. He just seems to me like the kid who I wouldn't be afraid to heap too much pressure on. I think with some players you are, but with him it seems like he's like a fish to water. He loves it. He gets in there. He's obviously at a very good club, Borussia Dortmund. We know what that did for Christian Pulisic and his development and Gio seems to be on a similar trajectory. I love to sit back as a fan and text him and tell him how great I think he is. But it's fun. I think it's fun to watch as an American who has played for the national team, that there's possibly another star coming through.

ESPN: Speaking of Pulisic, what are your thoughts on his first year in the Premier League and how concerned are you about his health? It seems like he's he has a tendency to suffer from soft tissue injuries.

TH: In term of the ins and outs of the injury, I think when you're a top-performing player -- on both fronts, internationally and club -- you're asking a lot of your body. You're asked to play big games every week, sometimes midweek, and then the travel. We know how that works. Muscle injuries are the biggest part of being a footballer. What I make of his first season, after a slow start when he wasn't in the manager's plans, he smashed the door down and made himself probably the first name on the selection sheet and that's a credit to Christian as a player, and obviously his resilience as a person. Once he gets himself fully healthy, there's no reason to think that won't continue.

ESPN: What's your take on the state of the American goalkeeping? Obviously, Zack Steffen has been in the Bundesliga this year [with Fortuna Dusseldorf], and he's also nursing an injury at the moment. But overall, how are you assessing that position?

TH: I've said all along, Zack has got all the right tools. He's also injured at the moment, but he's [acquitted] himself well in his first year in the Bundesliga. From the reports and what I've seen he's been fantastic. All the reports out of Germany said he was beloved there, so that's a that's a heck of a good start. Sean Johnson being in the mix and Brad Guzan, I think there's some really solid goalkeeping there. It's certainly not a big issue for me that causes any worry or concern. I think when we look at the team overall, the goalkeeping seems to be in safe hands.

ESPN: Switching to MLS, obviously the 25th season is starting, and you're a guy who got a lot of professional starts in that league, what do you make of how far MLS has come and the way it's grown?

TH: You and I have talked about how it's grown and how the fan bases have become crazier and more passionate; how everyone's stadium seems to get more start-of-the-art. I think we've come into a new era. With David Beckham coming in as an owner, I genuinely think this is going to catapult MLS to new heights. It's one thing when we can attract Wayne Rooney and Carlos Vela and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham as players. Now that [Beckham] is in an ownership role, that takes on a whole new meaning in a very, very positive light. I was excited for all the new teams, new stadiums. I'm looking forward to getting to a bunch of games this year because I have a little bit more time on my hands -- not much, but a little bit. That will be great.

ESPN: From your early days in MLS, how minor league was it being a player in the league then?

TH: I can remember being able to count the fans in the stands by counting each section. Playing in NFL stadiums, it had to grow and you could go into any away stadium and people would cheer you and ask for your autograph. They were just happy to have soccer. Now, it's the opposite, which is brilliant. You're hated, you're despised, people say things to you that can't repeat or if you do you end up getting suspended like myself [laughs]. But it's good, it's passionate. I remember recently walking into Atlanta and Seattle and saying to the younger guys that this is what a proper football [stadium] is like. Soak it up. Lap it up. It doesn't get much better than this, I don't care where you play in the world.

ESPN: How is your new endeavor as sporting director of USL Championship side Memphis 901 going?

TH: I love it. It's something that I thought I would enjoy, I wouldn't enjoy being a manager, I wouldn't enjoy being a coach. I think I identified that early on. Coaching is really difficult. But one of the things I do enjoy is the competitive nature of having the ability to hand pick the head coach, hand pick -- with the head coach -- the players, speaking to agents, and getting deals done and being able to recruit players to come play for our club. It's something that I thoroughly enjoy. I thought I would enjoy it but when you actually sink your teeth into it, and not leaving the office until seven or eight at night, I enjoy it. It's a labor of love but I enjoy it.

ESPN: Getting back to the U.S. for a second, it does seem like more guys are breaking through in Europe with Weston McKennie, and Reyna and Pulisic. Do you think that's a good thing overall for the national team? You obviously played in Europe and in MLS, I mean, what do you make of that development?

TH: Whether it's going to Europe or playing in MLS, every player has to make the right decision for themselves. When you choose to do one or the other, I think the great thing for the young players is we [as a national team program] have shown the ability to bring young players through MLS and then make an impact on the national team stage, and the players who go abroad, they don't get too lost in the shuffle. They go to pretty big clubs, make an imprint there and then come back to the national team. For each individual player it's different, but I do like the fact that at the moment, which I don't think was the case when I was starting out, you can't really lose. If you choose MLS, the sky is the limit, and if you choose to go abroad it's the same thing. The great thing about it is that the one team that benefits is the national team.

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk required 90 stitches to repair a cut around his eyelid after being hit in the face by the skate of the Montreal Canadiens' Artturi Lehkonen on Tuesday night, team president/general manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters Wednesday.

Lamoriello said Boychuk suffered no damage to his eye.

"He had quite a night. ... He felt the skate blade hit his eye, but fortunately it just got the eyelid and they took 90 stitches to fix," Lamoriello said. "He'll be fine. It's just a matter of time with the eye opening up."

Both players were in front of the New York net when Lehkonen appeared to lose his balance and fall forward, causing his legs to kick back and his right skate to connect with Boychuk's face as he looked downward.

Boychuk immediately went down to the ice with his hand covering his face before skating off in pain.

The Canadiens won the game 6-2.

The UFC flyweight title remains vacant, despite the scheduling of a title fight for last weekend. The solution? Run that same fight right back, according to UFC president Dana White.

The UFC will book an immediate rematch between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez for the flyweight belt, White told local media in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Figueiredo missed weight for the bout by 2.5 pounds and he was unable to win the title if he defeated Benavidez - which he did by second-round TKO in the main event of UFC Norfolk last Saturday night.

There was also an incidental clash of heads that happened right before the finish that opened a cut on Benavidez's head. Given the circumstances, White said he believes it's only right to give Benavidez another shot.

"I think the headbutt had a lot to do with the knockout, too," White said. "Not taking anything away from [Figueiredo]. It was a great fight. But I think you have to do that fight again."

Figueiredo (18-1) has been on a tear, winning seven of his first eight UFC fights. The Brazilian has finished five of those victories, including Benavidez with a sequence that started with a big right hand. Figueiredo, 32, declared he was the real champion afterward, despite not making weight and not being awarded the title.

Benavidez (28-6), a fan favorite, seemed destined to win the belt. He was in the very first UFC flyweight title fight back in 2012, losing by split decision to Demetrious Johnson. Since then, the Las Vegas resident has held serve, beating everyone else in the division aside from Johnson and Sergio Pettis to maintain his standing as a perennial contender. He lost to Johnson again in 2013 and last Saturday was his first title shot since, despite holding a 13-3 flyweight record heading into the bout against Figueiredo. Benavidez won the first round of that fight on every judges' scorecard.

Benavidez also owns a victory over Henry Cejudo, the UFC bantamweight champion who vacated the flyweight title late last year. The 35-year-old was on a three-fight winning streak coming into last weekend.

White did not give a timetable for a return matchup Wednesday. But he said it's all but a sure thing that Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 will happen.

"First of all, [Figueiredo] didn't make weight," White said. "Joe still fought him. There was a headbutt. A lot of controversy in that fight. But it was a great fight. Both guys came to fight. ... We'll do it again. They both deserve it."

Joe Burrow, the potential top pick in the NFL draft, is flattered by the comparison to Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.

Burrow isn't exactly embracing it, however. When he was asked about NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's comments that Burrow and Brady share similar mechanics, Burrow demurred in an interview with the network.

"Please don't compare me to the best player of all time," Burrow said. "Let me do my own thing. Don't do that to me, please."

The Heisman-winning quarterback is already entering the NFL with high expectations. In his final season at LSU, Burrow set an FBS record for most passing touchdowns in a season (60) and led the Tigers to an undefeated record and national championship.

Burrow is projected by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. to be drafted first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The New England Patriots selected Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. The Michigan product eventually led New England to six Super Bowl victories and is a three-time league MVP.

During his main news conference at the NFL scouting combine last week, Burrow said he is eager to learn the ropes as he makes the transition from college to the pros.

"I'm going to work as hard as I can," Burrow said. "When my time comes to be a leader and be a starting quarterback, I'll do whatever is asked of me."

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Max McLaughlin has made his name at a young age by being one of the most diverse drivers around. He will have a chance to add another skillset to his résumé later this season.

McLaughlin has agreed to drive select races in a Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports midget in addition to his pavement driving duties in the ARCA Menards Series for Hattori Racing Enterprises.

It’s a deal that McLaughlin said came about thanks to Toyota Racing Development, whose development program the second-generation driver has been involved with since signing with Hattori a year ago.

“Man, the TD2 program is a big step in Toyota’s driver development pipeline for their young drivers. I’ve always been a dirt racer and coming from a dirt background, Keith has always been someone that I’ve looked up to. One of my goals has always been to be able to drive for Keith Kunz; I’ve always said that,” McLaughlin told SPEED SPORT. “Growing up watching Kyle Larson in the 4 Crown Nationals go out and sweep the weekend (while) driving Keith’s car and seeing all the drivers that he had go through there … it’s just something that makes you want to be a part of it if you have the opportunity.

“I met Keith about a month before; he came to my shop, and I didn’t really expect anything from that. But I saw him again at New Smyrna and he sat down and talked to me … and that’s really the first that I heard that I’d be running one of his cars,” McLaughlin continued. “Toyota is giving me the opportunity to get a lot more seat time and I think if you can race everything you can, you’re going to be a better race car driver at the end of the day.”

McLaughlin added that his races in the ARCA Menards Series with Hattori Racing Enterprises will still be his main priority, and that his dirt midget schedule will largely be built around his pavement obligations.

However, he also sees the advantages of using dirt racing to enhance his abilities on the pavement, much like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and others have done before him.

“Obviously in anything, my goal is to jump in and win,” McLaughlin relayed. “I don’t expect to do anything else, because if you know me … I’m kind of a sore loser, so I do everything I can to prepare myself, even when I’ve never done something before. I’ll do everything I can beforehand to study film, get on the simulator and just try to learn everything I can about whatever car it may be in advance so I’m as prepared as possible when I get to the race track.

“At the same time, though, I do know there’ll be a bit of a learning curve and I have to be prepared for that also,” he added. “The goal here is to perform, but to use my dirt racing to make me a better pavement racer, and vice versa. I think there are facets from both sides that will help you no matter what car you’re getting into and that’s something that I hope we can prove throughout the year.”

Kunz is looking forward to adding another young, hungry talent to his stable and is eager to work with the driver who cut his teeth in outlaw karts and big-block modifieds as a teenager.

“Max can just race anything,” Kunz said of McLaughlin, indicating the 20-year-old will likely run five to seven races in a KKM midget through the year. “I was honestly surprised that he hadn’t run any midget stuff when we started talking about doing this deal. He’s been impressive in the outlaw karts and big-block modifieds through the years, and through the Toyota (development) program we wanted to get him involved with us and see what he could do.

“I’m excited for Max. I think he’ll be alright and we’re looking forward to getting started with him.”

McLaughlin’s schedule with KKM has yet to be decided, but the son of longtime NASCAR driver Mike McLaughlin is already thinking about what he can apply from his previous dirt racing experience to the KKM midget.

“I do think there are definitely things that you can take from each car,” he noted. “Even the big-block modifieds — if you really look at a big-block chassis and the components that you bolt onto the chassis, it’s almost the same as a midget. You see guys like Larry Wight get out of a big-block modified, go to the Chili Bowl and make the show; he said they drive kind of similar. I’m really looking forward to getting in it. I really don’t know what to expect because I’ve never done it, but I know I’m excited.

“I don’t know how many we’ll run; just a handful of selected events most likely. As to what they are, I’m not sure at this point, but when we do know, we’ll go out and do what we can to be successful in them.”

CONCORD, N.C. – Despite only one 410 sprint car race this week, Danny Dietrich moved to the top of the Eastern Region standings in the National Sprint Car Rankings after a second-place finish in that race at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway.

Dietrich leads the country in starts, having run all nine 410 sprint car races held so far in the United States, and holds the point lead over Aaron Reutzel, who has two victories in six starts this season.

Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart and Cory Eliason round out the top five.

Brock Zearfoss jumped into the top 10 in the Eastern Region standings in seventh.

Dylan Cisney, who won Sunday at Lincoln, became the seventh driver to post a victory in the nine 410 winged sprint car races run this season.

There will be no national rankings until drivers begin reaching the 20-race plateau, which is required for ranking. To read how the National Sprint Car Rankings are tabulated, click here.

The Eastern Region is the only region which has begun its season.

The points:

Eastern Region

1. Danny Dietrich – 322
2. Aaron Reutzel – 286
3. Brad Sweet – 280
4. Logan Schuchart – 278
5. Cory Eliason – 271
6. Ian Madsen – 269
7. Brock Zearfoss – 245
8. Donny Schatz – 238
9. Brian Brown – 234
10. James McFadden – 228

Feature Winners

Brad Sweet – 2
Aaron Reutzel – 2
Donny Schatz – 1
Logan Schuchart – 1
Kyle Larson – 1
Danny Dietrich – 1
Dylan Cisney – 1

The NHL's salary cap is projected to be between $84 million and $88.2 million for the 2020-21 season, an uptick from the current cap of $81.5 million, the league told its general managers at their annual March meetings this week.

The exact figure for next season will be negotiated with the NHLPA. The cap, which is calculated on a percentage of hockey-related league revenue for the previous season, indicates the NHL is steadily growing as it prepares to welcome its 32nd team, Seattle, for the 2021-22 season.

The new cap will go into effect when NHL free agency opens July 1.

The league also announced that it is ready to drop its new smart pucks, which will officially debut on the opening night of the 2020 NHL playoffs.

"All aspects of player and puck tracking have been tested extensively," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Especially the pucks."

The league has quietly tested the new pucks during nine NHL games in nine different buildings since Feb. 6.

"We've used them without anybody knowing about it on a number of occasions," Bettman said. "And there is no issue whatsoever."

The smart pucks, made from the same rubber as traditional pucks, feature technology that relays tracking of puck and player speed and distance as well as zone time and shift lengths. Players will also wear tags in their jerseys. That information will be depicted in data and graphics on TV broadcasts and will be available to teams.

"Feedback has been minimal," said Steve McArdle, NHL executive vice president of digital media and strategic planning. "We have not heard -- in live-game situations -- complaints about the performance of the puck. In fact, we've heard very little coming out of a lot of game experiences. So we're happy about that."

McArdle said the league has offered the puck to certain teams to practice with and that "feedback has been minimal" from players.

NHL officials have gone through extensive testing to ensure that the feel of the puck is not compromised. The NHL fired it out of a machine at 170 mph -- including angles on the corner of the crossbar -- and reported that the puck held up.

"We haven't been able to break this one yet," said Keith Horstman, NHL vice president of information technology. "We shot it [at] 170 mph 20 times, and it didn't break, it didn't deform. We've been trying to get them to tell us what the break point is, and they can't get the gun [to go] high enough."

The NHL has spent years -- and millions of dollars -- to launch its player and puck tracking program. The rollout has been delayed several times, and the league is on its second partner, SMT, after cutting ties with German company Jogmo in 2019. Player and puck tracking has been tested and used in television broadcasts in each of the past two NHL All-Star Games.